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Flu Cases Up, Now Deemed 'Prevalent' By NY Health Officials Flu Cases Up, Now Deemed 'Prevalent' By NY Health Officials
Flu Cases Up, Now Deemed 'Prevalent' By NY Health Officials If you haven’t gotten your flu shot this year, now’s the time to do so. New York State Health Commissioner James McDonald declared that influenza is “now prevalent” in the state on Wednesday, Dec. 6. The declaration requires healthcare workers who have not received this year’s flu vaccine to wear masks in places like hospitals, nursing homes, and hospices. "Health care personnel who are not vaccinated against the flu this season need to take extra precautions and wear a mask in health care facilities, as they are exposed to sick patients and come into close contact with those most vulnerab…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Polio Detected In NY Wastewater For First Time In Weeks Polio Detected In NY Wastewater For First Time In Weeks
Polio Detected In NY Wastewater For First Time In Weeks For the first time in weeks, polio has been detected in wastewater in New York. Testing done in December 2022 revealed two new positive samples in Orange County, the Department of Health announced Friday, Jan. 6. Related Report: NY Declares Polio State Of Emergency After Virus Found In Wastewater On Long Island Health officials said the samples are genetically linked to the case of paralytic polio that was identified in Rockland County in July 2022, which marked the first time the disease had been seen in the United States in nearly a decade. In our latest polio wastewater report, 2 …

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by Michael Mashburn
News
NY Nursing Home's $16M Fraud Scheme Led To 'Devastating' Resident Abuse, Neglect, AG Says NY Nursing Home's $16M Fraud Scheme Led To 'Devastating' Resident Abuse, Neglect, AG Says
NY Nursing Home's $16M Fraud Scheme Led To 'Devastating' Resident Abuse, Neglect, AG Says Sexual abuse, unexplained bruising, unanswered call bells, and humiliating missed trips to the bathroom. Those were just some of the horrors experienced by residents at a New York nursing home stemming from a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme, according to a lawsuit from Attorney General Letitia James. Related Report: East Meadow Nursing Home Employee Sexually Assaulted Resident, Boss Covered Up Crime, DA Says The suit, filed Tuesday, Dec. 13, alleges that the owners of Long Island’s Fulton Commons Care Center, located in East Meadow, exploited New York’s Medicaid program to enrich themsel…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
COVID-19: Capital Region Woman Distributed Forged Vaccine Cards On Facebook, Police Say COVID-19: Capital Region Woman Distributed Forged Vaccine Cards On Facebook, Police Say
Covid-19: Capital Region Woman Distributed Forged Vaccine Cards On Facebook, Police Say A New York woman is facing charges after allegedly distributing phony COVID-19 vaccine cards on social media, authorities said. Albany County resident Krystal Barton, age 36, of Cohoes, was arrested following an investigation by New York State Police. Troopers were first contacted on Tuesday, Oct. 25, with a report from the state Department of Health about forged vaccine record cards that were being distributed via Facebook. Investigators determined that Barton had provided a forged COVID-19 vaccine card to a healthcare facility in Albany in order to meet employment requirements, according…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Flu Season is Already Widespread Across New York, Health Department Says Flu Season is Already Widespread Across New York, Health Department Says
Flu Season is Already Widespread Across New York, Health Department Says As cooler weather has moved in across New York state, cases of flu have already become widespread. State health officials say the pesky, and sometimes deadly, virus is rapidly ramping up with 44 counties reporting flu cases in the first weeks of October. Statewide, 596 cases of the flu have been confirmed, compared to only 150 in the same time period a year ago. The regions reporting the highest number of cases include the New York City area, the Capital Region, and central New York with 57 percent of the confirmed flu cases being reported in those regions, the state Department of Hea…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
4 Polio Samples Confirmed In New County In Region 4 Polio Samples Confirmed In New County In Region
4 Polio Samples Confirmed In New County In Region New York health officials have found polio in more wastewater samples, indicating that the virus is likely spreading. The state health department said analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the presence of polio in four samples that were collected in Sullivan County. Two of the samples were collected in July and the rest were collected in August, officials said. Earlier Report: Polio Virus Identified In Wastewater Samples Taken In Two Locations In Orange County Polio has already been found in 43 samples in Orange and Rockland counties, as well as New Y…

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
COVID-19: 'No More Quarantining,' Hochul Says, Outlining New Guidelines For NY Schools COVID-19: 'No More Quarantining,' Hochul Says, Outlining New Guidelines For NY Schools
Covid-19: 'No More Quarantining,' Hochul Says, Outlining New Guidelines For NY Schools Schools across New York State will ease their COVID-19 restrictions this fall to be more in line with federal guidelines, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced. During a public health briefing in New York City Monday, Aug. 22, Hochul said the state health department will advise school districts to enact new measures that are meant to keep kids in the classroom. Earlier Report: COVID-19: CDC Announces Sweeping New Guidance, Including For Schools, Quarantines That includes ending the “test to stay” policy, which previously required that students who had close contact with COVID-19 show a negative tes…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Hudson Valley Polio Case May Be 'Tip Of Iceberg,' State Health Commissioner Warns Hudson Valley Polio Case May Be 'Tip Of Iceberg,' State Health Commissioner Warns
Hudson Valley Polio Case May Be 'Tip Of Iceberg,' State Health Commissioner Warns A polio case identified in New York may be the "tip of the iceberg," the state's health commissioner is now saying. Dr. Mary T. Bassett issued the warning after officials said wastewater samples had detected the virus in Orange County shortly after officials confirmed a case in neighboring Rockland County in late July, the first time the disease has been seen in the United States in nearly a decade. "Based on earlier polio outbreaks, New Yorkers should know that for every one case of paralytic polio observed, there may be hundreds of other people infected," Bassett said in a statement.…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Polio Found In Wastewater In NY, Health Dept. Urges Vaccinations Polio Found In Wastewater In NY, Health Dept. Urges Vaccinations
Polio Found In Wastewater In NY, Health Dept. Urges Vaccinations Health officials in New York are urging residents to get vaccinated against polio if they have not yet done so. In an update Monday, Aug.1 the Department of Health said testing done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had confirmed that the polio virus was detected in wastewater samples in Rockland County in June. Earlier Report: First Polio Case In US In Nearly A Decade Reported In Rockland County “These findings underscore the critical importance of vaccination to protect all New Yorkers and New York children against polio,” the department said in a statement. Monda…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
First Polio Case In US In Nearly A Decade Reported In NY First Polio Case In US In Nearly A Decade Reported In NY
First Polio Case In US In Nearly A Decade Reported In NY State health officials have confirmed a case of polio in New York, the first time the disease has been seen in the United States in nearly a decade. The case was confirmed in Rockland County, the New York State Department of Health announced Thursday, July 21. State and county health officials said they were advising medical practitioners and healthcare providers to be on the lookout for additional cases. Today NYSDOH notified NYers of a case of polio in Rockland County, identified through sequencing at Wadsworth, confirmed by @CDCgov. Working with @rockhealth & @nychealthy, we wil…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
First Case Of Monkeypox Confirmed In Capital District First Case Of Monkeypox Confirmed In Capital District
First Case Of Monkeypox Confirmed In Capital District Authorities have confirmed the first case of monkeypox in the Capital District. The case was identified in Albany County by a person with a history of out-of-state travel, Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy announced Tuesday, July 19. The infected person is not believed to have contracted the disease in Albany County, McCoy said. Announcing today that Albany County's first case of #monkeypox has officially been identified. The infected person has a history of out of state travel & is not believed to have contracted this in Albany County.#MonkeypoxVirus #MonkeyPox2022 (1/3)https:/…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
COVID-19: CDC Now Recommends Wearing Masks Indoors In These 40-Plus NY Counties COVID-19: CDC Now Recommends Wearing Masks Indoors In These 40-Plus NY Counties
Covid-19: CDC Now Recommends Wearing Masks Indoors In These 40-Plus NY Counties Most New Yorkers are being advised by federal health officials to start masking up due to the most recent surge of fresh COVID-19 infections that have been plaguing all 10 of the state's regions. With the positivity rate in New York topping 10 percent, according to the most recent update from the Department of Health, and with cases on the rise, most counties in the state have been advised to return to masking up while in indoor settings under guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Earlier this year, the CDC updated its guidance on mask-wearing to concentrate on…

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
New York State To Provide Resources For Families Amid Baby Formula Shortage New York State To Provide Resources For Families Amid Baby Formula Shortage
New York State To Provide Resources For Families Amid Baby Formula Shortage Many New Yorkers got an unexpected alert on their cellphones as state officials seek to assist families struggling amid the nationwide baby formula shortage. On Friday, May 13, anyone who downloaded the NY State Excelsior Pass during the COVID-19 pandemic to prove their vaccination status received an alert advising that the state is prepared to provide resources to families. Original story - Parents, Retailers Deal With National Baby Formula Shortage According to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, since the recall of certain powdered infant formula products in February, the US Food and Drug A…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Capital District Sees New Increases In Infection Rate, Cases: Latest Breakdown COVID-19: Capital District Sees New Increases In Infection Rate, Cases: Latest Breakdown
Covid-19: Capital District Sees New Increases In Infection Rate, Cases: Latest Breakdown The positive COVID-19 infection rate in the Capital District continues to rise and remains among the highest in New York, according to the latest update from the state Department of Health. In the region, over the past three days, the seven-day average percent of positive tests in the Capital Region rose from 11.75 percent as recently as Saturday, May 7 before rising to 12.42 percent of those tested on Monday, May 9. Statewide, however, the average infection rate is on the decline, dipping from 7.23 percent on May 7 to 7.03 percent over the same time span. Twenty-one new COVID-19-related d…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Capital Region Sees New Increases In Cases, Infection Rate; New Breakdown By County COVID-19: Capital Region Sees New Increases In Cases, Infection Rate; New Breakdown By County
Covid-19: Capital Region Sees New Increases In Cases, Infection Rate; New Breakdown By County The positive COVID-19 infection rate in the Capital Region continues to rise, and is now among the highest of New York's 10 regions. In the Capital District, the seven-day average percent of positive COVID-19 tests rose from 11.79 percent on Sunday, April 24 up to 12.46 percent of those tested on Tuesday, April 26, according to the latest update from the state Department of Health. Statewide, the average infection rate is also on the rise, up to 7.09 percent after staying below 2 percent for several weeks earlier this year. Nineteen new COVID-19-related deaths were reported in New York in …

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: 'Rising Tide' Of NY Cases Sparking Concern, Hochul Says COVID-19: 'Rising Tide' Of NY Cases Sparking Concern, Hochul Says
Covid-19: 'Rising Tide' Of NY Cases Sparking Concern, Hochul Says Some alarm bells are sounding for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul as new COVID-19 sub-variants have been spreading around parts of the state, causing concern as the number of new infections continues to rise. Hochul said that state health officials have identified two mutated strains of the high-transmissible Omicron variant that are the main culprit behind the “rising tide” of new cases of the virus in New York. The governor noted that health experts have found no evidence that the newly emerging strains of the virus are more severe than others, just more easily transferred. According to the D…

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by Zak Failla