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COVID-19: Uncertainty Abounds After NY Supreme Court Strikes Down Mask Mandate COVID-19: Uncertainty Abounds After NY Supreme Court Strikes Down Mask Mandate
Covid-19: Uncertainty Abounds After NY Supreme Court Strikes Down Mask Mandate A Supreme Court justice on Long Island struck down the statewide mask mandate in New York, causing mass confusion and prompting a fight from Gov. Kathy Hochul and her administration. In Nassau County, Justice Thomas Rademaker ruled that Hochul’s office had overstepped its authority with its December mask mandate that was issued through then-acting Health Commissioner Mary T. Bassett. Instead, the judge said that it was not up to the Department of Health to approve the mandate, it instead should go through the Legislature, where it is potentially less likely to pass. Rademaker said that the…

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by Zak Failla
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'Widespread' Flu Activity Now Reported In New York: Here Are Counties Most Affected 'Widespread' Flu Activity Now Reported In New York: Here Are Counties Most Affected
'Widespread' Flu Activity Now Reported In New York: Here Are Counties Most Affected With all eyes concentrating on the ongoing COVID-19 crisis with the Omicron variant raging, flu season has quickly and quietly snuck up on New Yorkers, where flu is still being categorized as "widespread." In the latest update from the Department of Health, New York recorded 5,075 cases of influenza out of nearly 100,000 tests that were conducted, marking the “seventh consecutive week that widespread activity has been reported following one week of regional activity.” The latest data represents an 18-percent decrease from the previous update from the New York State Department of Health. A…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: New State Guidance Issued For After-School Activities COVID-19: New State Guidance Issued For After-School Activities
Covid-19: New State Guidance Issued For After-School Activities Some students, teachers, and staff members will be restricted from participating in after-school activities in New York after the Department of Health revised its COVID-19 guidance. The Department of Health said that any students 12 and older who are eligible for the COVID-19 booster shot, but have not received it, will be barred from participating in sports, extracurriculars, and other after-school activities if they are exposed to the virus. Fully vaccinated students, teachers, and school staffers who are exposed will still be permitted to continue attending classes, regardless of the sta…

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by Zak Failla
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COVID-19: Hudson Valley Seeing Trend Of Less Positive Cases, Lower Infection Rates COVID-19: Hudson Valley Seeing Trend Of Less Positive Cases, Lower Infection Rates
Covid-19: Hudson Valley Seeing Trend Of Less Positive Cases, Lower Infection Rates The Hudson Valley has seen relief from the post-holiday surge of new COVID-19 infections as the positivity rate of those being tested for the virus dipped closer to 20 percent. For three straight days, the seven-day average percentage of positive test results in the Hudson Valley dipped from 22.59 percent on Sunday, Jan. 9, to 21.96 the following day, and down to 21.09 percent on Tuesday, Jan. 11, still among the highest in the state. Statewide, the positivity rate is also on the decline, to 20.22 percent on Jan. 11, as most of the state's 10 regions have seen COVID-19 either plateauing or …

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by Zak Failla
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COVID-19: NY Rolls Back Contact Tracing Requirements For Local Health Departments COVID-19: NY Rolls Back Contact Tracing Requirements For Local Health Departments
Covid-19: NY Rolls Back Contact Tracing Requirements For Local Health Departments New York State will no longer require local health departments to perform contact tracing of positive COVID-19 cases amid the rise of the Omicron variant that has been rapidly spreading in record numbers. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and acting Department of Health Commissioner Mary Bassett announced on Tuesday, Jan. 11 that with the recent unprecedented rise of new infections, it has become impractical for officials to allocate resources toward contact tracing. Previously, New Yorkers who tested positive for COVID-19 were contacted by state or local health officials who questioned them about…

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by Zak Failla
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COVID-19: Dozens Of NY Hospitals Halt Elective Surgeries COVID-19: Dozens Of NY Hospitals Halt Elective Surgeries
Covid-19: Dozens Of NY Hospitals Halt Elective Surgeries New York State officials have ordered dozens of hospitals experiencing lower bed capacity to temporarily halt elective surgeries in an effort to free up space amid the winter surge in COVID-19 cases. The state Department of Health ordered 40 hospitals to stop surgeries that aren't essential or urgent for at least two weeks, according to ABC 7. Most of the facilities are located in the western and central regions of the state, and the complete list of hospitals can be viewed here. The news comes as cases continue to increase across New York. In a daily update posted on Saturday, Jan. …

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by Nicole Valinote
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COVID-19: Hudson Valley Positive-Test Rate Nears 22 Percent; Here Are Counties Most Affected COVID-19: Hudson Valley Positive-Test Rate Nears 22 Percent; Here Are Counties Most Affected
Covid-19: Hudson Valley Positive-Test Rate Nears 22 Percent; Here Are Counties Most Affected Alarm bells are sounding loudly in the Hudson Valley as the positive infection rate continues climbing as the region contends with the Omicron COVID-19 variant. In the past three days, the seven-day average percentage of positive tests in the Hudson Valley has risen from 20.79 percent of those tested on Saturday, Jan. 1 up to 21.91 percent as of Monday, Jan. 3. Statewide, the positivity rate is also spiking, up from. 20.87 percent to 21.81 percent as of Jan. 3. No region in New York has a positivity rate below 13 percent as the number of newly recorded infections continues to surge. …

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by Zak Failla
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COVID-19: Hudson Valley Infection Rate Nears 21.5 Percent; These Are Most-Affected Counties COVID-19: Hudson Valley Infection Rate Nears 21.5 Percent; These Are Most-Affected Counties
Covid-19: Hudson Valley Infection Rate Nears 21.5 Percent; These Are Most-Affected Counties The Hudson Valley continues to be among the hardest-hit regions in New York State by the Omicron COVID-19 variant as more than one in five people tested in have had confirmed positive cases of the virus.  The average seven-day positive COVID-19 infection rate in the Hudson Valley remains on the rise, climbing from 19.35 percent on Friday, Dec. 31 to 21.42 percent as of Sunday, Jan. 2, according to the latest update from the state Department of Health. Statewide, the infection rate also continues to rise, from 19.79 percent to 21.49 percent during the same time frame. No region in New …

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by Zak Failla
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COVID-19: Hudson Valley Infection Rate Soars 15 Percent; Here Are Counties Seeing Most Cases COVID-19: Hudson Valley Infection Rate Soars 15 Percent; Here Are Counties Seeing Most Cases
Covid-19: Hudson Valley Infection Rate Soars 15 Percent; Here Are Counties Seeing Most Cases After seeing low infection rates during the fall, the Hudson Valley has been slammed by the Omicron COVID-19 variant as the number of new cases mounts. Over the past three days, the positive COVID-19 infection rate of those tested in the Hudson Valley rose from 12.53 percent on Monday, Dec. 27, to 13.72 percent the following day, up to 15.39 percent on Wednesday, Dec. 29. Statewide, the infection rate also rose similarly, from 13.36 percent to 16.21 percent as of Dec. 29. Only two other regions - Long Island (18.78) New York City (16.90 percent) have rates above 13.50 percent. According t…

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by Zak Failla
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Warning For Severe Flu Season Issued By Health Officials; Here Are NY Counties Most Affected Warning For Severe Flu Season Issued By Health Officials; Here Are NY Counties Most Affected
Warning For Severe Flu Season Issued By Health Officials; Here Are NY Counties Most Affected With all eyes on the recent surge of COVID-19, health officials are cautioning about a potentially severe flu season as several outbreaks have cropped up across the country. As the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus is rapidly spreading, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an alert advising that the flu is back in full force after taking a back seat to the pandemic last winter. In the latest update from the Department of Health, New York recorded 9,023 cases of influenza out of more than 94,000 tests that were conducted, marking the “fifth week that widespread act…

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by Zak Failla
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COVID-19: Hudson Valley Infection Now Nears 7 Percent As Cases Increase COVID-19: Hudson Valley Infection Now Nears 7 Percent As Cases Increase
Covid-19: Hudson Valley Infection Now Nears 7 Percent As Cases Increase The Hudson Valley now has the lowest positive COVID-19 infection rate in New York, though it has been on the rise, much like the rest of the state.  In the past three days, the Hudson Valley has seen its seven-day average positive infection rate rise nearly a full percentage point, from 6.08 percent to 6.85 percent of those tested in the past three days, according to the latest update from the state Department of Health. Statewide, the infection rate also rose similarly, from 6.88 percent to 7.88 percent as of Monday, Dec. 20. No other region in the state has a positive infection rat…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: 11 New Cases Reported At School District In Area COVID-19: 11 New Cases Reported At School District In Area
Covid-19: 11 New Cases Reported At School District In Area With the holiday break fast approaching, an area school district is dealing with a new outbreak of COVID-19 cases among students and staff as New York contends with the winter surge of infections. In Rockland County, the South Orangetown Central School District issued an alert to the community advising that there were 11 newly confirmed COVID-19 infections reported within the district. The 11 cases were reported in these schools: South Orangetown Middle School: Four, which were reported between Tuesday, Dec. 14 and Friday, Dec. 17; William O. Schaefer Elementary School: Three, which were …

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by Zak Failla