It's been a year since Dutchess County saw its first COVID-19 case.

Since March 12, 2020, more than 400 county residents have died from contracting the coronavirus.

County Executive Marc Molinaro tells News 12 about the county’s ability to get a head start on preparations thanks to cross government communication.

"Pat Ryan from Ulster County called me to say he had his first case and that that individual had attended a training program in Dutchess County,” says Molinaro. “So, in some ways. We began our immediate response five days before our first confirmed county case.”

The three-term county executive knows the pain of losing a loved one after losing his father, Anthony Molinaro, to the virus in April.

“I miss my father,” says Molinaro. "There's a moment that I might want to reach out. That's not going to happen. And I just haven't had any time to process that.”

Molinaro believes the state isn’t doing enough. He says more should be done for senior citizens, the developmentally disabled and children in the future. 

“We better make damn sure that we are doing more to protect those individuals effectively, serve them, support them more effectively than we did these last 12 months,” says Molinaro.

The county has hosted events during the pandemic to connect seniors safely to resources and each other, including drive-in bingo events and drive-in lunches.

"There were moments of great inspiration that ought to really provide us a degree of hope. In the moment that we needed it most. People dug deep and rose to the occasion,” says Molinaro.