Massapequa, NY
News
COVID-19: Vaccine Eligibility Expanded To NYers Age 60 And Over, New Group Of Employees COVID-19: Vaccine Eligibility Expanded To NYers Age 60 And Over, New Group Of Employees
Covid-19: Vaccine Eligibility Expanded To NYers Age 60 And Over, New Group Of Employees More New Yorkers will now be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that beginning at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, March 10, the vaccine distribution eligibility would be expanding to include any New Yorker age 60 and over. Appointments can start being made immediately for those qualifying at mass vaccination sites and pharmacies. It had previously been restricted to those over the age of 65. The eligibility expansion will continue on Wednesday, March 17 to include:  Public-facing government and public employees Not-for-profit workers who provide public-facing…

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by Zak Failla
Worcester, MA
News
COVID-19: This Is How To Prepare Students For Re-Entering The Classroom, CDC Says COVID-19: This Is How To Prepare Students For Re-Entering The Classroom, CDC Says
Covid-19: This Is How To Prepare Students For Re-Entering The Classroom, CDC Says With the Commissioner of Secondary and Elementary School Education calling for all elementary school students to return to the classroom by April, current remote-school students and their parents are preparing to make a big transition. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a three-page checklist for things a family can do to be better prepared for students returning to the classroom. For the most part, the CDC guidelines encourage awareness about services and important contacts, communicating effectively and often with students, and what COVID-19 prevention items s…

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by Kristin Palpini
Worcester, MA
Schools
COVID-19: See How Many Students, Staff Have The Virus In Your School District COVID-19: See How Many Students, Staff Have The Virus In Your School District
Covid-19: See How Many Students, Staff Have The Virus In Your School District The school district with the most faculty and staff suffering from COVID-19 is Worcester, according to the most recent COVID-19 tracking data from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Between Dec. 24 and Jan. 6, 12 Worcester School District employees, who had district building access, reported positive COVID-19 cases, said the state’s weekly school-based pandemic tracker. Among the top 10 school districts across Massachusetts with the most faculty and staff reporting COVID-19 infections are Ludlow and Holyoke. Both districts are each reporting 5 fa…

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by Kristin Palpini
White Plains, NY
Schools
COVID-19: Staffer Sent Home After Testing Positive At Westchester School COVID-19: Staffer Sent Home After Testing Positive At Westchester School
Covid-19: Staffer Sent Home After Testing Positive At Westchester School A staff member in a Westchester school district was sent home this week after learning of a positive COVID-19 test. Interim New Rochelle Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero issued an alert to the community late on Monday, Jan. 4 advising that two staff members tested positive for COVID-19 -- one at Daniel Webster Magnet School and one who works for the Facilities Department. Marrero said that the staff member at Webster was last in the building on Monday, but went home upon learning of the test results. The school is currently in the process of identifying and notifying anyone who came in…

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by Zak Failla
Massapequa, NY
Politics
COVID-19: New York's Winter Plan To Combat Virus Unveiled COVID-19: New York's Winter Plan To Combat Virus Unveiled
Covid-19: New York's Winter Plan To Combat Virus Unveiled New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo laid out the state’s plan to combat the spread of COVID-19 during the apparent second wave of the virus surging across the country. During his latest COVID-19 briefing, Cuomo said that with the holidays here, New York needs to pivot its strategy in battling the virus over the winter. "While the holiday season often brings joy to many, the increase in social activity and mobility will also bring an increase of viral transmission. We understand the cause and effect, and the effect is dramatic," Cuomo said. The plan includes five different strategies the state…

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by Zak Failla
Fairfield, CT
Schools
COVID-19: Lamont Sticking To Call For Schools To Stay Open For In-Person Learning -- For Now COVID-19: Lamont Sticking To Call For Schools To Stay Open For In-Person Learning -- For Now
Covid-19: Lamont Sticking To Call For Schools To Stay Open For In-Person Learning -- For Now Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont is doubling down on his stance that schools should stay open as long as possible, calling them a safe space, despite the new spike in COVID-19 cases statewide. On the same day that Connecticut saw 2,042 new COVID-19 cases and a spike in positive infection rate near 6 percent, Lamont reiterated his stance that school buildings are among the safest places to be during the pandemic, vowing to continue in-person learning until it is unsafe to do so. The governor said that other COVID-19 restrictions put in place have been in part to help keep students and teachers in…

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by Zak Failla
Mt. Kisco, NY
News
COVID-19: Westchester Cluster Focus Area Upgraded To Orange Warning Zone COVID-19: Westchester Cluster Focus Area Upgraded To Orange Warning Zone
Covid-19: Westchester Cluster Focus Area Upgraded To Orange Warning Zone A COVID-19 micro-cluster focus area in the Hudson Valley has just been upgraded to an Orange Warning Zone. The zone is located in Westchester County. Based on data metrics, Port Chester's yellow zone will make the transition, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Wednesday, Nov. 11. The seven-day average positivity rate in Port Chester has been above 3 percent for 10 days, meeting the metrics for an orange warning zone declaration. The Hudson Valley's two other micro-cluster focus areas are an orange zone in Rockland County and a yellow zone in Orange County. Orange zones move schools…

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by Joe Lombardi
Torrington, CT
News
COVID-19: New Guidelines On 'Close Contact,' Time It Takes To Get Infected, Issued By CDC COVID-19: New Guidelines On 'Close Contact,' Time It Takes To Get Infected, Issued By CDC
Covid-19: New Guidelines On 'Close Contact,' Time It Takes To Get Infected, Issued By CDC The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued new info on just how little time it takes for a person to get infected by COVID-19. A study has found that even brief exposures within 6 feet in a 24-hour period may increase the risk of COVID transmission, which could change the way businesses and schools are operating amid the pandemic. The new guidance, released by the CDC on Wednesday, Oct. 21, is expected to have the biggest impact on workplaces, schools, and other group settings, including family gatherings, where people are in contact with others. Under previous CDC adv…

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by Joe Lombardi
White Plains, NY
News
COVID-19: Westchester Adds School Mask Mandate, Evaluates Youth Sports Amid Case Increase COVID-19: Westchester Adds School Mask Mandate, Evaluates Youth Sports Amid Case Increase
Covid-19: Westchester Adds School Mask Mandate, Evaluates Youth Sports Amid Case Increase With COVID-19 cases on the rise in Westchester, County Executive George Latimer is making some changes in schools to help curtail the spread of the virus. During a COVID-19 briefing on Monday, Oct. 19, Latimer said that there is now a mandatory mask mandate in all schools for students and staffers, and the county will be reevaluating the safety of continuing certain youth sports. Earlier story - COVID-19: Westchester Infection Increase Causes Concern; Here Are New Cases By Municipality Westchester has seen hundreds of new active COVID-19 cases reported in recent weeks, as the death toll co…

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by Zak Failla
Newark, NJ
Schools
Website Lists Every NJ School That Reported Positive COVID-19 Case Website Lists Every NJ School That Reported Positive COVID-19 Case
Website Lists Every NJ School That Reported Positive Covid-19 Case A website where teachers across the U.S. can report a confirmed COVID-19 case in their school shows dozens in New Jersey. The website was launched by the National Education Association, specifically a Kansas high school teachers, and serves as a hub for educators to report virus cases and health concerns. All submissions are reviewed by NEA staff and verified by checking school websites, press releases, media reports and other public sources.  The cases listed are by no means a "comprehensive accounting of all cases at schools and campuses," the website says. Each case is dated a…

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by Cecilia Levine
Mount Pleasant, NY
News
COVID-19: NY Starts Direct Enforcement In 20 Hotspots; Cuomo Threatens To Close Some Schools COVID-19: NY Starts Direct Enforcement In 20 Hotspots; Cuomo Threatens To Close Some Schools
Covid-19: NY Starts Direct Enforcement In 20 Hotspots; Cuomo Threatens To Close Some Schools New York State will launch direct enforcement of businesses in "hotspot" cluster areas and Gov. Andrew Cuomo said some schools may be ordered to close in-person learning due to insufficient COVID-19 testing. Within the top 20 ZIP codes in counties with recent outbreaks - Brooklyn (Kings), Queens and Rockland and Orange counties - the average rate of positive tests is 4.8 percent.  The rate of positive tests for the remainder of New York State, not counting these 20 ZIP codes, is 0.91 percent. These 20 ZIP codes contained 21 percent of all positive cases in New York State on Saturday, O…

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by Joe Lombardi
Massapequa, NY
Schools
COVID-19: NY Launches Real-Time COVID-19 Report Card For Schools COVID-19: NY Launches Real-Time COVID-19 Report Card For Schools
Covid-19: NY Launches Real-Time Covid-19 Report Card For Schools A new type of “report card” is coming to New York schools to provide parents and teachers up-to-date information on the spread of COVID-19 during the pandemic. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced during a COVID-19 briefing on Tuesday, Sept. 8 that he is signing an Executive Order that will require schools, local health departments, labs, and other testing sites to provide the state with information regarding the virus. The new information being gathered from multiple sources will be posted in an online dashboard and include: Positive cases by date of students and staff in each individua…

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by Zak Failla