White Plains, NY
News
COVID-19: Pfizer Asks FDA For Emergency Use Authorization Of Vaccine For Children Under 5 COVID-19: Pfizer Asks FDA For Emergency Use Authorization Of Vaccine For Children Under 5
Covid-19: Pfizer Asks FDA For Emergency Use Authorization Of Vaccine For Children Under 5 New York-based Pfizer and its European partner BioNTech has requested that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expand the use of its COVID-19 vaccine to include children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years old, officials announced. On Tuesday, Feb. 1, citing a host of clinical trials, the pharmaceutical company announced it is seeking emergency use authorization (EUA) to admit the vaccine to a wider range of children. Currently, the vaccine is only approved for children 5 years old and older. Pfizer said that it plans to complete its EUA submission “in the coming days,” and has alre…

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by Zak Failla
Massapequa, NY
News
COVID-19: Here's Percentage NY Cases Have Dropped Since First Week Of Month COVID-19: Here's Percentage NY Cases Have Dropped Since First Week Of Month
Covid-19: Here's Percentage NY Cases Have Dropped Since First Week Of Month The COVID-19 numbers in New York continue to show marked improvement as the state distances itself from the post-holiday seasons surge of new infections. After peaking on Friday, Jan. 7, COVID-19 cases in New York have dropped 90 percent, according to the latest update from the Department of Health, which is reporting improved virus-related data across the board. In the past 24 hours, the number of COVID-19 patients being treated for the virus in state hospitals is down by more than 550, and each of New York’s 10 regions has seen its average seven-day positive infection rate drop since the …

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by Zak Failla
Chappaqua, NY
News
COVID-19: Hudson Valley Seeing Trend Of Less Positive Cases, Lower Infection Rates COVID-19: Hudson Valley Seeing Trend Of Less Positive Cases, Lower Infection Rates
Covid-19: Hudson Valley Seeing Trend Of Less Positive Cases, Lower Infection Rates The Hudson Valley has seen relief from the post-holiday surge of new COVID-19 infections as the positivity rate of those being tested for the virus dipped closer to 20 percent. For three straight days, the seven-day average percentage of positive test results in the Hudson Valley dipped from 22.59 percent on Sunday, Jan. 9, to 21.96 the following day, and down to 21.09 percent on Tuesday, Jan. 11, still among the highest in the state. Statewide, the positivity rate is also on the decline, to 20.22 percent on Jan. 11, as most of the state's 10 regions have seen COVID-19 either plateauing or …

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by Zak Failla
Brentwood, NY
News
COVID-19: Dozens Of NY Hospitals Halt Elective Surgeries COVID-19: Dozens Of NY Hospitals Halt Elective Surgeries
Covid-19: Dozens Of NY Hospitals Halt Elective Surgeries New York State officials have ordered dozens of hospitals experiencing lower bed capacity to temporarily halt elective surgeries in an effort to free up space amid the winter surge in COVID-19 cases. The state Department of Health ordered 40 hospitals to stop surgeries that aren't essential or urgent for at least two weeks, according to ABC 7. Most of the facilities are located in the western and central regions of the state, and the complete list of hospitals can be viewed here. The news comes as cases continue to increase across New York. In a daily update posted on Saturday, Jan. …

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by Nicole Valinote
Worcester, MA
Politics
COVID-19: Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren Tests Positive COVID-19: Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren Tests Positive
Covid-19: Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren Tests Positive Sen. Elizabeth Warren announced that she has tested positive for COVID-19. The 72-year-old Massachusetts Democrat said in a tweet that she received her positive test result on Sunday, Dec. 19 after testing negative earlier last week. I regularly test for COVID & while I tested negative earlier this week, today I tested positive with a breakthrough case. Thankfully, I am only experiencing mild symptoms & am grateful for the protection provided against serious illness that comes from being vaccinated & boosted. — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) December 19, 2021 Warren said she…

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by Nicole Valinote
Massapequa, NY
News
COVID-19: First Omicron Cases Identified In Nassau County COVID-19: First Omicron Cases Identified In Nassau County
Covid-19: First Omicron Cases Identified In Nassau County The first cases of the Omicron COVID-19 variant that has been spreading across New York have been identified in Nassau County on Long Island. Over the weekend, the number of Omicron cases on Long Island rose to six, as two cases of the variant were reported in Nassau to join the four in Suffolk County. The Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus remains the dominant strain in the US, accounting for approximately 99 percent of all new cases, though nearly half of the states in the country have reported cases of the Omicron variant. In Suffolk, there have now been a total of 267,652 confirmed CO…

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by Zak Failla
Rivertowns, NY
News
COVID-19: Fourth Shot May Eventually Be Needed, Pfizer Says COVID-19: Fourth Shot May Eventually Be Needed, Pfizer Says
Covid-19: Fourth Shot May Eventually Be Needed, Pfizer Says The CEO of Pfizer said in an interview that he believes a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose will eventually be needed.  Albert Bourla said on CNBC that real-world data will help determine how well three doses of the vaccine protect against the Omicron variant and how long protection lasts. "And the second point, I think we will need the fourth dose," Bourla told CNBC on Wednesday, Dec. 8. "I’ve said that multiple times. With the previous, I was projecting that that will be on 12 months after the third dose. With Omicron, we need to wait and see because we have very little informat…

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by Nicole Valinote
Somers, NY
News
COVID-19: First Findings Released On Vaccine Effectiveness Against Omicron Variant COVID-19: First Findings Released On Vaccine Effectiveness Against Omicron Variant
Covid-19: First Findings Released On Vaccine Effectiveness Against Omicron Variant The first findings on the effectiveness of vaccines against the COVID-19 Omicron variant have been released. Pfizer and its European partner BioNTech said that a booster shot offers significant protection against Omicron and "neutralizes" the strain. Two vaccine doses "show significantly reduced neutralization titers" but could protect against severe disease from COVID, the companies said. The findings come from an initial laboratory study. According to the companies’ preliminary data, "a third dose provides a similar level of neutralizing antibodies to Omicron as is observ…

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by Joe Lombardi
Torrington, CT
News
COVID-19: Second Case Of Omicron Variant Identified In CT COVID-19: Second Case Of Omicron Variant Identified In CT
Covid-19: Second Case Of Omicron Variant Identified In CT The Connecticut Department of Public Health has confirmed a second case of the COVID-19 Omicron variant. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced on Tuesday, Dec. 7 that the second case of the more-transmissible variant has been identified in the state, with sequencing performed by the Yale School of Public Health. Earlier story - COVID-19: Half Of Group Who Attended NYC Convention With Omicron-Infected Man Now Have Virus According to the Department of Health, the man who contracted the Omicron variant is in his 20s from Fairfield County and began developing mild symptoms on Thursday, De…

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by Zak Failla
Brentwood, NY
News
COVID-19: Man Who Went To NY Conference Tests Positive For Omicron Variant COVID-19: Man Who Went To NY Conference Tests Positive For Omicron Variant
Covid-19: Man Who Went To NY Conference Tests Positive For Omicron Variant A day after the first case of the new COVID-19 variant was identified in the United States, it has been announced that a man from the Midwest who attended a conference in New York City has tested positive for the Omicron COVID-19 strain. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Thursday, Dec. 2 that the Department of Health in Minnesota alerted her that a constituent tested positive for the variant after spending time at the conference held at the Javits Center in Manhattan. Earlier story - COVID-19: First Case Of New Omicron Variant Identified In United States Hochul noted that the pe…

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by Zak Failla
Massapequa, NY
News
COVID-19: Pfizer CEO Says New Vaccine May Be Needed For Omicron, Anti-Viral Pills Are Effective COVID-19: Pfizer CEO Says New Vaccine May Be Needed For Omicron, Anti-Viral Pills Are Effective
Covid-19: Pfizer CEO Says New Vaccine May Be Needed For Omicron, Anti-Viral Pills Are Effective Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said that his company is preparing to tackle new COVID-19 variants, and that he expects the company’s treatment pill will be effective in helping avoid severe illness or possibly death if one get infected. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Omicron poses a “very high” global risk, with the likelihood it is more transmissible than previous strains. The new variant has nearly three dozen mutations that reportedly decrease antibody protection. WHO described Omicron as a “highly divergent variant with a high number of mutations ... some of which are conce…

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by Zak Failla
Kingston, NY
News
COVID-19: Rising Number Of Cases Prompts Ulster County To Declare State Of Emergency COVID-19: Rising Number Of Cases Prompts Ulster County To Declare State Of Emergency
Covid-19: Rising Number Of Cases Prompts Ulster County To Declare State Of Emergency Ulster County has declared a state of emergency due to rising COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan made the announcement on Sunday, Nov. 28, saying the order will be in effect for at least 30 days.  Ryan said since Halloween, active cases have tripled in the county. He urged residents to get vaccinated against COVID and to get their booster shots if they are six months past their last vaccine dose. "With COVID cases and hospitalizations surging, and the emergence of a new and potentially more dangerous variant, we must step up our efforts to ensure t…

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by Nicole Valinote