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COVID-19 Coverage

County Health Dept. Reports 42 New COVID Cases

The Chautauqua County Department of Health on Tuesday reported 42 new cases of COVID-19. There are currently 429 active cases of the virus in the county along with 33 people with the virus in the hospital, 1,282 in quarantine and a seven-day positivity rate of 8.4%. To date there have been 11,836 confirmed cases of COVID in the county, 11,226 recoveries and 181 virus-related deaths. Of the new cases reported Tuesday, for information collected Monday, 14 involve people residing in the Jamestown zip code; four came in Dunkirk, three each in Forestville, Fredonia and Silver Creek; ...

Facing Deadline, More NY Health Care Workers Vaccinate

ALBANY (AP) — Thousands of health care workers in New York faced with either getting the COVID-19 vaccine or losing their jobs received at least one dose as the statewide mandate neared, according to state figures. Workers at hospitals and nursing homes had until Monday to get their first ...

Visitation Limits Renewed At Dunkirk’s Brooks-TLC

Limits on visitors are being renewed, starting Wednesday, by the Brooks-TLC Hospital System in Dunkirk. In a news release issued this morning, the health-care facility announced the return of early pandemic restrictions in visitation due to a direct result of increases in volume, the new wave ...

Borrello Co-Sponsors Bill To Rescind Child Care Mask Mandate

State Sen. George Borrello has signed on as a co-sponsor of legislation that would rescind regulatons requiring children between the ages of 2 and 5 to wear face masks in day care centers. The legislation, S.7392, was introduced this week by Sen. Mike Martucci, R-Middletown, as a response to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Sept. 15 universal masking order for child care centners, home-based group family and family child care programs and after-school child care programs. The legislation wouldn’t be considered until January at the earliest when the state Legislature returns to session, and it ...

Hochul Gears For Fallout From Mandate

As a mandate that requires vaccinations begins today for health-care workers, state Gov. Kathy Hochul released a comprehensive plan that includes declaring a state of emergency to address preventable staffing shortages in hospitals and other facilities statewide. “We are still in a battle against COVID to protect our loved ones, and we need to fight with every tool at our disposal,” Hochul said over the weekend. “I am monitoring the staffing situation closely, and we have a plan to increase our health care workforce and help alleviate the burdens on our hospitals and other health ...

Vaccination Deadline Arrives For NY Health Care Workers

ALBANY (AP) — The deadline for hospital and nursing home workers in New York state to be vaccinated against COVID-19 arrived Monday with the prospect of severe staff shortages fueled by workers getting suspended or fired for refusing to be inoculated. With thousands of workers still ...