COVID-19, A LOOK BACK, AND A LOOK AHEAD

Today, new york state saw it's first covid-related death.

This week also marks one year for the first ((case(( of corona virus here in oneida county...((and(( the sutdown.

News channel two's gary liberatore spoke with oneida county executive anthony picente today to look back at this past year...and see where things stand right now.

Tc : 00 "so does it seem like we turn the corner with the numbers, the vaccine and the nice weather that's on its way?

Well it certainly does, certainly the vaccine really changed the entire time at mike's and allowed for a little bit of a sigh of relief."

It's been a long year for everyone.

Remember the the grocery stores that opened early just for seniors...and the first time schools shut down... the one thing that stands out in oneida county executive anthony picente's mind above all others from this past year...is the loss of life.

Saturday marked 400 deaths here in oneida county alone due to the pandemic... (anthony picente, (r) oneida county executive) .

None .

None tc : 05:42 "to all those families that couldn't continue to interact and take care of them, couldn't even go see them and then for those within that time lost, that's the tragedies of this will not go away.

The question will always be, what is the dark preventable.

And that something will have to struggle work for a long time, those families always win."

Picente says the community togetherness was nice to see.

Tc : 04:11 "we set up help lines and we had so many people come forward and said they will grow grocery shopping for the seniors."

Tc : 04:53 "brought families together, i really think that given the opportunity, we're on such a pass based lifestyle, it allowed us to take a step back and appreciate the things we have in the family and friends we have."

Tc : 08:04 "over 30% of our eligible adult population has been vaccinated."

Tc : 08:28 "we have more test sites this week, we're getting more vaccines this week."

Tc : 11:40 "if you get another 200 johnson and johnson this week, they'll be interspersed with the other two vaccines so when you go onto these locations, are you able to select which vaccine you want.

We have not, we have specified in our pods, whatever particular dosage we have on hand that's what we distribute it in a daze in a day's time."

Tc : 14:16 what do you say to people out there, i'm sure you've heard him, because i have let other people get the shot, i i don't want it, i'm gonna let them be the guinea pigs so to speak, you know what i'm saying.

Well look everybody has, we've gone through this throughout, every aspect of this what it was masks but it was testing another vaccine.

My messages look everybody has to make that choice but but we've seen this virus can do to people we've seen what it means when families get impacted tc : 14:58 "do you know if you're eligible for it and at the time that you are, people should get rid of the vaccine, it really is what's going to save us and getting us out of this."

Tc : 15:31 "you know what are we gonna be like a year from now, march 13 of 2022, i for one don't want to see us in the same spot we're in today and the other way we get there is with this vaccine."

Gary liberatore, news channel 2.> oneida county does have a vaccination site open tomorrow at the turning stone.

They have 1,000 doses to give out.

The event is only open to those aged 60 and older and an appointment is necessary.

To secure a spot, those interested should call 315-798-5439.

Going county by county with