Coronavirus Information

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

Washington County’s Departments of Public Health and Public Safety in conjunction with County Administration are continuing to work closely with our state and federal health agencies to monitor the spread of the disease and act decisively to ensure we are as prepared as possible to keep Washington County safe and healthy.

Click the image below to go to the PDF of the Washington County Public Health COVID-19 Response Infographic.

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I've Tested Positive or Been Exposed to COVID 19, Now What?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated their Isolation and Precautions for People with COVID-19 effective August 11, 2022 - the updated guidance can be found here: CDC Covid guidance Opens in new window

COVID-19 Treatment for all Communities

New Yorkers who test positive for COVID-19 can now seek medical treatment via Telehealth services through New York State.  New York State utilizes NYC Health + Hospitals' Virtual ExpressCarePlatform to provide this service to New York State Residents, even if you do not have insurance.     ExpressCare is a service that allows you to receive virtual care from a provider using a smartphone, tablet, or computer.

You will schedule a virtual appointment and the provider you see will be able to prescribe treatments that help prevent severe COVID-19 disease. COVID-19 treatments work best when you receive them as soon as possible after becoming sick, so making an appointment as soon as you test positive is best. These lifesaving treatments have been proven to be effective against COVID-19 and can reduce the risk of hospitalization or death due to COVID-19.

Visit ExpressCare by clicking the button below:

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I've Tested Positive on an "At Home" COVID Test

Washington County Public Health is accepting online reports from those testing positive for COVID-19 on an "At Home" Rapid Antigen test that has received the Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA. If you have tested positive on one of the approved tests, complete your self-test report by clicking the button below:

COVID self test report Opens in new windowI've been Isolated and Need a Form for Work or School

If you've been isolated for COVID-19 and are preparing to return to work/school and are in need of an Affirmation of Isolation Form, click here: 

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COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts/Information 

Weekly Booster Clinics at Public Health, 415 Lower Main St, Hudson Falls, NY.

Every Wednesday  - By Appointment: 2PM - 4PM.  Register by Calling 518-746-2400.

COVID Vaccines Being Offered:

  • Moderna 1st Dose, 2nd Dose ages 6 months and older
  • Moderna Bivalent Booster ages 18 and older

Those who wish to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at one of our clinics should:

  • Must wear a mask
  • All youth under age 18 must be accompanied by a Parent/Guardian
  • Bring Identification
  • Wear a Short Sleeve Shirt
  • Plan to stay at least 15 minutes following vaccination for monitoring

STAY UP TO DATE AND INFORMED

As we continue to progress forward in the fight against COVID-19, our COVID-19 update messages will be released as necessary based on case data and the updates of other pertinent COVID-19 related news / mitigation efforts.

CHANGE IN REPORTING OF STATISTICS (12/30/2022)

Due to changes in the systems previously managing COVID-19 cases for our Public Health team and New York State, our last local report of COVID-19 case statistics will occur on December 30, 2022. Following the first week in January, the local case status section (shown below) will be replaced with links to the New York State Department of Health and CDC tracking pages.

CASE STATUS IN WASHINGTON COUNTY

ACTIVE + CASESACTIVE HOSPITALIZED
RELATED DEATHS
475
97

Case Status data updated:  12/30/2022  10:42 AM

NOTES ON RECENT CASE ACTIVITY / REPORT

As of Friday, December 30, 2022, there were a total of 47 active known COVID-19 + cases in Washington County that have been reported through official channels (labs, official testing sites, county's "At Home" portal), of the 47 active cases 5 are currently hospitalized. The CDC's COVID-19 "Community Level" for Washington County is currently LOW, our CDC COVID-19 "Community Transmission Level" is currently SUBSTANTIAL - we continue to see a steady stream of new cases reported throughout the week and strongly encourage everyone to continue to be vigilant for signs, symptoms and taking the appropriate measures to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.

*Privacy note: While we understand many in our communities would like to know more specific information about the COVID-19 positive patients and their locations, due to privacy regulations coupled with the county’s privacy policy, Washington County will not routinely release specific identifying information about patients (i.e., age, location) unless it aids in the Public Health investigation and identification of additional PUIs. Please remember, the identified PUIs and COVID-19 patients are under quarantine for 10 days from the date of exposure and are not out in the public. Public Health conducts a public health investigation on every COVID-19 positive patient and makes notification to those identified as having close personal contact with a COVID-19 positive patient.

MESSAGE FROM YOUR PUBLIC HEALTH TEAM

Our Public Health team continues to encourage everyone in our communities to STAY HOME if you're not feeling well and GET TESTED. 

Our Public Health team is strongly encouraging everyone in our communities to utilize the strategies listed in the below chart from the CDC, which includes but is not limited to the following:

  • Getting tested if you have symptoms
  • Taking additional precautions (as necessary)

We strongly encourage, support and respect those in our communities who choose to wear a mask and encourage anyone with a high risk for severe illness to consider masking. Our Public Health team remains committed to meeting the needs of our community in the fight against COVID-19 - we continue to provide community and organizational communicable disease support, offer vaccination and testing options weekly, which are posted on our website at washingtoncountyny.gov/coronavirus.

CDC  "COVID-19 COMMUNITY LEVEL TOOL"

The Center for Diseases and Control continues to update their tool for monitoring the measurement of the impact of COVID-19 illness on the health and healthcare systems on a county by county basis nationwide. The COVID-19 by County tool allows the user to select the location by state and county and identifies the county by Community Level consisting of three categories (Low, Medium and High) and provides prevention steps by level accordingly. Know Your COVID-19 Community Level by using the CDC's interactive tool and check the recommended prevention steps / measures here

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IN NEED OF A COVID-19 AT HOME TEST KIT?

TEST KIT SIGN

We have COVID-19 "At Home" test kits for pick-up available at a few of our Washington County facilities in Fort Edward Monday-Friday during business hours (8:30 AM - 4:30 PM). 

TEST KIT PICK-UP LOCATIONS

  • Washington County Municipal Center (Building B entrance)
  • Washington County, NY Public Health Department

In need of kits for your organization? Reach out to us by phone at (518)747-7520 Ext 1 or by email at [email protected] for further information.

FDA ISSUES SHELF LIFE EXTENSIONS TO SOME "AT HOME" COVID-19 TEST KITS

TESTING FOR COVID-19

We have been getting a lot of calls lately asking for COVID testing sites.  

You can try your Primary Care Provider or check out NYSDOH's COVID Testing site page. You can search for sites near your zipcode. 

https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/find-test-site-near-you


COVID-19 PCR TESTING @ PUBLIC HEALTH

WC PCR Test Site Flyer - Updated 04292022
Our Washington County, NY Public Health Department team in coordination with Quadrant Biosciences, continues hosting a COVID-19 test site (featuring the lab confirmed PCR test, results typically received 48 hours after the test) at our Washington County Public Health (415 Lower Main Street, Hudson Falls). 

Testing will be BY APPOINTMENT ONLY Monday-Friday at our Public Health office based on appointment availability.

After you have scheduled your test by calling our Public Health team at (518)746-2400, you should get an email from Quadrant with a link to create a profile.  Please complete your profile before showing up to the test site!

The test is an oral swab. Please remember the following:

*Do not brushed your teeth or used mouthwash for an hour before your test.
*Do not eat or drink anything, including mints, gum or lozenges or smoke or used smokeless tobacco products for 30 minutes before your test.

Schedule your appointment for your COVID-19 PCR test at our site by calling our Public Health team at (518)746-2400!

COMBATTING THE MISINFORMATION

Governor Kathy Hochul announced a new program -#GetTheVaxFacts - to combat COVID-19 vaccine misinformation online. The campaign includes a dedicated website as well as downloadable toolkits to address the most pressing misinformation topics around the COVID-19 vaccine in a thorough and easy-to-understand way. The new resources cover misinformation related to pregnancy and infertility, side effects, safety and speed, as well as government conspiracy theories that continue to circulate on social media and digital forums. Read the FAQs, Myths & Facts and get more info here:  https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/combatting-misinformation-about-covid-19-vaccines

COVID vaccines are widely available at pharmacies, local health departments, clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers and other locations across the state. 

Find a Vaccination site by zipcode here:  

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WHY GET VACCINATED?

Building defenses against COVID-19 in our communities is a team effort, each and every one of us is a key part of that defense and adds another layer of protection against COVID-19. Everyone (living or working in NYS) age 6 months and over are eligible for vaccination today! Have questions about the vaccines themselves or the process? The AdCouncil has a great info site here with all the answers to help you decide which vaccine is right for you 👉 http://getvaccineanswers.org 

Our team at Washington County, NY Public Health Department remains committed to ensuring all those in our county who wish to be vaccinated can be vaccinated! We encourage everyone to stay up to date, informed and be patient as we all work through these challenges together.

NYS COVID-19 "VACCINE TRACKER"

NYS recently released a statewide system tracking delivery of vaccine by residency of the person(s) vaccinated. To view the date published by the state relative to vaccine distribution and delivery, you can view the Vaccine Tracker here:   https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/vaccination-progress-date

PUBLIC / COMMUNITY INFORMATION

SPECIALIZED INFORMATION

CYBERSECURITY INFORMATION ON COVID-19

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warns individuals to remain vigilant for scams related to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Cyber actors may send emails with malicious attachments or links to fraudulent websites to trick victims into revealing sensitive information or donating to fraudulent charities or causes. Exercise caution in handling any email with a COVID-19-related subject line, attachment, or hyperlink, and be wary of social media pleas, texts, or calls related to COVID-19.

CISA encourages individuals to remain vigilant and take the following precautions.

  • Avoid clicking on links in unsolicited emails and be wary of email attachments. See Using Caution with Email Attachments and Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Scams for more information.
  • Use trusted sources—such as legitimate, government websites—for up-to-date, fact-based information about COVID-19.
  • Do not reveal personal or financial information in email, and do not respond to email solicitations for this information.
  • Verify a charity’s authenticity before making donations. Review the Federal Trade Commission’s page on Charity Scams for more information.

Economic Development

The Economic Development has posted important information related to State and Federal business help during CV-19 on their web page: 

https://washingtoncountyny.gov/470/Economic-Development