KINGSTON – Ulster County Executive Patrick Ryan and Health Commissioner Dr. Carol Smith spoke to county residents on Sunday afternoon during a telephone town hall session on coronavirus.
While they fielded questions from about a dozen callers, Ryan said some 10,000 were on the line for the hour-long call-in session.
Among the issues was the need for more testing and Ryan said he is pushing for a mobile outlet. “New York State did establish the first mobile site down in New Rochelle, which has been hit by a much higher degree of the virus at this point,” he said. “We are pushing and will continue to push at the state level to have one of those established, if not in Ulster County, definitely in our region to up our capacity, but recognize that we have the city and others. But we will continue to fight to get that here in the county for our residents.”
Questions centered on if UCAT will continue to operate. Ryan said it would, but on a modified schedule.
Social distancing was brought up with Dr. Smith saying six feet between people is a good distance to avoid being contaminated and she said the average incubation time is 14 days.
With that in mind, Ryan urged residents to check-in by phone with senior citizens in the community to ensure their wellbeing.
