NY Gives Counties Funds For Contact Tracing, Flu Prevention

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — In an effort to enhance new coronavirus contact tracing and flu prevention in advance of the fall flu season, the state will be giving out more than $30 million to counties in New York, including seven in the Hudson Valley. The majority of the funds, which will be available in the form of grants, will be used to increase local health department staffing for enhanced detection, surveillance and prevention of the virus.

"As we continue to battle the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we are also preparing for the upcoming fall flu season," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.

"We are making $30 million in grant funding available to counties to increase their contact tracing — which has worked very well for us — and to expand flu prevention and vaccinations to help ensure counties are ready to provide both flu and COVID-19 testing to residents."

The amount of money for the Hudson Valley is:

• Westchester: $2,312,196
• Orange: $1,227,399
• Rockland: $1,345,872
• Dutchess: $917,184
• Ulster: $477,048
• Putnam: $360,136
• Sullivan: $359,686

Awards are based on county populations plus a supplemental award for the percentage of statewide coronavirus cases in each county. To ensure consistency throughout state, counties receiving this funding will be required to use the NY Communicable Disease Management System or CommCare for all investigation and tracing activities, the state said.

In addition to contact tracing funding, Cuomo announced $2 million, provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to be distributed to local health departments throughout the state in advance of flu season to make sure everyone gets their flu shot.

Health officials said a severe influenza season combined with another wave of the new coronavirus could easily overwhelm the state's health-care system.

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