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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
'Exhausted, Stressed': Hudson Valley Healthcare Workers To March For Better Conditions 'Exhausted, Stressed': Hudson Valley Healthcare Workers To March For Better Conditions
'Exhausted, Stressed': Hudson Valley Healthcare Workers To March For Better Conditions A group of Hudson Valley healthcare workers is asking for better conditions and the opportunity to negotiate a contract.  As part of their effort to improve circumstances at hospitals in both Dutchess and Putnam counties, a "Dignity March" will be held on Thursday, Dec. 1 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in Poughkeepsie starting at Vassar Brothers Hospital at 45 Reade Pl. and ending at the Mid-Hudson Bridge, according to the 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East union.  Those organizing the march said that poor working conditions at both Vassar Brothers Hospital and Putnam Hospi…

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by Ben Crnic
News
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
Politics
COVID-19: Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney Tests Positive COVID-19: Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney Tests Positive
Covid-19: Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney Tests Positive Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney announced he's infected with the COVID-19 virus. The 55-year-old Democrat said he tested positive on Tuesday, Jan. 11, and is experiencing minor symptoms.  Maloney represents New York's 18th congressional district, which includes Newburgh, Beacon, and Poughkeepsie, Putnam County, as well as parts of Northern Westchester. "While I am experiencing minor cold-like symptoms, I’m grateful to be fully vaccinated and boosted, which is protecting me from more severe illness," Maloney said in a statement.  He added that he is in isolation while recovering…

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by Nicole Valinote
Police & Fire
COVID-19: Omicron Surge Affecting Staffing Levels For Essential Workers COVID-19: Omicron Surge Affecting Staffing Levels For Essential Workers
Covid-19: Omicron Surge Affecting Staffing Levels For Essential Workers The spread of the more-transmissible Omicron COVID-19 variant is leading to staffing shortages for some essential employers who have been hit hardest by the winter surge of the virus. Essential employees have been forced to call out of work en masse in recent weeks due to positive Omicron infections that have led to staffing shortages for first responders, healthcare workers, supermarket workers, flight crews, and other key professions. The shortages have led to hundreds of canceled flights, closed restaurants, and short-staffed retail stores, leaving workers frustrated and fatigued af…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: New Research Reveals Percentage Of Cases That Occur Without Symptoms COVID-19: New Research Reveals Percentage Of Cases That Occur Without Symptoms
Covid-19: New Research Reveals Percentage Of Cases That Occur Without Symptoms Health officials have released a new study confirming that nearly half of all those who contract COVID-19 infections remain asymptomatic, confirming a long-held belief. New research found that more than 40 percent of those who tested positive for the virus have not shown symptoms, according to a new study published this week in JAMA Network Open. In the study, researchers examined nearly 100 studies between January 2020 and February 2021 of nearly 30 million people in Asia, Europe, North America, South America, and Africa. Of those millions, approximately 60 percent of confirmed COVID…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: NY Hospital To Stop Delivering Babies After Unvaccinated Employees Quit, Report Says COVID-19: NY Hospital To Stop Delivering Babies After Unvaccinated Employees Quit, Report Says
Covid-19: NY Hospital To Stop Delivering Babies After Unvaccinated Employees Quit, Report Says A hospital in upstate New York announced that it will have to stop delivering babies after a number of employees in the maternity department quit due to a COVID-19 vaccine requirement, according to a new report. The Watertown Daily Times reported that in the past week, six staff members in the maternity department at Lewis County General Hospital resigned, and seven more unvaccinated employees could join them. Chief Executive Officer Gerald Cayer said the number of resignations has left the Lewis County Health System no other choice but to pause the service at the hospital, the news ou…

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by Nicole Valinote
News
COVID-19: Here's Latest Hudson Valley Infection Rate, Rundown Of New Cases By County COVID-19: Here's Latest Hudson Valley Infection Rate, Rundown Of New Cases By County
Covid-19: Here's Latest Hudson Valley Infection Rate, Rundown Of New Cases By County A new COVID-19-related death was reported in the Hudson Valley as the region's positive infection rate dipped slightly for the first time in days, though new cases are still surging. According to the Department of Health, the average seven-day positive COVID-19 infection rate in the Hudson Valley dropped to 1.72 percent on Tuesday, July 27, down slightly from 1.74 percent the previous day.  The numbers been below 1 percent for most of the spring and early summer until the recent surge in cases. Statewide, the positive infection rate jumped from 1.97 percent on Monday, July 26 to 2.04 …

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: State Workers In NY, Hospital Employees To Be Required To Get Vaccinated COVID-19: State Workers In NY, Hospital Employees To Be Required To Get Vaccinated
Covid-19: State Workers In NY, Hospital Employees To Be Required To Get Vaccinated New York will require state workers to be vaccinated by Labor Day, or else face weekly testing for COVID-19 as the country faces off against variants of the virus, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced. During a briefing on Wednesday, July 28, Cuomo announced that state employees would be required to get the vaccine while encouraging local governments to take similar steps across New York, specifically citing areas with high COVID-19 rates. Cuomo said that all patient-facing health care workers at state hospitals will also be required to be vaccinated. “We want to make sure health care workers ar…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Here's The Progress Being Made In Vaccinating Hudson Valley Nursing Facilities COVID-19: Here's The Progress Being Made In Vaccinating Hudson Valley Nursing Facilities
Covid-19: Here's The Progress Being Made In Vaccinating Hudson Valley Nursing Facilities New York is making progress in working on its federal long term care facility COVID-19 vaccination program as it looks to get “needles in the arms” of all residents and employees as expeditiously as possible. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that as part of the state’s LTCF program administration, all nursing home residents have been offered the COVID-19 vaccine, with 72 percent accepting the vaccine as of Thursday, Jan. 28. Cuomo said that the plan includes skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, continuing care communities, low-income housing for seniors, care facilities for those w…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: New York Sees Number Of Vaccinations Administered Triple COVID-19: New York Sees Number Of Vaccinations Administered Triple
Covid-19: New York Sees Number Of Vaccinations Administered Triple The number of COVID-19 vaccinations being administered across New York has nearly tripled this week after a slow initial roll out over the first month the vaccine was available. This past week, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo expressed frustration that some hospitals had been slow to begin administering the vaccine to healthcare workers, employees, and residents in nursing homes. In the first three weeks the vaccine was made available, New York hospitals used less than half of their allotment of initial doses, with 10,809 vaccines being administered daily. Related story - COVID-19: NY Set…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Here Are Number Of Sites Enrolled To Administer Vaccine In Hudson Valley COVID-19: Here Are Number Of Sites Enrolled To Administer Vaccine In Hudson Valley
Covid-19: Here Are Number Of Sites Enrolled To Administer Vaccine In Hudson Valley More than 100 COVID-19 vaccination sites have already been set up in the Hudson Valley, with hundreds more expected to be activated in the region as New York prepares to roll out the vaccine for the general public. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that there are currently 105 vaccination sites active on Long Island, with a total of 713 expected by the time the vaccine is ready for wide dissemination. To date, 3,762 providers have applied and been approved by the state to serve as vaccination sites with 636 locations are now activated and permitted to begin vaccinating eligible New Yorkers, w…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Cuomo Lays Out Plans For Phase II Of Vaccination COVID-19: Cuomo Lays Out Plans For Phase II Of Vaccination
Covid-19: Cuomo Lays Out Plans For Phase II Of Vaccination New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo laid out the state’s plans for the second phase of administering COVID-19 vaccines to essential workers and the general public most at-risk of catching the virus. This week, Phase I of the state’s vaccination plan began, as the first frontline healthcare worker in Queens was given New York’s first dose, with other allocations shipped to hospitals across the state. Earlier story - COVID-19: First NY Vaccine Administered To Critical Care Nurse Phase I of the plan, as dictated by the state, is earmarked for healthcare workers, nursing home residents, and employ…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Indoor Dining To Close In NYC, Possibly Other Areas; New Rules For Gyms, Salons In NY COVID-19: Indoor Dining To Close In NYC, Possibly Other Areas; New Rules For Gyms, Salons In NY
Covid-19: Indoor Dining To Close In NYC, Possibly Other Areas; New Rules For Gyms, Salons In NY The New York State Department of Health and Gov. Andrew Cuomo have made some revisions to guidance for certain businesses as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations keep increasing. With hospitalizations up to 5,159, the highest since mid-May, and the positivity rate statewide rapidly climbing, Cuomo announced on Friday, Dec. 11 that some businesses will be rolled back to help curtail the spread of the virus. As of Monday, Dec. 14, indoor dining in New York City will be closed, though outdoor dining and takeout will still be permitted.  Cuomo also said that health officials are evaluating…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Healthcare Workers Not Showing Higher Rate Of Infection Than Public, Data Shows COVID-19: Healthcare Workers Not Showing Higher Rate Of Infection Than Public, Data Shows
Covid-19: Healthcare Workers Not Showing Higher Rate Of Infection Than Public, Data Shows Frontline healthcare workers in downstate New York are not being infected by novel coronavirus (COVID-19) at a higher rate than the general public, according to new data. State officials tested more than 27,000 healthcare workers in 25 downstate hospitals to see how many workers had the antibodies indicating that they had tested positive for COVID-19 and then compared those numbers to the data from the general public. The survey found that 6.8 percent of Westchester healthcare workers tested positive for the antibodies, compared to 13.8 percent of the general population. On Long Island, 11.…

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by Zak Failla
Business
COVID-19: BJ's Offers Special Shopping Hours For First Responders, Medical Workers COVID-19: BJ's Offers Special Shopping Hours For First Responders, Medical Workers
Covid-19: BJ's Offers Special Shopping Hours For First Responders, Medical Workers BJ’s Wholesale Club is paying it forward to the essential workers on the frontlines battling the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The wholesale giant is showing its appreciation for first responders and healthcare workers by providing a free four-month Inner Circle membership to the warehouse club, including a special “appreciation hour” on Sundays. From 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Sundays, BJ’s will have an “appreciation hour” when those workers can shop at BJ’s outlets without any membership, as of Sunday, April 19. First responders and healthcare workers can sign up for their complimenta…

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by Zak Failla
Business
COVID-19: Northwell Front-Line Workers Will Get $2.5K Bonus, One Week Of Paid Time Off COVID-19: Northwell Front-Line Workers Will Get $2.5K Bonus, One Week Of Paid Time Off
Covid-19: Northwell Front-Line Workers Will Get $2.5K Bonus, One Week Of Paid Time Off New York’s largest hospital system will be rewarding its employees on the front line battling the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak with bonuses and time off. Northwell Health announced that it will be awarding employees a lump-sum payment of up to $2,500 and a week of paid time off that can be used during their time working for the company. “Our dedicated staff’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been nothing short of heroic. Thanks to the courage and commitment of our front-line caregivers, we answered the call-in service to the patients and communities who entrust us with their c…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: State Launches 'I Stay Home For' Campaign, Using Celebrities, Social Media COVID-19: State Launches 'I Stay Home For' Campaign, Using Celebrities, Social Media
Covid-19: State Launches 'I Stay Home For' Campaign, Using Celebrities, Social Media New York State has launched a campaign to encourage residents to stay home and help combat the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Wednesday, April 8 that the state was launching the “I Stay Home For” social media campaign, which is designed to encourage New Yorkers to stay at home and practice proper social distance protocols. “This is about who you are staying home for. This is not about staying home for yourself,” Cuomo said. “You stay at home for others, for the vulnerable people, who if they get this, they are in a very scary state. You’re doing it fo…

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by Zak Failla
Business
COVID-19: CDC Issues New Guidelines For Essential Workers COVID-19: CDC Issues New Guidelines For Essential Workers
Covid-19: CDC Issues New Guidelines For Essential Workers The federal government has provided new guidelines for essential employees battling novel coronavirus (COVID-19) that will make it easier for them to return to work after being exposed to the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced this week that essential workers who have been exposed to COVID-19 can go back to work if they are asymptomatic without having to wait out the originally mandated 14-day self-quarantine. Robert Redfield, the director of the CDC, said that employees such as healthcare and food supply workers will be permitted to return back to work under ce…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Wearing A Face Mask? Here Are Some Important Safety Steps To Remember COVID-19: Wearing A Face Mask? Here Are Some Important Safety Steps To Remember
Covid-19: Wearing A Face Mask? Here Are Some Important Safety Steps To Remember With protective face masks becoming a new safety statement amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control is offering advice to ensure they are used most effectively. The CDC recently changed its stance and said that those venturing into the community during the COVID-19 outbreak, after initially saying it was only key for healthcare workers. “CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, especially in areas of significant community-based transmission. 
“CDC a…

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by Zak Failla
Sports
COVID-19: Area HS Baseball Team Raises Money For Hospital Workers COVID-19: Area HS Baseball Team Raises Money For Hospital Workers
Covid-19: Area HS Baseball Team Raises Money For Hospital Workers A Hudson Valley high school baseball team has created a fundraising campaign to raise money for healthcare workers in the region on the front lines combating the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The John Jay High School baseball team in East Fishkill has launched a viral video alongside a GoFundMe fundraising campaign to raise money for the crews at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie who have been working around the clock. Varsity baseball coach Eric Frink said they are looking to raise at least $10,000, which would be used to provide supplies, food, and other necessary it…

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by Zak Failla
Business
COVID-19: Stop & Shop Donating 5,000 Meals Daily To Metro NY, Boston Hospitals COVID-19: Stop & Shop Donating 5,000 Meals Daily To Metro NY, Boston Hospitals
Covid-19: Stop & Shop Donating 5,000 Meals Daily To Metro NY, Boston Hospitals Stop & Shop is entering the fight against novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and will provide thousands of fresh meals to frontline healthcare workers in metro New York and Boston hospitals. The grocery store-giant announced this week that it plans to donate 5,000 meals daily to first responders at hospitals caring for COVID-19 patients. The donations were expected to start immediately as of Friday, April 3. In New York, meals will be provided to Mount Sinai Hospital in East Harlem, Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital in Oceanside, and Long Island Community Hospital in Suffolk County. “Medic…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: 253 New Deaths Reported In New York As Statewide Cases Hit 66,497 COVID-19: 253 New Deaths Reported In New York As Statewide Cases Hit 66,497
Covid-19: 253 New Deaths Reported In New York As Statewide Cases Hit 66,497 There has been 253 new novel coronavirus (COVID-19)-related deaths in New York as the number of confirmed cases climbed to 66,497 statewide. At his daily news briefing on Monday, March 30, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that there have now been 1,218 deaths in New York tied to COVID-19, with 9,517 currently hospitalized. Of those hospitalized, 2,325 are in the ICU. Since the outbreak began, 4,204 patients have been hospitalized and have been discharged. New York’s 66,497 COVID-19 cases remain the most in the nation, ahead of New Jersey (13,386 cases), California (6,266), Michigan (5,4…

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by Zak Failla
Business
COVID-19: Job Postings For Healthcare Workers, Cleaners Spike Amid Crisis COVID-19: Job Postings For Healthcare Workers, Cleaners Spike Amid Crisis
Covid-19: Job Postings For Healthcare Workers, Cleaners Spike Amid Crisis All hands are on deck as job postings for healthcare workers and cleaners have reportedly spiked amid the COVID-19 outbreak. With demands for doctors, nurses, mental health professionals and cleaning crews on the rise, there has been a 35 percent rise in job postings online, according to a report on LinkedIn.  Ads for cleaners have also risen 75 percent since the outbreak as companies clamor to assure customers and employees they are safe by sanitizing their premises. In a special edition of LinkedIn’s Workforce Report, it was determined that March’s healthcare job postings have peake…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19 'Milestone': Respiratory Therapist Extubates First Patient In Two Weeks COVID-19 'Milestone': Respiratory Therapist Extubates First Patient In Two Weeks
Covid-19 'Milestone': Respiratory Therapist Extubates First Patient In Two Weeks A photojournalist at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, New Jersey caught a respiratory therapist at just the right time. Jeff Rhode had minutes to spare while working his way from the 6th floor to the second, the ICU when he stumbled upon Brenda "taking a much-needed break" on Wednesday, March 25. The health care worker was on a phone call staring at the New York City skyline, Rhode said. "After a polite 'hello,' she told me: 'It's not a sunny day, but it is a great day,' with a smile," the photographer said. "The first patient since the craziness started two weeks ago had been extubat…

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by Cecilia Levine
Business
COVID-19: Metro-North To Cut Service With Ridership Falling To All-Time Low COVID-19: Metro-North To Cut Service With Ridership Falling To All-Time Low
Covid-19: Metro-North To Cut Service With Ridership Falling To All-Time Low With commuters staying home due to the novel coronavirus outbreak that’s gripping the nation, the MTA announced it will be cutting down its service amid historically low ridership numbers. Beginning on Friday, March 27, with the MTA reportedly losing weekly losses of more than $100 million with ridership down more than 90 percent, the organization has laid out a new “Essential Service Plan.” The plan calls for extra trains during peak commuting hours for first responders and health care workers, though the MTA will be cutting services throughout the rest of the day, MTA Chair Patrick Foye …

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
COVID-19: Distilleries In Litchfield, Fairfield County Shift To Making Hand Sanitizer COVID-19: Distilleries In Litchfield, Fairfield County Shift To Making Hand Sanitizer
Covid-19: Distilleries In Litchfield, Fairfield County Shift To Making Hand Sanitizer Help has arrived. Some Connecticut distilleries have traded spirits for hand sanitizer as they do their best to help stop the spread of novel coronavirus. SoNo 1420, which has locations throughout Fairfield County, and the Litchfield Distillery have become the latest to use their facilities to produce and distribute hand sanitizer amid the COVID-19 outbreak. According to SoNo, “our gins and vodkas are distilled from 100 percent gluten-free corn to create a 95 percent pure ethanol base,” the owners said. “We are now using this base to make a hand sanitizer using a formulation recommended by…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Personal Protective Equipment Needed For Frontline Workers, NY Nurses Union Says COVID-19: Personal Protective Equipment Needed For Frontline Workers, NY Nurses Union Says
Covid-19: Personal Protective Equipment Needed For Frontline Workers, NY Nurses Union Says As the number of novel coronavirus cases increases across the state, the New York Nurses Union says there is a great need for protective gear for frontline workers. In a statement issued on Tuesday, March 17, the union said that as the focus is on creating additional hospital beds and the associated medical equipment, frontline workers such as doctors and nurses, as well as first responders are in need of the correct protective equipment. The main concern is if health care workers are exposed unnecessarily, they will have to be isolated or quarantined or will themselves become ill. The uni…

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by Kathy Reakes