Vaccine progress continues in Yates, New York

YATES COUNTY--As of the county legislative meeting, Monday, June 14, the Yates County COVID rate has dropped to 0.1 percent and there has not been a new positive case in several days. Along with the drop in COVID numbers, Annmarie Flanagan, director of the Yates County health department, talked about vaccination rates, which continue to increase.
"I am happy to say that we are at less than 1 percent and have had no new cases in a number of days," said Flanagan.
Flanagan also said vaccination efforts will continue.
"We are not getting as many people as we did in the beginning, but we are getting a steady consistent (amount of people) coming in which is good," Flanagan mentioned.
Flanagan also expressed optimism statewide as she informed the legislature that Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced just prior to the meeting that 69.9 percent of New Yorkers have been vaccinated and that as soon as 70 percent has been hit the state will fully reopen.
County Administrator Nonie Flynn announced that she was forced to file a freedom of information law request to the New York Department of Health to determine if the state has determined how much money it owes the county in Medicaid funding for years since 2016.
"They still haven't done 2020 or 2021, but over $700,000 is due to the county in Medicaid funding," Flynn stated.
When asked if the information Flynn received indicated when the county would receive that money, Flynn said it did not.
Money from the federal stimulus programs has started to come into the county, however money earmarked for villages and towns has been held up as it must be administered through the states.
"The state has gotten the money from the federal government and has 30 days to distribute, but they can request a 30-day extension," Flynn said.
Flynn highlighted that roughly $209,000 has been earmarked for the county by the state for 911 services, a number Flynn said was the 10th highest in the state.
"We are getting more than New York City," Flynn said.
The legislature, after some discussion, approved a resolution to allow the town of Jerusalem to enter into negotiations with the county to provide assessment services. The vote was not unanimous.
After a fatal accident involving a motorist and horse and buggy on Sunday, members of the legislature talked about roadway safety, including monitoring speed and focusing solely on driving.
During the Yates Transit Service quarterly update, officials informed the legislature the starting salary for drivers will be increased from $13.50 an hour to $15.00 as the transit service is having difficulty recruiting new employees. Legislators commented that some districts in the surrounding area have had to increase their rates to $18.00 per hour. It was also announced that the service is working on a marketing campaign to inform the public of their service areas.