Western New Yorkers now have a new way to find appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine.

Todd Tranum, president and chief executive officer at the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce, said Vaccine Hound was put together by the State University at Buffalo and is being supported by volunteers as means to help residents in our region find appointments for COVID-19 vaccination. “We are getting concerned by the uptick in COVID cases and resistance to vaccination among certain demographics in our region,” he said. “This is a helpful resource for those who are inclined to set appointments online.”

The web site is https://www.vaccinehound.org/ and breaks down the openings by county.

In the meantime, hospitalizations in Chautauqua County increased to 12 as the positivity rate continued to hover around the 2% mark. According to the Health Department, there were 20 new cases reported on Monday with 165 active. Those hospitalized increased from seven on Sunday to 12 on Monday. In all, there have been 8,540 total cases with 8,233 recoveries.

The seven-day positivity rate, which was 2.6% over the weekend, decreased to 2.2% Monday. Western New York’s rate remained the highest in the state at 4.84% with the state average being 3.16%.

State Gov. Andrew Cuomo said 38.6% of state residents have received a first dose of the vaccine with more than 25% receiving a completed series. More than 47,000 residents in Chautauqua County have received a first shot.