SULLIVAN — When Sullivan County Public Health Services put out notice that they had received 800 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and could begin community vaccinations the appointments were fully booked within two hours.

As the pandemic continues, with numbers spiking around the country, people are eager to get in line to receive the first dose of vaccine.

“We're busy every day,” Public Health Director Nancy McGraw said. “[We're working on] how we can best coordinate everybody, and making sure the public has the information on how to register. We ask people to be patient.”

Patience will be key, it seems, as the nationwide vaccination plan rolls out. Counties must wait to receive more vaccines from the state and federal governments, and “we really have no idea of how much it will be, or when we will receive it,” McGraw says.

The 800 doses the county received began being administered on Friday and continue this week. People must have an appointment to receive the vaccine and the county set up a website where people can register.

Anyone interested in being notified of upcoming Public Health-run COVID-19 vaccination clinics can sign up on the county's vaccine information page: https://sullivanny.us/Departments/Publichealth/COVIDvaccines.

Governor Andrew Cuomo recently announced that New York's health care distribution sites have administered 93 percent of first doses received from the federal government, and 91 percent of first and second doses.

But again, supply seems to be the problem.

“The state administered 96,000 shots in the last 24 hours, and we have the operational capacity to do even more - but we need more doses from the federal government because the real problem continues to be that the demand outpaces supply,” Gov. Cuomo said in a press release last week.

President Joe Biden previously unveiled his plan to administer 100 million shots during his fist 100 days in office.

Rep. Antonio Delgado said he hosted a meeting with his Advisory Committee to discuss the needs in cooperation with the Biden Administration.

In a press release Delgado said, “My Health Care Advisory Committee made it clear -- we must increase the supply of the COVID-19 vaccine, ramp up the number of distribution sites, and invest in a locally focused public education campaign around the vaccine's safety and efficacy.”

On Thursday the county legislators voted unanimously to work with municipalities, businesses and school districts to assist with vaccinations and testing for COVID-19.

In addition, they voted to create a medical reserve corps of volunteers to assist during public health emergencies.

“We need all the help that we can get in order to contain these numbers from getting higher,” said District 2 Legislator Nadia Rajsz, who also chairs the Health and Family Services Committee.

McGraw told legislators during the Health and Family Services Committee that the numbers of cases are the highest they've been since April and May.

Burt Kohn, the Administrator for the Care Center at Sunset Lake, said they are conducting COVID testing once a week.

The first dose of vaccine was administered to residents and staff on December 29 and is continuing.

He reported that 34 staff members received both doses and 20 have received the first dose. There are approximately 149 staff members at the Care Center meaning 95 opted not to get it.

“It took a lot of convincing, because everybody's afraid to take it,” Kohn said.

He added that he heard from many employees that since they already had COVID they felt they did not need to get vaccinated.

As of presstime there were no announcements for any upcoming Public Health clinics.

“We aim to get every resident and in-county worker vaccinated,” vowed McGraw. “We are working diligently toward the day when anyone who wants the vaccine will be able to get the vaccine. This is going to be a long-term project.”