KINGSTON – For the first time since the COVID pandemic reared its ugly head in the region, Ulster County Executive Patrick Ryan announced on Thursday that the county has “turned the corner” on the rising number of cases.
Ryan said he is confident the county is on a downward slope in the fight against the virus.
“We are not through it yet but we have absolutely turned the corner on this and that’s all thanks, in large part, to everyone of you that have done your part to follow the PAUSE orders, to do social distancing, to wear masks, do all the things that we have asked,” he said.
Ryan also announced the county has seen non-lethal opioid overdoses increase by a third in comparison to this time last year. However, despite the increase, the rate of overdose fatalities has not increased and is consistent the past two years.
In partnership with the Ulster County Recovery Task Force, the county’s Healing Communities Narcan Work Group members have developed a county-wide virtual training model, which includes several partnerships with local community agencies for Narcan delivery and safe pick up options throughout the county.
Since April 21, those groups have held four virtual trainings, distributing more than 50 kits across the county so far.
