Aug. 30
Improving vaccination rates for COVID-19 is among the goals of Cortland County’s latest Health Improvement Plan, details of which were revealed Aug. 30.
Having goals to improve mental health, prevent tobacco use and increase COVID-19 and flu vaccination rates in Cortland County isn’t enough, health officials said. Strategies must consider underserved groups, discrimination and exclusion.
The Cortland County Health Department presented its two-year Community Health Improvement Plan in a Zoom meeting, based on data it compiled with the help of 20 organizations and school districts.
The health department conducted the Cortland County Community Health Assessment from February to April to better understand community health perceptions and health disparities in underserved groups. The health department and other groups surveyed 2,266 residents.
As of May, Cortland County has a COVID-19 vaccination rate of 62.7% compared to the state’s 81.7% rate; the county’s flu/pneumonia hospitalization rate of people 65 and older is 197 per 10,000, more than double the state rate of 85.5 per 10,000.
The health department hopes to increase those numbers through social media campaigns, community ambassadors, traditional vaccine clinics and at-home vaccinations for rural and disabled residents.
Wednesday
Friday was the last day to order free COVID-19 test kits, the U.S. Postal Service has announced, but Access to Independence has access to a supply and will continue to give them away.
The federal program to send the free kits to anyone who requested them will run out because Congress did not extend funding for it, reports the federal Department of Health and Human Services
But Access to Independence has 200 in its office, and access to another 1,000 or more from Guthrie Cortland Medical Center, Family Health Network and the Cortland Fire Department, Executive Director Alex Mikowski said Wednesday.
It gave away 800 tests last month, she said. "There's definitely a need in the community. ... Many places we go for our jobs still require us to test."
Getting a supply of the kits is as simple as stopping by the office at 26 N. Main St. Mikowski said deliveries can be arranged to locations in Cortland County by calling 607-753-7363.
"Any time we're open, people are more than welcome to come in," she said.
Friday
Chenango County was elevated Thursday to a high risk of COVID-19 and a recommendation that people mask in all indoor public places, although Cortland and Tompkins county remain low risks, the CDC announced.
Cortland County had 62 new cases of COVID-19 between Aug. 25 and Wednesday, giving it a rate of 130.30 cases per 100,000 people, the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.
It had a “low” risk, under CDC guidelines. Under metrics and guidance from the CDC — which take into account the number of new cases in a week, the number of hospitalizations and hospital capacity:
In counties with a “high risk,” wearing a mask in indoor public places is still recommended.
In counties with a “medium risk,” people with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a mask. People at a high risk for severe illness should consult their healthcare provider about the need for a mask or other precautions.
In counties with a “low risk,” no additional precautions beyond staying up to date with vaccines and getting tested if one has symptoms are recommended.
Saturday
An LGBTQ space in Cortland is resuming its meeting groups and may open soon to the public following a coronavirus pandemic-inspired hiatus.
The Cortland LGBTQ Center – under the purview of the Family and Children’s Counseling Services of Cortland County – is beginning to have in-person groups at 165 Main St.
The first group back was a Gender Expression and Revolution, or GEAR, an adult group that started on Thursday. The group is for adults who identify as trans, nonbinary, genderfluid, genderqueer or questioning.
“We're very excited to start opening the center,” Michael Doughty, coordinator at the Cortland LGBTQ Center, said in an email Friday .”We're starting with groups but are looking to open to the public very soon.”
