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Vaccinations

News
RSV Cases Spike Past COVID-19, Flu In NY RSV Cases Spike Past COVID-19, Flu In NY
RSV Cases Spike Past Covid-19, Flu In NY Health officials are urging New Yorkers to stay up-to-date on their vaccinations as cases of RSV have skyrocketed past cases of the flu and COVID-19. On Wednesday, Nov. 29, the New York State Department of Health urged eligible New Yorkers to get vaccinated against the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The recommendation was published alongside data comparing the number of RSV cases alongside COVID-19 and flu cases across the state. From Saturday, Oct. 21 to Saturday, Nov. 25, COVID-19 cases dropped from around 200 cases to just over 150, while the flu increased from under 50 to around…

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by Sophie Grieser
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
News
COVID-19: CDC Announces Sweeping New Guidance, Including For Schools, Quarantines COVID-19: CDC Announces Sweeping New Guidance, Including For Schools, Quarantines
Covid-19: CDC Announces Sweeping New Guidance, Including For Schools, Quarantines Federal health officials have announced sweeping new COVID-19 guidelines, including for schools and quarantines for those infected. In the updated guidance unveiled on Thursday, Aug. 11, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it was no longer recommending that unvaccinated people quarantine after possibly being exposed to the virus. Instead, the CDC said they should wear a high-quality mask for 10 days and get tested five days after they were exposed. The agency had previously said unvaccinated people and those who haven't received their booster shots should q…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Death Confirmed Days After CDC Issues Nationwide Alert For Mysterious Hepatitis Outbreak Death Confirmed Days After CDC Issues Nationwide Alert For Mysterious Hepatitis Outbreak
Death Confirmed Days After CDC Issues Nationwide Alert For Mysterious Hepatitis Outbreak Just days after the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention issued a national alert to doctors over a mystery hepatitis outbreak, the death of a child has now been confirmed, the World Health Organization announced. At least 169 cases have now been reported in the United States and 11 other countries, the WHO said, adding that the cases range from those in the ages of 1 month to 16 years old. The CDC notified clinicians and public health authorities on Thursday, April 21 about a cluster of children identified with hepatitis and adenovirus infection, asking all physicians to be on …

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by Joe Lombardi
News
CDC Issues Nationwide Alert After Hepatitis Outbreak Of Unknown Origin CDC Issues Nationwide Alert After Hepatitis Outbreak Of Unknown Origin
CDC Issues Nationwide Alert After Hepatitis Outbreak Of Unknown Origin The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention has issued a national alert to doctors over a mystery hepatitis outbreak. The CDC notified clinicians and public health authorities on Thursday, April 21 about a cluster of children identified with hepatitis and adenovirus infection, asking all physicians to be on the lookout for symptoms and to report any suspected cases of hepatitis of unknown origin to their local and state health departments. The CDC said it is currently working with the Alabama Department of Public Health to investigate a cluster of nine cases of hepatitis of unknown ori…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: CDC Expected To Greatly Ease Indoor Mask Guidance, Reports Say COVID-19: CDC Expected To Greatly Ease Indoor Mask Guidance, Reports Say
Covid-19: CDC Expected To Greatly Ease Indoor Mask Guidance, Reports Say The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is expected to significantly ease its indoor mask mandate as the country continues its recovery from the latest wave of COVID-19 infections. According to multiple reports, the CDC is expected to announce a change in its guidance regarding masks, allowing most Americans to ditch their facial coverings indoors. The AP first reported the news, citing “two people familiar with the matter.” The new guidance is expected to be announced as soon as Friday, Feb. 25. It marks the first indoor mask guidance change from the CDC since July 2021. …

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Study Reveals How Likely Omicron Patients Are To Be Hospitalized Compared To Delta COVID-19: Study Reveals How Likely Omicron Patients Are To Be Hospitalized Compared To Delta
Covid-19: Study Reveals How Likely Omicron Patients Are To Be Hospitalized Compared To Delta While the wildly spreading Omicron COVID-19 variant is believed to be more transmissible than previous strains, a new study found that patients are less likely to be hospitalized with severe infections if they contract it. Researchers found that those who contract the Omicron variant are 80 percent less likely to be hospitalized, compared to other strains, according to a new study released by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases. Once admitted to the hospital, the risk of severe disease doesn’t differ from other variants; however, the researchers led by scientists Nicole Walter…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Info Released On First US Omicron Death; Biden To Announce 500M Free At-Home Tests COVID-19: Info Released On First US Omicron Death; Biden To Announce 500M Free At-Home Tests
Covid-19: Info Released On First US Omicron Death; Biden To Announce 500M Free At-Home Tests Less than three weeks after the first case of the highly transmissible Omicron COVID-19 variant was identified in the United States, the first death in the nation connected to the strain has been confirmed in the Houston, Texas area. The patient was a man in his 50s who was not vaccinated and had an underlying health condition, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said, according to KHOU-11, a CBS-affiliated television station in Houston. Houston Methodist said on Monday, Dec. 20 that 82 percent of its new cases are omicron after just three weeks of testing for it, KHOU reported. Omicron …

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: 'This Time, Unlike Last Year, We’re Not Defenseless,' Hochul Says Of New Variant COVID-19: 'This Time, Unlike Last Year, We’re Not Defenseless,' Hochul Says Of New Variant
Covid-19: 'This Time, Unlike Last Year, We’re Not Defenseless,' Hochul Says Of New Variant Gov. Kathy Hochul cautioned that New York is bracing for the new Omicron COVID-19 variant, declaring that the state will be ready for it when it does. Hochul said during a COVID-19 briefing this week that the new variant is being closely monitored by state health officials, including the state testing center at Wadsworth Labs in Albany, and while Omicron is a concern, New York now has more tools to combat it than at the outset of the pandemic in March 2020. Earlier story - COVID-19: First Case Of New Omicron Variant Identified In United States “We’re fully monitoring it - but the diff…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: New York State Senator Has Breakthrough Infection Of Virus COVID-19: New York State Senator Has Breakthrough Infection Of Virus
Covid-19: New York State Senator Has Breakthrough Infection Of Virus A state senator from New York has become the latest to suffer a breakthrough COVID-19 infection. Alessandra Biaggi, the senator in the 34th district of New York representing parts of the Bronx and Westchester County announced on Friday, Oct. 22 that despite being fully vaccinated she has tested positive for COVID-19. 
“Yesterday evening, I tested positive for COVID-19,” she said. “While I am fully vaccinated and have taken all CDC recommended safety precautions, I, unfortunately, contracted the virus. I am experiencing symptoms and isolating at home per CDC guidelines.” According to the Ne…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: Children Should Keep Wearing Masks In School Even If Vaccinated, CDC Says COVID-19: Children Should Keep Wearing Masks In School Even If Vaccinated, CDC Says
Covid-19: Children Should Keep Wearing Masks In School Even If Vaccinated, CDC Says The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the agency will continue to recommend that children wear masks this winter while in school, regardless of their COVID-19 vaccination status.  CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky made the announcement on Wednesday, Oct. 20, at a news briefing.  She said once COVID-19 vaccinations are authorized for children ages 5 to 11, the CDC will work to scale up pediatric vaccinations, but she added that this will take some time. "And as I just noted, as we head into these winter months, we know we cannot be complacent,"…

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by Nicole Valinote
News
COVID-19: All NY Health Care Workers Will Be Required To Get Vaccines COVID-19: All NY Health Care Workers Will Be Required To Get Vaccines
Covid-19: All NY Health Care Workers Will Be Required To Get Vaccines All health care workers in New York State will be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine, with only limited exceptions for those with religious or medical exemptions. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that staff at hospitals, long-term care facilities, nursing homes, adult care, and other congregate settings will be required to get vaccinated against COVID-19 no later than Monday, Sept. 27. To date, 75 percent of the state’s estimated 450,000 hospital workers, 74 percent of the state’s 30,000 adult care facility workers, and 68 percent of the state’s 145,500 nursing home workers have compl…

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by Zak Failla
Obituaries
COVID-19: Unvaccinated New England Politician Dies From Complications Of Virus, Report Says COVID-19: Unvaccinated New England Politician Dies From Complications Of Virus, Report Says
Covid-19: Unvaccinated New England Politician Dies From Complications Of Virus, Report Says Linda Zuern, a controversial former elected official in New England, has died from COVID-19 complications at the age of 70. The Cape Cod Times reported that Zuern died on Friday, July 16, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. She had reportedly been brought to the hospital in early June. The news outlet reported that a close friend confirmed that Zuern had not been vaccinated against COVID, and that she had previously asked at a Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates meeting in Massachusetts if the local health department had researched preventative measures for COVID that c…

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by Nicole Valinote
News
COVID-19: New Studies Shed Light On Immunity For Those Who Were Vaccinated Or Had Virus COVID-19: New Studies Shed Light On Immunity For Those Who Were Vaccinated Or Had Virus
Covid-19: New Studies Shed Light On Immunity For Those Who Were Vaccinated Or Had Virus Brand-new studies are shedding light on how long immunity to COVID-19 lasts for those who have had the virus, been fully vaccinated, or both. Most who were infected with COVID and later immunized will not need booster shots, the studies show. Those who were vaccinated after never having the virus will likely need a booster shot as will some people who had COVID but did not have a strong immune response. One of the studies was published this week in the journal Nature. The other study was posted on the biology research site BioRxiv. Many who have been infected with COVID will likely make …

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
COVID-19: These Retailers Are Allowing Maskless Shopping For Fully Vaccinated COVID-19: These Retailers Are Allowing Maskless Shopping For Fully Vaccinated
Covid-19: These Retailers Are Allowing Maskless Shopping For Fully Vaccinated With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and most states loosening up mask-wearing restrictions, many retailers are following suit and are enacting new policies for customers and employees. The CDC said last week that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear a mask or stay 6 feet apart from others in most cases, whether indoors or outdoors. People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after they receive the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the single dose of Johnson & Johnson. The following mandates are in place at thes…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: NY Sets Date To End Most Capacity Restrictions, Curfews COVID-19: NY Sets Date To End Most Capacity Restrictions, Curfews
Covid-19: NY Sets Date To End Most Capacity Restrictions, Curfews A host of COVID-19 restrictions in New York are set to be rescinded as part of a massive tri-state effort as the country continues to recover from the pandemic. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that beginning on Wednesday, May 19, most pandemic-related capacity restrictions will be lifted in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut after being forced to shut down more than a year ago. As of May 19, capacity restrictions will be lifted in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut for: Restaurants; Museums; Theaters; Broadway; Retail; Shops; Gyms and fitness centers; Amusement and family entertainment …

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: SUNY Campuses Unveil Masking Guidelines COVID-19: SUNY Campuses Unveil Masking Guidelines
Covid-19: SUNY Campuses Unveil Masking Guidelines The State University of New York will be relaxing its mask policies to match the new guidance that was released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC announced on Tuesday, April 27 that people who are fully vaccinated - one shot of Johnson & Johnson or two doses of Pfizer or Moderna - will no longer have to wear masks while gathering in small groups outside. Earlier story - COVID-19: CDC Announces Major New Guidance On Mask Wearing In response, SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras says that moving forward, the same rules will apply to both students and staff on its…

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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
Business
COVID-19: NY Restaurant, Bars Will Now Be Able To Extend Closing Times, State Says COVID-19: NY Restaurant, Bars Will Now Be Able To Extend Closing Times, State Says
Covid-19: NY Restaurant, Bars Will Now Be Able To Extend Closing Times, State Says Last call will be a little later for New York diners on Valentine’s Day. Citing improving COVID-19 data, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that beginning Sunday, Feb. 14 the curfew placed on bars and restaurants has been extended from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. as the state continues slowly reopening its economy. The move comes as indoor dining reopened in New York City following a months-long closure due to spikes in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in each of the city’s five boroughs. “Our decisions are based on science and data and we adjust as the virus adjusts. The infection rate and ho…

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by Zak Failla
News
Whooping Cough Cases Confirmed In Rockland Whooping Cough Cases Confirmed In Rockland
Whooping Cough Cases Confirmed In Rockland With measles cases continuing to rise in Rockland County, health officials have announced that over the past few weeks there have been several confirmed cases of pertussis, better known as whooping cough.Seven cases of whooping cough were recently confirmed in individuals from various communities throughout the county and across a large age range, said Rockland County Executive Ed Day and County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert. Reported whooping cough cases in Rockland County have been on the decline since at least 2015, with the current confirmed totals less than…

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by Kathy Reakes