BUFFALO, N.Y. — Erie County has started vaccinating those in the '1A' category as designated by New York State at its first Point of Distribution Clinic.
County Executive Mark Poloncarz expects some 1,500 healthcare professionals to get their first dose of the Moderna vaccine at the clinic on both Monday and Tuesday. Poloncarz said they are able to vaccinate about 65 people an hour and that all appointments for the two days are full.
The county is expecting to receive 7,500 more doses to offer to others in the 1A category, including hospital personnel and EMS staff. Effective today, Monday, January 4, the state said doctors, nurses and healthcare staff who come into contact with the public are eligible to be vaccinated.
Beginning the week of January 11, vaccines will be available for home health care workers, hospice workers and nursing home staff workers that have not gotten their first dose yet. Dr. Gale Burstein reminded everyone that the vaccine is still not expected to be available to the general public for several more months.
The latest data shows as of 1/2/2021 there have been 42,731 cases of the coronavirus in Erie County. The current 7-day positivity rate stands at seven percent. Also as of January 2, there were 509 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the WNY region, which is comprised of Erie, Niagara, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua and Allegany counties. Ten additional people have succumbed to the virus.
Poloncarz said there has been a 13% increase in new cases from the week ending 12/26/2020 to the week ending 1/2/2021 and said contact tracing has shown that part of the increase is due to the anticipated post-holiday surge.
The county executive warned that fake twitter accounts for Commissioner Burstein and Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Dan Neaverth, Jr. popped up over the weekend. A post on one of those accounts claimed that claiming Poloncarz and Dr. Burstein both have gotten vaccinated which Poloncarz said is not true. He also added Dr. Burstein does not even have a Twitter account.
