Tompkins County Office of Human Rights

A Pride Month Event! Save the date!

Forthcoming event regarding current violence in Ithaca, and America Society. Don't forget to save the date!

Schedule of events for the County and City’s Commemoration of Juneteenth this week.

Vaccine Update: Local COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics (Ithaca, N.Y., June 15, 2021) The Tompkins County Health Department is notifying the community of several upcoming COVID-19 vaccination clinics. Vaccine is readily available in Tompkins County, and TCHD urges all individuals aged 12+ to get vaccinated. Tompkins County Health Department is offering the following clinics. For minors under 18, a parent or guardian is required to identify the minor and provide consent. ... Town of Danby: Danby Fire Hall, 1780 Danby Rd., Ithaca Wednesday, June 16 from 4:00pm - 6:00pm Danby area residents ages 18 and older Vaccine: J&J Walk-ins Welcome Register for an appointment: https://tompkinscountyny.gov/health/covid19popup Groton School District Thursday, June 17 from 4:00pm 6:00pm Students ages 12 and older Vaccine: Pfizer (first dose) Registration link was shared by the school district Trumansburg Fairgrounds: Trumansburg Fairgrounds, 2150 Trumansburg Rd. Tuesday, June 22 from 10:00am 12:00pm 18 years and older Vaccine: J&J Walk-ins Welcome Register for an appointment: https://tompkinscountyny.gov/health/covid19popup Town of Caroline Caroline Elementary School, 2439 Slaterville Rd., Slaterville Springs Tuesday, June 29 from 4:00pm 6:00pm 18 years and older Vaccine: J&J Walk-ins Welcome Register for an appointment: https://tompkinscountyny.gov/health/covid19popup Town of Enfield Enfield Elementary School Wednesday, June 30 from 4:00pm 6:00pm 18 years and older Vaccine: J&J Walk-ins Welcome Register for an appointment: https://tompkinscountyny.gov/health/covid19popup Frank Kruppa, Public Health Director, stated, In Tompkins County, 74% of our population 18 years and older have at least one vaccine dose. This has been an incredible effort in our community, and I want to thank Cayuga Health System, the local school districts, and other community partners who have played a role in vaccination. Over the next few weeks, we will continue to offer vaccine clinics and we hope people will take advantage of the different locations. It is not too late. The vaccines are safe and effective, and we are seeing the positive effect of high vaccination rates in our community with very few new positive cases. Information about local clinics can be found on the TCHD website. Individuals without computer and/or internet access may also call 2-1-1 (877-211-8667) during regular business hours 8:30am-5:00pm to be registered over the phone. NYS State-run Vaccination Sites are offering vaccine to all eligible age groups. Appointments can be scheduled on the NYS Department of Health website. Local pharmacies and medical offices may have vaccine available. The Tompkins County Health Department is your partner for a healthy community. Find us online at TompkinsCountyNY.gov/health, and follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/TompkinsPublicHealth and on Twitter at @TompkinsHealth.

Tompkins County Seeks Community Input on Use of American Rescue Plan Funds Media Contact: Dominick Recckio [email protected] Photos available for media use: https://adobe.ly/3gnl9Tj... (Ithaca, N.Y., June 15, 2021) The Tompkins County Legislature is seeking community input on the use of $19.8 million in one-time funding made available through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP). Input is being sought through a survey asking Tompkins County residents to rank their top three priorities for the funds; priorities are limited to eight options clarified for local municipalities by the Federal Government. Results of the survey will inform discussions by the Legislature, including at the June 30, 5:30pm expanded Budget Committee of the Tompkins County Legislature where Legislators will begin the process of planning how best to spend and/or invest ARP funds (stream the June 30 meeting on YouTube). The survey can be filled out online, https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TompkinsARP or printed and mailed c/o Dominick Recckio at 125 E. Court St, Ithaca N.Y. 14850. Survey responses are due by Monday, June 28. There are a number of rules related to what the funding can be used for. The uses permitted by the Federal Government and reflected in Tompkins County’s survey are listed below: (a) to meet residents' additional needs for public health, mental health, and early and special education services after March 3, 2021; (b) to respond to the needs of households that suffered economic losses as a result of Covid-19 (e.g., by providing rental assistance, expanding available child care options); (c) to respond to the needs of small businesses and not-for-profit agencies that suffered economic losses and/or are having difficulty providing services as a result of Covid-19; (d) to provide aid to industries like tourism, travel, and hospitality, which were particularly hard hit by the impacts of the pandemic); (e) to provide premium pay to essential workers in the public sector; (f) to provide premium pay to essential workers in the private sector; (g) to the extent that the County lost revenue as a result of the pandemic, to pay for County government operations and services (e.g., restoration of funding for County staff; capital investment in infrastructure; cybersecurity upgrades; provision of public safety services); and (h)to make necessary investments in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure. Legislator Deborah Dawson, Chair of the Budget, Capital, and Personnel Committee stated, This is an unprecedented investment in local communities across the U.S., and we have an opportunity to continue to lead our community out of the worst impacts of this pandemic. Dawson continued, your input is vital, it’s our goal to support the hardest hit parts of our community and make generational investments in our collective future.

Vaccine hesitance among Health Care Workers. Some have filed a lawsuit alleging the policy violates their rights by suspending them from their job. https://www.democracynow.org//syra_madad_coronavirus_vacci