Surviving COVID-19

Governor’s Update on State Vaccination Program

February 19, 2021 by Inside Press

This update about the State’s vaccination program is via a release from the Governor’s Office:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state’s vaccination program. As of 11 a.m, today, New York’s health care distribution sites have administered 96 percent of first doses received for week 1-9 first doses. The week 10 allocation from the federal government is beginning to arrive in New York State, and New York’s health care distribution sites have administered 85 percent of doses so far delivered.

Approximately 10 million New Yorkers are currently eligible to receive the vaccine. The federal government has increased the weekly supply by more than 20 percent over the next three weeks, but New York’s vast distribution network and large population of eligible individuals still far exceed the supply coming from the federal government. Due to limited supply, New Yorkers are encouraged to remain patient and are advised not to show up at vaccination sites without an appointment.

“New Yorkers have been doing their part to keep the infection rate down, and we’re continuing to do everything we can to get shots into arms as quickly and fairly as possible,” Governor Cuomo said. “It’s working – we’ve made it past the post-holiday surge and our numbers continue to go down every day – but our issue remains lack of federal supply. With new leadership in Washington we are now expecting another increase in doses for week 11, allowing us to vaccinate even more New Yorkers every week and bringing us one step closer to winning this war and becoming the first COVID-free state.”

A screening tool, Am I Eligible?, https://am-i-eligible.covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/ has been updated for individuals with comorbidities and underlying conditions with new appointments released on a rolling basis over the next weeks. Starting next week, local health departments will also receive vaccine allocations for these individuals. New Yorkers can use the following to show they are eligible:

Doctor’s letter, or
Medical information evidencing comorbidity, or
Signed certification

Vaccination program numbers below are for doses distributed and delivered to New York for the state’s vaccination program, and do not include those reserved for the federal government’s Long Term Care Facility program. A breakdown of the data based on numbers reported to New York State as of 11AM today is as follows. Beginning week 9, allocation totals are inclusive of some excess vaccine doses that have been reallocated from the federal Long Term Care Facility program. The allocation totals below include 40 percent of the week 10 allocation which will finish being distributed to New York provider sites on Sunday.

To date, New York’s health care distribution sites have administered 96 percent of first doses received from the federal government for weeks 1-9 but due to the federal government’s limited allocation, appointments have filled up quickly. New Yorkers seeking to determine eligibility and schedule an appointment at a state-run mass vaccination site, can visit the ‘Am I Eligible’ website. New Yorkers may also call their local health department, pharmacy, doctor, or hospital for additional information and to schedule appointments where vaccines are available.

The COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker Dashboard is available to update New Yorkers on the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. The New York State Department of Health requires vaccinating facilities to report all COVID-19 vaccine administration data within 24 hours; the vaccine administration data on the dashboard is updated daily to reflect the most up-to-date metrics in the state’s vaccination effort.

New Yorkers who suspect fraud in the vaccine distribution process can now call 833-VAX-SCAM (833-829-7226) toll-free or email the state Department of Health at STOPVAXFRAUD@health.ny.gov. Hotline staff will route complaints to the appropriate investigative agencies to ensure New Yorkers are not being taken advantage of as the State works to vaccinate the entire eligible population.

STATEWIDE BREAKDOWN

First Doses Received – 2,335,250

First Doses Administered – 2,109,690; 90%

Second Doses Received – 1,284,300

Second Doses Administered – 984,100

Region	Total Doses Received (1st and 2nd)	Total Doses Administered (1st and 2nd)	% of Total Doses Administered/Received (1st and 2nd)
Capital Region	228,670	189,524	83%
Central New York	191,470	166,654	87%
Finger Lakes	216,700	193,038	89%
Long Island	452,000	393,401	87%
Mid-Hudson	340,370	270,048	79%
Mohawk Valley	103,685	83,321	80%
New York City	1,617,410	1,365,944	84%
North Country	116,705	107,786	92%
Southern Tier	114,075	105,394	92%
Western New York	238,465	218,680	92%
Statewide	3,619,550	3,093,790	85%

	1st doses fully delivered to New York for Healthcare Distribution Sites	2nd doses fully delivered to New York for Healthcare Distribution Sites	TOTAL	CUMULATIVE
Week 1 Doses arriving 12/14 – 12/20	90,675	0	90,675	N/A
Week 2 Doses arriving 12/21 – 12/27	392,025	0	392,025	482,700
Week 3 Doses arriving 12/28 – 01/03	201,500	0	201,500	684,200
Week 4 Doses arriving 01/04 – 01/10	160,050	90,675	250,725	934,925
Week 5 Doses arriving 01/11 – 01/17	209,400	45,825	255,225	1,190,150
Week 6 Doses arriving 01/18- 01/24	250,400	428,100	678,500	1,868,650
Week 7 Doses arriving 01/25 – 01/31	250,400	160,450	410,850	2,279,500
Week 8 Doses arriving 02/01 – 02/07	320,525	208,800	529,325	2,808,825
Week 9 Doses arriving 02/8 – 02/14	317,700	244,500	562,200	3,371,025
Week 10 Doses arriving 2/15 – 2/21*	142,575	105,950	248,525	3,619,550

Harckham and Otis Introducing Bill to Create Emergency Small Business Grant Program

February 9, 2021 by Inside Press

Part of a Package of Legislation That Includes More Loans and Allow Tax Deferments

Albany, NY – New York State Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblyman Steven Otis announced today that they are introducing legislation that will earmark up to $100 million of federal disaster relief funds sent to the state for an emergency small business grant program.

Sen. Pete Harckham with Nick Crecco, co-owner of Villa Barone Hilltop Manor in Mahopac with his brother John Crecco, in the empty ballroom at the villa. Credit: Office of State Sen. Pete Harckham / Tom Staudter

“The financial situation for small businesses across the state right now is dire, and we cannot wait any longer to give them the help they need to survive,” said Harckham. “Giving businesses access to emergency grants so they can pay bills and remain open is a must. We asked them to ‘take one for the team,’ so to speak, and now we need to reciprocate with a level of assistance that ensures their viability and continuance.”

Otis added, “As we decide where to target pandemic business relief, we must prioritize small businesses that can survive but need a boost to keep the doors open until our economy recovers. At stake are local jobs and the small businesses that are vital to every community.”

The new bill (S.4688) would utilize a fraction of the next coronavirus pandemic disaster relief funds that Congress and the Biden / Harris administration are expected to disburse soon to the states; Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has requested that New York receive $15 billion.

Once the federal government sends the funding to New York, the new bill would then authorize a state agency to set up the parameters for the emergency small business grant program, focusing on those businesses that had been asked by the state to remain closed during the pandemic.

This new legislation is part of a package that includes two earlier introduced bills that will offer small businesses and not-for-profit organizations additional financial resources to help keep them afloat while they grapple with the financial devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The first bill, S.3406, will establish a state of emergency loan program and will also guarantee loan repayment to the certain financial institutions that eligible small businesses statewide have been turning to for help. The second bill, S.2993, will allow small businesses and small landlords to defer certain taxes during the Covid-19 declared state of emergency and permit installment payments later on.

Harckham and Otis noted that this legislative package will help ensure employment for countless New Yorkers. As the pandemic spread through New York last spring, it was mandated that residents stay at home unless their occupations were deemed essential and businesses across the state were temporarily closed. This has had a devastating effect on the state’s economy, impacting small business owners and their employees, as well as their vendors and other associated small businesses.

“I am not sure how much longer our business will be able to survive without substantial financial assistance,” said Nick Crecco, who is co-owner of Villa Barone Hilltop Manor in Mahopac with his brother John Crecco. “The emergency small business grant program will let us continue to hang on, which, in the long run, will benefit our employees, our guests and our community at large.”

John Crecco added, “We lost more than a year of event bookings, and now we need more help so we can fully re-open in the months ahead. This is a business we built up, and I’m optimistic that we can build it back up again. Thankfully, it looks like the help we need is on its way.”

This information is via a News Release from Senator Harckham’s office.

State Senator Pete Harckham represents New York’s 40th District, which includes the towns of Beekman, Pawling and the village of Pawling in Dutchess County; the towns of Carmel, Patterson and Southeast, and the village of Brewster in Putnam County; and the city of Peekskill, the towns of Cortlandt, Lewisboro, Mount Pleasant, New Castle, North Salem, Pound Ridge, Somers and Yorktown, the town/village of Mount Kisco, and the villages of Briarcliff Manor, Buchanan, Croton-on-Hudson, Pleasantville and Sleepy Hollow in Westchester County.

State Assemblyman Steve Otis represents New York’s 91st Assembly District, which includes Larchmont, Mamaroneck, New Rochelle, Port Chester, the City of Rye, the Town of Rye and the Village of Rye Brook.

In New York: Comorbidities and Underlying Conditions Eligible for Covid-19 Vaccine Starting February 15

February 5, 2021 by Inside Press

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today released the list of comorbidities and underlying conditions that New York State will use to determine eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine. New Yorkers who have one of the comorbidities on the list will be eligible for the vaccine beginning February 15.

“New Yorkers with comorbidities and underlying conditions exist throughout the state’s population–they’re our teachers, lawyers and carpenters, in addition to the doctors who keep us safe every day, and they are a highly affected population,” Governor Cuomo said. “We’re committed to vaccinating vulnerable populations that have suffered the most as we distribute a strictly limited supply of vaccines, and people with comorbidities are 94 percent of the state’s COVID deaths. That’s why we’ll open eligibility to people with comorbidities starting February 15 and give hospitals the ability to use extra doses they have to address that population. Local governments have a week to prepare for the new change–they need to get ready now.”

The full list of comorbidities and underlying conditions is available below. The list is subject to change as additional scientific evidence is published and as New York State obtains and analyzes additional state-specific data.

Adults of any age with the following conditions due to increased risk of moderate or severe illness or death from the virus that causes COVID-19:

Cancer (current or in remission, including 9/11-related cancers)
Chronic kidney disease
Pulmonary Disease, including but not limited to, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma (moderate-to-severe), pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, and 9/11 related pulmonary diseases
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities including Down Syndrome
Heart conditions, including but not limited to heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies, or hypertension (high blood pressure)
Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) including but not limited to solid organ transplant or from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, use of other immune weakening medicines, or other causes
Severe Obesity (BMI 40 kg/m2), Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 kg/m2 or higher but < 40 kg/m2)
Pregnancy
Sickle cell disease or Thalassemia
Type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus
Cerebrovascular disease (affects blood vessels and blood supply to the brain)
Neurologic conditions including but not limited to Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia
Liver disease

News release from the office of Governor Cuomo

Reflections from the Precipice

November 23, 2020 by Inside Press

On Climbing the COVID Mountain: A Heartfelt and Fact-Based Plea by an Emergency Room Doctor

By Dr. Evan Cohen

As an emergency physician, a husband and a father of two young children, I spend a lot of time thinking about Covid. Where we have been and where we are going. I find that despite all the destruction and pain that we have endured, the future is still ours to create.

Here, on the precipice of the Covid mountain I realize that I’ve gone through all of the stages of pandemic grief. In February and early March it was shock and disbelief. I did not think that Covid-19 would be so bad; it was being overblown by the media. Like Ebola, Bird Flu and SARS, it was happening far away and would not affect me. When it reached our shores and my community in New York, I felt certain that we could briefly quarantine our way out of the mess. As April rolled around, I was angry that so many people were dying. Selfishly, I was even more angry about the sacrifices that my family and I had to make. No more weekend date nights or get-togethers with friends, no vacations, no school or playdates for my children and there were no more escapes to the arcades and indoor playgrounds on those painful rainy days.

I stopped at the guilt stage during a frightening two weeks when my parents developed Covid. My father recovered very quickly, but as my mother’s illness lingered, I kept seeing her face superimposed onto my patients in the emergency department. I was constantly thinking about the possibility of someone so important to me lying in a hospital bed alone and with no effective treatments available. The worst part as a son and emergency doctor was that there was nothing that I could do other than call her every few hours to make sure her breathing wasn’t labored. After that experience, the Covid-related depression was almost a relief. It didn’t matter much that I am trained to recognize the risk factors for depression and get people help when they need it. I could only feel positive for so long while thinking about all that had been taken away from me, there was no end in sight. I remember leaving an interview I gave on Covid-related depression and feeling so hypocritical telling people how to try and battle the same gloom that I was feeling.

What kept me going during that time was the incredible support that I and my colleagues received from our community. As an ER doctor, I feel like I’ve been trained to deal with anything and anybody that comes through my doors. Having trained in Camden, New Jersey and worked all over the east coast of this country, nothing could shake or surprise me and I was proud of that. Many times, I was so good at separating emotion from reality that I forgot the value of my work. As a heartfelt reminder, our staff received countless letters of gratitude and witnessed several “drive-by” parades organized by the community. The hospital played “Fight Song” on the loudspeaker every time a Covid patient was discharged, a moment that always sent a shiver down my spine! I pray that every health care worker felt as appreciated as I did during those months.

The summer offered me a much needed respite and life almost felt normal. My mood was tied to the case count and as cases trended down in my community, I was able to spend time with my extended family, take my children to the playground and pool club. I would go days at a time without seeing a Covid patient at work. Now, with the summer in the rear view mirror and the weather getting too cold to play outside, I’ve reached the acceptance phase, although I’ve had to go through many of these painful phases again on my way here.

I accept that Covid is real and won’t disappear if we just wish hard enough. I accept that many more people will get sick and die and I accept that there will be sacrifices this winter. I also accept that myself contracting Covid is not inevitable and that I have some control over how things work out.

Nationwide, we are seeing the exponential spread of this illness come back with a vengeance. As case counts reach a critical level, the internal calculus we have been doing has changed. Chances are that any time there is any gathering of more than just a few people, there will be someone in the crowd with Covid. We are back to all Covid all the time. The biggest public health threat, hospital overcrowding, is happening again.

I appreciate that it seems like fewer people are dying and going on ventilators compared to last spring. The best explanation I can come up with for this is complex but I think is partially related to the amazing work of the scientific community in narrowing down and creating effective therapeutics. Dedicated scientists were able to figure out in short order that hydroxychloroquine, early ventilator use and azithromycin were out and remdesivir, steroids, and blood thinners were in. I feel optimistic about the new arrival of monoclonal antibodies. Despite all of these drugs, the most important factor that I see is the availability of nurses and other health care workers to be adequately staffed to care for the large numbers of Covid patients in the hospitals. This just cannot be overstated for any medical condition that requires a high intensity of care! For anyone that has recovered from surgery or serious illness, you know how important it is to take your medications on time, eat nutritious foods, be clean, communicate with loved ones and be able to walk. One of my health care heroes, a nurse colleague, donated countless hours last spring cleaning soiled patients and feeding them. those being the most essential tools in her toolkit. Those simple but crucial things just can’t happen without adequate staffing in hospitals.

Now, from standing on what I hope is the precipice, I see two futures. In one dark world, we have not learned from the mistakes of the past. Our Ids control our superego and we do what feels good. After all, it feels good to eat in a restaurant, to hang out with our friends, and to see our families. In this future, I see our schools closing down and my five-year-old son unable to sit still for Zoom kindergarten. I see my three-year-old daughter deprived of seeing her best friend and unable to get the amazing nurturing experience and growth she has been given this year at her nursery school. I see the death tolls rolling up. I see my colleagues in medicine going back into that dark place of last spring. In the other (brighter) future, I see us all banding back together the way we did in April. We can be supportive of each other during this time and simply do better at keeping the virus at bay. I do not accept that we have given our best effort at controlling this pandemic.

I believe that to act with conviction, you must first understand your WHY. My WHY with Covid is mainly driven by fear. I have a fear of my friends and family getting sick, of my children not being able to go to school, overcrowded hospitals and of coming down with a debilitating case of Covid just days before I was scheduled to receive the vaccine. I will never claim that my Covid behavior is perfect, but any sacrifices that I make are with those visions in mind. I know that everyone has different motivations in their lives; nevertheless I hope and believe that many of our WHYs are aligned.

Whatever your goals and motivations, we have a path forward in this together. And, thanks to the knowledge we have now in terms of mask wearing and physical distancing, we can do better. On the other side of this peak will be hundreds of millions of miraculous life-saving vaccines. Out of this tragedy, it’s possible that the Covid vaccines will offer the most impactful gift that the house of medicine has ever given to humanity.

As the winter rolls in and we get an influx of young adults home from college and a line-up of holidays that traditionally foster large gatherings, all that I ask is for all of us to realize what is at stake and how close we are to being on the other side of this mountain. I hope to see all of you when we get there.

Dr. Evan Cohen is originally from Rockland County, New York and obtained a B.S degree from Syracuse University. He obtained his medical degree from SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse New York and completed an emergency medicine residency at Cooper University Hospital in Camden New Jersey. Currently, he is serving as a medical director and practicing emergency physician in Orange County New York. He lives with his wife and two children in Chappaqua, New York.

Advice to Help Everyone Stay Safe From Covid Infection through this Year’s Thanksgiving Gathering

November 18, 2020 by Inside Press

Recommendations from the Westchester County Executive to stay safe and still enjoy the holiday together.

Here is the food and home safety advisory shared by Westchester County Executive George Latimer who encourages residents to keep their Thanksgiving celebrations small and as safe as possible this year and to follow the Health Department’s tips for a healthier holiday.

Latimer said: “This is the year to make your Thanksgiving gathering more intimate, and to cherish your immediate family members and traditions. Consider setting time for a virtual visit with distant relatives and friends. If you do invite others to your holiday table, spend some time outdoors and keep the windows open when you’re inside.”

Health Commissioner Sherlita Amler, MD, offered some extra advice to reduce Covid-19 exposure:

Open the windows — the wider the better and as many as possible — to promote cross-ventilation.
Run your kitchen exhaust fan.
Keep guests out of the kitchen.
Wash or sanitize hands frequently.
Have your guests wear a mask unless they are eating or drinking.
Avoid passing platters from person to person.
Designate one person with gloved hands to serve buffet style from a central location.
Consider making side dishes in single-serve ramekins and using single service plates and utensils.
Ask your guests to reduce their contacts and potential exposures for the two weeks prior to their visit.
Remind your guests to stay home if they have any COVID symptoms or a fever, are awaiting COVID test results, or are under quarantine or isolation orders.
Have your returning college student limit his or her exposure to others and get tested this week, next week and a day or two before returning home, wear a mask throughout their travel home when around others, whether by plane, train or car, with windows open.
Invite your guests to wear masks and meet you for a walk, a turkey trot or a hike in a park.

Amler said: “It is especially important to keep uninvited germs out of your holiday meal, so wash your hands thoroughly when you arrive and before you take that first bite. Good hand hygiene can help reduce the risk of flu, Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses.”

Restaurants have taken steps to increase safety, but outdoor dining remains preferable to indoors. When dining out, if you do not see a permit, contact the Health Department to assure the restaurant complies with State and County sanitary codes.

At home, when you remove your fresh or defrosted turkey from the refrigerator, do not wash it — this spreads pathogens onto kitchen surfaces. Fully cook the turkey to kill bacteria that causes foodborne illness. The Health Department recommends holiday hosts and their helpers follow these 10 food safety tips:

Wash hands and food-contact surfaces with hot water and soap thoroughly and often.
Thaw turkey in a pan in the refrigerator, allowing 24 hours for every 5 pounds.
Keep raw meat, poultry and their juices away from ready-to-eat foods.
Use separate cutting boards, plates and utensils when handling raw turkey to avoid cross-contamination.
Wash items that have touched raw meat with hot water and soap, or place them in a dishwasher.
Rinse all fruits and vegetables in cool running water and remove surface dirt.
Cook turkey and stuffing to 165°F, as measured by a food thermometer. Check the turkey’s temperature by inserting the thermometer in three places: the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the thigh and the innermost part of the wing.
When preparing the meal, cut down on the amount of fat and sugar in recipes and boost flavor with fresh herbs instead of salt.
Refrigerate turkey, stuffing and sides within two hours.
Reheat leftovers to at least at least 165°F before serving. (Check the temperature with a metal probe thermometer.)

For more food preparation safety tips, go to www.westchestergov.com/health. SDA Meat & Poultry Hotline: 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) USDA-FSIS: Chat live with a food safety specialist in English or Spanish at AskKaren.gov (En Español), 10 a.m.–6 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday. Web-based automated response system available 24/7.

News courtesy of the Westchester County Executive