2021 Public Health Press Release Archives

The Tompkins County Health Department is alerting the community to NYS Department of Health guidance for booster dosing of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines after an initial 2-dose Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine series. The following recommendations are for specific populations and those living or working in high…
Tompkins County Health Department (TCHD) is announcing an employment opportunity for a Community Health Coordinator as well as ongoing recruitment for Registered Professional Nurses to support the Tompkins County COVID-19 Response Team. The Community Health Coordinator will oversee case monitoring…
The Tompkins County Health Department must locate a dog that bit a person on the Sackett Foot Bridge, near Beebe Lake, on Cornell Campus. The bite occurred on Sunday, September 19, 2021, around 5:21 PM.   The dog is described as a Bernese Mountain Dog, which is a large breed, with a long black…
The Tompkins County Health Department is alerting the community to its recently published guidance for COVID-19 exposures and contact tracing in preK-12 school settings. The guidance is available on the TCHD website’s COVID-19 FAQ page. This guidance was made available to administrators at each…
The Tompkins County Health Department is reporting two COVID-19 related deaths of Tompkins County residents that occurred on September 13. TCHD has confirmed that both patients who passed away at Cayuga Medical Center were fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and that both were elders.   Tompkins County…
The Tompkins County Health Department was notified by Cayuga Medical Center of the death of a fully vaccinated Tompkins County resident attributed to COVID-19. The patient, who passed away at Cayuga Medical Center on September 11, 2021 was 93 years old. This is the first COVID-19 death of a fully…
The Tompkins County Health Department (TCHD) announces two drive-through rabies clinics for dogs, cats and ferrets that will be held in the fall of 2021.   The clinics will be held from 10:00 AM–1:00 PM on September 18 and October 2, 2021, at the TCAT Bus Garage, 737 Willow Avenue, Ithaca.…
Now is the time to get a flu shot, and it is more important than ever during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Flu vaccines are now available at many locations throughout our community, including health care provider offices, pharmacies, and clinics. Everyone 6 months of age and over should be…
September is here and school-age children will begin their academic year this week. This year, more than ever, school immunizations are important. Keeping children up to date with their childhood vaccinations prevents illnesses such as whooping cough, measles, and the other vaccine preventable…
Suspicious cyanobacteria blooms, commonly referred to as Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), continue to be reported in the Tompkins County portion of Cayuga Lake and monitoring is occurring. Trained volunteers and local officials continue to monitor over 60% of the county shoreline for HABs on a weekly…