County to Host Back to School COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination for Local School Personnel
Poughkeepsie … The Dutchess County Department of Behavioral and Community Health (DBCH) will host five regional testing and vaccination sites throughout September for school personnel, fulfilling the recent state mandate requiring all teachers, administrators, and other school employees submit to weekly COVID-19 testing unless they show proof of vaccination.
The County is also planning to offer routine surveillance testing in every school in Dutchess County by October, utilizing grant funds. Utilizing a $5.6 million dollar grant awarded by the New York State Department of Health’s Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases program, school districts will select vendors to provide full-service, in-school surveillance testing on a weekly basis for all unvaccinated staff and students whose parents consent to participate in the program.
County Executive Marc Molinaro said, “Our main goal is to keep our students and faculty safe this school year. This protocol will help keep COVID out of schools and help the faculty and students focus on academic success.”
The County’s September “Back to School” plan includes five testing and vaccination sites located throughout Dutchess County. Dr. Neil Smoller and his staff at Village Apothecary will provide rapid COVID-19 testing, as well as first and second doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to all teachers and school personnel who work in a local P-12 school or live in Dutchess County. Booster doses will be available for those eligible per New York State regulations. Pre-registration is required for these events; school personnel can register at drneal.co/dutchess.
Free vaccination and testing for any teacher or school staffer in any Dutchess County district will occur at the following locations on the dates and times specified:
Wappingers Central School District
Wednesdays (Sept. 15th, 22nd and 29th)
6:30AM-8:30AM
WCSD Administrative office board room – 25 Corporate Park Drive, Hopewell Junction
Webutuck Central School District
Thursdays (Sept. 16th, 23rd and 30th )
6:30AM-8:30AM
Webutuck High School Gymnasium – 194 Haight Road, Amenia
Pawling Central School District
Thursdays (Sept. 16th, 23rd and 30th)
3 PM-4 PM
Pawling Middle School – 80 Wagner Drive, Pawling
Pine Plains Central School District
Thursdays (Sept. 16th, 23rd and 30th)
6 PM-7 PM
Stissing Mountain High School – 2829 Church St, Pine Plains
Hyde Park Central School District
Fridays (Sept. 17th, 24th and Oct. 1st)
6:30AM-8:30AM
Haviland Middle School – 23 Haviland Road, Hyde Park
DBCH, in partnership with Prophase Labs, will also offer free COVID-19 testing to the public, including school personnel, students and all other residents in the coming weeks at the following locations:
Poughkeepsie Galleria – former JCPenney site
2001 South Rd, Poughkeepsie
Tuesdays, beginning Sept. 14th from 3PM-7PM
Saturdays, beginning Sept. 18th from 9AM-noon
CVS Plaza Dover
3081 Route 22, Dover
Thursdays, beginning Sept. 16th from 3PM-7PM
Pre-registration is requested and is available online. Walk-up testing is also available. There is no cost to residents or to the County to offer this testing option. ProPhase Labs works directly with insurance providers, or for those without insurance, with the Federal government for all costs.
For more information on testing and vaccination location in Dutchess County please visit: https://www.dutchessny.gov/coronavirus.
