Hudson Valley Communities With Lowest, Highest Vaccination Rates

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled a new series of universal mask requirements Wednesday and said the state will fight lawsuits alleging that vaccination mandates for healthcare workers are an unconstitutional infringement on religious convictions.

SEE: Judge Blocks New York's Medical Worker Vaccine Mandate

Hochul said in her personal opinion that no one seeking care should have to worry that they're going to get COVID-19 from one of the people who are supposed to protect their health. "That doesn't make sense."

In fact, the state is launching new initiatives to promote vaccination, she said. With an eye toward vaccinating young people, Hochul announced that 125 free tickets to the Governors Ball Music Festival are available to individuals who receive their first vaccine dose at a #VaxtoSchool pop-up location; stars including Billie Eilish will be performing.

"We all want this to be over. Everybody's tired of it. It's been a long, long, long haul and the great news is we have the power to end this. If every single person in New York who is eligible, and that is everybody over the age of twelve, would simply get their vaccine and then prepare to get their booster, we could get through this," Hochul said.

"We know that vaccines work. Here are the numbers. If you're not fully vaccinated, you're 10 times more likely to be hospitalized and 11 times more likely to die. I'm not sure who wants to play with that Russian roulette," she said.

State officials report vaccination rates by zip code on the NY Vaccine Tracker.

The zip-code level vaccination data includes administrations from federal entities, except the exception of the defense department, and administrations in other states to New York residents.

Some zip codes may show a lower-than-actual reported rate due to specific circumstances, such as colleges or universities, prisons or federal entities comprising most of the population.

For example, the 20 zip codes with the lowest vaccination rates in the Hudson Valley include Annendale On Hudson, where Bard College is located:

On the other hand, there are some communities in the region where just about everyone is vaccinated. Hudson Valley communities with the highest vaccination rates:

With the holidays ahead — the holiday season sparked a spike in infection rates last year that started in October and peaked after the Super Bowl — Hochul said people who are vaccinated can enjoy safe celebrations while wearing masks to avoid breakthrough infections.

Meanwhile, she announced new mask mandates. Kids in daycare are now required to mask up. The requirements also apply to congregate mental health and substance abuse programs and facilities, juvenile detention programs and residential facilities, congregate foster care programs, runaway and homeless youth, domestic violence and other shelter programs.

The rules apply to anyone medically able to tolerate wearing a mask, regardless of vaccination status, Hochul said.

"For children under 12 who are not yet eligible to be vaccinated, masks are the best line of defense against COVID-19 infection," she said. "This new mask requirement ensures that children in our child care facilities receive the same protection as children in our schools."

The new child-care mask requirement brings New York State into compliance with federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance issued in July. The CDC recommends universal indoor masking for anyone age 2 and older who has not been vaccinated against COVID-19 and is medically able to wear a mask, Hochul said.

Patch Staffer Lisa Finn contributed to this report.