WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR SATURDAY COVID REPORT. From NY Covid Tracker for December 15. Observations by  John Bailey. December 18, 2021:

Westchester County will exceed the highest number of infections in a single day all year that was 1,100 on January 14.

 The state reported 983 new cases Wednesday of 13,814 tested, an infection rate of  7.1% Tested coming down with the rapidly spreading disease.

Of  MidHudson region of seven counties tops 2,055 newly covid infected at midweek with Westchester 983 covid positives almost double the 6 other counties.

On Long Island  Nassau and Suffolk counties, 3,917  were newly reported  infected.

New York City all five boroughs virtually doubled the 9 counties surrounding it with 10,286 Wednesday doubling up the MidHudson and Long Island infections of 5,372.

The infections in Westchester alone on December 1 were 359. Two weeks later on Wednesday the 983 infections mean that those 350 covid positives  spread  covid to 2.7 or 3 other persons, is directly reflected in the 983 figure of new infections at midweek.

Hospitalizations in Westchester were at 125 Monday.  The 359 infected two weeks ago hospitalized only 125, this would mean the disease is not as severe for those 359, but still hospitalization rate of those 359 was 35%.

Extrapolating– if the hospitalization rate, an indicator of the  seriousness of the disease of the 983 reported new cases Wednesday and their hospitalizations do not rise too much more than 35% of the 983, Westchester may see 344 hospitalizations (we presume that is a net figure—covids leaving subtracted from the incoming, that has never been made clear by any authority in the county),  within two weeks at the very least. Those hospitalizations will not come in all in one day, but may come in before the two weeks are up.

 Westchester has 2,700 hospital beds. We could see a runup of 300 hospitalizations a week by the first week of January, if not substantially more.

However, if the county continues to rise infections at 35% a day, we will be filling up hospitalization slots faster and staffs worked harder. That is what the numbers may be telling us.

 The numbers tell us covid is spreading faster at record daily rates the highest since last January.

Office parties around the area are being cancelled showing prudence and concern and I might say  respect for employees and for the potency of the virus now out of control.

As County Executive George Latimer said in his stalwart address Tuesday afternoon, one of the persons  to have tested positive for covid last week, and now isolating in his home, it is imperative persons never vaccinated should get the first shot, their second shot or the booster. Mr. Latimer said he delayed getting his booster and it cost him.

Governor Hochul said Monday, vaccines are the end of this red plague. If you are not vaccinated, or if you are fully vaccinated you need to continue to mask, and social distance, because you may actually have the virus microbes in your nasal cavity and mouth and be breathing it on people you meet, if not masked.

County Executive George Latimer said if you speak to someone face to face for 15 minutes, in that period of time you can transmit the disease microbes to the person you are talking to. If that person is unvaccinated, you have given them: a friend, a business associate, a relative, the one you love, a child you love.

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WPCNR COVID ADVISORY. By John F. Bailey. From the New York State Covid Tracker. December 16, 2021 UPDATED 9:25 A.M.:

New York State reported Wednesday evening that Westchester County suffered 548 more persons coming down with Coronavirus Monday of 9,448 tested giving Westchester the highest county positive percentage since April 6 of 2021 when 3.6% on Saturday April 3, when 383 tested positive pf 10,500 tested.

The number of positives is also 50% of the highest number of Westchester positives the entire year. On January 14, two weeks after New Years Eve, 1,100 persons tested positive. One year back on December 13 as the chart below shows, 594 persons tested positive and two weeks later started a spike in infections to the highest positives in one day all year:1,100.

Covid was spreading unstopped throughout the New York Metropolitan area. The counties that are infecting the most, are not enforcing the mask-up rule, and it showsl

Orange with 276 covid positive of 3,910 tested hit a 7.1% infection. They are in serious spread. . Rockland at 194 on 9,951 tests, had the best infection rate of the 7 mid-Hudson counties with 1.9%, still spreading though. Dutchess is having big spread, 6.3% postive infection rate, 153 positive of 2,442 tested. Ulster, Putmam and Sullivan are even in infections and have small populations but Ulster is infecting at 5.5% positive and Sullivan and Putnam, over 7%.

Long Island is flooded with covid.

Nassau and Suffolk reported 2,392 infections between them. Nassau had 1,080 Monday (7.6% infection rate). Suffolk 1,312, 9.4 infection rate.

New York City has now had more positives than the 9 counties surrounding it for 5 straight days.

Two Mondays ago, Westchester reported 179 New infections. Two weeks later on December 13, there are 548 new covid cases. This means the 179 covid-afflicted persons infected 3 persons..

This could mean in 14 days from now on December 27, Westchester could see approximately 1,500 new covid-positives, easily blowing by the 1,100 single day high experienced January 14, 2021 a month earlier than last year’s “surge.”

Now if this 500 a day positive rate is sustained and stays at that level without declining dramatically– You are looking at 2,500 more infections the week between Christmas and New Years.

Persons should take it upon themselves to mask up and socially distance in social gatherings and please slow the spread. A reckless, “Anything Goes” New Years Eve and Football Bowl Day will make January, February and March infections exponentially excruciating to experience.

Hospitalizations in the county, County Executive Latimer said hit 125 as of Monday.

This means that approximately 70% of the 179 infected two weeks ago–125 persons have been hospitalized. If 548 hospitalize at the same pace, county hospitals in two weeks from Monday’s 548 covid-positive persons, 385 of them may require hospitalization (70% average rate of hospitalization, figured by dividing the current number of hospitalizations by the number infected two weeks ago.)

If we do not act responsibly the next 4 weeks, the recovery will come to a dead stop.

Without far more aggressive vaccinations to the under 12,-to-5 school population, school districts will be forced to consider shutdowns (If the unvaccinated children continue to come down with covid in high numbers..) The county has not released figures on how many school district percentages of vaccinations of students and staff.

Governor Kathy Hochul reported Monday that Westchester has only vaccinnated 2% more people with vaccines than several weeks ago.. I’m shocked. That is another statistic the county needs to get out there.

The vaccines including the booster will stop most from getting covid. The booster is needed, as County Executive Latimer pointed out. As I wrote, it is a civic duty to get vaccinated.

It is smart.

The metropolitan area is in serious covid spread.

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WPCNR COUNTY CHRONICLE EXAMINER. December 14, 2021:

In his signing of the 2022 Westchester County Budget yesterday after via virtual transmission, County Executive George Latimer in a frank opening statement told how he believed he got Covid and how he feels.

After his opening remarks, he continued for approximately 15 minutes, only coughing a few times. Here is Mr. Latimer from early yesterday afternoon on his covid situation:

Mr. Latimer said the county would enforce Governor Hochul’s Masking mandate the governor issued Friday, but he was not going to ticket individuals violating the mask mandate in businesses, that the Governor required. He said as long as persons complied and put on a mask that would be sufficient.

“We’re not going to ticket you,” he said. He acknowledged he declared the State of Emergency last week to make steps if necessary.

You can see Mr. Latimers 35 minute address including the advantages of the budget on the Westchester County Facebook page. 1.100 saw it.

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WPCNR THE FEINER REPORT. Special to WPCNR From Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner. December 14, 2021:

The Greenburgh Town Board voted 4-1 to allow cannabis dispensaries to be located in Greenburgh.

I voted no. 

The Board also agreed not to allow Cannabis lounges in the town (we all agreed).

We directed the Commissioner of Planning to  draft a local law regulating time, place and manner associated with adult-use recreational cannabis dispensaries, utilizing the following guiding principles:

1. Dispensaries shall not be permitted in any residential zones or mixed-use corridors (East Hartsdale Avenue, Rt. 119, Central Avenue, etc.) immediately and/or significantly abutting residential zoning districts

2. Minimum linear separation distances be required from schools, playgrounds, public parks, etc.

The 2nd resolution requiring the Commissioner of Planning to draft a local law was approved unanimously. 

On December 8th members of the Town Board received a letter from the Greenburgh Council of Civic Associations . The organization, representing civic associations in Greenburgh polled their membership and   recommended “opting out, at least for the present time. 

Several representatives suggested awaiting regulations from the Cannabis Control Board and then adopting the necessary Greenburgh Zoning legislation regarding the time, place and manner of locating such establishments in unincorporated Greenburgh before a decision is made to “Opt In at a later date.” 

I agree with the Council And that is why I voted no. Municipalities that opt out can later opt in. 

 NYS is moving cautiously with the roll out of guidelines for marijuana dispensaries for what clearly are myriad social, fiscal and regulatory reasons.

I believe there is inadequate information available for the Town Board to make a prudent decision regarding allowing dispensaries to operate.

I suggested that until adequate info is available we should opt out. If in the future the obstacles and issues regarding such dispensaries are addressed Greenburgh could have comfortably revisited the matter and with the input of our community organizations and their leadership the Town Board could more intelligently decide if we should participate.

TARRYTOWN, HASTINGS HAVE OPTED TO ALLOW DISPENSARIES – ARDSLEY, ELMSFORD< DOBBS FERRY AND IRVINGTON HAVE NOT

Officials in towns and villages around the state have until December 31st to decide whether to allow cannabis dispensaries and lounges. Most of the cities have opted to allow dispensaries/lounges. In Greenburgh some of the villages have opted in. Others have opted out.