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Tracking COVID-19 in New York

Daily cases & positivity rate

Suffolk
Updated Oct. 26, 3:30 pm
On Oct. 25 Daily average (7 days) Change over last week
New cases 195 298 --18.12%
Positivity rate 2.76% 2.56% --12%
Data from the New York State Department of Health, Suffolk County Health Department and The New York Times.
Each day includes new cases reported since the previous day.

Nassau
Updated Oct. 26, 3:30 pm
On Oct. 25 Daily average (7 days) Change over last week
New cases 142 189 --17.01%
Positivity rate 2.39% 1.81% --11%
Data from the New York State Department of Health, Suffolk County Health Department and The New York Times.
Each day includes new cases reported since the previous day.

New York City
Updated Oct. 26, 3:30 pm
On Oct. 25 Daily average (7 days) Change over last week
New cases 562 840 --22.51%
Positivity rate 1.14% 1.02% --14%
Data from the New York State Department of Health, Suffolk County Health Department and The New York Times.
Each day includes new cases reported since the previous day.

New York
Updated Oct. 26, 3:30 pm
On Oct. 25 Daily average (7 days) Change over last week
New cases 2203 3563 --17.16%
Positivity rate 2.37% 2.12% --10%
Data from the New York State Department of Health, Suffolk County Health Department and The New York Times.
Each day includes new cases reported since the previous day.
 

Latest news

Health
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Suffolk County executive tests positive for COVID-19

County Executive Steve Bellone announced he tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 20. Bellone said he is experiencing mild symptoms so far. Full story.
Local News
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State warns against scammers targeting COVID-19 vaccine recipients

Using text messages, scammers are attempting to impersonate the NYS Department of Health and tell text message recipients they are required to enter their information to validate their vaccination status. The text messages link to fraudulent sites. Anyone who receives such a text message should delete it right away. Full story.
Local News
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Vaccine rights event cosponsored by Giglio is scheduled, then quickly canceled

An event in Riverhead planned by Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio and another state lawmaker, advertised as an “informational meeting about your constitutional rights regarding vaccinations and vaccine mandates” was canceled after social media posts condemned the event for hosting representatives of an anti-vaccine pseudoscience group. Full story.
Health
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COVID test positivity rate in Suffolk’s school-age children was 67% higher than overall county rate during first month of school

Since the beginning of the school year, 2,818 Suffolk children ages 5-17 have tested positive for COVID-19 — a 7.2% test positivity rate for 39,170 tests since Sept. 1 — more than 67% higher than the average test positivity rate in Suffolk overall since Sept. 1, which was 4.3%. Full story.
Government
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How should Riverhead spend nearly $3.7 million in federal coronavirus relief aid? Town officials mull options

Riverhead Town will use more than $3.6 million in federal coronavirus relief aid to bolster infrastructure, make up for lost government revenue and support nonprofits and businesses that struggled during the pandemic, if recommendations from town employees are adopted by the Town Board. Full story.
Government
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Sheriff cancels open house due to staff shortage made worse by COVID infections

There are currently 31 correction officers out — 22 because of infections and nine who are quarantined due to COVID exposure, said sheriff’s office spokesperson Kristin McKay. Since March 2020, 98 inmates have tested positive for COVID, 79 of whom contracted the disease while incarcerated. Full story.
Health
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PBMC remains well-staffed, despite vaccine mandate forcing layoff of 2% of its staff, hospital executive says

Peconic Bay Medical Center will have to terminate about 2% of its total workforce today under a Northwell Health COVID-19 vaccine policy that required all employees to present proof of vaccination by 11:59 p.m. Monday to avoid termination, according to PBMC Executive Director Amy Loeb. Full story.
Health
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New York officials worry vaccine mandate will drive healthcare worker shortage

State lawmakers on the East End say they fear an impending staffing crisis in local hospitals and nursing homes due to vaccine resistance among workers. Full story.
Local News
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Protest outside Riverhead hospital draws crowd of vaccine mandate opponents

Protesters against the state's vaccine mandate for health care workers took to the street on Route 58 in Riverhead Saturday, lining up around the traffic circle near Peconic Bay Medical Center. Full story.
Local News
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New York State extends eviction moratorium

New York State extended its eviction and foreclosure moratorium yesterday through Jan. 15, guaranteeing that families around the state economically suffering because of COVID-19 can remain in their homes at least a while longer. Full story.
Board of Education
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Anti-mask residents sound off at Riverhead school board meeting Tuesday

Some Riverhead Central School District residents continue to speak out against mask mandates, despite an indoor mask mandate being adopted by the Board of Education and mandated by Governor Kathy Hochul.  Full story.
Health
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Back to school, as COVID-19 community transmission continues to rise in Riverhead

Students return to Riverhead classrooms for in-person learning Thursday morning, as cases and hospitalizations rise amid a local surge of the delta variant. Full story.
Health
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Effects of delta variant seen in recent COVID-19 spike, hospitalizations in Suffolk

The local surge in COVID-19 cases corresponds with the trajectory of the more contagious delta variant in the region.The spike in confirmed cases has been accompanied by a spike in hospitalizations. Full story.
Health
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Hochul orders universal masking in all schools, says she will pursue options for vaccine mandate for school employees

Gov. Kathy Hochul dove head-first into controversial waters on her first day in office with the announcement of a back-to school plan that includes a universal mask requirement in all schools, as well as pursuing options for a potential vaccine mandate for school employees, with a weekly testing requirement for staff who remain unvaccinated. Full story.
Health
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Hochul to order universal masking in schools

Gov. Kathy Hochul said today she is immediately directing the State Department of Health to institute universal masking for anyone entering schools. Full story.
Health
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FDA grants full approval to Pfizer vaccine

The Food and Drug Administration has granted full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for people ages 16 and older.  Full story.
Update August 19, 6:21 am
Denise Civiletti

Citing waning effectiveness of COVID vaccine & delta variant, federal health officials recommend booster dose for all Americans

Federal health officials say a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot will be needed to maximize protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and prolong the vaccine’s durability.

Citing a trio of three studies released by the Centers for disease Control and Prevention, including one completed by the New York State Department of Health, the officials in a statement released yesterday said the effectiveness of the vaccine is decreasing over time.

(more…)
Business News
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Suffolk Theater will require COVID vaccination or negative test to attend events

Guests at the Suffolk Theater in Riverhead will need to provide their vaccination card, Excelsior Pass or proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of the event to enter the venue. The first two shows of the theater’s reopening are scheduled for next weekend. Full story.
Board of Education
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Riverhead school board adopts universal masking plan for start of school year

A split board voted 4-3 Tuesday night to approve a school reopening plan recommended by the superintendent of schools that requires students, teachers and staff to wear masks when they return to school in September, Full story.
Health
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Town vaccinated 62 residents last week

Riverhead Town helped inoculate 62 residents with their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine last week during a vaccine distribution event at the Riverhead Senior Center. Full story.
Local News
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Groups organizing to protest school mask mandates

Citizen groups are organizing protests aimed at stopping various school boards, including Riverhead’s, from implementing mask mandates intended to stop the spread of the coronavirus in schools. Full story.
Health
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COVID-19 update: Hospitalizations and deaths rise, as test positivity rate remains steady

COVID-19 hospitalizations spiked 35% in Suffolk last week compared to the week before, as daily new hospital admissions rose 27% on a seven-day average. Patients being treated in intensive care units also increased to a daily average of 24 from an average of 15 the week before. PBMC in Riverhead saw the same trends locally, a hospital administrator said. Full story.
Announcements
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‘Get the Vax Facts’ hosted by Stony Brook Medicine

Learn more about vaccinations, how they are made, their importance and how they affect the population en whole on Tuesday, Aug. 17... Full story.
Community News
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Riverhead heart transplant recipient on negotiating a pandemic without an immune system to protect you from a deadly virus

Since his transplant surgery five years ago, Ed Schaefer of Riverhead must take medication to prevent his body from rejecting his transplanted heart. Though he had both doses of the Moderna vaccine, he has no COVID antibodies because of his meds. That leaves him in a very vulnerable place as the virus surges anew. Full story.
Health
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Mask, social distance decisions left to local school officials by State Education Dept.

Though it was billed as a “guidance document” before its release, a “health and safety guide” issued by the State Education Department today does not provide local school districts with new guidance for managing the current COVID-19 outbreak as local officials prepare to bring students back into classrooms next month. Full story.
Health
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State Ed Department says it will issue COVID-19 guidance for school districts based on CDC guidance

The State Education Department says it is in the process of developing guidance to help local school districts prepare for the upcoming school year under the latest circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic. Full story.
Board of Education
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Suffolk health officials recommend universal masking, social distancing in schools this fall

All students, teachers, staff and visitors in K-12 schools should follow the Centers for Disease Control guidance, which urges universal mask wearing and social distancing due to the circulating and highly contagious delta variant, the Suffolk County health department has advised school officials. Riverhead School Superintendent Dr. Augustine Tornatore says he hopes the district will have its plan in place by the end of this week. Full story.
Announcements
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Get the Facts on the COVID Vaccine

Are you vaccinated? If not, why not? The Express News Group will host a virtual panel discussion with medical... Full story.
Health
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After weeks of declining numbers COVID-19 vaccinations on the uptick in Suffolk

COVID vaccinations plummeted in Suffolk from an average of more than 50,000 weekly doses in March and April to an average of just 10,000 weekly doses in July. The drop was not fo a lack of eligible arms and vaccination numbers are rising again. Full story.
Announcements
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Peconic Bay Medical Center continues to offer COVID-19 vaccinations in Riverhead

The pop-up COVID-19 vaccination site at Peconic Bay Medical Center's Entenmann Campus in Riverhead will remain open every Saturday. Full story.
Local News
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State won’t set mask rules for schools

Local school districts, only a few weeks out from the start of a new school year, are left without guidance from health officials on whether to require students and staff to wear masks indoors or whether to implement social distancing measures. Full story.
Health
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Update: No appointment needed for COVID vaccines at Riverhead senior center Aug. 12 & 13

Riverhead Town is partnering with the Long Island Farm Bureau and the North Fork Spanish Apostolate to sponsor a distribution event for the COVID-19 vaccine on Aug. 12 and 13 at the Riverhead Senior Center. Full story.
Health
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No plan to impose mask mandate in Suffolk, despite governor’s urging

Suffolk County has no plans to reinstate a mask mandate, officials said yesterday, despite the governor urging local governments to do so, as the highly infectious delta variant spreads and COVID infections and hospitalizations rise. Instead, the county will focus its efforts on increasing vaccination rates among residents. Full story.
Opinion | Denise Civiletti
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Without a new mask mandate and more vaccinations, COVID’s third wave in New York will be deadlier than the second

The number of new daily COVID infections in New York is four times what it was a year ago, before the second wave last fall/winter killed more than 10,500 New Yorkers. The delta strain of the coronavirus, now responsible for 83% of all infections, is much more contagious than last year's virus. And more than 8.5 million New Yorkers remain unvaccinated. Full story.
Column | Life On Purpose
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The radical life lessons of the Sermon on the Mount guide us in the time of COVID

when it comes to the moral decisions of how to operate in society respecting others and living in personal freedom — I find wisdom in the simplicity of the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do to you.” Full story.
Opinion | Guest Column
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To beat COVID, we need more people vaccinated

Low vaccination rates deeply lower our odds to control, and in time defeat, the COVID-19 virus, Peconic Bay Medical Center Executive Director Amy Loeb argues, urging unvaccinated people to take the shot now. Full story.
Health
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NY state will not mandate masks, but local governments ‘should seriously consider the CDC guidance,’ Cuomo says

Gov. Andrew Cuomo today left the door open for future state action, but he said policy-making responsibility rests with local governments and school districts in areas of substantial virus transmission to decide whether to implement the revised CDC guidance. Full story.
Health
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CDC issues health advisory on ‘urgent need’ to increase vaccination coverage

The new advisory, issued after the CDC announced revised guidance on mask-wearing yesterday, urges public health officials and clinicians to step up vaccination efforts. CDC said the 300% increase in COVID-19 infections over the past month is attributed to the spread of the highly infectious delta variant among unvaccinated people. Full story.
Health
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CDC now recommends vaccinated wear masks in some places with high transmission, including Long Island

The CDC has reversed its recommended guidance on mask use in public indoor settings for vaccinated individuals, especially in areas with high community transmission, citing an increase of breakthrough cases by the Delta variant. The CDC is also recommending K-12 students and staff wear masks in the coming school year, regardless of vaccination status. Full story.
Local News
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Zeldin blasts DOJ decision against probe into COVID-19 deaths in NY’s state-run nursing homes

The U.S. Justice Department has decided not to open a civil rights investigation into how government-run nursing homes in New York State responded to the COVID-19 crisis last year. The decision drew fire from Rep. Lee Zeldin, who called it a "gift" to Gov. Andrew Cuomo by the Biden Administration. Full story.
Local News
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Child tax credit expansion promises a financial boost for low and middle class families

Parents who make up to $150,000 jointly, or $112,500 filing single, will receive monthly payments of $300 per child age 0-5, and $250 per month per child ages 6-17, for the next six months under the American Rescue Plan. Full story.
Health
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COVID-19 test positivity rate rises above 2% in Suffolk for the first time since early May

With most restrictions lifted and the new delta variant circulating throughout the state, the number of confirmed COVID infections is climbing. Full story.
Local News
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Pandemic-fueled surge in East End real estate market pushes preservation tax revenues to new record highs

The red-hot real estate market on the East End continues to push home prices higher and break revenue records for the Peconic Bay Community Preservation Fund, which is generated by a 2% tax on real estate transfers in the five East End towns. High demand in the luxury markets on both forks continues to drive the growth. Full story.
Health
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NY’s state of emergency to end, Cuomo says, citing ‘dramatic progress’ against COVID-19

New Yorkers are "getting back on track and starting to live life once again," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said yesterday, as he announced the COVID-19 emergency order, set to expire at midnight June 24, would not be renewed. Full story.
Board of Education
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Riverhead school district receiving $18 million in federal COVID relief funds, seeks community input

The Riverhead Central School District is using federal COVID relief funds to launch new programs in the summer and during the next school year to help students whose academic progress was halted during the coronavirus pandemic. Full story.
Local News
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State of emergency lifted in Riverhead

Riverhead Supervisor Yvette Aguiar announced the state of emergency in the Town of Riverhead, in effect since March 12, 2020 would not be renewed. Full story.
Local News
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Local business owners hail a return to normal

Business owners — especially restaurant owners whose businesses suffered the most during the pandemic are excited for a return to 'normal.' Full story.
Business News
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New York ends most COVID restrictions as state passes vaccination milestone

Almost all of New York State’s coronavirus restrictions ended today after 70% of the state’s adult population received at least one dose of the vaccine, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced. Full story.
Business News
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Help wanted: Restaurants struggle for workers after the pandemic

These days, owning a restaurant means having to handle jobs once taken care of by hired help. Owners report they are struggling to fill positions due to a shortage of food service workers. Full story.
Update June 13, 8:52 am
Denise Civiletti

New York's statewide COVID percent positive Friday was 0.38% — or 533 positives of 141,568 test results reported. The seven-day average across the state was 0.44%. The percent positive rate in New York has declined for 68 consecutive days, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

In Suffolk County, 0.6% of the 11,423 COVID-19 test results reported were positive — 64 new cases countywide.

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