Protected and Prepared

Don’t panic. That’s my message to everyone here in Rockland after all the news about the Omicron COVID-19 variant. We are prepared and we are well protected. Our Department of Health and many other local healthcare providers have done incredible work administering vaccinations.

According to the CDC nearly 84% of our 18+ population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and even better, 99% of our 65+ population has also received at least one dose.

This high vaccination rate has clearly helped to prevent hospitalizations and protect the functionality of our entire hospital system. I’ve spoken with the CEOs of our local hospitals, and we are not currently at any risk of having to stop elective procedures. Our hospitals currently have more than 21% of beds available and more than 41% of ICU beds available.

I encourage anyone in need of elective surgery to not delay as, I know from personal experience that, many conditions considered elective can cause pain while you’re waiting to move forward with this necessary and preventative work.

We will continue to monitor the conditions in our local hospitals to ensure their functionality in the event of other emergencies or crisis situations. But while this situation is well in hand, this is still a deadly disease. My cousin recently passed away, he had COVID last year and his health never fully recovered.

His loss is just one of the reasons I chose to receive my Moderna booster dose at the end of November. These vaccines do seem to offer protection from the severe effects of COVID-19, and I want to stay healthy so I can continue to serve as your County Executive. I chose to get the booster because I believe these vaccines, when partnered with commonsense hygiene precautions like hand washing and staying home when you are sick, offer the best protection available from this disease.

I continue to encourage those with questions or concerns to talk to their doctor about the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines.

This message is simple. Rockland County is in good shape. We will continue to closely monitor the local situation and adjust our responses as called for by our local experience. No politics, no agenda, just decisions based on local conditions. We here in Rockland have been through difficult times before and I have no doubt that we will weather this storm and emerge stronger than ever before.

And for those interested in receiving a vaccination or booster at one of our Department of Health’s upcoming clinics, you can visit our COVID-19 webpage to make an appointment: https://rocklandgov.com/departments/health/coronavirus-covid-19/