Active cases drop in past week from 148 to 108 in 2 counties

There are 16 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 reported today in Genesee and Orleans counties, bringing the total to 6,768 since last March in the two counties, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments said this afternoon.

In Orleans County there are 4 new positive cases reported today for a total of 2,437 cases in the pandemic. The new confirmed cases reside in the Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre) and East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon). The individuals are in their 20s, 30s and 60s.

Orleans is reporting 14 more of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

In Orleans, 2 of the current positive individuals are currently hospitalized.

In Genesee County there are 12 new positive cases reported today ,for a total of 4331 cases in the pandemic.

The new positive cases reside in the Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield) and East Region (Bergen, Byron, LeRoy, Pavilion, Stafford). The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 60s, 70s and 80s.

Genesee is reporting 19 more of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

There are currently 3 Genesee residents hospitalized due to Covid.

Active Cases: The number of active cases in the two counties declined from 148 a week ago to 108. In Orleans County, the active cases is down from 53 to 34 in the past seven days while in Genesee the number of active cases dropped from 95 to 74 in the past week.

There weren’t any Covid-related deaths reported in the two counties in the past week, according to the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments.

Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming get about 25% of doses

BATAVIA – A mass vaccination clinic the next five days at Genesee Community College in Batavia was intended to help rural Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties catch up with their low Covid-19 vaccination rates.

The clinic was going to be exclusively for the three counties, but was changed by state officials to not include a residency restriction in those counties.

The local health departments have studied the registrations, which include the county of residence, and found only about 25 percent of the registrants are from one of the three counties.

“The purpose of our request (for the clinic) was to help increase our vaccination rate, and provide for our county residents who have been shorted throughout this pandemic,” said Paul Pettit, Public Health director for Genesee and Orleans counties. “This clinic assuredly did not significantly impact our rates. With only 864 of the 3,500 doses of vaccine remaining in our three counties, we are still well below the current state-wide vaccination rate. We will continue to seek additional allocations to bring parity for the counties’ vaccination rates.”

Erie County residents claimed 1,666 or 47.6 percent of the 3,500 spots. Niagara County residents took Niagara County 446 spots or 12.74% and Monroe County residents signed up for 326 spots or 9.31% of the total.

Among the three local rural counties Genesee County is filling 596 spots or 17.03%, with Orleans County taking 169 spots or 4.83% and Wyoming County getting 99 spots or 2.38%.

In addition, Livingston County is filling 73 spots or 2.09% and Ontario County residents claimed 45 spots or 1.29%. There were 15 other counties and out-of-state residents that each had less than 1%.

“After careful analysis of the registrations, what we expected to happen once we were told the clinic was open to anyone eligible, regardless of residency, did happen,” Pettit said.

The state website for registering for vaccines opened at 8 a.m. on Thursday and all 3,500 appointments were taken within 90 minutes for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is the one shot vaccine.

“For those in the Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming region who were able to register for this weekend’s state-run temporary mass clinic we understand how challenging it was,” Pettit said. “For those who live in our GOW region and were shut out of this clinic, we will continue to advocate for vaccine for our residents.”

Assemblyman Steve Hawley issued this statement:

“This statewide free-for-all for vaccines is leaving rural New Yorkers behind, and is causing people from all throughout the state to come to our community to use up the small allocation of vaccines our community desperately needs,” Hawley said. “We need to be smarter about ensuring vaccines given to a community stay in that community, rather than allowing a statewide scramble for shots which keeps doses out of the arms of those who need them most in rural areas.”

Group also wants to honor adults who work and volunteer on behalf of children in Orleans

The Orleans County Youth Board wants to honor local youths for their community service and adults for their work on behalf of children in Orleans County.

The Youth Board for the past 39 years has recognized youth, usually about 20 each year for their outstanding community service or if they have taken on an extraordinary role in their family.

In addition to the youth awards, at least two adults will be honored for their service to young people.

The Helen R. Brinsmaid Memorial Youth Worker Award recognizes a youth-serving professional whose work surpasses normal expectations.

The Eileen Heye Adult Volunteer Recognition Award is given to an adult who provides service as a volunteer to Orleans County youth.

Nominations are due March 26. The form can be downloaded by clicking here. For information about this event, contact the Youth Bureau at 585-344-3960 or youthbureau@co.genesee.ny.us.

Albion man allegedly fired shots at pizzeria in Carlton

ALBION – Orleans County Court has scheduled a jury trial next month, the first during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Scott Foley, 53, faces charges of reckless endangerment in the first degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree.

Last September he rejected a plea offer with a cap of five years in state prison.

He allegedly fired two shots from a rifle on Jan. 2, 2020 at Roadies Pizzeria and Sports Bar on Route 98 in Carlton. One of the rounds was recovered inside the pizzeria and sports bar.

Foley was at Roadies and was asked to leave by one of the co-owners after a “disturbance,” DA Joe Cardone said in court on Feb. 20, 2020. Foley left and returned, allegedly shooting a rifle from the parking lot.

Cardone, in a previous court appearance, said Foley showed a depraved indifference to human life by firing the rifle twice from his vehicle in the parking lot.

In other cases recently in Orleans County Court:

• A Lyndonville man was arraigned on Feb. 10 for one count of aggravated cruelty to animals. Stacy Baker, 44, allegedly beat a 3-month-old pit bull to death last Aug. 10.

• A Buffalo man was arraigned on Feb. 24 for criminal sex act in the third degree and endangering the welfare of a child.

Edward Locks, 58, of Buffalo allegedly had sexual contact with a 16-year-old boy at the KOA campground in Ridgeway last August.

Health Commissioner asked to change guideline from current 6-foot separation

Press Release, Assemblyman Steve Hawley

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) wrote a letter Thursday to state Health Commissioner Howard Zucker requesting that he and the Cuomo administration consider changing health guidelines to allow a 3-foot distance between students, as opposed to the current 6-foot standard.

This would allow students to return to classrooms full-time and end remote learning. The American Academy of Pediatrics has acknowledged that many nations have been able to re-open schools with a 3-foot standard in place, without increasing the spread of Covid-19 in the community.

Hawley believes that remote learning is in many ways harmful to the development of young students, as they are deprived of the opportunity to socialize with their peers and develop critical social skills. Hawley also raises the point that for many students, home is not an environment conducive to learning, and many students who face adverse circumstances at home rely on school as a place they know they can be kept safe and fed a nutritious meal.

“The safety of our children will always be our foremost priority, but it has become clear that remote learning is taking a toll on their development in a very concerning way,” said Hawley. “We have evidence to show that the 3-foot standard can be implemented safely, and should work quickly to get our kids back in schools full-time to minimize the negative consequences remote learning will have on our children and help them become the best young citizens they can be.”

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

File photo by Tom Rivers: This photo from Oct. 14, 2015 shows some of the 400-foot-high turbines in Sheldon, Wyoming County.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that new regulations have been adopted to dramatically accelerate the siting and construction of major renewable energy facilities across New York State.

Projects advanced under the new regulations, which are part of the Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth and Community Benefit Act, will help the state combat climate change and jumpstart its economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. The Act and its implementing regulations will also drive progress toward the Governor’s nation-leading clean energy and climate goals – including the directive to obtain 70 percent of the state’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030 – as required under the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

“We’re working against the clock to protect New York State from the effects of climate change, and cutting red tape so that renewable energy sources can be built and distributed more easily is part of that effort,” Cuomo said. “These new regulations will dramatically reduce the time it takes for government to approve transformative renewable projects, helping us save the environment and fostering new jobs and investment to bring our economy back from Covid-19. New York has long been a national leader on the climate change front, and this is next in a series of concrete steps our state has taken to protect the planet.”

As part of the Act, New York State created the nation’s first Office of Renewable Energy Siting to improve and streamline the process for environmentally-responsible and cost-effective siting of large-scale renewable energy projects across New York while delivering significant benefits to local communities. The Act consolidates the environmental review and permitting of major renewable energy facilities larger than 25 megawatts in New York State and provides a single forum in which ORES will serve as a one-stop-shop for the coordinated and timely review of proposed major renewable energy facilities.

Through these regulations and streamlined process, ORES will play a critical role in meeting the State’s renewable energy goals, while also ensuring the protection of the environment and consideration of all pertinent social, and economic, and environmental factors in permitting of renewable energy such facilities. ORES must issue a permit within one year of the date on which an application is deemed complete and within six months if the facility is proposed to be located on brownfield, former commercial or industrial, landfill, former power plant, and abandoned or underutilized sites. New projects sized between 20 and 25 megawatts will also be able to opt-in to the ORES process.

“I greatly appreciate the public participation throughout the rulemaking process and look forward to working hand-in-hand with all stakeholders to implement the new regulations,” said ORES Acting Executive Director Houtan Moaveni. “New York is at the forefront of clean energy leadership. The adoption of the regulations today is further evidence of New York’s sustained commitment to both strike a balance between protecting our communities and the environment and spurring the need for faster renewables development.”

The Act requires ORES to create regulations to implement the statute within one year of its effective date. On September 16, 2020, ORES issued draft regulations and uniform standards and conditions for public comment pursuant to the State Administrative Procedure Act. ORES accepted public comments on the draft regulations from September 16, 2020 until December 7, 2020.

ORES received oral comments from nearly 200 individuals during public hearings and over 5,000 letters and emails containing comments and questions from various stakeholders. Transcripts of the public hearings and all public comments received are available by clicking here.

ORES reviewed all comments received during the hearings. After careful consideration and further analysis of all comments received, ORES made several non-substantive changes to address the comments and to clarify the proposed regulations in consultation with the New York State Department of Public Service, the Department of Environmental Conservation, the Department of Agriculture and Markets, and New York State the Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation. Copies of the assessment of public comments and the final regulations are available on the ORES website.

The regulations will encourage local governments and communities to participate in the permitting process by requiring project applicants to consult with local governments and community members before filing an application, provide public notices at various milestones throughout the permitting process and make application materials available in both electronic and paper format.

Draft siting permits will be subject to public review and comment and adjudicatory hearings will be required when significant and substantive issues are identified. Additionally, for each project, municipalities and community interveners will have access, as appropriate, to funds that will defray certain expenses incurred in their review of the project.

The new siting process provides a one-stop process with increased certainty and predictability to develop renewable energy projects in New York State. The ORES approach proactively addresses the key recurring issues in siting and permitting large-scale renewable projects, simplifying the permitting process. By creating a new siting process specifically designed for renewable energy facilities, the Act will accelerate new private investment and job growth in the green economy at a time when New Yorkers need it most. As the state seeks solutions to getting the economy back on track after overcoming the COVID-19 crisis, accelerating renewable energy construction will play a central role in the green economy.

New York State’s Nation-Leading Climate Plan

Governor Cuomo’s nation-leading climate agenda is the most aggressive climate and clean energy initiative in the nation, calling for an orderly and just transition to clean energy that creates jobs and continues fostering a green economy as New York State recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Enshrined into law through the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, New York is on a path to achieving its mandated goal of a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and to reach economy wide carbon neutrality.

Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, New York will build on this progress and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent from 1990 levels by 2050, while ensuring that at least 35 percent with a goal of 40 percent of the benefits of clean energy investments benefit disadvantaged communities and advancing progress towards the state’s 2025 energy efficiency target of reducing on-site energy consumption by 185 trillion BTUs of end-use energy savings.

Indoor residential gatherings remain capped at 10 people

New York is easing some of the restrictions on the sizes of residential and social gatherings, except for indoor residential gatherings which remain capped at 10 people. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said about 75 percent of the Covid spread has been from indoor residential gatherings.

Cuomo this week announced that outdoor residential gatherings of up to 25 people can be held beginning March 22. That is up from 10 people.

Non-residential social gatherings of up to 100 people can occur indoors and up to 200 people can occur outdoors beginning March 22. That is up from 50 people.

Cuomo also announced that beginning April 2, event, arts and entertainment venues can reopen at 33 percent capacity, up to 100 people indoors and up to 200 people outdoors.

If all attendees present proof of negative test prior to entry, capacity can increase up to 150 people indoors and up to 500 people outdoors. Social distancing and face coverings will be required by all attendees, as well as strict adherence to all applicable Department of Health guidance.

The Governor also announced domestic travelers to New York State who have been vaccinated no longer have to quarantine or test out within 90 days of their full vaccination.

“New Yorkers have done a tremendous job working to defeat Covid, and we’re gradually loosening restrictions as the numbers reduce and the public health improves,” Cuomo said. “It’s clear that if we remain vigilant, we will reach the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Photo courtesy of Niagara County Sheriff’s Office: Sheriff Michael J. Filicetti, left, and Captain Robert M. Richards, the Accreditation Program Manager, celebrate reaching the reaccreditation of the Criminal Division.

Press Release, Niagara County Sheriff’s Office

LOCKPORT – Sheriff Michael J. Filicetti announces that the Criminal Division of the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office has achieved re-accreditation from the New York State Department of Criminal Justice Services.

In January 2021, an independent accreditation assessor conducted a thorough review of the Sheriff’s Office and determined our agency was in full compliance with all standards set forth by the Accreditation Council. Some of these standards include administrative practices, operational procedures and training requirements.

On March 4, 2021, the New York State Law Enforcement Accreditation Council voted unanimously to approve the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office application for re-accreditation following a recommendation from the Council’s reassessment team.

Sheriff Michael J. Filicetti said “receiving this re-accreditation stands to affirm that the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office is a professional agency, meeting the standards set forth by the New York State Accreditation program. I am extremely proud of the men and woman of the Sheriff’s Office for leading the way in this endeavor.”

The Sheriff’s Office has been an accredited office since 2001 and this recent re-accreditation is valid through 2025. In addition, the Sheriff’s Office continues to maintain accreditation standards in the Corrections Division, Communications Division, Civil Division and Forensic Laboratory.

Provided photos: Pictured in front of the Kindness Display are Elementary Honor Society members Emily Brundage (left) and Adrianna Schiavone (right), holding signs they created to encourage kind behavior.

KENDALL – During the month of February, Honor Society members at Kendall Elementary School organized and implemented a Kindness Campaign.

The theme was “Throw Kindness Like Confetti” and about 200 acts of kindness were recognized on the display.

Students, faculty, staff and administrators were encouraged to look for acts of kindness. When one was spotted, a description of the act and participants were written on colored paper.

Those colored pieces of paper became the kindness confetti and were hung on the display.

The display is outside the cafeteria covering a portion of the wall. Honor Society members also created signs to hang around the school to remind students of ways to be kind.

Orleans and Genesee counties are reporting 21 more confirmed cases of Covid-19 today for a total 6,752 in the two counties since a year ago.

In Orleans County there are 5 new positive cases of Covid reported today for a total of 2,433 during the pandemic.

The positive cases reside in the West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby), Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre) and East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon). The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s and 50s.

Of the new cases, 3 were under mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments said.

Orleans is reporting 2 more of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list. There are currently 2 county residents hospitalized due to Covid.

In Genesee County there are 16 new Covid cases for a total of 4,319 during the pandemic.

The new positive cases reside in the West Region (Alabama, Darien, Pembroke), Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield) and East Region (Bergen, Byron, LeRoy, Pavilion, Stafford). The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.

Genesee is reporting 12 more of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

There are currently 4 Genesee residents hospitalized due to Covid.

Vaccine update:

Rollators, wheelchairs, walkers with 4 wheels, and knee scooters all needed

MEDINA – The medical loan closet in Medina, which stopped taking items in December when Covid-19 cases were on the rise locally, is once again accepting donations.

The Medina Lions Club manages the medical loan closet, and items are stored at the Olde Picke Factory.

There is a need for more Rollators, wheelchairs, walkers with four wheels and knee scooters, said Jim Punch, the closet’s coordinator.

The closet currently has an abundance of aluminum collapsible walkers, he said.

The closet loaned out more than 120 items from October through December. Some of the equipment includes hospital beds, wheelchairs, walkers, canes, crutches, commodes, shower chairs and other medical items.

The program was run by Lyndonville Lions Club and shifted to the Medina Lions Club this past fall. A small portion of the program remains in Lyndonville, with a student group, the Leos from the high school, overseeing it.

Anyone in Orleans County and eastern Niagara County may borrow equipment from the loan closet. For more information, call (585) 205-3502.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Charlie Ralph, right, and his son Todd hold a wooden clock presented to him by Mike Fuller, left, in honor of Charlie’s 50 years of membership in the East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company.

EAST SHELBY – The East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company took the opportunity to honor dedicated members during their March meeting Tuesday night.

The honors would have been awarded during the fire company’s annual banquet the first Saturday in March, however, the pandemic prevented that, so they decided to award the honors at their meeting.

“These people were certainly deserving to be recognized,” said David Green, a 60-year member of the fire company.

Officers of the East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company were sworn in by Orleans Emergency Management Coordinator Dale Banker during the monthly fire department meeting Tuesday night.

Dale Banker, director of Orleans County Emergency Management, installed the following line officers for 2021:

Chief – Deb Taylor; 1st asst. chief – Devin Taylor; 2nd asst. chief – Andy Beach; 3rd asst. chief – Dennis MacDonald; captain – Jeff Taylor; lieutenant – Sharon Grimes; fire police captain – Laura Fields; and safe/training officer – Todd Ralph.

Administrative officers installed were:

President – Mike Fuller; vice president – Joe Newton; secretary – Karen Bracey; treasurer – Allen Turner; trustees – Gordon Reigle, Ken Printup, Norm Beherend and Alan Lonnen; and steward – Dave Green.

Certificates for years of membership were presented to Josh Green, five years; Sharon Grimes and Devin Taylor, 10 years; Matt Grimes and Joe Newton, 15 years;  Laura Fields and Amy Herman, 20 years; Ken McPherson and Allen Turner, 35 years; Mike Zelazny, 45 years; Charles Ralph, 50 years; and David Green, 60 years.

Ralph also received a large wooden American flag with a clock for his years of service to the fire company.

Mike Fuller presented the President’s Award to Deb Taylor, the first woman chief of East Shelby Volunteer Fire Department, at their March meeting Tuesday night.

Mike Fuller presented his President’s Award to Debbie Taylor, who last year became the fire company’s first woman chief.

“She spent a lot of time here during the Covid pandemic, making sure everything was safe,” Fuller said. “Her leadership is what made it all happen.”

An EMS award was presented for only the second year by Fuller, who chose Dennis MacDonald for the honor.

“He has been heavily involved all year, and goes to all the calls,” Fuller said.

Steve Wolter, left, received the Chief’s Award from Andy Beach Tuesday night at the East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company’s March meeting.

Andy Beach said the Firefighter of the Year was somebody behind the scenes at any fire or whatever else is going on, shutting down the roads and making it safe.

“He puts in a lot of time as a fire police,” Beach said, naming Steve Wolter as recipient of the award.

Beach also presented his Chief’s Award, saying he thought about it long and hard.

“This year the award goes to the entire East Shelby Fire Company, who have been great during my last four years,” Beach said.

The award was accepted by Mike Fuller.

The final award was presented by Deb Taylor to Andy Beach, who she said has contributed to the betterment of the fire company.

Dennis MacDonald, left, received the EMS Award from East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company’s president Mike Fuller at their March meeting.

Medina business raising funds during Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Nicole Tuohey, right, and her mom Mary Lou stand in front of the store window at Case-Nic Cookies in Medina, which advertises a promotion they are doing during March to benefit the Arc of Genesee Orleans.

MEDINA – Mary Lou Tuohey and her daughter Nicole are taking advantage of March as “Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month” to raise money for the Arc of Genesee Orleans, while urging people not to judge people with disabilities.

Nicole, who will be 31 in May, was born with Triple X Syndrome. Doctors told her parents at her three-week checkup that she may never walk, talk, read, write or do math.

“As of that moment, we were determined (and she has been determined) not to be labeled because of a disability,” Mary Lou said. “Labels are for soup cans, not for people.”

Nicole has done all of what the doctors said she wouldn’t do – and more. She has danced with Miss Stephanie for 25 years. She plays baseball, bowls, rides a horse, swims and rides a bike. She volunteers for events at the Arc and in the fall of the year, she makes paper links, which she sells and hooks together to form a chain down Main Street – all to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. She has walked in all 21 of the Arc runs in Medina.

This is third year Nicole and her mom have sponsored their “Have a Heart” campaign to benefit the Arc. To promote their campaign, Mary Lou, who owns Case-Nic Cookies, baked two heart-shaped cookies – one with red frosting and the other frosted pink with a bite taken out of it. The object is to show, that while the cookies look different, they are the same – they are made with the same ingredients, rolled out the same, cut the same and taste the same.

Such is the case of a person with a disability. They may not do things the way other people do, but that doesn’t mean it is wrong. It means there are other ways to accomplish the same goal.

Nicole, who attended the Arc’s Rainbow Preschool from age three months to five years, currently attends Day Hab at the Arc.

To show their support for the Arc, the heart-shaped cookies are for sale at Case-Nic Cookies for $1 each through the end of March. All the money raised will be donated directly to the Arc for programs assisting individuals who are part of the Arc. Cookies can be purchased at the store or ordered by calling (585) 798-1676.

Case-Nic Cookies is also sponsoring a basket raffle through March 16. Mary Lou has designed the event to adhere to Covid restrictions. Baskets are on display in Case-Nic’s window. A table outside the door has a box of envelopes in which there is a form listing all the baskets and a plastic bag with a pen and ticket stub from a sheet of raffle tickets. Each sheet has 26 tickets and after indicating on the form how many tickets the buyer wants placed in each basket, they include their $10 per sheet with the form in the envelope and drop in through the mail slot in the door.

As a reminder, Mary Lou asks everyone to remember, “Until you have walked in the shoes of those with a disability, don’t judge them by the way they look, the way do something or the way they might communicate their needs. They are a person, just like you. They have feelings, they deserve respect and they deserve to be included.”

By 9:20 this morning, all 3,500 spots taken

BATAVIA – The 3,500 vaccine appointments went quickly this morning once they were made available on the state website.

The state-run website for appointments opened at 7:59 a.m. for the clinic at GCC. By 9:20, there weren’t any appointments left. There were about a dozen clinics listed with appointments on the state website. They are listed alphabetically and Batavia was second from the top, just under a clinic in Albany.

The Batavia clinic runs five days from Friday through Tuesday. It was intended to help increase the vaccination rates in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties, which are lagging behind the rates in the state and the Finger Lakes Region.

The state, however, opted not to restrict the appointments to residents of the three rural counties.

Paul Pettit, public health director in Genesee and Orleans counties, said some appointments could open up and he encouraged people to keep checking the state’s website. He said the rural counties will keep pushing for more vaccines.

“We realize this may be disappointing and frustrating for our local county residents as it is to us,” Pettit said about the appointments getting filled up so fast. “We will continue to advocate for increased vaccine allocations moving forward. Every dose of vaccine that comes to our counties are administered within the week of receipt. We will continue to call on the state to increase allocations to rural counties as our vaccination rates continue to lag in comparison to surrounding counties.”