Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner and Senator Daphne Jordan went to Twitter on Tuesday to support the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce’s bid for more COVID-19 vaccination sites in the county. This came a day after the state found its first case of the latest strain, named B.1.1.7, in Saratoga Springs.
Although he credited Saratoga Hospital and local nursing homes for distributing the vaccinations they had, Chamber President Todd Shimkus said Tuesday, “They got very little [vaccine] in the first go around.”
The state is currently inoculating people in the Phase 1A group which originally included doctors and EMS technicians among others. On Monday, Phase 1A expanded to include dentists, optometrists, pharmacists, their staff members and others. The inoculations, according to an email Shimkus sent Tuesday are not always available, and the schedule is subject to change.
According to Woerner the expansion at this point will be ready in time to help people in Phase 1B, which includes the elderly, teachers and other public workers. No time has yet been set for 1B to begin, but the assemblywoman’s guess was about three weeks.
The county currently has just a few locations that distribute the shots including Saratoga Hospital and the county’s Public Health Services Building, Woerner said. However, some people are having to go to the Albany area--to Albany Medical Center or Ellis Hospital in Schenectady--for the shots.
Given the time for travel and the 30 minutes people must wait after the injection in case of allergic reaction, a trip to Albany for the shot can take half a day, Woerner said.
“Grocery store workers are going to need to get vaccinated on their way home,” she said, adding that they cannot take the time off work to go to Albany.
State officials are looking to counties to establish a plan as more vaccine becomes available, Woerner said.
Woerner added today, “We have definitely have gotten the message out to the people who are making those decisions” about locations.
Leaders are asking Saratogians to continue to wear masks and practice social distancing.
Yesterday, Saratoga County Board of Supervisors elected Todd Kusnierz the new chair. He plans to focus on the county's COVID response, according to a story in the Post-Star.
Woerner, a Democrat, serves District 113. Sen. Jordan, a Republican, serves the 43rd District.