An Appeal to the Community

In Hudson, we live with the comforting assurance that there's a hospital up on the hill, and medical help, should we need it, is only minutes away. 

On Friday, HudsonValley360 reported that Columbia Memorial Hospital was preparing for "an anticipated surge in COVID-19 cases." At noon today, Governor Andrew Cuomo spoke about hospitals and the possibility that upstate hospitals might have to be a "relief valve" for the downstate hospitals that are being overwhelmed. At 1:30 p.m. today, the Columbia County Department of Health reported that four positive cases of COVID-19 in the county are now hospitalized.

In the midst of this crisis, Columbia Memorial Health Foundation has established a COVID-19 Defense Fund to enable people to help in different ways. Click here to learn more about what you can do. Of interest for those who have dusted off their sewing machines and raided their remnant stashes to make masks is this message from the CMH Foundation website:

Hand Sewn Masks: While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not suggest cloth material as a first-line defense against the coronavirus causing COVID-19, cloth masks work well for other conditions and can help conserve previous reserves of N-95 respirator masks. Please contact us.