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CDC: Many Healthy Americans Can Take A Break From Masks

Most Americans live in places where healthy people, including students in schools, can safely take a break from wearing masks under new U.S. guidelines released Friday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outlined the new set of measures for communities where COVID-19 is easing ...

Schools Waiting For Update On Mask Mandate

Area superintendents are waiting to learn the fate of New York state’s mandate requiring face masks in schools. Local officials have been told that changes may arrive regarding masking in schools after the mid-winter break, but nothing official has been announced. Gov. Kathy Hochul said earlier this month that the mask requirement in schools would be assessed in early March. She said the assessment “will be based on public health data, including key metrics like cases per 100,000 residents, hospital admission rates, vaccination rates, global trends and pediatric ...

County ‘Strong,’ Wendel Says In Address

MAYVILLE -- Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel touted the area’s growth under his watch Wednesday at the annual State of the County address. Stating the county had “successful budgeting and a strong economic recovery” from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Republican offered a sunny, ...

Letter To Gov. On Masks Draws Plenty Of Responses

WESTFIELD — A letter by the Westfield Academy and Central School Board to Gov. Kathy Hochul regarding COVID-related mandates has generated a good deal of response from area residents, but no answer from the state so far. During the public comment section of the Feb. 14 regular board meeting, four adults and four students spoke on the mask mandate. All urged the board to remove the mandate to wear masks in school. The letter to Hochul, written by board member Tom Tarpley and signed by all of the board members, stated that the government-imposed mandates have not succeeded in keeping ...

Pregnancy-related deaths for U.S. mothers climbed higher in the pandemic's first year, continuing a decades-long trend that disproportionately affects Black people, according to a government report released Wednesday. Overall in 2020, there were almost 24 deaths per 100,000 births, or 861 ...

Few COVID Cases Are Reported In County

Fewer cases of COVID-19 are being documented in Chautauqua County. The county Health Department on Wednesday said there were 253 new cases for the week ending Feb. 19. It's the sixth straight week cases have been trending downward, with average daily cases currently around 36. Health officials have noted that because positive test results through use of at-home kits are not always reported, the county's information represents the minimum number of cases. To date there have been at least 26,801 confirmed cases in the county as well as 26,289 recoveries and 320 virus-related deaths. ...