The Tompkins County Health Department announced more COVID-19-related deaths, bringing the total to 25 resident deaths in the county.
The department announced Feb. 2 that a resident of a nursing home in the county, as well as a resident of the county, died from COVID-19. The department also announced that a nursing home resident died Jan. 29, and a resident died at the hospital Jan. 26.
The department also announced that it received 700 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for the week of Feb. 1. The first 600 doses will be available to those in phase 1B, which includes individuals who work in childcare, homeless shelters, public transit and P–12 schools, as well as individuals living in homeless shelters. The other 100 doses will be designated to staff of facilities overseen by the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, the department said in the statement.
The New York state government instructed local health departments to prioritize vaccinating essential workers in phase 1B, pharmacies to focus on vaccinating individuals over 65 and hospitals to prioritize vaccinating healthcare workers in phase 1A, the statement said.
The department will release appointment times for the groups listed.
“We continue to receive a limited supply of vaccines, though the state has indicated that we will have a steady distribution over the coming weeks and are planning accordingly,” Frank Kruppa, Tompkins County public health director, said in the statement. “It is our goal to get as many people in our community vaccinated as quickly as possible, and we continue to have capacity in partnership with Cayuga Health System to do so.”
There are a total of 203 active COVID-19 cases in Tompkins County as of Feb. 3, with a total of 3,034 total positive cases since March 2020.
There are 13 active cases at Ithaca College as of Feb. 2, and there have been 200 total cases since Aug. 14, 2020. Testing for the spring semester at the college is done through a saliva self-collection process. Samples can be dropped off by 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday at the Athletics and Events Center, the Campus Center and Terrace 13. Symptomatic members of the campus community are not allowed on campus and should seek testing at The Shops at Ithaca Mall sampling site or downtown sampling site.
