Fair 58°
News
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 …

SHARE

by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: This Early Symptom Could Be First Sign You Have A Breakthrough Omicron Infection COVID-19: This Early Symptom Could Be First Sign You Have A Breakthrough Omicron Infection
Covid-19: This Early Symptom Could Be First Sign You Have A Breakthrough Omicron Infection With an alarming number of breakthrough cases of COVID-19 amid the outbreak of the highly contagious Omicron variant, an early symptom to look for as a possible first sign you've become infected with the strain has emerged. Dr. Allison Arwady, Chicago's Public Health Commissioner, said during a Facebook Live session on Tuesday, Jan. 11 that sore throat is commonly reported, especially in people with "these more mild breakthrough infections," according to NBC Chicago. "We are definitely seeing sore throat be a predictor in that group," Arwady added. With at-home COVID tests difficult t…

SHARE

by Joe Lombardi
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…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Hochul Sees 'Glimmer Of Hope' In NY, Though Hospitalizations Remain A Concern COVID-19: Hochul Sees 'Glimmer Of Hope' In NY, Though Hospitalizations Remain A Concern
Covid-19: Hochul Sees 'Glimmer Of Hope' In NY, Though Hospitalizations Remain A Concern Following an unprecedented COVID-19 spike in New York, the state could see the number of new cases plateauing as it continues climbing out of the post-holiday surge of the virus triggered by the Omicron strain, according to officials. During her latest COVID-19 briefing in New York City on Tuesday, Jan. 11, Gov. Kathy Hochul said that the state “might be cresting over a peak,” following a record number of new cases in recent weeks. “Just as we saw at the outset, the virus is changing,” she said. “And we knew the (Omicron variant) characteristics early on showed that it’s not as severe, but …

SHARE

by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: US Sees Record 1.35M Cases In A Day, But Expert Says That Doesn't Tell Whole Story COVID-19: US Sees Record 1.35M Cases In A Day, But Expert Says That Doesn't Tell Whole Story
Covid-19: US Sees Record 1.35M Cases In A Day, But Expert Says That Doesn't Tell Whole Story Fueled by the highly contagious Omicron variant, the United States reported a record-breaking 1.35 million COVID-19 infections in a day on Monday, Jan. 10.  But that may not even be close to the actual number of cases. "We're probably only diagnosing somewhere between one in five and one in 10 actual infections," Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said Sunday, Jan. 9 on CBS-TV. Gottlieb added that there are "probably a lot of people walking around with asymptomatic infection who don't know it, but are spreading it." That scenario could cause staffing issues for hospitals, and…

SHARE

by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: Wave Of Omicron Cases In US May Be At Turning Point, Virus Expert Says COVID-19: Wave Of Omicron Cases In US May Be At Turning Point, Virus Expert Says
Covid-19: Wave Of Omicron Cases In US May Be At Turning Point, Virus Expert Says The wave of COVID-19 cases in the United States triggered by the highly contagious Omicron variant may be at a turning point, an infectious disease expert says. Former FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb says parts of the nation may be about to pass the peak phase of the outbreak, while other regions will likely soon be hit hard. "f you look what's happening across the East Coast right now in New York City, Washington, DC, Maryland, probably Florida as well have already peaked, maybe Delaware and Rhode Island," Gottlieb said Sunday, Jan. 9 on CBS-TV's "Face the Nation." "You start to see t…

SHARE

by Joe Lombardi
Business
COVID-19: Worker Shortages Amid Omicron Wave Spark Concerns Of Food Outages At Grocery Stores COVID-19: Worker Shortages Amid Omicron Wave Spark Concerns Of Food Outages At Grocery Stores
Covid-19: Worker Shortages Amid Omicron Wave Spark Concerns Of Food Outages At Grocery Stores The dramatic surge in COVID-19 cases led by the Omicron variant is exacerbating issues supermarkets are experiencing with keeping shelves stocked, according to multiple reports. A chief executive of supply-chain consultant told Bloomberg that stores are currently having issues stocking shelves, and the highly-transmissible variant will cause even more issues due to labor shortages. The news outlet reported that stores have already had trouble keeping products stocked due to supply chain issues and product shortages throughout the pandemic. As cases continue to climb across the country, so …

SHARE

by Nicole Valinote
News
COVID-19: Researcher Discovers 'Deltacron' Strain Combining Parts Of Both Variants COVID-19: Researcher Discovers 'Deltacron' Strain Combining Parts Of Both Variants
Covid-19: Researcher Discovers 'Deltacron' Strain Combining Parts Of Both Variants A COVID-19 strain that combines both the Omicron and Delta variants has been discovered by a researcher, according to a brand-new report. The strain has been labeled “Deltacron” by the researcher, Leondios Kostrikis, a biological sciences professor at the University of Cyprus because of its omicron-like genetic signatures within the delta genomes, Bloomberg reported on Saturday, Jan. 8. Kostrikis told Sigma TV that "we will see in the future if this strain is more pathological or more contagious or if it will prevail” over Delta and Omicron. To date, 25 cases of Deltacron have been identif…

SHARE

by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: Here's When Fourth Shot May Be Needed, Moderna CEO Says COVID-19: Here's When Fourth Shot May Be Needed, Moderna CEO Says
Covid-19: Here's When Fourth Shot May Be Needed, Moderna CEO Says The chief executive officer of Moderna has gone on record saying when another round of COVID-19 vaccine booster shots could be required. Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said this week that due to the efficacy of the vaccine potentially waning over time, a fourth booster could be required before the fall of 2022. Bancel made the proclamation at a Goldman-Sachs-organized healthcare conference, noting that his company is working on a booster shot dedicated to combating the Omicron variant of the virus, which will likely be made available within the next two months. According to recent studies, bo…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: NY Sees Surge In Hospitalizations, But Fewer Are In ICUs COVID-19: NY Sees Surge In Hospitalizations, But Fewer Are In ICUs
Covid-19: NY Sees Surge In Hospitalizations, But Fewer Are In ICUs New York has seen a spike in post-holiday COVID-19 hospitalizations, though patients being treated have largely avoided serious illness as more and more become fully vaccinated. The number of New Yorkers being treated for COVID has been surging, though fewer people are ending up in intensive care compared to previous waves of the virus, according to the Department of Public Health. In its latest update, the Department of Health was reporting 11,184 New Yorkers who were hospitalized with COVID-19, though only 1,404 were in ICU, a shift from previous waves of the virus. Over the past seven d…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: SUNY Purchase Delays Return To Campus Amid Surge Of New Cases COVID-19: SUNY Purchase Delays Return To Campus Amid Surge Of New Cases
Covid-19: SUNY Purchase Delays Return To Campus Amid Surge Of New Cases With the Omicron variant running wild across Westchester, school officials announced that they will be delaying the return of students to campus at SUNY Purchase. Citing a better chance of restarting classes smoothly, officials announced that students will be delayed in their return to school by nearly two weeks as the number of new COVID-19 cases mount. The move comes on the heels of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul stating that all students accessing SUNY campuses for the spring semester must be vaccinated and receive their booster shots once they are eligible. There will also be mandatory pr…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: GRAMMY Awards Postponed Due To 'Uncertainty Surrounding Omicron Variant' COVID-19: GRAMMY Awards Postponed Due To 'Uncertainty Surrounding Omicron Variant'
Covid-19: Grammy Awards Postponed Due To 'Uncertainty Surrounding Omicron Variant' This year's GRAMMY Awards Show has officially been postponed due to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases. The 64th annual show, which was set to take place on Monday, Jan. 31, was postponed to protect the health and safety of all involved in the show, CBS and the Record Academy said in a joint statement on Wednesday, Jan. 5. After careful consideration and analysis with city and state officials, health and safety experts, the artist community and our many partners, we have postponed the 64th #GRAMMYs. https://t.co/oMzV1U9Tsc — Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) January 5, 2022 …

SHARE

by Nicole Valinote