COVID-19 Outbreak

Ulster County Executive: https://ulstercountyny.gov/news/executive/county-executive-pat-ryan-and-commissioner-health-dr-carol-smith-announce-new?fbclid=IwAR2Y0BwAseAL8Y10YcaIf7krOUOKh7U77AYtQkuv3xSa-HZK2kEj_rlbCt0

County Executive Pat Ryan and Commissioner of Health Dr. Carol Smith Announce New Developments Related to COVID-19
Posted March 13, 2020
County Executive Ryan Directs Schools in Ulster County to Close for 14-Days

County Executive Ryan to Hold Briefing Live on Facebook at 2:00 p.m.

County Executive Ryan to Hold Tele-Town Hall, Sunday at 2:00 p.m. for Residents

“In consultation with the Health Department and the Ulster County Health and Safety Advisory Task Force, and out of an abundance of caution, I am directing the closure of all schools in Ulster County for 14 days, starting on Monday. As a parent, I know this will impact families in our community, and understand the sacrifice this will entail, but I am confident we are making the right decision. We are working closely with school officials and community leaders to develop plans at the school district-level to help alleviate the stresses and hardships this will place on our County’s families. Based on what we currently know about the spread of COVID-19, we believe that acting decisively now will significantly reduce the impact on our community and help protect our most vulnerable neighbors” - Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan.

School superintendents and officials will implement this order as appropriate in each district, and provide additional guidance to their school communities in the coming hours and days. Schools will be closed for instruction, after-school and extracurricular events, and public events, but superintendents may direct essential staff to report as needed.

“These are challenging times. All of the Ulster County school superintendents support this action by County Executive Ryan. We all have the same goal which is to protect the health and safety of the over 22,000 students and the thousands of teachers, administrators and support staff who work in our schools everyday” - Chuck Khoury, District Superintendent and Chief Executive Officer, Ulster BOCES.

“This is an important action that will protect the health and safety of the residents of Ulster County. This decision was not made lightly and we know that it will have real world impacts to many, but it is the decision that needs to be made to stop the continued spread of COVID-19. I applaud the County Executive for taking direct and swift action. I want to again stress that residents should continue to exercise caution, but that this is not a cause for panic. For physicians, school districts, and those who feel they may be exposed or are experiencing symptoms, call our new COVID-19 hotline at 845-443-8888 or visit our website ulstercountyny.gov/Coronavirus for more information” - Commissioner of Health Dr. Carol Smith.

In addition to working closely with school superintendents and officials, Ulster County is in close coordination with neighboring Dutchess County and Orange County leadership.

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Kingston City School District: https://www.kingstoncityschools.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=8&ModuleInstanceID=4969&ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=16666&PageID=9&fbclid=IwAR1uYLCMKmND_avbCZTkbgO32JrQRFvOz57I0PELPuL6oLrMB36jpmkOftY

COVID-19 UPDATE 3/13/20
Afternoon update on March 13, 2020:

Dear KCSD Families and Community,

We are currently facing an unprecedented health crisis in our community. The Ulster County Department of Health has been in regular contact with us providing important guidance on decisions to help ensure the health and well-being of our students, staff, and community.

As per the Ulster County Executive’s address this afternoon, the Kingston City School District will be closed for 14 days beginning on Monday, March 16, 2020, as a precautionary measure to slow the spread of COVID-19. All school activities and community use of buildings and grounds are canceled and will resume on Monday, March 30, 2020.

We know that closing our schools will impact families and we recognize that working families depend on the consistency and predictability of the supports and services our schools offer including special education services, food and nutrition, English Language Learner services, childcare, and access to technology and the internet. We have been working on plans to address these concerns to the best of our abilities and will share further details once they are finalized.

During the district closure, the UCDOH and CDC are urging parents to discourage their children from gathering socially at friends’ houses, the mall, or restaurants. In addition to using this time to intensely disinfect the premises, the closure also provides an opportunity to slow down any possible spread by limiting contact with others.

This is a rapidly evolving situation, and we will continue to provide our families with updates as information becomes available. We are in regular communication with health officials at UCDOH and are following their directions carefully. Should they issue further guidance on extending the duration of the closure, parents will be notified as soon as possible.

I can appreciate the concerns and countless emotions that surround the current COVID-19 outbreak. I would like to thank our families for their patience and adaptability during this challenging time.

Thank you,

Dr. Paul J. Padalino

Superintendent of Schools

To translate the above message to Spanish from your mobile device, click “Menu” at the top of your screen, then click “translate”, then select your language.

Para traducir el mensaje anterior al español desde su dispositivo móvil, haga clic en "Menú" en la parte superior de la pantalla, luego haga clic en "translate", luego seleccione su idioma.


Kingston State of Emergency: https://www.kingston-ny.gov/news/?FeedID=1154

3/13/2020 - City of Kingston Declares a State of Emergency, Mayor Noble Limits Access to Public Buildings
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 13, 2020

City of Kingston Declares a State of Emergency,

Mayor Noble Limits Access to Public Buildings

KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steve Noble has declared a State of Emergency in the City of Kingston. Noble also announces that the City of Kingston will be limiting the public use of administrative buildings including City Hall, Parks and Recreation, Public Works, the Water Department and Building Safety.
In order to keep the City running smoothly and in order to keep staff safe, the City’s administration offices will be operating and fully functioning with limited public access.
Any business in the these departments that can be conducted online, such as paying parking tickets, paying taxes or bills, should be done online at the City’s website, www.kingston-ny.gov, or over the phone. The Clerk’s Office, Comptroller, and Building Safety will be taking special appointments for in-person interactions.
What the City is doing:

All City employee travel will be restricted, all conferences and workshops will be cancelled
All Parks and Recreation programming is suspended
All non-essential City meetings will be postponed. For now, Common Council meetings will be held but all other Boards and Commissions will be cancelled or postponed.
Per the Mayor’s State of Emergency decree, it is imperative that no large gatherings be held at this time, as such conditions threaten or imperil the public safety of the citizens of Kingston.
What the State has recommended:

Events, gatherings, or places of business with less than 500 individuals in attendance will be required to cut capacity by 50 percent, with exceptions being made for spaces where individuals do not make sustained close contact, such as schools, hospitals, public buildings, mass transit, grocery stores and retail stores. These new regulations will go into effect Friday, March 13th at 5pm
The Water Department is also taking every precaution necessary to continue to provide safe, reliable drinking water to the City of Kingston. The Water Department sent out a notice about what they are doing to maintain the City’s water supply, which can be found here. At this time, the Water Department is limiting all service work to emergency calls to avoid in-home/business visits, but the staff will be assisting customers by phone 845-331-0175 or by email at vog.yn-notsgnik|retaw#vog.yn-notsgnik|retaw. There is a pneumatic tube in front of the Water Department office building for bill payments or pickup samples kits.
Public Works will continue to collect refuse and recycling, and City Hall will be offering essential functions by appointment. For those who need birth or death certificates from the City Clerk’s office, please call 845-334-3915 to have those documents mailed, or to schedule an appointment for pick-up.
The Kingston Police and Fire Departments are operating as usual, and using extreme caution. If you are experiencing symptoms of the Covid-19 virus, please do not call 911. Instead, call the Ulster County Department of Health or your healthcare professional before calling an ambulance or arriving at a healthcare facility.
Under the advisement of the County Executive’s Office as well as the Ulster County Department of Health, and due to the Kingston City School District closure, the Hodge and Rondout Neighborhood Centers will be closed for after-school programming for the duration of the school closure.
The County’s COVID-19 phone service will be operating from 9:00am to 7:00pm seven days a week: 845-443-8888. NYSDOH Novel Coronavirus Hotline 24/7: 1-888-364-3065
For the most current information, please visit the City’s Facebook page or the City’s website, where updates will be regularly posted under “Latest News” on the homepage.
City services online resources:

Paying a parking ticket, taxes, and water bill

Reserving a park

Change of address

City Hall: 331-0080


Dutchess County Executive: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/County-Executive/Dutchess-County-Announces-State-of-Emergency.htm

Dutchess County Announces State of Emergency
Published: 3/13/2020
For More Information Contact:

Colleen Pillus, (845) 486-2000

vog.ynssehctud|sullipc#vog.ynssehctud|sullipc

Poughkeepsie … Based on an increase of confirmed cases of Coronavirus/COVID-19 with three confirmed and an escalation of residents in mandatory and precautionary quarantine, Dutchess County Executive Marcus J. Molinaro declared a State of Emergency for Dutchess County, effective at 2 p.m. today. The State of Emergency expedites the County’s sharing of resources and ability to better respond to this rapidly evolving situation.

The State of Emergency is issued pursuant to Section 24 of New York State Executive Law and is enforceable by local, county and state law enforcement agencies. Dutchess, Orange and Ulster counties have each issued emergency orders since confirming multiple cases of Coronavirus/COVID-19 over the past several days.

County Executive Molinaro said, “As Coronavirus has emerged as a pandemic, reaching countries on each hemisphere, we in Dutchess County have prepared for the inevitability we would be touched by this emerging health situation. Today’s declaration is the next step in providing Dutchess County the resources necessary to best respond. This declaration does not limit travel, but we urge residents to limit contact with those who are sick and stay home if sick.”

County Executive Molinaro is taking the following steps:

Suspending all large social and community gatherings, including County-sponsored events, to allow adequate social distancing, effective March 13th. Read the related emergency order.
Suspending all visitation at Dutchess County Jail, effective March 13th.
Postponing all Civil Service Exams, effective March 13th. Read the related emergency order.
Suspending all classroom and extracurricular functions for 14 days, including extra-curricular activities, effective March 16th. Schools may remain open to administration, staff, and staff functions. This order does not include private daycare facilities, Head Start or other daycare programs, unless there is a direct need based on school facility logistics. Read the related emergency order for public and private schools. Read the related emergency order related to Dutchess Community College.
Closing the Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s eight Senior Friendship Centers, effective March 16th. Read the related emergency order.
BCH Commissioner Dr. Anil Vaidian, an infectious disease specialist with more than 20 years’ experience, said, “We have long predicted Dutchess County would be affected by COVID-19, and we have put into practice our weeks of planning. We are dealing with an unprecedented situation, but I am confident that steps we are taking today will keep our community healthy and safe. Closing schools and limiting large community gatherings is a preventative measure that is intended to reduce the spread of COVID-19. We continue to ask residents for their cooperation – practicing proper hygiene, disinfection, social distancing and the like – to help mitigate the spread of this virus.”

Dutchess County has established a website, www.dutchessny.gov/coronavirus, as well as a hotline, (845) 486-3555, to provide residents the most current information regarding Coronavirus/COVID-19.

This is an evolving situation, and County leaders will continue to work to inform residents with the most current information and ongoing updates.

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