Fair 70°
Politics
COVID-19: Unvaxxed Sarah Palin Tests Positive Just As Her Defamation Trial Vs. NY Times Starts COVID-19: Unvaxxed Sarah Palin Tests Positive Just As Her Defamation Trial Vs. NY Times Starts
Covid-19: Unvaxxed Sarah Palin Tests Positive Just As Her Defamation Trial Vs. NY Times Starts Former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin tested positive for COVID-19 just as a civil defamation trial involving her and the New York Times was set to begin. A lawyer for Palin, who remains defiantly unvaccinated, announced on Monday, Jan. 24 that the one-time Alaska governor tested positive for COVID-19 following a diagnosis last year for the virus. Palin said last month that she would get a COVID-19 vaccine “over (her) dead body.” Manhattan federal court judge Jed Rakoff said on Monday that he had learned the previous day that Palin, age 57, tested positive for COVID. T…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Business
COVID-19: Starbucks Reverses Policy On Vaccine Mandates COVID-19: Starbucks Reverses Policy On Vaccine Mandates
Covid-19: Starbucks Reverses Policy On Vaccine Mandates Starbucks announced that it will no longer require its employees in the United States to get vaccinated against COVID-19. ABC News reported that the coffee shop chain made the announcement in a memo to employees on Tuesday, Jan. 18. The company reportedly said it made the decision in light of the Supreme Court's ruling, which rejected the Biden administration's effort to require companies with more than 100 employees to mandate vaccines or regular testing. Starbucks previously had announced it would require employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by Sunday, Feb. 9 or require that they…

SHARE

by Nicole Valinote
News
COVID-19: CDC Reveals If Getting Vaxxed Is More Effective Than Natural Immunity COVID-19: CDC Reveals If Getting Vaxxed Is More Effective Than Natural Immunity
Covid-19: CDC Reveals If Getting Vaxxed Is More Effective Than Natural Immunity Top federal health officials have dispelled the long-standing question regarding the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccinations versus natural immunity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report of a new study that found that both vaccinations and prior infection help to protect against new COVID-19 infections, though the former has proven far more effective in preventing virus-related hospitalizations. In the study, researchers evaluated more than a million COVID-19 cases in California and New York to analyze the risk of COVID-19 infection and hospitalizations among fou…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: New State Guidance Issued For After-School Activities COVID-19: New State Guidance Issued For After-School Activities
Covid-19: New State Guidance Issued For After-School Activities Some students, teachers, and staff members will be restricted from participating in after-school activities in New York after the Department of Health revised its COVID-19 guidance. The Department of Health said that any students 12 and older who are eligible for the COVID-19 booster shot, but have not received it, will be barred from participating in sports, extracurriculars, and other after-school activities if they are exposed to the virus. Fully vaccinated students, teachers, and school staffers who are exposed will still be permitted to continue attending classes, regardless of the sta…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
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
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…

SHARE

by Nicole Valinote
News
COVID-19: CDC Recommends Americans Avoid Travel To Canada COVID-19: CDC Recommends Americans Avoid Travel To Canada
Covid-19: CDC Recommends Americans Avoid Travel To Canada The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has advised against travel to Canada due to the risk of COVID-19.  The CDC added Canada to its list of countries that are considered "Very High" risk for COVID-19, the highest level of risk for COVID-19.  According to The Hill, the update was made to the agency's travel guidelines on Sunday, Jan. 9. The CDC said anyone who must travel to destinations listed in the highest risk category should be fully vaccinated before traveling.  The list includes many other destinations, including the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and mo…

SHARE

by Nicole Valinote
Politics
COVID-19: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Tests Positive COVID-19: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Tests Positive
Covid-19: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Tests Positive New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who grew up in Northern Westchester County and now represents parts of the Bronx and Queens, has tested positive for COVID-19. "She is experiencing symptoms and recovering at home," Ocasio-Cortez's office said in a statement released early Sunday evening, Jan. 9. "The congresswoman received her booster shot this fall, and encourages everyone to get their booster and follow all CDC guidelines." The 32-year-old Ocasio-Cortez, a 2007 graduate of Yorktown High School, recently returned from a trip to Florida. A photo of her dining outdoors in Miami m…

SHARE

by Joe Lombardi
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: CDC Issues New Update On Isolation Guidance COVID-19: CDC Issues New Update On Isolation Guidance
Covid-19: CDC Issues New Update On Isolation Guidance The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its guidance about who should isolate or quarantine if potentially exposed to someone who tests positive for COVID-19. The CDC had shortened its isolation and quarantine recommendations, while clarifying that the guidance applies to kids as well as adults. Under the new guidance, for people who catch COVID, testing is not required to emerge from five days of isolation instead of 10 days, much to the chagrin of some in the public. Previously, anyone who tested positive was required to isolate for no less than 10 days. The…

SHARE

by Zak Failla