App NEWS
New York health commissioner: Coronavirus ‘doesn’t get tired’
|
“I can only speculate that people are tired of this, I’m tired of it, but the virus, unfortunately, doesn’t get tired.”
WSKG (https://wskg.org/tag/covid/)
“I can only speculate that people are tired of this, I’m tired of it, but the virus, unfortunately, doesn’t get tired.”
While some symptoms like sinus or upper respiratory issues can be the same with allergies and COVID-19, there are also some distinct differences.
“Providers statewide, including at the state’s mass vaccination sites, are ready to administer second booster doses for eligible New Yorkers.”
More than half of New York’s counties lost population due to more people moving out than moving in since that last census.
The need for doctors, nurses and other workers poses challenges for hospitals.
The challenge in finding instructors can be even greater for rural school districts.
“I’m a nurse and I didn’t see it. I didn’t see diabetes, because we don’t have it in our family and that’s what you automatically think.”
Advocates are hopeful to see needed funds during Gov. Tom Wolf’s final year in office.
“If you vote yes and extend the emergency order and keep our kids in masks, you can go to bed at night considering yourselves child abusers.”
“There has been no decision made on a date on which the mask mandate in schools will end.”
“Those families never received an apology. No one’s ever been held accountable. They were told ‘who cares’ by the last governor.”
The plan includes spending money on workers and a property tax subsidy for lower-income homeowners and renters.
“We’re not taking our foot off the gas when it comes to fighting the pandemic,.”
“The graduates will be able to assist anywhere we need them in a medical capacity will be available starting in early February.”
The House and Senate’s top GOP budget negotiators say the state’s $7.76 billion in extra relief and tax money can’t be stretched too thin.
The request will be reconsidered Friday by a panel of judges from the court, and could ultimately be reversed.
The mandate “is a law that was promulgated and enacted unlawfully by an executive branch state agency, and therefore void and unenforceable.”
A lot of state money hasn’t been spent, because many families don’t know it’s out there.
“If they were to take a taste of it accidentally, not a problem, could be a little bit irritating, but not a real big issue.
Small metro areas in upstate New York like Ithaca and Utica are also still struggling to recover with Ithaca only recovering so far by roughly .3%.
“Blood donor turnout has really plummeted because of the variant that has affected this region and across the country.”
A nationwide survey sheds light on how self-reporting can predict infection rates.
“Ideally, every visitor would be vaccinated and boosted, but we don’t have the authority to create that restriction.”
Campuses across New York state will begin hosting free COVID testing for the general public this week.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she’s committed to seeing students return to school next week as planned, as state health officials are pushing for more children to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
“Once again, the January Regents exams cannot be safely, equitably and fairly administered across the state.”
“Of course she is vaccinated and boosted, so this would be a breakthrough case, but she is feeling fine.”
For New Yorkers experiencing so-called “COVID fatigue,” a sense of hopelessness as the pandemic wears on, there’s more bad news: there’s no end in sight.
“We have to get a point of rational discussion about this, and it’s not about scoring political points or getting headlines to call out the governor on an issue.”
“I’m going to monitor what’s going on in the various counties, but I’m not attempting to be heavy-handed.”
“We don’t have the staff…they have Covid overload. We don’t want to send the sheriff’s out after anybody, we don’t want to send probation after anybody.”
“We knew the Omicron variant was coming and we expect to see more cases. But let me be clear: We are not defenseless.”
“I’m not prepared to shut down schools or the economy at this time. That would be considered an overreaction.”
“Sadly, New York has been making the same mistakes over and over again on COVID.”
The court will hear arguments Dec. 8 in order to make a final decision.
Hochul predicts a surge in the infection rate over the next few days.
“So we know people are not wearing masks, and we know people are gathering and we know people are in close quarters.”
Newly-public data shows outbreaks among staff and residents throughout the pandemic.
The big issue for the Northern Border is the expensive and time-consuming requirement for a PCR COVID-19 test for Americans or Canadians to enter Canada.
“It was just such a stressful day-to-day struggle to figure out how how to make it through the week and how to put food on the table.”
“There has never been a problem at the United States and Canadian border. We are deeply dependent on each other for our economic viability.”
Much of the rest of upstate New York has a positivity rate of 5% or more, higher than it was in the fall of 2020.
“I’m directing our state mass vaccination sites to open their doors to the youngest and most recently eligible New Yorkers.”
New York is one of just a handful of states that have exhausted the rent relief funding allocated to them by the federal government.
County officials attributed the rise in cases to residents socializing over Halloween weekend.
“We will be selecting 50 names of children who will be receiving a full ride to a SUNY or CUNY institution.”
While the stresses of the pandemic led some nurses to quit or retire, others are getting ready to step in.
Just like foreign travelers, Canadians will need to show a negative COVID-19 test at the border to re-enter their country.
The measure would allow students to take a rapid test every day for a week, rather than quarantine, after potential exposure to COVID.
“We’re all just trying to get through a global pandemic. But definitely, they need some [additional] instruction when they get back.”
“I want to empower parents and schools to do the right things first but if we’re not seeing adequate compliance…I will have no choice.”
“This is something that’s with us every single day. It affects our relationships, it affects our behavior, and it will continue to for quite some time.”
Educators say there’s a clear choice: Limit the spread of the virus, or risk going back to online and hybrid learning.
“I apologized for the pain that those poor families had to endure. It was a very emotional meeting.”
The decision only allows health care workers to request religious exemptions to the mandate, for the time being.
A combined shortage of labor, material, and transportation has made it difficult for stores like Tops and Wegmans to keep many items in stock.
As immunity wanes, more vaccinated people in Pa. are getting sick with the virus.
“People are tired, and we’ve seen a significant resurgence here. There’s a significant demand in our emergency rooms, in our COVID unit, in our ICU, and so, we need all hands on deck.”
“Prisons are a hotbed of infectious disease transmission they have been for since they’ve been designed and utilized.”
A shortage of veterinarians in New York State is making it difficult for people to find care for their pets.
“I think the decision has been made not to eliminate it, that we’re going to accept it.”
All of the state’s hospitals are required to have an emergency staffing plan in place to make up for shortages, and the Governor questioned whether those plans were deployed.
COVID-19 is adding stress to Pennsylvania’s underfunded behavioral health care system.
The governor estimates that hundreds of hospitals workers have been laid off or suspended for refusing the vaccine.
Licensed child care providers can now apply for one-time grants to help them retain and recruit personnel and cover operational costs.
“We provided them with access to resources and really talked to those individuals one-on-one to reassure them.”
“I’m hoping we can manage through that and not have a tremendous number of people in any one department who are missing.”
The state has issued guidance that would prevent unvaccinated health care workers who are fired to collect unemployment.
“It does not have to happen, my friends, it does not have to happen. What is looming for Monday is completely avoidable and there are no excuses.”
“I think I made very clear on my first day in office that I’ll be looking to build a new team. There will be other changes forthcoming.”
The pandemic caused an unprecedented number of temporary and permanent job losses, with over 4.7 million New Yorkers collecting benefits.
There have been calls for Howard Zucker’s removal over decisions he made during the COVID-19 pandemic, like decisions related to nursing homes.
60 percent of parents also revealed they’d prefer having remote learning as an available option, full or part time.
“A lot of our staff is out doing their regulatory jobs, that need to happen, and it leaves us less infrastructure for doing the case investigation.”
“If you’re watching the national news, the scariest announcements coming out every morning are the number of children contracting Covid.”
“There’s clearly something going on in households where people still feel they can get by.”
Data suggests during that time, only a six percent chance existed that a person who was vaccinated fell ill with COVID-19 in Pennsylvania.
“We believe this step will result in a flurry of attempts to circumvent the well-reasoned vaccination requirement.”
“The biggest challenge for our hospitals is not…the beds. Just like last year, it’s staffing. Staffing is now what we need.”
“Now, the landlord gets to have a hearing. I think that goes a long way, and the landlord has a say in court now.”
Now, we’re in a partisan era in which, for example, some lawmakers argued against public health measures during a pandemic.
In First COVID-19 Briefing, Hochul Talks Vaccines
“It’s going to be very, very difficult to provide the same level of healthcare if we are, all of a sudden, starting to see people walk off the job and leave the healthcare industry.”
“You have to be at a point where you have plans in place where you can adjust accordingly, and still maintain an education for our students.”
“I am in talks with the Senate Majority Leader and Assembly Speaker to call a special session to address the impending eviction crisis.”
The new COVID-19 death toll numbers of about 55,400 people is in line with the death certificate data provided to the CDC.
“The PCR testing is the gold standard, it is the most sensitive and accurate to run to determine the results. The antigen testing is a little bit less reliable.”
The past few days averaged below 40,000 visitors compared to record numbers in 2019.
“You can transmit to other people. The odds are you’re going to do fine if you’re vaccinated and infected, but the person you infect may not do fine.”
“I’m sure we stand to lose some staff, and we’d hate to see that happen.”
“When mom gets the vaccine, she develops antibodies that do cross the placenta and provide a degree of protection to the newborn.”
“We literally created a vaccine within a year, and that’s like unheard of. The fact that it’s new, played a role in me not wanting to get the vaccine.”
“It’s clear that everyone wants to keep kids in the classroom and keep extra curricular activities going.”
The new requirement applies to all health care workers in New York, regardless of employer.
As of July 23, 2021, 1,242 new business certificates were filed with the Onondaga County Clerk this year. That’s over two times as many as this time last year.
Syracuse will require masks regardless of vaccination status and require proof of vaccination for all employees or regular testing.
“At the current rate, things have the potential to get out of control. And the last thing anybody wants to see is another shutdown.”
Nine states, including New York, have implemented new mandates aimed at curbing the spread of the more contagious variant indoors.
To better understand the concerns of Black, Hispanic and rural residents, the group conducted a series of interviews and focus groups.
While Canada has taken a major step in reopening its border, the U.S. has not yet offered the same welcome to Canadian travelers.
Nearly 64% of Pennsylvania adults are fully vaccinated, a small increase compared to July
“There is an urgent need for timely advice and supervision flowing from the State Department of Health to local and school officials.”
The fair reserves its right to pivot, if increasing numbers force new regulations to avoid spread of the coronavirus.
“I wore a mask for year, it’s not the biggest deal in the world. I could get this delta variant, and I could spread the delta variant. So, better safe than sorry, I’m going to wear a mask.”
“They want to have safety in their workforce, they want to provide a safe environment for their customers, but they also want to be adequately staffed.”
Children younger than 12 will be allowed to enter Canada with their parents or guardians if they follow public health guidelines.
“The market certainly is much tighter than it has been in the past. There’s no doubt about it.”
Forecasters predict Pennsylvania will rake in nearly 15 percent more this year than last. That would be the largest increase of any state.
SUNY is pushing vaccine awareness campaigns and encouraging students and faculty to use vaccine clinics on campus.
The AP finds that other states, including Pennsylvania, report death numbers that mirror the CDC numbers, and count all cases where COVID is either the cause of death or a contributing factor.
Black people in the Finger Lakes region face stark health disparities as a result of racism and the way it manifests, a problem magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic.
New York state aims to have 70% of electricity used, coming from renewable resources by 2030.
Unconventional wells produced 7.1 trillion cubic feet of gas last year, even as national and regional natural gas prices dipped in response to the pandemic.
On Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that fully vaccinated Canadians returning to the country from the U.S. would no longer need to quarantine.
The state’s Department of Health is working to hire a new company under an even pricier contract to take over its contact tracing program. The previous company was fired for a massive data breach.
Wall Street executives are pushing vaccinated workers to return to work, and that’s good news for vendors and other small businesses in New York that depend on workers from finance.
The 7-day average COVID-19 positivity rate for the Finger Lakes region is now down to .40%.
An amendment to the Senate bill designed to prevent “vaccine passports” would prohibit the secretary from ordering mask wearing and other public health measures.
They seek a detailed list of data about the deaths of New Yorkers from COVID-19, including those tracked by the date, county and ZIP code, as well as confirmed cases of coronavirus by age group, race, and ethnicity.
“The emergency is over. It will not be renewed.”
The infection rate for the Finger Lakes region is .54%. That is the second highest rate in the state, behind the North Country, but the positivity rate for all regions of the state is well below 1%.
Experts warn that separation anxiety is a real possibility for pets who got used to having their people around all the time. There is a type of training that helps, but it requires time and patience.
“The pandemic made it clear that traffic is an important source of pollutants for the air that we breathe. But the fact that we have this data will allow us to understand those interactions better.”
Not everyone can immediately go back to normal. Unvaccinated New Yorkers still need to wear masks in public and practice safe social distancing.
The good news is that the local economy is improving and more tourists are coming to town. The bad news is there is a shortage of workers to staff businesses and serve those tourists.
New York is still in the process of reopening from the months-long mandatory lock downs, and Governor Cuomo says there are still dangerous variants of the virus that are spreading in other parts of the world.
In May, the governor announced the fair would be open at 50% capacity, but with record low infection rates and an almost 70% vaccination rate, Cuomo said it’s time to open the gates all the way.
Rates in some low-income urban and rural areas are as low as 38.8%. The governor says local governments need to focus on those areas and give it “one more push.”
“New York’s COVID-19 numbers continue to hit record lows and New Yorkers are ready to return to normal.”
“Business owners have seen their work and their dreams just disappear. I don’t know how many thousands of businesses have closed permanently, but it’s thousands, and that’s just a tragedy.”
Acting State Human Services Secretary Meg Snead said parents ultimately have to make their own decisions about what’s safe.
“We need school districts and superintendents to marry civil disobedience with common sense. And that is no masks for the rest of the year.”
Young people and those with no COVID-19 symptoms are among those at risk.
The announcement began a weekend of confusion and anxiety for school leaders, teachers and parents who said they would have to once again reconfigure classrooms and alter other protocols.
“We hit 70%, we will be back to life as normal, or as normalized as you can be post-COVID.”
“There’s still a segment of the population who are apprehensive, who are on the fence, and that’s why this event is going to be critical.”
For some people, grief is complicated by attitudes about the virus among family and friends.
SYRACUSE, NY (WRVO) – When Corey Fram looks out of his window at work he sees both the American and Canadian flags flying high. “It’s on my property in the United States, but we carry two flags here, a lot of places and that means something to us,” said Fram, the director of the Thousand Islands International Tourism Council. The US-Canadian border remains closed until June 21, when it will be readdressed. Fram said the lack of communication between the two countries throughout the pandemic has really hurt border towns within the Thousand Islands. “There just seems to be no international discussion between the United States on what easing these border restrictions are going to look like,” he said.
Younger people were cleared for the COVID-19 vaccine later than older people, and they are getting vaccinated at much lower rates.
From state parks to independently owned, campgrounds across New York State are seeing record numbers of advance reservations.
Members of the state’s ethics commission pressed Tuesday for a subpoena to look into a controversy over Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s hiring of a former aide as a “volunteer” COVID-19 vaccine czar.
There’s a silver lining to all those empty storefronts in New York City: Some business owners are snagging prime Manhattan locations ahead of the Great Reopening.
The largest U.S. school district will reopen this fall with no option for virtual classes. Chancellor Meisha Porter says 70,000 employees have already been vaccinated, “and we need our children back.”
The coronavirus pandemic has robbed many people of sleep. A specific behavior therapy that has a record of success may help those who are suffering from insomnia.
“Trying to get ten toddlers to keep a mask on is a feat that’s impossible. It’s very, very difficult. We can barely get them to keep their shoes on, let alone a mask on their face.”
“Our goal should be focused on getting the vaccine to those who want it, but not punish those who have made a personal choice.”
78% of New Yorkers want the option, implemented during the pandemic, to be made permanent in New York.
Meanwhile, Republicans in the state legislature say they want lawmakers to rescind a new mask mandate imposed by Cuomo on young children at day care centers.
Governor Cuomo also announced that more than 1 million Excelsior Passes have been issued since New York began the program in March.
Providers’ groups say many long term care homes are on the brink of closure.
“I was running COVID response for this state, so I didn’t want to get COVID, and precautions were taken.”
“My resting heart rate used to be in the upper 50s, low 60s. Just last night, I’m sitting around doing nothing, it’s 115.”
The top prize is $5 million dollars, but the Governor says there are also lesser prizes, with a one in nine chance of winning.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins are easing capacity limits in the Assembly and Senate chambers, but masks will still be required during session.
“I think there is an obvious desire to get back to normal, and get their youth and lives back that they so dearly miss.”
Of the initial payment for his new book, nearly half was taken out in expenses and taxes, and the rest was donated to the United Way of New York and placed in a trust for his three daughters.
The governor says it’s still OK to continue to wear a mask, if you feel more comfortable doing so.
Since March 2020, the border has been closed to all “non-essential” traffic, and the shutdown has been extended on a monthly basis since then. Currently, the closure remains in effect through Friday, May 21.
Connecticut and Pennsylvania promptly lifted their outdoor mask mandates. New Jersey, and Massachusetts, like New York, are waiting a little longer.
The law would require doctors to let parents set their children’s immunization schedules.
The Governor also announced that beaches and pools will operate with 6′ social distancing, with the goal to reopen them to 100% capacity by July 4.
“Even if a younger person tends to be less affected by COVID, they can transmit COVID just as easily as anyone. So, we have to change the mindset.”
“You go to a SUNY school, State University of New York, City University of New York, you must have a vaccine to come back in September. If you must have a vaccine, get it now, if you have to get it anyway.”
If 100% of a firm’s traders are fully vaccinated, they can start sending more to the stock exchange floor. They can eat lunch in their booths again. Masks will be optional in some parts of the floor.
“We really feel that our population of loved ones is just being completely disregarded.”
“Many of these disasters, while often short-lived, have long and complex recovery periods lasting weeks, months, and in some cases, years or decades.”
“It is not a cost saving mechanism to put your employees and customers at risk of death.”
Fans who are unvaccinated will have to sit in a separate, socially distanced section with a maximum capacity of 33%.
The Jays, unable to play in Toronto’s Rogers Centre and unsuccessful in attempts to use another major league ballpark, played a majority of their home games in Sahlen Field last summer.
The legislation would apply to both residential and commercial tenants who file a hardship declaration form with their landlord.
Union members called on House Health Committee Chair Kathy Rapp to consider their proposal.
The governor said everything can’t be reopened all at once — it’s not like flipping a “light switch,” he said — and some restrictions will remain for now.
“As we set our sights on the fall semester and reopening our campuses, we hope to be able to lift many more COVID-related restrictions in the weeks and months to come.”
“This does not kneecap the governor such that the governor isn’t able to operate as an executive.”
“It shouldn’t take lawsuits and court hearings for our struggling restaurants to be heard.”
The state says it will not renew its contract with the agency after the incident.
The governor says New York City and the rest of the state could open up sooner than July.
Restaurant industry groups hailed the end of what they called a “burdensome mandate” that further harmed businesses financially devastated by the pandemic.
“We’ve seen people who haven’t been able to work for an extended period of time.”
“You don’t have to call; you don’t have to make an appointment.”
Organizations meet new needs of people they have already built trust with.