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County executives offer vaccine help, call for increased cooperation & information sharing with state's distribution efforts

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Wed, Jan 6th 2021 09:35 am

From the New York State Association of Counties:

With New York State reaching grim milestones in coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths, county executives from around the state held a press briefing Tuesday where they pledged to help the state increase its vaccine distribution efforts.  

“Since the beginning of this pandemic, county leaders have been the onsite generals in this battle against the novel coronavirus. Now, they are sitting on the bench waiting to get into the vaccine game so that they can do their part in the next phase of this pandemic,” NYSAC Executive Director Stephen J. Acquario said. “To be successful in this vital task, county leaders are now looking for information and data so that they can answer questions and help coordinate the distribution of the vaccine in their communities.”

New York State County Executives Association President and Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro said, “At the end of the day, the response to a public health concern begins and ends with local health departments. We have the plans in place, we just need to be empowered to activate them and implement them. We also need access to data so that we can track who is accessing vaccines and where we need to direct resources. This will be the most important role we’ve ever undertaken.

“As someone who’s lost a loved one to this, I think it’s my mission as a local elected official to make sure we have the most robust, aggressive and efficient vaccination program in America, and I strongly believe we can achieve that if all levels of government work together.”

Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus said, “We’re on the front lines with the on-the-ground knowledge. We see the people critical to the function of county government who are getting sick and need the vaccine now: police, firefighters, emergency management, 911 dispatchers. We’re ready and able; we just need the green light to do what we need to do to start making a difference.”

Chemung County Executive Chris Moss said, “Our hospital network was not setup for what is going on here – that’s why the county health department should have been used. They’re making the best of a bad situation, but the fact of the matter is we’re wasting resources by duplicating efforts. If we don’t have better data sharing and coordination with the state, this just isn’t going to work.”

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