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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
Schools
COVID-19: Long Island School Goes Remote Due To High Number Of Cases COVID-19: Long Island School Goes Remote Due To High Number Of Cases
Covid-19: Long Island School Goes Remote Due To High Number Of Cases With the number of COVID-19 cases mounting among students and staff, a Long Island high school is going remote for the rest of the year to help curtail the spread of the virus. The East Rockaway Junior-Senior High School transitioned to its distance learning model as of Wednesday, Dec. 15 after confirming 20 more cases in students and three in staff members. With the newly confirmed cases, there are now approximately 100 students in quarantine, representing nearly 25 percent of the entire school population. According to district officials, through contact tracing, it was determined that mo…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Outbreak Linked To Off-Campus Events Causes Closure Of Long Island High School COVID-19: Outbreak Linked To Off-Campus Events Causes Closure Of Long Island High School
Covid-19: Outbreak Linked To Off-Campus Events Causes Closure Of Long Island High School An outbreak of COVID-19 cases linked to off-campus events has caused the closure of a high school on Long Island. In a letter to the school community, Miller Place Union Free School District Superintendent Dr. Marianne F. Cartisano said three positive COVID cases were contact traced on Monday, March 8, resulting in 18 additional students being quarantined as close contacts. On Tuesday, March 9, another four students tested positive, with at least another three symptomatic students who are pending test results.  "We expect these new seven cases will identify ap…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: Long Island Building Inspector Who Visited Homes Tests Positive COVID-19: Long Island Building Inspector Who Visited Homes Tests Positive
Covid-19: Long Island Building Inspector Who Visited Homes Tests Positive A building inspector working for a Long Island town who visited various residential projects has contracted COVID-19, officials announced. The Town of Huntington’s Department of Building and Engineering was closed on Wednesday, March 3 for a thorough cleaning and disinfecting following the confirmation that a building inspector tested positive for the virus. Officials said that the employee was tested on Tuesday, March 2, with the results coming back on Wednesday morning. The employee had no interaction with other town staff members, but officials cautioned that he had been in the field in…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: CDC Releases New Guidance, Strategies For Reopening Schools COVID-19: CDC Releases New Guidance, Strategies For Reopening Schools
Covid-19: CDC Releases New Guidance, Strategies For Reopening Schools The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is encouraging schools and school districts to reopen safely and has just released new guidance for doing just that. On Friday, Feb. 12, the CDC unveiled the new science-based plan. “It is critical for schools to open as safely and as soon as possible, and remain open, to achieve the benefits of in-person learning and key support services,” health officials said. “To enable schools to open safely and remain open, it is important to adopt and consistently implement actions to slow the spread of COVID in schools and in the community.” The…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Long Island Sees 1,900-Plus New Cases; Latest County Totals COVID-19: Long Island Sees 1,900-Plus New Cases; Latest County Totals
Covid-19: Long Island Sees 1,900-Plus New Cases; Latest County Totals Long Island saw more than 1,900 new cases of COVID-19 and an increase in the positive-test rate, according to new data released by the New York State Department of Health on Sunday, Dec. 13. There were 1,086 new cases confirmed in Suffolk County on Friday with another 839 in Nassau County. Here are positive testing rates for the last four days on Long Island: Wednesday, Dec. 9: 5.71 percent Thursday, Dec. 10: 5.65 percent Friday, Dec. 11: 5.58 percent Saturday, Dec. 12: 5.62 percent There were 106 deaths due to COVID-19 in New York State on Saturday, with eight on Long Island (five …

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by Joe Lombardi
Schools
COVID-19: New Cases Confirmed In These Long Island School Districts COVID-19: New Cases Confirmed In These Long Island School Districts
Covid-19: New Cases Confirmed In These Long Island School Districts Students and staffers within a pair of Long Island school districts have tested positive for COVID-19, forcing officials to make some adjustments on the fly. School officials said that two students and several staff members at Berner Middle School in Massapequa have tested positive, with at least another additional confirmed case at the Birch Lane Elementary School. The district said the closures were "out of an abundance of caution" and Iconis said that in the case of Berner, district officials are attempting to determine "if other students and or staff members are involved." In Suffolk C…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: Long Island High School Goes Remote After New Cases COVID-19: Long Island High School Goes Remote After New Cases
Covid-19: Long Island High School Goes Remote After New Cases A Long Island high school has switched to remote learning due to new cases of COVID-19. Babylon Junior-Senior High School has pivoted to full remote instruction for Thursday, Nov. 19, and Friday, Nov. 20.  Babylon Union Free School District Superintendent Linda Rozzi said that after two more positive cases of COVID were identified. Rozzi said a return to in-person instruction on Monday, Nov. 23 is anticipated, but further updates will be forthcoming. "This brings the school’s total to eight active cases, while also quarantining over 26 staff members and many more stude…

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by Joe Lombardi
Schools
COVID-19: Staff Members At Long Island Middle School Test Positive COVID-19: Staff Members At Long Island Middle School Test Positive
Covid-19: Staff Members At Long Island Middle School Test Positive A middle school on Long Island has transitioned to its distance learning model for the rest of the month after new positive COVID-19 cases were confirmed in staff members. The East Islip School District announced on Thursday, Nov. 12 that it would be switching to remote instruction until at least Tuesday, Dec. 1 due to seven confirmed COVID-19 cases among the staff. District officials said that the information has been provided to the Suffolk County Department of Health, which has started contact tracing and notifying anyone who may have been exposed to the virus. No other schools were imp…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
COVID-19: New Outbreak Linked To Long Island Polling Site COVID-19: New Outbreak Linked To Long Island Polling Site
Covid-19: New Outbreak Linked To Long Island Polling Site A new COVID-19 outbreak has been linked to an early voting site on Long Island, officials said. Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone announced this week that at least 10 COVID-19 cases have been identified in relation to an early polling site at Stony Brook University's location in Southampton. Of the confirmed cases, six of the 10 people worked at the polling site. Each of the infected people is in isolation, and contact tracing led to 48 people entering quarantine who may have been exposed, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said. Suffolk County has not been below a 1 percent pos…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: Long Island HS Closes, 136 Under Quarantine, After Positive Cases COVID-19: Long Island HS Closes, 136 Under Quarantine, After Positive Cases
Covid-19: Long Island HS Closes, 136 Under Quarantine, After Positive Cases A Long Island high school transitioned to remote learning for the second straight day as more than 100 students were placed under quarantine due to newly reported positive COVID-19 cases. Shoreham-Wading River High School announced that it was closed for in-person learning on Friday, Oct. 30 following two new cases that were reported late on Thursday, Oct. 29. The school was also closed on Thursday to allow for contact tracing, which led to 125 students and 11 staff members being quarantined due to potential exposure to the new cases, school officials said. It is unclear if the school will…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: Two Teachers Test Positive At LI School District Closed For In-Person Learning COVID-19: Two Teachers Test Positive At LI School District Closed For In-Person Learning
Covid-19: Two Teachers Test Positive At LI School District Closed For In-Person Learning More teachers in a Long Island school district that already moved to in-person learning due to confirmed COVID-19 cases have tested positive for the virus. There have been multiple COVID-19 cases reported in the Riverhead Central School District, which forced the quarantine of dozens, including many transportation employees, leaving the district with a shortage of drivers. Districtwide, there have been a total of seven confirmed cases of the virus - three in students, four in staffers - according to the New York State’s COVID-19 “Report Card.” In response, interim Schools Superintendent C…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: Outbreak Leads To Closure Of School District On Long Island COVID-19: Outbreak Leads To Closure Of School District On Long Island
Covid-19: Outbreak Leads To Closure Of School District On Long Island An outbreak of COVID-19 cases has led to the closure of a Long Island school district. Many of the cases are in the transportation department, and "significantly affected our district's ability to operate," Long Beach Public Schools Superintendent Jennifer Gallagher said in a statement. As a result, all Long Beach schools will be closed for in-person instruction from Thursday, Oct. 29 until Thursday, Nov. 12. "All students will receive full instruction remotely during that time, including all special education services," Gallagher said. "During this time, we will also not be…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: Six New Positive Cases Reported At Long Island School Districts COVID-19: Six New Positive Cases Reported At Long Island School Districts
Covid-19: Six New Positive Cases Reported At Long Island School Districts A pair of Long Island school districts are on high alert after new positive COVID-19 cases were confirmed in students and staff members. This week, the Connetquot School District reported one student at Oakdale Bohemia Middle School and a staff member at Sycamore Elementary School tested positive for COVID-19. In Nassau County, there were three new cases confirmed at Schreiber High School in the Port Washington School District, prompting a temporary closure of the building to allow for contact tracing and disinfecting. An individual at Guggenheim Elementary School also tested positive f…

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by Zak Failla
Business
COVID-19: Long Island Business Fined After Hosting Party Leading To Cluster Of Cases COVID-19: Long Island Business Fined After Hosting Party Leading To Cluster Of Cases
Covid-19: Long Island Business Fined After Hosting Party Leading To Cluster Of Cases A Long Island venue was fined thousands of dollars after hosting a party in violation of the state’s COVID-19 restrictions that led to dozens contracting the virus. On Friday, Sept. 25, the Miller Place Inn hosted a Sweet 16 party with 81 guests, exceeding the state’s mandate of no more than 50 people gathering indoors at any given time. Of the 81 guests - 49 students and 32 adults - 37 positive cases - 28 students and nine adults - contracted COVID-19, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said. The Suffolk County Department of Health conducted contact tracing, which led them to 334 peop…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Iona College Goes Remote After Outbreak Of 60 New Cases COVID-19: Iona College Goes Remote After Outbreak Of 60 New Cases
Covid-19: Iona College Goes Remote After Outbreak Of 60 New Cases There has been an outbreak of COVID-19 at Iona College that has been to a single event. New Rochelle officials warned that there have been more than 60 confirmed COVID-19 cases, confined to the student body, with no indication of a spread to the community. In response, Iona has been working with Westchester County and the state to contact trace and quarantine the affected students.  The college is also transitioning to remote learning for at least two weeks amid the outbreak. “Late last week, Iona’s surveillance testing identified an uptick in positive COVID-19 cases among certain at…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Most New Long Island Cases Linked To Large Gatherings COVID-19: Most New Long Island Cases Linked To Large Gatherings
Covid-19: Most New Long Island Cases Linked To Large Gatherings The recent uptick in positive COVID-19 cases on Long Island has been traced back to a rise in large gatherings, health officials said. There has been a rise in cases in some communities - largely in Nassau County - which have been linked back to some attending parties with upwards of 25 to 30 people who fail to socially distance themselves or wear facial coverings. Related story - COVID-19: Long Island HS Will Stay Closed Another Week After Cluster Linked To Party Health officials said that they’ve been busy contact tracing certain clusters, and found that many of those clusters could be t…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Long Island HS Will Stay Closed Another Week After Cluster Linked To Party COVID-19: Long Island HS Will Stay Closed Another Week After Cluster Linked To Party
Covid-19: Long Island HS Will Stay Closed Another Week After Cluster Linked To Party A Long Island high school will stick to remote learning for at least another week following a COVID-19 outbreak after students attended a Sweet 16 party last month. Sachem Schools Superintendent Christopher Pellettieri announced on Tuesday, Oct. 6 that Sachem High School North will remain closed for the week after more than a dozen confirmed COVID-19 cases that have been linked to an event held on the weekend of Friday, Sept. 25. In total, hundreds of students and dozens of staff members have been placed into a temporary quarantine as the district and health officials continue contact traci…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Student Tests Positive At Long Island School COVID-19: Student Tests Positive At Long Island School
Covid-19: Student Tests Positive At Long Island School A Long Island school district is reporting a positive COVID-19 case at one of its schools. The case involves a student at Wantagh Elementary School, according to Wantagh Schools Superintendent John C. McNamara. The student has been self-quarantining for the past several days and last attended school on Friday, Oct. 2, according to McNamara, who said it has been determined that the school may remain open. All school buildings were disinfected on Saturday, Oct. 3 and again Monday, Oct. 5. "We are currently working with the Nassau County Department of Health and have assisted&…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Three Schools In Long Island District Close After Staff Members Test Positive Three Schools In Long Island District Close After Staff Members Test Positive
Three Schools In Long Island District Close After Staff Members Test Positive Three schools at a Long Island district have switched to remote learning after a pair of staffers tested positive for COVID-19. The announcement was made Sunday night, Oct. 4 by Lindenhurst School Superintendent Daniel Giordano in a statement posted by the district. The three schools closed for remote learning on Monday, Oct. 5 are Albany Avenue, Harding Avenue and William Rall elementary schools. The first staff member to test positive, who works at Albany Avenue Elementary School, had not been in the school since Wednesday, Sept. 30, Giordano said. The second staff, also at the Albany A…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: Long Island High School Closes After Multiple Cases Confirmed COVID-19: Long Island High School Closes After Multiple Cases Confirmed
Covid-19: Long Island High School Closes After Multiple Cases Confirmed Multiple students have tested positive for COVID-19 at a Long Island high school forcing, the district to close down the building for the rest of the week. Sachem Schools Superintendent Christopher Pellettieri announced on Wednesday that Sachem North High School would be closed for in-person learning on Thursday, Oct. 1 and Friday, Oct. 2 to allow the district to complete contact tracing and crews to disinfect the building. The district also announced that there was a positive case at Seneca Middle School, and Sachem High School East, though there were no plans to transition to remote …

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: New High School On Long Island Forced To Close Due To Virus Exposure COVID-19: New High School On Long Island Forced To Close Due To Virus Exposure
Covid-19: New High School On Long Island Forced To Close Due To Virus Exposure A staff member at one of Long Island’s most highly acclaimed high schools was exposed to COVID-19 and forced the building to be temporarily closed. Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School was closed on Thursday, Sept. 24 to allow the school to contact trace and disinfect the building after a staffer tested positive. Related story - Three Long Island High Schools Earn Blue Ribbon Status Schools Superintendent Mary O’Meara said that the district was informed of the positive test late on Wednesday, Sept. 23, and contact tracing has begun.  The infected staffer will not be per…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: New Long Island School District Goes To Remote Learning After Student Tests Positive COVID-19: New Long Island School District Goes To Remote Learning After Student Tests Positive
Covid-19: New Long Island School District Goes To Remote Learning After Student Tests Positive A Long Island high school has closed temporarily and transitioned to a remote learning model after a student tested positive for COVID-19. The student at Harborfields High School in Greenlawn tested positive for the virus over the weekend, the district announced. In response, the building will be closed through Tuesday, Sept. 22 for sanitizing and a deep cleaning while all high school students switch to full remote learning. Contact tracing has already started, and parents of students who may have come into “close contact” with the infected student will be reached by health officials and …

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Long Island School Closed For In-Person Classes After Staffer Tests Positive COVID-19: Long Island School Closed For In-Person Classes After Staffer Tests Positive
Covid-19: Long Island School Closed For In-Person Classes After Staffer Tests Positive A Long Island school is closed for in-person learning after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. South Woods Middle School in Syosset will be having its second straight day of virtual learning on Tuesday, Sept. 15. On Monday, Sept. 14, the Nassau County Department of Health started to conduct contact tracing. "Due to the circumstances surrounding this case, the investigation required the coordination of both the Nassau and Suffolk County Departments of Health, which added to the length of time required to complete the contact tracing investigation," the district said in a statement…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
COVID-19: Alert Issued For Callers Posing As Contact Tracers To Get Credit, Bank Account Info COVID-19: Alert Issued For Callers Posing As Contact Tracers To Get Credit, Bank Account Info
Covid-19: Alert Issued For Callers Posing As Contact Tracers To Get Credit, Bank Account Info Don’t fall for it. Fraudsters have been making the rounds, looking to take advantage of the COVID-19 crisis, posing as contact tracers seeking personal information from suspect victims amid the pandemic. Since the outbreak began six months ago, contact tracing has become a vital tool as health officials seek to identify positive COVID-19 cases, tracing back to the people they’ve been in contact with and isolating them to help curtail the spread of the virus. Recently, some state and federal officials issued a warning that some scammers have been posing as contact tracers, using that faux i…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Staff Member At Long Island High School Tests Positive COVID-19: Staff Member At Long Island High School Tests Positive
Covid-19: Staff Member At Long Island High School Tests Positive A staff member has tested positive for COVID-19 at a Long Island high school. The Farmingdale School District said it was notified late in the afternoon Thursday, Sept. 10 of the confirmed case.  The staff member was not present in the school building on Tuesday, Sept. 8, Wednesday, Sept. 9, or Thursday, Sept. 10, after experiencing flu-like symptoms over the three-day weekend, Superintendent of Schools Paul Defendini said. "The staff member was never in direct contact with any students in the building at any time," Defendini added. As a result, the high scho…

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by Joe Lombardi
Schools
COVID-19: Educators Hold Car Parade Protest Saying LI School District Not Ready To Reopen COVID-19: Educators Hold Car Parade Protest Saying LI School District Not Ready To Reopen
Covid-19: Educators Hold Car Parade Protest Saying LI School District Not Ready To Reopen With schools on Long Island reopening this week, some teachers are raising red flags and rallying due to concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. On Tuesday, Sept. 8, dozens of educators in Bohemia held a car parade protest, driving by the Connetquot School District’s administration office on Ocean Avenue, expressing concerns about reopening classes during the virus. The first day of school.in the district is scheduled to be on Thursday, Sept. 10. The Connetquot Teachers Association, which includes hundreds of teachers, has expressed concerns about a lack of available PPE, insufficient …

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: Three Large Long Island Districts Reporting Cases Among Staffers As School Reopen COVID-19: Three Large Long Island Districts Reporting Cases Among Staffers As School Reopen
Covid-19: Three Large Long Island Districts Reporting Cases Among Staffers As School Reopen Staff members at three of Long Island’s largest school districts have tested positive for COVID-19. With classes set to begin in days, an Islip High School teacher, a staff member at St. James Elementary School in Smithtown, and a member of the Merrick Avenue Middle School in Merrick have all been tested and are isolating. In Islip, contact tracing has already been completed, and all teachers administrators, and employees who were exposed have been tested and all were negative. The building has also been sanitized following the confirmation of a positive COVID-19 case. The staff member at …

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: Contact Tracing Starts At Stony Brook University After Student Tests Positive COVID-19: Contact Tracing Starts At Stony Brook University After Student Tests Positive
Covid-19: Contact Tracing Starts At Stony Brook University After Student Tests Positive Contact tracing has begun at Stony Brook University after a student tested positive for COVID-19. The test result came back on Friday, Aug. 28, prompting the university to begin backtracking to quarantine any other students who may have come into contact with him. The university noted that the residential student has been taking online classes exclusively and is asymptomatic. It was the first confirmed COVID-19 case at Stony Brook University. “Upon confirming this residential student was positive for COVID-19, Student Health Services began its multilayered process to contain the spread a…

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by Zak Failla
Sports
COVID-19: Here's State Guidance On Reopening Gyms, Fitness Centers COVID-19: Here's State Guidance On Reopening Gyms, Fitness Centers
Covid-19: Here's State Guidance On Reopening Gyms, Fitness Centers When gyms and fitness centers in New York State reopen next week, they will have a new look due to certain COVID-19 restrictions required by the state. New York State has released guidance on how gyms and fitness centers can safely reopen as of Monday, Aug. 24 once they’ve been inspected by local officials to ensure they are in compliance with state guidelines. Original story - COVID-19: NY Gyms, Fitness Centers Given Green Light To Reopen With Certain Restrictions When gyms open, they can only do so to 33 percent of its maximum capacity, including employees and patrons, all of whom will b…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: NY Gyms, Fitness Centers Given Green Light To Reopen With Certain Restrictions COVID-19: NY Gyms, Fitness Centers Given Green Light To Reopen With Certain Restrictions
Covid-19: NY Gyms, Fitness Centers Given Green Light To Reopen With Certain Restrictions To the relief of many fitness buffs, New York gyms have been given the green light to reopen under strict COVID-19 restrictions. During a COVID-19 briefing on Monday, Aug. 17 in Manhattan, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that gyms and fitness centers can reopen as of Monday, Aug. 24, provided certain safety guidelines are followed. Once open, patrons will have to wear face coverings at all times, and gyms can only open up to 33 percent capacity. It will be up to local governments to determine whether or not gyms can hold indoor classes. The state has also mandated specific ventilation uni…

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by Zak Failla