Paul Kirby is reporting for the Daily Freeman Ulster County has begun administering the coronavirus vaccine to the people incarcerated in the county jail, Sheriff Juan Figueroa said May 13. Figueroa said during a press conference at the county Law Enforcement Center, the Moderna vaccine, which requires two shots, was being administered by county Health Department personnel. The sheriff said of the 210 people currently housed in the county jail, 40 had signed up to be vaccinated and that he hoped everyone would be vaccinated by sometime in June. He also said in-person visits at the jail will not resume until everyone has been inoculated. Figueroa also pressed for the general public to get vaccinated. “We don’t want to go through a shutdown again,” he said. “Having these vaccinations are extremely important...." County Executive Pat Ryan agreed, saying, “To me, the science is clear that vaccines are our pathway out of the challenges, the economic impact, the school closures." New Paltz Police Chief Robert Lucchesi chimed in, saying he also strongly recommends that "anyone who has not gotten vaccinated take the opportunity" to do so. "I think it's key to getting back to normal," Lucchesi said. On May 13, Ulster County reported a continuing decline in its number of active COVID-19 cases — to 146 cases, down from the 189 reported the previous day. The last time Ulster had fewer than 150 active cases of the illness was on Oct. 9, 2020. The county's most recent rate of positive tests for COVID was 1.4 percent. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.