Molinaro Hosts Latest Virtual Town Hall
County Executive discusses latest COVID-19 data; answers residents’ questions
Poughkeepsie, NY … Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro today hosted his 45th online Town Hall Forum in eight months, providing residents with the most current updates about the COVID-19 pandemic and answering residents’ questions relating to COVID-19 and other topics.
An archive of all of County Executive Molinaro’s virtual discussions, including today’s event, is available on the Dutchess County Government YouTube page.
Among the highlights of today’s discussion:
• County Executive Molinaro updated residents on the most current data posted on the Dutchess County COVID-19 Community Impact Dashboard:
o 257,868 Tests completed
o 6,308 Confirmed cases
o 576 Active cases
o 32 Hospitalizations
o 176 Deaths
o 5,556 Recovered
o 7-day rolling avg. regional positivity rate 3.7% (Dutchess County’s 7-day rolling average was 2.5% as of Tuesday, Nov. 17th)
• Reiterating the message Dr. Anil Vaidian, the Commissioner of the County’s Department of Behavioral and Community Health (DBCH) from earlier this week, County Executive Molinaro reminded residents the majority of COVID-19 cases in Dutchess County are not from the high-profile clusters of recent weeks, such as at colleges or assisted-living facilities. Rather, he said, most local cases arise from:
o Community and socialization, such as small gatherings in residents’ homes;
o Households in which one member of the immediate family becomes ill and infects other family members; and
o Travel, including international travel.
More than eight months since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported in Dutchess County, the County Executive implored residents today not to become complacent regarding Coronavirus – known colloquially as “pandemic fatigue” – and reminded them to continue proper hand-washing, mask-wearing and social distancing to stop the spread.
• With an increase of local COVID-19 cases, and in response to a rise in inquiries, Dr. Vaidian, DBCH Commissioner an infectious disease specialist, has begun providing twice-weekly video briefings about the COVID-19 pandemic for residents and media. His briefings, which are available on Dutchess County Government’s YouTube and Facebook pages, are released each Monday and Friday, and have each generated thousands of views.
• The Th!nk Dutchess Alliance for Business on Tuesday announced Amazon is considering locating a logistics center to in East Fishkill, following the alliance’s considerable efforts to lure the world’s largest online retailer to the former IBM West Campus. Though Amazon is considering several locations for its new site, Dutchess County remains the frontrunner for the company’s $135 million investment that will create up to 500 new jobs over the next three years.
Following the County Executive’s virtual town hall forum to discuss his 2021 Executive Budget on Thursday, Nov. 19th at 6 p.m., he will next host an online conversation with residents on Wednesday, Nov. 25th at 2 p.m.; both discussions will be available to watch on the County’s Facebook page. As with all of County Executive Molinaro’s online forums, American Sign Language and/or close-captioning are available.
