Within a matter of minutes both the State University of New York at Fredonia and Jamestown Community College vaccination clinics scheduled for the coming days were booked.

On Thursday morning, the Chautauqua County Health Department listed the two sites. The first takes place Saturday at the Steele Hall Ice Rink at the State University of New York at Fredonia. The second will be Tuesday at the Jamestown Community College Phys Ed Complex at 290 Curtis St. in Jamestown.

Though filled, the county Health Department site at https://chqgov.com/public-health/covid-19-vaccination-clinics indicates stand-by registration links will be posted this morning.

One thing the quick registration for both these sites highlight are the desperation by residents here to be vaccinated. As of Thursday morning, both the OBSERVER and The Post-Journal received calls from individuals who are growing impatient with the process.

According to some at the county, these two clinics could assist anywhere from 400 to 700 residents. Last week, due to the poor weather conditions across the country, the county did not receive its supplies for vaccination. The shipments, however, arrived this week.

Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel said officials in the Health Department and administration are working daily to send a message to state leaders of the dire need here, especially for the senior population. “I know how frustrating this process is for everybody,” Wendel said in reference to the online registration that normally fills up quickly.

Just Wednesday afternoon, SUNY Fredonia announced it had reached an agreement with the county Health Department to host a location. JCC had indicated an interest earlier this year, but a mass clinic never occurred due to the lack of vaccine coming in from New York state’s limited 250,000 doses it receives from the federal government.

These filled clinics, however, were not associated with the one referenced by U.S. Rep. Tom Reed during his call with area media on Wednesday. Reed said then it is “highly likely” a mass vaccination clinic for COVID-19 will be coming to Chautauqua County in the near future. His comments came after a news report earlier this week that a planned location by the federal government here was rejected by New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

There is no timeline for this state-run clinic, however, at this time.

The county Health Department on Thursday reported 50 new COVID-19 cases, of which half came from those residing in the Jamestown zip code. To date there have been 7,512 total confirmed cases, 7,232 recoveries and 137 virus-related deaths.

As of Thursday there were 143 active cases, eight people with the virus in the hospital and a seven-day positivity rate of 1.2%.

New cases also broke down as follows: four in Dunkirk and Frewsburg, three in Bemus Point and Sherman, two each in Sinclairville, Mayville and Clymer, and one each in Forestville, Silver Creek, Falconer and Kennedy.

In Cattaraugus County, 25 new COVID cases were recorded Wednesday. There have been 4,298 confirmed cases, 4,015 recoveries and 86 virus deaths. There are currently 188 active cases, 19 people with the virus in the hospital and a seven-day positivity rate of 2.8%.