Public Health & Nursing

Tai Chi for Arthritis and Falls Prevention Registration Open

Washington County Public Health, in collaboration with the Office for the Aging & Disability Resource Center and other Community Partners, is once again offering the “Tai Chi for Arthritis and Falls Prevention” program this fall.

Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese practice of slow, continuous, whole body movements, strung together in a “form.” Like dance, the movements are learned and followed one after another, in a particular order. Tai Chi has been shown to increase strength, flexibility, sense of wellbeing, and balance. It has also shown to decrease pain in joints, stress, high blood pressure, falls and fall risks.

There are many types of Tai Chi, however medical studies have shown that practicing “Tai Chi for Arthritis” in particular reduces pain significantly, prevents falls for the elderly, and improves many aspects of health. For these reasons, Arthritis Foundations around the world have supported the program, including the American Arthritis Foundation. Also, the CDC (Center of Disease Control and Prevention) recommends “Tai Chi for Arthritis” on their official guide for falls prevention!

Feedback from previous students in Washington County include,

“My balance is better, arthritis improved. I’m amazed how a few moves can so change how one feels.”

“I am delighted to have much better balance and my legs are stronger.”

“This has helped with overall strength and balance. It has also loosened up some joints.”

“I feel more confident in my daily activities-less worried about falling.”

The Tai Chi for Arthritis class will start Monday, October 3, 2022 at Fort Ann Fire Department at 11289 NY-149, Fort Ann, NY 12827. This class will held Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:30-10:30 am.

You must register with Public Health before classes begin. Call 518-746-2400 ext. 3478 to register. Please leave your name and a phone number where you can be reached for a call back and registration confirmation.

About Tai Chi for Arthritis Classes:

¨ Classes are Taught by Certified Tai Chi for Arthritis Instructors.

¨ Classes are held 2 times a week, for 8 weeks

¨ Students will be given handouts to support what is covered in class, to help with practice at home.

¨ Classes are tailored to all abilities, any ability levels are welcome!

Kingsbury "Drive Thru" Rabies Clinic - By Appointment Only: Saturday, October 1, 2022

For the convenience of local pet owners, Washington County Public Health continues to conduct free rabies clinics that routinely are held from March through November annually. There is no charge for the vaccination, however donations are accepted.

The next "Drive-Thru" Rabies Clinic (By Appointment Only) will be held on Saturday, October, 1, 2022 at the Kingsbury Highway Garage, 1437 Vaughn Road, Hudson Falls, NY 12839.

You MUST register for the Clinic: Registration will take Monday-Friday, 8:30am-3:30pm by calling 518-746- 2400. Registration will end on Wednesday, September 28, 2022 at 3:30pm or sooner, if appointments are filled before then.

Check the schedule for future dates and locations. 2022 Rabies Schedule PDF

Keep the following in mind if you attend the Rabies Clinics:

Clinic is By Appointment ONLY.
Masks are required and should be worn the entire time.
Do not arrive earlier than 5 minutes before your scheduled appointment time.
Must stay in vehicle until instructed to get pet out.
Pets/Owners are not allowed to walk around at the clinic site.
Have pets relieve themselves before arriving to clinic.
Proof of their previous vaccination will need to be provided prior to clinic. (Tags do not count as proof of vaccination, you need the paperwork.) Note: You can still register if you don't have the paperwork, however, your vaccination will be marked as a 1 year vaccination until you send proof of the previous vaccination. Once proof of previous vaccination is produced, the vaccination will be changed to a 3 year vaccination. PDF of Directions to Change Certificate
Leave pets in your vehicle until it is their turn for vaccination.
All pets must be on a leash or in a carrier.
All Dogs and Cats should be vaccinated against rabies @ 3 months of age and re-vaccinated one year later, then every three years thereafter.
Ferrets should be vaccinated against rabies @ 3 months of age and re-vaccinated yearly thereafter.

V-Safe

V-safe is a smartphone-based tool that checks in on you after your COVID-19 vaccination. Your participation helps keep COVID-19 vaccines safe — for you and for everyone.

If you got vaccinated in the last 6 weeks, you can participate in v-safe!

It takes just a few minutes to register and get started. All you need is your smartphone and information about the COVID-19 vaccine you received. This information can be found on your vaccination record card. If you cannot find your card, please contact your healthcare provider.

Learn More: https://vsafe.cdc.gov/en/

New York State Excelsior Pass and Excelsior Pass Plus

What is Excelsior Pass?

Excelsior Pass is secure, digital proof of your COVID-19 vaccination or negative test results.

Excelsior Pass:

is only accepted in New York State by participating business and venues
Available for negative test results (PCR Test or Antigen Test)
does not include COVID-19 vaccination dates and dosage information

You can print your Excelsior Pass directly from the web portal, store the Pass to the New York State Excelsior Wallet on your smartphone, and/or add the Pass to supported mobile phone wallets.

What is Excelsior Pass Plus?

Excelsior Pass Plus is a secure, digital copy of your COVID-19 vaccination record or negative test results. Your Pass Plus provides safe access to your vaccination information, and includes vaccine type, site, and date of your vaccination, just like your paper CDC Card. It can also provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR Test Pass (valid until midnight on the third day after a test) or a negative COVID-19 Antigen Test Pass (valid for 6 hours from the time of a test). The inclusion of this health information enables interested New Yorkers to have a verifiable record of their COVID-19 vaccination history or negative COVID-19 test at their fingertips, for record-keeping and/or usage outside of New York State.

You can print your Excelsior Pass Plus directly from the web portal and/or store the Pass Plus to the New York State Wallet App on your smartphone.

Visit the New York State Department o Health's Website to learn more:

https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/excelsior-pass-and-excelsior-pass-plus

COVID Testing

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

Washington County PCR Test Site

In coordination with Quadrant Biosciences, Washington County will host a COVID-19 test site (featuring the lab confirmed PCR test, results typically received 48 hours after the test) at Washington County Public Health, 415 Lower Main Street, Hudson Falls NY.

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!

"At-Home" Test Kits Available

We have COVID-19 "At-Home" test kits for pick-up available at a few of our Washington County Facilities, Monday-Friday during business hours (8:30am-4:30pm)

Washington County Public Health, 415 Lower Main Street, Hudson Falls, NY 12839
Washington County Municipal Center (Building B Entrance), 399 Broadway, Fort Edward, NY 12828.

FDA Issues Shelf Life Extensions to Some "At-Home" COVID-19 Test Kits

CARESTART "AT HOME" COVID-19 TESTS (These are the tests we distributed with the white / purple boxes)
FDA Extension Letter: https://www.fda.gov/media/155636/download
FDA Reference Letter w/ Lot #s: https://accessbio.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/CareStart-COVID-19-Ag-Home-Test_Exp-Date-Extension-Notification_01.pdf
Note: Most of the CareStart tests we were allocated were CP21M42, set to expire MAY 2022, which have been extended to AUGUST 2022 (08/31/2022)

IHEALTH "AT HOME" COVID-19 TESTS (These are the tests we distributed (and still are) with the white / orange boxes)
FDA Extension Letter: https://www.fda.gov/media/157340/download
iHealth Expiration Date Extension Lot # Search: https://ihealthlabs.com/pages/news#expiration
Note: Most of the iHealth tests with Lot # 223CO20114 set to expire 07/13/2022, which have been extended to 1/13/2023. Lot # 222CO20121, with expiration date 7/20/22 have been extended to 1/20/2023.

Boiling Water and Emergency Disinfection

Information for Consumers

Boiling water is a very effective way to disinfect unsafe water and make it ready to drink, and the public may be directed to boil their water if a condition occurs that could contaminate drinking water with microbiological organisms. Boiling water sounds simple enough, but protecting yourself and your family can be more complicated than it first appears.

Basic Information for All Consumers

FAQ for Residents and Homeowners

Checklist for Residents and Homeowners (PDF, 155KB, 2pg)

Disinfecting Water at Home

2-1-1

2-1-1 is the one number to call to find or give help in Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren, and Washington counties.

2-1-1 is an easy-to-remember telephone number to call for free and confidential community referral that connects callers with resources providing food, shelter, rent assistance, clothing, child care options and other types of community assistance. Trained referral specialists are multi-lingual and available to help individuals find the help they need.

Whatever the need, the 2-1-1 Call Center has the information and expertise to make the right connections.

Addiction and Support

Addiction doesn’t take time off, and neither does the Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS). If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction to alcohol, substances, or gambling, treatment is available all across New York State.

Smoking/vaping or the use of opioids or methamphetamines have an affect on your lungs. Continued use can make some NYers more vulnerable if exposed to COVID-19.

Call New York State’s Hopeline at 1-877-846-7369. Text: 467369.

The Hopeline is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

All calls are toll-free, anonymous and confidential.

Hopeline staff can answer your questions and help you find treatment in your area. Information and resources are also available on their website: OASAS.ny.gov

Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiver Support Initiative

The Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiver Support Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to providing free support services to caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Warren and Washington Counties is continuing to support and provide services to caregivers through alternative methods. Teleconferences, video chats, and telephone support are being offered for support groups, care consultations, and educational workshops.

Caregivers who are looking for support are encouraged to contact their Care Navigator for more information. Click here to visit the initiative’s website for a contact list.

ServNY

ServNY is New York States’ standardized volunteer registration program for disasters, and public health emergencies. Its goal to help local Volunteer Coordinators and the State Volunteer Coordinator manage events and to eliminate issues that arise when mobilizing healthcare and nonhealthcare volunteers during an emergency response.

Licensed health care professionals willing to respond to a disaster—either locally, statewide, or across the nation—are strongly encouraged to register with ServNY.

Registering before the need arises is important, as credentials are verified upon registration and periodically thereafter. This helps to ensure that when a community needs extra hands, those hands are qualified to provide the appropriate care.

To register for ServNY, go to https://apps.health.ny.gov/pub/servny/ Opens a New Window.