CORPORATE TARGETING UNION CONTRACTORS HAPPENS AGAIN IN WESTCHESTER, A PATTERN

Posted on January 28, 2023 by John Bailey

PEPSICO, PURCHASE LATEST TO REPLACE A UNIONIZED SECURITY CONTRACTOR. VIOLATION OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS ACT, UNION CHARGES. 50 UNION MEMBERS OUT OF WORK

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. FROM THE SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION 32BJ. January 28, 2023:

Area industry standards for security officers are at risk of being undercut after PepsiCo Inc. replaced union security contractor Securitas with new contractor AGB Investigative Services, Inc. at its New York headquarters in Purchase, and a location in Valhalla. AGB has withdrawn its recognition of workers’ union 32BJ SEIU, in violation of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), the union has alleged.

As a result, some 50 full time security officers (and their families) could lose their high quality healthcare benefits on January 31. (These have been good union jobs since July 2019 and represent roughly 20% of the unionized security officer workforce in the Hudson Valley.)

On January 17, 2023, 32BJ SEIU filed a charge with the National Labor Relations Board, charging AGB with withdrawing its recognition of the union, an alleged violation of the NLRA. The union seeks injunctive relief.

In response, workers have mobilized, delivering a petition to Pepsi Co., calling on the mega corporation “to speak to AGB and assure that they continue our union health benefits or…hire a responsible contractor that will, so we can continue to receive the same benefits that other union security guards doing the same work in our area, and we are able to live with dignity.”

“This is unacceptable,” said 32BJ SEIU Executive Vice President and Director of the Hudson Valley District Shirley Aldebol. “Pepsi is a multi-billion dollar company making historic profits. It must stand by its commitment to social responsibility and continue to adequately fund its security contract so as to not lower area standards for security officers in Westchester. They need to tell AGB to cease its unlawful activity and recognize and bargain with the workers’ union or hire a responsible contractor who will. We need to bring more union jobs with quality wages and healthcare to the area, not attack the standards that have already been set.”

“I have been a security officer for 19 years and at Pepsi for 15 years. Before these were union jobs I only saw two 20 cent raises. Since we won union recognition, we got good wages and quality healthcare that helped me support my family. We depend on our union benefits and will not stop fighting for our union jobs. We have a lot of officers that work here, we spend money in the town, we like the jobs – but we’re getting punished because of the new contract,” said Jason Anderson, who works at Pepsi’s Valhalla location. “Most of our co-workers still live paycheck to paycheck, with no quality healthcare, any sudden health issue could be devastating for any of us.”

“The New Year for us has not been good,” continues the workers’ petition. “It has been met with the bad news that AGB, our new employer, will not agree to continue our current health benefits through our union that we have enjoyed for years. We now are worried about how we will take care of our families.”Edit

WHITE PLAINS SCHOOL DISTRICT INCREASING NARCAN (OPIOID OVERDOSE EMERGENCY TREATMENT) AVAILABILITY AND TRAINING IN ITS USE IN WHITE PLAINS SCHOOLS.

Posted on January 28, 2023 by John Bailey

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From Michelle Melendez, Clerk to the White Plains Board of Education. January 28, 2023:

Editor’s Note: In the aftermath of the New Rochelle High School Nursing Staff saving the life of a high school student by administering a Narcan nasal spray when the student was not breathing, WPCNR asked the White Plains School District what were the narcan procedures in White Plains Schools. Ms. Melendez has issued the following statement explaining the procedures:)

Here is some Narcan information you requested:

As you are aware, we are presently facing an Opioid epidemic in our state and nation. To make our schools a safer place for students and staff, we are increasing the access of Narcan and opioid overdose training within our district.

All Nurse’s offices have always had Narcan available for use in an emergency situation and Narcan has been available in some of our AED cabinets throughout our schools for some time.

Access to Narcan and training will empower all staff to assist with potentially lifesaving measures, should an opioid overdose occur within our schools.

Rochambeau, White Plains High School, Highlands, and Eastview will have Narcan for use in an emergency in the following areas:

Nurse’s emergency response bags
Coaches’ emergency bags (coaches will have these during after school sports)
Sport offices area
Main office
Inside all AED Cabinets

Elementary Schools will have Narcan for use in an emergency in these areas:

Inside AED
Nurses Emergency Bag
Main offices

All CPR training in White Plains School District will include Narcan administration as it relates to CPR.

I hope this answers your questions in regard to Narcan.

WOMEN’S BAR ASSOCIATION COMMENDS 2ND PASSAGE OF NEW YORK EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT

Posted on January 28, 2023 by John Bailey

WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. January 28, 2023:

The Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (“WBASNY”) commends the Legislature on the second passage of the New York State Equal Rights Amendment (“ERA”), A.1283/S.108-A, sponsored by Assemblymember Rebecca Seawright and Senator Liz Krueger.

WBASNY has unwaveringly supported adding further protections for sex, sexual orientation, and reproductive rights to the New York State Constitution and has made the passage and enactment of an Equal Rights Amendment a longstanding legislative priority.

For too long sex and gender bias have been pervasive in our social structure, and it has become abundantly clear that biases against sexual orientation and reproductive rights have become more commonplace.

While constitutional guarantees are also needed at the Federal level to prevent further discrimination, WBASNY is relieved to see New York State take up the fight to protect its citizens. By passing the ERA in a second legislative session, the Legislature helps bring an important WBASNY legislative priority to reality and ensure that all New Yorkers will have their rights protected.

WBASNY stands ready to provide whatever support is necessary to insure ERA is on the ballot and enshrined in the New York State Constitution.

WBASNY extends a special thank you to: Governor Kathy Hochul for her tireless efforts defending New Yorkers; Assemblymember Rebecca Seawright and Senator Liz Krueger for their work on protecting these important rights; and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins for ensuring that this legislation is a priority.

COUNTY LEGISLATURE PROPOSED CANDIDATE VETTING LAW DOES NOT GO FAR ENOUGH

Posted on January 28, 2023 by John Bailey

WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. January 28, 2023:

The Westchester County Board of Legislators is considering passing a law to prevent, or make it more difficult, for a candidate like Congressman George Santos (who lied about almost every aspect of his life during the campaign) from holding elective office in this county.

I believe that the proposed law doesn’t go far enough.

Candidates for every office (local, county, state and federal, should be required to provide biographical information including the candidates educational, military and employment histories to the New York State Board of Elections when they file nominating petitions.

If the candidate is elected and is found to have lied about his/her educational, military and employment backgrounds – I think that a recall election should be held if 5% of the voters who live within the boundaries of the district sign a petition calling for a recall election.

It’s outrageous that the Congress won’t remove George Santos from office even though he misrepresented his life to voters who live in his congressional district prior to the election.

There needs to be a mechanism in place that would enable the voters to remove officials from local, county, state and federal offices, if a similar situation would arise in the future.

19 states authorize recall elections.

New York State currently does not. I propose that the New York State Legislature approve a limited recall law that would only authorize recall elections when office holders are found to have lied about their educational, military and employment backgrounds.

PAUL FEINER Greenburgh Town Supervisor

WHITE PLAINS WEEK BREAKING NEWS THE JANUARY 27 REPORT now ON www.wpcommunitymedia.org

Posted on January 27, 2023 by John Bailey

**SNOWBIRD REPORT STAY WHERE YOU ARE: JANUARY QUITE CONTRARY**

**EXCLUSIVE: WESTCHESTER HOSPITALS SEEING 1,292 ADMISSIONS TESTING POSITIVE AFTER THEY ARE OFFICIALLY ADMITTED IN 3 WEEKS.**

**HOSPITALS REELING WITH ADMITTED PATIENTS TESTING POSITIVE FOR COVID AFTER BEING ADMITTED.**

THIS WEEK EVERY WEEK ON WHITE PLAINS WEEK

SINCE 2001 22 YEARS

COVID HOSPITALIZATIONS UP! 1,292 HOSPITALIZED WITH COVID IN 3 WEEKS.

Posted on January 27, 2023 by John Bailey

WESTCHESTER HOSPITALS LAST 7 DAYS. 38% OF REPORTED ADMISSIONS POSITIVE FOR COVID AFTER ADMISSION. CONSISTENT FIRST 3 WEEKS OF JANUARY

WPCNR CORONAVIRUS SURVEILLANCE. Data from New York State Hospitalizations Tracker. Observation & Analysis by John F. Bailey. January 26, 2023:

Hospitalizations for treatment of covid reached 391 persons in the 7 days from January 17 to January 23. In Westchester.

My findings are based on the numbers of persons admitted to 9 key Westchester hospitals the last 7 days in the county.

WPCNR has observed that 38% of persons coming to these hospitals for treatment are testing positive for covid after being officially admitted.

9 COUNTY HOSPITALS REPORTED 471 PATIENTS HAD COVID AFTER PATIENTS ADMITTED IN 1 WEEK

White Plains Hospital Center Jan. 17 to 23: 100 Covid Positves in 188 Patients Admitted.(53%)

Westchester Medical Center ( Jan 17^th-24) 54 Covid Positives Found in 336 Patients admitted. (24%)

New Rochelle (Sound Shore): 47 Covid Positives Found in 102 Patients admitted.(46%)

Hudson Valley Hospital: 51 Covid Positives Found in 82 Patients Admitted (62%)

Northern Westchester Hosp(Mt. Kisco): 33 Positives Found in 69 Patients Admitted (48%)

Lawrence Hospital (Bronxville): 15 Positives Found in 105 Patients Admitted. (14%)

Mount Vernon: 6 Positives Found in 52 Patients Admitted. (12%)

St Joseph, Yonkers: 8 Positives Found in 24 Patients Admitted.33%

St. Johns Riverside, Yonkers: 115 Positives Found in 201 Patients Admitted (57%)

IN THE LAST 7 DAYS ENDING MONDAY THESE HOSPITALS REPORTED 1,246 PATIENTS ADMITTED WITH 471 FOUND TO BE POSITIVE FOR COVID (38%)

The last the county announced the number of hospitalizations about 2 weeks ago they said it was 286 hospitalizations. LAST WEEK NEW COVID HOSPITALZATIONS FOUND AMONG THOSE ADMITTED WENT UP 60%

What do I make of this?

There a lot of persons who are carrying the Covid-19 around and do not know they have it. And may think it isn’t covid.
There are those who tested positive with an at home test and did not have it lab-verified for whatever reason (keeping on the job, for example. And they have gotten sick enough to go into the hospital.
Or think it is the flu, and go to the hospital.
Or they may be admitted and found to be positive for covid when they had tested not positive previously.
Did not have the full range of covid shots including the booster and they have gotten covid.
From what I saw seeing the demographics of the infections the people testing positive are from 25 to 65 and the majority 65 and up.

If you take hospitalizations in Westchester for the first three weeks in January since December 30, the picture of how much the disease is spreading is quite different than the official statistics. Way higher.

In Westchester County, the last three weeks we have seen Covid Tracker reports showing the county containing covid, 1,896 cases January 1-7; 1,520 cases, Jan 8-14; and 1,441 Jan 15-21.

In the first four days of this week there have been 542 new lab-verified cases of covid –under 180 a day.

The hospitalizations this week may mean the lack of testing is failing to give a true picture of the rate the disease is spreading.

I will have to wait and see how this week plays out to see if the downward trend continues, and these new hospitalizations are just a warning to be careful. It’s out there still.

41% OF 3,117 NEW ADMISSIONS IN 9 WESTCHESTER HOSPITALS DISCOVERED POSITIVE WITH COVID AFTER ADMISSION. TOTAL FOUND POSITIVE OF THE ADMITTED– 1,292. THREE WEEKS OF JANUARY

WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL had 691 new admissions from December 30 to January 17 and 414 Tested positive for covid, 53% of admissions.

WESTCHESTER MEDICAL CENTER admitted 1,005 new admissions. 250 Tested positive for Covid after admission (25%)

NEW ROCHELLE HOSPITAL admitted 191 patients, 89 were found with Covid . (47%)

HUDSON VALLEY HOSPITAL admitted 194 patients; 97 were positive for covid. (50%)

NORTHERN WESTCHESTER MT. KISCO admitted 144; 67 found with covid (47%)

LAWRENCE HOSPITAL (BRONXVILLE) admitted 315 in 3 weeks. 75 were found covid positive (25%)

MOUNT VERNON admitted 103 and 17 were found with covid – 17%

ST JOSEPHS (Yonkers) admitted 54 patients—19 were found covid positive—35%

RIVERSIDE (Yonkers) admitted 420 in 3 weeks. 264 were positive for covid, 63%

The trend of percentages of new covid patients being found after admission appears consistent the entire 3 weeks of January. The 1,292 infections for the three weeks is not at all close to the 5,399 new cases of covid the county experienced the last 25 days in the county, which means the disease is less severe, or it may be just beginning to stress the hospitals. But a third to 40% of all county admissions in a month covid positive? Is the covid not as serious as we have been told, or are the covid effects just as profound as in the past?

Keep being wary.

STEPINAC HIGH SCHOOL RAISES AWARENESS OF EFFECTS OF BULLYING AND CYBER-BULLYING WITH SPEAKER/AUTHOR JOHN HALLIGAN

Posted on January 26, 2023 by John Bailey

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. Special to WPCNR from Stepinac High School. January 26, 2023:

In its ongoing commitment to help raise awareness about bullying and cyber-bullying, incidents of which are widespread at high schools throughout the nation, Stepinac High School today addressed the issue with riveting presentations by renowned speaker/author John Halligan.

The father of a 13-year-old son who was bullied at school and committed suicide in 2003, Halligan led compelling and informative discussions with Stepinac’s students, their parents and guardians as well as members of the community. The sessions were held in the school’s Major Bowes Auditorium.

Halligan, who has made it a personal mission to curb bullying and cyber-bullying, relayed his own tragic experience as a father of a son, Ryan, who had been bullied by his peers since the fifth grade, both in school and online. Halligan related that bullying and cyber-bullying were factors that contributed to Ryan’s vulnerability and ultimate suicide as the youngster had wrestled with underlying mental health issues and depression.

Halligan began his presentation with a short video comprising home movie clips and pictures to tell Ryan’s story. Paul Carty, Principal, said that Halligan’s heartbreaking and unforgettable presentation reminded “our students that there is a face, a person, a heart on the other side of the screen,” adding: “The students gained a unique perspective from inside the family of a victim of bullying and cyber-bullying.”

In the wrap-up session, the students received life-changing lessons about forgiveness, suicide prevention, the role of bystanders and a challenge to apologize to someone.

According to the Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC) website, #StopBullying | CDC, last year, about 1 in 5 high school students in the U.S. reported being bullied on school property and more than 1 in 6 reported they were the target of cyber-bullying. Bullying can result in physical injury, social and emotional distress, self-harm, and even death. It also increases the risk for depression, anxiety, and poor academic achievement. The CDC also notes the youth who bully others are at increased risk for substance use and academic problems.

Frank Portanova (Class of ’93), Vice Principal of Academics and Curriculum, said: “Bullying and cyber-bullying can be prevented. Our hope is that, inspired by Halligan’s presentation, students, parents and guardians and the community at large will continue this important conversation with each other and elsewhere to effect change.” For more information, visit the site named after Halligan’s son: www.RyansStory.org.

SPECIAL PLANNING BOARD MEETING ON FARRELL ESTATES, 7 TO 9 FEB 7 CITY HALL

Posted on January 25, 2023 by John Bailey

WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. January 25, 2023:

Below is some important information pertaining to the Special Meeting of the White Plains Planning Board on February 7th, 2023 regarding the Farrell Estates project in Gedney Farms.

The meeting will take place from 7-9pm at City Hall, 255 Main Street.

Large developments in our neighboring south end communities have the potential to negatively impact traffic patterns, potential environmental impacts regarding water run-off and drainage that flow south, the future development of 330 West St., as well as the old Windward property on Windward Ave.

The RRA (Rosedale Residential Association) wants to ensure the city informs us on how this new development may impact the safety and character of our neighborhood. If you are interested in these potential impacts, please review the below Farrell Estates application.

Farrell Estates at Ridgeway: Farrell Subdivision & Site Plan Application

WHY ARE EGGS SO EXPENSIVE? WHY ARE THERE NO EGGS? AVIAN FLU AND KEEPING HUMAN RISK LOW

Posted on January 24, 2023 by John Bailey

Your Local Epidemiologist

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YLE OTHER INFECTIOUS DISEASES

By Katelyn Jetelina

Thanks to all 38,000 (!!) of you who completed the “Who are you?” survey. If you are one of those people who was told they were a robot, traffic has now slowed down now. If you have the patience to try one more time, click the link here. Thank you!!

Egg prices are up 60%, which means we are paying upwards of $5-7 for a dozen eggs. That is if you can find them.

Why? A constellation of reasons, but there is one we can’t ignore: the avian flu is hammering poultry farmers. For the general public, there’s no immediate concern, except that it’s a pain at the grocery store. However, avian flu is mutating, which may have implications for our future health. Here’s the lowdown.

What’s going on?

In early January 2022, U.S. infectious disease surveillance systems detected a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI) called A(H5N1), more commonly known as the bird flu or avian influenza.

Since then, more than 54 million wild and domestic birds have been infected across 47 U.S. states leading to an unprecedented outbreak. This includes 44 million egg-laying hens, hence egg prices. We haven’t detected the avian flu in the U.S. since 2016, so this new outbreak this is noteworthy.

Why does this matter?

The risk of avian flu to human health is currently very low. To demonstrate, CDC has tracked the health of more than 5,190 people exposed to birds with the virus in 2022, with one human case reported. If someone does get infected, there is no sustained human-to-human transmission. In other words, a human can typically only get it from an infected bird.

But, as Dr. Michael Osterholm said to STAT, “Any time you’re dealing with H5N1, you sleep with one eye open.” This is for three reasons:

Economic damage. On a small scale, outbreaks can wreak havoc on backyard chicken coops, which is stressful for families who are reliant on their egg and meat production. On a larger scale, outbreaks in commercial poultry farms have devastate local food supplies, affect farmers’ and employees’ livelihoods, and raise poultry prices due to a limited and strained supply. For example, an egg factory in Iowa killed 5.3 million chickens over a single case of avian influenza in the flock. This was the largest culling of commercial birds in the U.S.The presumed burial pit of chickens on Rembrandt Foods property. Photograph: Dan Brouillette/The Guardian. Source here.
High mortality rate. If someone does get infected, symptoms can range from asymptomatic to severe illness, hospitalization, and death. From 2003-2021 there have been very few human cases worldwide: 864. But, among these cases, 456 died—a 53% mortality rate.
Mutations. H5N1 has the potential to mutate into being better adaptable to humans. This can happen over time with single mutations or at one time with one big change in which large sections of the virus recombine (like with the human flu) to create a very different virus. Concern recently heightened when a European report confirmed sustained mammal-to-mammal transmission of H5N1 in Spain in October 2022 at a mink farm. The weekly mortality rate reached 4.3% per week. Scientists mapped the genome of the virus at the mink farm and found that it carried rare and previously unreported mutations. This means the virus could be mutating in a concerning direction. Many epidemiologists continue to put money on the flu causing the next pandemic. (Keep in mind that the 1918 flu was linked to the avian flu.) I cannot think of a bigger disaster than having another respiratory pandemic on the heels of COVID-19, given fatigue, polarization, loss of trust, and limited time to improve.

What to do?

Infected birds shed the virus through their mucous, salvia, and feces. Humans can get sick from breathing in the droplets or aerosols containing viral particles.

You cannot get avian flu from eating poultry or eggs. The FDA conducted a risk assessment and found risk was very low for three reasons:

Rapid onset of bird symptoms = low likelihood of entering the food chain;
Safeguards in place, like testing flocks and federal inspections;
Proper storage and food preparation at home is enough to inactivate the virus.

Right now you don’t need to do anything, unless you’re in close contact with birds. A person’s level of risk is dependent on duration and intensity of exposure. In other words, a person with one chicken in their backyard is at much lower risk than someone at a poultry farm.

Those around wild birds, such as at parks, lakes, rivers, or other waterways, need to exercise caution, including wearing PPE, washing hands, and changing clothes. If you have backyard poultry, wear a mask and wash your hands. Also, monitor the health of your flock, especially if they come in contact with other wild birds.

Commercial facilities have stepped up control measures to monitor cases and safety measures to protect their flocks, which is also contributing to increasing egg prices.

All of these practices will help you, as an individual, avoid sickness. But it will also help lower the population risk by reducing the number of times the virus mutates (and reducing the possibility of a human outbreak).

How long will this outbreak last?

We don’t know. Just like with COVID-19, it’s difficult to predict a virus’s future. The last large avian flu pandemic lasted 6 months, so the current outbreak has already been twice as long.

Bottom line

We are experiencing a record outbreak of avian flu—the largest and longest in U.S. history. It has been devastating to farmers and birds but likely only affects you at the grocery store. Epidemiologists continue to pay close attention and are crossing our fingers that we don’t see sustained human-to-human transmission.

Love, YLE

Special thanks to Lauren Leining—a rock star PhD candidate in epidemiology—who helped gather research for this article.

“Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE)” is written by Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, MPH PhD—an epidemiologist, data scientist, wife, and mom of two little girls. During the day she works at a nonpartisan health policy think tank and is a senior scientific consultant to a number of organizations, including the CDC. At night she writes this newsletter. Her main goal is to “translate” the ever-evolving public health science so that people will be well equipped to make evidence-based decisions. This newsletter is free thanks to the generous support of fellow YLE community members. To support this effort, subscribe below:

WESTCHESTER COVID CONTAINED FOR THIRD STRAIGHT WEEK. NEW CASES DECLINE 34%

Posted on January 23, 2023 by John Bailey

WPCNR CORONAVIRUS SURVEILLANCE. Statistics from New York State Covid Tracker. Observation and Analysis by John F. Bailey. January 23, 2023:

Westchester completed its third straight week of preventing covid from spreading saturday.

The county reported 1,441 new covid cases for the 7 days Sunday January 15 through Saturday January 21. The county is reported as having an infection rate of 10% on 14,809 lab verified tests for 1,441 new cases for the week.

Considering it takes two weeks to measure how persons are catching the disease from new positives and given the fast infection rate of the new XBB.1.5 variant (2 days) the 1,896 infections at the end the week January 8, infected 1,441 new persons, meaning one new case infected 1.5 persons the last two weeks.

Or if you want to be more positive about the infection rate, figure that the XBB.1.5. variant you could take heart that 1 person was only infecting 1 to ½ a person over the two weeks ended Saturday night. The XBB.1.5 variant was just starting to the New York area big time two weeks ago.

Last week’s stat of 1,520 (Jan 8 to 14) divided by new infections two weeks ago (1,896) would mean that the XBB.1.5. variant emerging on the New York area roughly January 8 to 14, saw 1 new infection only infect 1.2 people.

Now two weeks later the new infection is rate is 1.5% or one person is infecting just ½ a person.

If the state, and Westchester County Health Departments give us their accurate infection rate figured by the data they have (in more detail), we might know whether the XBB.1.5. variant is being contained as it appears the last three weeks.

You have only yours truly who is trying to keep track of this and of course, YOUR LOCAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST, Dr. Katelyn Jetelina.

Why this silence from the state? From the County? From the School Districts?

The best I can figure for you is that you, Westchester County residents are doing better, practicing safer socializing, because so far covid cases are being contained for three weeks now, despite the nasty XBB.1.5 variant.

But frankly I’m puzzled.

What is the daily new case count in Westchester (given every day)? Could it be lagging behind substantially do to absence of honest reporting positive by covid positive persons? Or is the state just behind keeping up with the inflow of positive tests?

Westchester the last 7 days has a daily new case rate of 13.6 new cases a day per 100,000 population.

Westchester has 1,004,457 persons according to the completed census of 2022. Persons reading my analyses which I do from time to time, KNOW the number of 100,000 increments making up the 1,004,457 is 10.04.

To get the number new cases a day the last 7 days you multiply 13.6 cases per one day by 10.04 which gives us 136 new cases daily, multiply that by 7 and you get 952 new cases a week.

Multiply 952 new infections a week by 4 weeks and Westchester is growing cases by 3,808 a month according to the covid tracker Saturday.

But, here’s what I don’t understand.

Even with the containment of covid for three weeks now, we are on target for6,000 infections this month if you go by the daily reported average new case rate OF 13.6

So how come the state reports we only got lab-tested results of 1,441 the week ended Saturday?

An explanation be could that persons are not getting lab tested when they discover they are positive for covid. Their cases may not be as serious, and we are told people are not getting as sick. Either the average new cases daily statistic is lagging behind or cases are not being reported by people walking positive.

However if people are covering up they are positive so they can continue to go to work, then the state’s only daily case rate for Westchester County shows we are either lagging in case reporting, or worse not getting straight data from the population.

Medical facilities and caregivers, school districts, parents or the state is (for the purpose of morale and “getting back to normal” and keeping the economy going) is underreporting,or behind in counting new cases or people are not reporting positives and seeing doctors.

Last week the state said we had 1,441 new cases. If we were getting 13.6 cases average new cases daily the last 7 days we should have had about 955 last week, not 1,441 as reported for the week, which would be fantastic.

I think this means there are either delays in reporting daily cases or God forbid, many more are being treated in the county and the reporting is really backlogged. Last time the County Executive reported hospitalizations for covid it was 285 and that was a week ago.

The state reports 4,862 cases the first 3 weeks of January.

Another week of 1,500 new cases would give us over 6,000 for the month in the county for January, compared to 9,103 in December.

The takeaway despite what appears to be a data delay on daily new cases, we have contained covid in January, cases are down 34%

A word of caution: Westchester County positive testing percentage of those tested was 10% for the week on lab-verified tests of 2,115 average per day (14,809 lab verified results for the week).

If 10% of all people tested test positive for every 2,000 tests there could very well be far more people positive out there. Say we test 6,000 that is 600 new positives. Nassau and Suffolk County have hitting those kind of positives most days for weeks now. If Westchester tested 10,000 you might find 1,000 positives a day.

Given a 10% positive rate in Westchester, it seems we have fewer infections reported than we should be seeing reported.

You need to continue to be wary: Winter Recess is coming up for a full week in February generating new opportunities for socialization and infection.

The relaxation of reporting protocols of new covid case reporting by state, the State Education Department does not appear to be telling an accurate story how daily average new cases for Westchester County, in my opinion.

It would be in the best interests of the public to return to reporting all cases in the county and in the school districts to see the movement of covid infections, as well as individual communities in Westchester County as it used to do.