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NYS Coronavirus Update

Starting today, the Capital Region which includes Washington County and Huletts Landing, can begin Phase 1 of the state’s regional phased reopening plan. The region has identified enough tracers to meet the required metrics and will be joining Western New York, Central New York, the North Country, the Finger Lakes, Southern Tier and Mohawk Valley in reopening Phase 1 businesses.

The number of total COVID hospitalizations continues to drop. Total hospitalizations fell to 5,860, from 5,840 the day before. The number of new COVID hospitalizations fell to 335, from 373 the day before. Tragically, we lost 105 New Yorkers to the virus on Monday.

Elsewhere

Sometimes you just have to get excited about life!

The Belmont Stake will take place on June 20, without fans.Traditionally, the Long Island horse race is the last leg in the Triple Crown, following the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. This year, for the first time in history, the Belmont will be first. Earlier this week, Governor Cuomo announced that horse racing tracks could open without fans and the state will issue guidance on how they can safely reopen in the coming week.

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NYS Coronavirus Update

The number of total COVID hospitalizations in New York state continues to drop. Total hospitalizations fell to 5,850, from 5,897 the day before. There were 373 new COVID hospitalizations Sunday, essentially flat from 374 the previous day. Tragically, we lost 106 New Yorkers to the virus Sunday.

Elsewhere

President Trump’s Letter to the WHO

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NYS Coronavirus Update

There are over 700 locations where New Yorkers can get diagnostic testing. New Yorkers can visit a new website — coronavirus.health.ny.gov/find-test-site-near-you — and enter their address to view a list and a map view of the nearest testing sites. The state has also partnered with Google Maps to display testing site results. New Yorkers can search “COVID testing near me” on Google Maps to easily find the nearest testing sites. Please remember you must always schedule an appointment to get a COVID-19 diagnostic test by calling 1-888-364-3065 or your healthcare provider.

New York State is partnering with CVS to bring testing to more than 60 CVS pharmacies across the state. Each site will be able to conduct 50 or more tests per day.

The number of total COVID hospitalizations continues to drop. Total hospitalizations fell to 5,897, from 6,220 the day before. The number of new COVID hospitalizations also dropped to 374, from 400 the day before. Tragically, we lost 139 New Yorkers to the virus on Saturday.

Elsewhere

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NYS Coronavirus Update

The number of total COVID hospitalizations is still dropping. Total hospitalizations fell to 6,220, from 6,394 the day before. The number of new COVID hospitalizations also dropped, from 400 to 431 the day before. Tragically, we lost 157 New Yorkers to the virus on Friday.

Testing capacity continues to strengthen. On Friday, 40,669 New Yorkers were tested for the virus. For context, in early March, 2000 New Yorkers a day were being tested. Of those tested Friday, 2,419 people were positive.

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is calling for a federal probe of Gov. Cuomo’s handling of COVID-19 in nursing homes. Her call came after a new report showed the state quietly altered the way it publicly reports nursing home deaths from the virus. In early May the state stopped counting nursing-home patients who died from COVID-19 in hospitals in its official tallies of nursing-home fatalities, The Daily Caller reported. It now only includes those deaths that occur in the nursing home facility itself. So if a nursing home resident catches COVID-19 in the nursing home, gets sent to a hospital and dies, that gets listed as a hospital death.

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NYS Coronavirus Update

NY State beaches will be open Memorial Day weekend. In coordination with the governors of New Jersey, Connecticut and Delaware, New York State beaches will reopen with restrictions in place effective Friday, May 22. The restrictions include reducing the number of people allowed and ensuring there are enough staff present to enforce social distancing. Local beaches and lakeshores may also open Friday May 22nd if they follow the same safety precautions.

“New York on PAUSE” remains in effect until May 28. However, as soon as your region hits the benchmarks, it can begin to reopen immediately — it does not have to wait until May 28. To see where our region stands, visit the state’s Regional Dashboard. Washington County has been placed in the “Capital Region.”

The number of total NY COVID hospitalizations is still dropping. Total hospitalizations fell to 6,394, from 6,706 the day before. The number of new COVID hospitalizations rose slightly to 431, from 420 the day before. Tragically, we lost 132 New Yorkers to the virus yesterday, and our hearts are with their loved ones.

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NYS Coronavirus Update

New York will reopen certain low-risk business and recreational activities statewide on May 15th. This includes landscaping and gardening, low-risk outdoor recreational activities (like tennis) and drive-in movie theaters.

The number of total COVID hospitalizations are still dropping. Total hospitalizations fell to 6,706, from 6,946 the day before. The number of new COVID hospitalizations rose slightly to 420, from 416 the day before. Tragically, we lost 157 New Yorkers to this vicious virus yesterday.

Patients in New York hospitals must now test negative for the coronavirus before they can be discharged to nursing homes, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has declared. This partially reverses a policy that that the Cuomo administration instituted that forced sickened senior citizens into facilities housing those most vulnerable. The ruling partially overrides a controversial March 25 order that nursing homes cannot deny admission or readmission on the basis of a positive or suspected COVID-19 case.

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NYS Coronavirus Update

The state has learned new insights about the patients being hospitalized with COVID-19 from a survey of hospitals. New York received 1,269 survey responses from 113 hospitals over three days. Of the newly hospitalized patients, 66% were at home before they were admitted, compared to 18% who had been in nursing homes, 4% in assisted living and less than one percent from jails or prisons. Only 4% of respondents reported having used public transportation.

The number of new COVID hospitalizations in New York continues to fall. Yesterday, the number of new COVID hospitalizations fell to 601, down from 659 the day before.

Now, through August 12th, sunsets will be 8 p.m. or later. According to National Weather Service, the first sunset after 8 p.m. was on Monday. Still, as the weather gets warmer, we must continue our vigilance and practice social distancing.

The state is asking New Yorkers to explain why wearing a mask in public is important in a video submission contest. The winning video will be used in a TV ad. Videos should be less than 30 seconds long and should show how to wear a mask properly, covering both the mouth and nose. The submission deadline is May 15th. Learn more at WearAMask.ny.gov.

Representative Stefanik sent a letter to House and Senate leadership requesting immediate help for the United Sates Postal Service. The letter, signed by members of the New York Congressional Delegation, outlines the importance of the Postal Service in New York State, where 7.7 million addresses are served. The letter also outlines the negative financial impact that the COVID-19 outbreak has had on mail volume and goes on to support the Postal Board of Governors’ request for a total of $75 billion in funding for the Postal Service. Representative Stefanik understands firsthand the importance of the Postal Service in her district, especially in our more rural areas. The Postal Service is a critical component of our infrastructure, and it employs many people in the district as well. Congresswoman Stefanik continues to advocate for federal funding to support the Postal Service through this challenging time and beyond.

Elsewhere:

First Lady Melania Trump’s Message for National Nurses Day

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Casino Schedule Update

In light of the COVID-19 National Emergency, the Huletts Casino will be closed through at least June 15th. It will not be open for the Memorial Day weekend.

Hopefully, we will be through this storm soon.

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NYS Coronavirus Update

Attorney General Bill Barr Issues DOJ Memo: “The Constitution is Not Suspended in Times of Crisis”…The U.S. Department of Justice, Attorney General Bill Barr, has issued a memo (pdf here) citing a needed balance between COVID-19 mitigation efforts and U.S. civil rights under the constitution. Notably AG Barr identifies both “religious freedom”, and “undue interference with the national economy” within his memo.

Governor Cuomo has outlined a phased plan to safely reopen New York at the appropriate time, taking a regional approach. Phase one will be to reopen low-risk construction and manufacturing businesses in parts of the state that have experienced a 14-day decline in the hospitalization rate. Phase two will open certain industries based on priority and risk level. (Businesses considered “more essential” with inherent low risks of infection in the workplace and to the customer will be prioritized.) Officials are closely monitoring the hospitalization rate, the infection rate, and other key health indicators, and will make adjustments to the plan based on this crucial data.

Washington County was able to distribute OVER 8,000 cloth face coverings and get them in to the hands of many in our communities who need them.

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Washington County Chairman ‘Calls Upon’ People to Stay Away

Washington County’s Chairman of the Board, Samuel J. Hall, issued the following on March 25th.

Washington County’s Chairman of the Board, Samuel J. Hall, today, March 25, 2020, calls upon our visitors, weekenders, second-home owners and short-term rental owners and those with rental listings to refrain from visiting Washington County during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

There are currently six (6) confirmed cases of COVID-19 (2019 Novel Coronavirus) in the County and we are attempting to proactively reduce further exposure as it impacts the County’s population and our limited health and public safety assets.

We are beginning to see an influx of travelers from outside the County who are staying at second homes and short-term rentals, like AirBNB and VRBO. We are also seeing people who believe that they will receive faster testing services by leaving their main residence and coming here. Washington County is already following one positive case in which a non-County resident arrived thinking they would receive better access to testing. Unfortunately, seeking refuge from the more populous areas will not protect you from this global pandemic.

Both Governor Cuomo and Washington County have called upon the populace to halt the spread of the COVID-19 virus by limiting their movements to travel that is absolutely necessary. That is the only way we can stop the spread and protect our families and friends from this dangerous virus that can be dangerous and even fatal to the elderly and people with underlying health conditions.

It is unquestionable that the number of exposed people will increase with a more mobile population. An influx of people, no matter where their original domicile, can only lead to more cases in Washington County, thereby overwhelming its resources.

Read the entire statement from Mr. Hall here.

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Please Read: COVID-19 Update Washington County NY

Governor Cuomo has announced that “New York State on PAUSE” plan, takes effect 8 p.m. Sunday, banning all non-essential gatherings of individuals “of any size for any reason.”

Also, all workers should stay home unless they fall into the list of essential businesses.

Washington County Board of Supervisors Chairman Samuel J. Hall has declared a State of Emergency for Washington County, effective as of 2:00 PM on March 16, 2020, and will remain in effect for the next thirty days, or until rescinded. The State of Emergency allows the county to continue facilitating the ongoing response to COVID-19 and to provide the County of Washington and local organizations with the flexibility needed to respond to this imminent threat to public health, safety and quality of life.

Updates can be found here:
http://www.washingtoncountyny.gov/coronavirus

As of 3/22/2020 3:30 pm

There are now 4 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Washington County

None of the identified COVID-19 positive patients are related or from the same household, all are from different geographic areas across the county. During the Public Health investigations, one of the COVID-19 positive patients self-identified as an operator of an in-home daycare facility. Once symptomatic they contacted Public Health and their family doctor for further evaluation and testing and ceased operating the daycare with notification of symptoms to the parents of those in their care. All of those in their care and with close physical contact have been notified and are now registered as PUIs.

While many in our communities would like to know more specific information about the COVID-19 positive patients and their locations, due to privacy regulations coupled with the county’s privacy policy, Washington County will not routinely release specific identifying information about patients (i.e., age, location) unless it aids in the Public Health investigation and identification of additional PUIs. Please remember, the identified PUIs and COVID-19 patients are under quarantine for 14 days from the date of exposure and are not out in the public. Public Health conducts a public health investigation on every COVID-19 positive patient and makes notification to those identified as having close personal contact with a COVID-19 positive patient

Most Washington county offices are closed.

PLEASE NOTE:
Send home or separate anyone who becomes sick.

If you identify a case, inform people who might have been exposed.
Continue to safely clean and disinfect all areas.

If you have been exposed to someone who may be sick, please stay inside and self-quarantine.

There are people in the community with weakened immune systems – please be considerate to all those you encounter. Please use social distancing at all times.

I have spoken to Huletts Landing Fire Chief & Safety Officer, Jay VanderPlaat, who wants people to know that treatment protocols have changed rapidly and that the personal protective required articles are in short supply or are back ordered from the county and/or state. Because of these requirements and the shortage of protective gear, local EMT’s may be unable to respond to COVID-19 or breathing issues and those so afflicted may have to wait for an ambulance during the current emergency.

This is an unprecedented time in the history of our nation, state and Washington County, including Huletts Landing. Please act accordingly.

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Stec Receives Endorsement of Washington County GOP

Assemblyman Dan Stec (R,C,I-Queensbury) today announced another crucial endorsement in his campaign for State Senate. The Washington County Republican Committee has now officially backed his candidacy to succeed retiring Senator Betty Little as the representative for the 45th District.

In announcing his party’s overwhelming support for Stec, Washington County Republican Committee Chairman Dan Boucher cited the Assemblyman’s proven record and experience in advocating for Washington County families and small businesses.

“Thank you to the Washington County Republican Party for endorsing my Senate campaign,” Stec said. “During my time as an Assemblyman, I’ve proudly worked with and for Washington County seniors, families and job creators. The county is home to some of the hardest working, most dedicated residents in the state and as our next State Senator, I will continue to work tirelessly on their behalf.”

“Dan Stec is the clear choice for State Senate,” said Chairman Dan Boucher. “Since 2013, Dan has served the parts of Washington County he represents with distinction. He’s committed to helping our communities and has proven himself to be a strong defender of our values. Dan Stec will be a great Senator for the 45th District.”

The 45th Senate District is comprised of all or part of six different counties. Assemblyman Stec has been officially received the official endorsement from the Republican Committees in five of the six: Washington, Clinton, Essex, Franklin and Warren. He is also supported by the St. Lawrence and Warren County Conservative Parties – as well as the recipient of endorsements from dozens of state and local elected officials in all six counties.