NEW YORK ENDS MASK MANDATE IN HOSPITALS, NURSING HOMES, DISABLED RESIDENCES “TO COMPLY WITH CDC GUIDELINES”. PUTS PERSONS IN HEALTH CARE RESIDENCES AT RISK, ADVOCATES WARN. | 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.

MEANWHILE MID-HUDSON REGION, LONG ISLAND, 5 NYC BOROUGHS HAVE 1/3 AND HIGHER HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS BEING ADMITTED FOR COVID.

WPCNR CORONA VIRUS SURVEILLANCE. Statistics from Governor Kathy Hochul Press Office. Friday Report. February 12, 2023:

The New York State Acting Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald officially ended the requirement to wear masks in hospitals and health care facilities Friday across the state, Friday The New York Times reported this morning quoting the Acting Commissioner as saying: “The pandemic is not over, yet we are moving to a transition.”

The relaxing of mask requirements now leaves the decision to the health facilities if they wish staff and public to wear masks visiting or working in the facility.

In New York City its Public Hospitals would continue to require masks to be worn on their premises The Times reported would still require New York City Friday reported of its 904 patients hospitalized 356 (39%z0 of its 904 hospitlized were being treated due to covid or complications of covid.

**HOSPITALIZATIONS ACROSS NY STATE AS OF THURSDAY: 928 PERSONS (42%) OF TOTAL 2,176 HOSPITALIZED IN THE STATE, ARE ADMITTED DUE TO COVID.**

In the Mid-Hudson region, consisting of Westchester, Orange, Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, Ulster and Sullivan Counties hospitals report of 241 current admissions Friday, 93 were admitted for Covid or covid complications (39%)

Nassau and Suffolk Counties 158 admissions for treat of covid and complications are running 53% of Long Island 300 total admissions.

The Times reporter Lola Fadulu wrote this morning advocacy groups for persons with disabilities are urging Governor Hochul to reverse the dropping of masking requirements in nursing homes, homes for the disabled and homes for older people. A letter from the group urged, The Times quoting the letter , said the state decision “put disabled people, older people, and everyone else at greater risk from this often-deadly disease.”