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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
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NY Declares Polio 'An Imminent Threat To Public Health' NY Declares Polio 'An Imminent Threat To Public Health'
NY Declares Polio 'An Imminent Threat To Public Health' New York’s top health official is urging the public to get vaccinated against poliovirus if they haven’t yet done so. State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett declared polio "an imminent threat to public health" in New York State Wednesday, Sept. 28. NY Declares Polio State Of Emergency After Virus Found In Wastewater On Long Island The declaration will free up resources to help local health departments set up vaccination clinics and better focus their outreach efforts to unvaccinated or under-vaccinated New Yorkers, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office said. Health officials are hoping to boost …

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by Michael Mashburn
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First Case Of Monkeypox Confirmed In New Capital Region County First Case Of Monkeypox Confirmed In New Capital Region County
First Case Of Monkeypox Confirmed In New Capital Region County Health officials have confirmed the first case of monkeypox in Rensselaer County. The case involves a county resident who recently traveled out of state, the Rensselaer County Health Department revealed Friday, Sept. 23. No further details on the person’s condition were provided. Health officials were monitoring the resident and helping to ensure their care, the department said. As of Friday, Sept. 23, a total of 3,802 cases of monkeypox had been confirmed across New York, including five in Albany County and one in Schenectady County, according to the state health department.  The …

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by Michael Mashburn
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Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan Tests Positive For COVID-19 Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan Tests Positive For COVID-19
Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan Tests Positive For Covid-19 Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan has tested positive for COVID-19. Sheehan began experiencing mild, allergy-like symptoms late Sunday night, Aug. 28, and tested positive Monday morning, Aug. 29, the mayor revealed in a statement. “I am thankful I am fully vaccinated and boosted because as we have learned over the past two-plus years, my symptoms could be far worse,” Sheehan said. The mayor went on to say that consistent with CDC and state health department protocols, she would be isolating for at least the next five days before reassessing her symptoms. This morning, I tested positive for …

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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
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E. Coli Outbreak Sickening Dozens May Be Linked To Wendy's In 4 States, CDC Says E. Coli Outbreak Sickening Dozens May Be Linked To Wendy's In 4 States, CDC Says
E. Coli Outbreak Sickening Dozens May Be Linked To Wendy's In 4 States, CDC Says An E. coli outbreak in four states that may be linked to Wendy's has sickened at least 37 people and put 10 in the hospital, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A specific food has not yet been confirmed as the source of this outbreak, but many sick people reported eating sandwiches with romaine lettuce at Wendy’s restaurants in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania before getting sick, the CDC said. An illness related to the outbreak was also reported in Indiana. Wendy's said in a statement that it's "fully cooperating with public health authorities on their o…

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by Joe Lombardi
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NY Health Commissioner Orders All Pharmacies To Carry Overdose Medication Naloxone NY Health Commissioner Orders All Pharmacies To Carry Overdose Medication Naloxone
NY Health Commissioner Orders All Pharmacies To Carry Overdose Medication Naloxone Pharmacies in New York will soon be required to carry and dispense naloxone, the medicine used to quickly reverse the life-threatening effects of an opioid overdose. The state’s health commissioner, Dr. Mary Bassett, issued a statewide standing order for all pharmacies to carry the medication and dispense it without a prescription beginning Monday, Aug. 15. “This is as close as we can get to naloxone being 'over the counter' without action being taken by the US Food and Drug Administration,” Bassett said. Often sold under the brand name Narcan, naloxone is easily administered and can help…

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by Michael Mashburn
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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
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NY Declares Monkeypox 'Imminent Threat To Public Health' Amid New Rise In Cases NY Declares Monkeypox 'Imminent Threat To Public Health' Amid New Rise In Cases
NY Declares Monkeypox 'Imminent Threat To Public Health' Amid New Rise In Cases Amid a new increase in cases in New York, the state's health commissioner has declared the monkeypox virus "an imminent threat to public health." "Based on the ongoing spread of this virus, which has increased rapidly and affected primarily communities that identify as men who have sex with men, and the need for local jurisdictions to administer vaccines, I've declared monkeypox an Imminent Threat to Public Health throughout New York State," State Commissioner of Health Dr. Mary T. Bassett said.  The dedication means local health departments will be able to access additional state reim…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
First US Monkeypox Cases In Children Confirmed: Here's New State-By-State Breakdown First US Monkeypox Cases In Children Confirmed: Here's New State-By-State Breakdown
First US Monkeypox Cases In Children Confirmed: Here's New State-By-State Breakdown The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed the first case of monkeypox among children in the United States. Those two cases are part of a record outbreak of nearly 2,900 infections nationwide. The unrelated cases, in an infant and a toddler -- one in California and the other in Washington, DC -- are unrelated and likely the result of household transmission, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told The Washington Post on Friday, July 22. New York accounts for about 31 percent of the nation's 2,891 monkeypox cases with 900, followed by California (356). For a state-by-sta…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
First Polio Case In US In Nearly A Decade Reported In Hudson Valley First Polio Case In US In Nearly A Decade Reported In Hudson Valley
First Polio Case In US In Nearly A Decade Reported In Hudson Valley 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
Legislation Banning Smoking At NY State Parks, Beaches Signed Into Law By Hochul Legislation Banning Smoking At NY State Parks, Beaches Signed Into Law By Hochul
Legislation Banning Smoking At NY State Parks, Beaches Signed Into Law By Hochul New Yorkers can no longer light up at state parks and beaches. Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation Friday, July 15, that prohibits smoking in all state-owned beaches, boardwalks, marinas, playgrounds, recreation centers, and group camps. Those who violate the law could be fined $50. "Smoking is a dangerous habit that affects not only the smoker but everyone around them, including families and children enjoying our state's great public places," Hochul said in a statement. "I'm proud to sign this legislation that will protect New Yorker's health and help reduce litter in public parks and …

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by Michael Mashburn