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.

Hits: 520

DOL to Seek Repayment and Refer Nonpayment to Law Enforcement As Needed

New Fraud Detection Technology Part of DOL’s Four-Year Modernization Effort

Governor Kathy Hochul Monday announced actions to crack down on unemployment insurance fraud after a New York State Department of Labor investigation found that insurance fraud accounted for more than $11 million in benefits payments in August.

These benefits were paid almost exclusively to those working while also collecting unemployment insurance payments during the pandemic.

Following the Department of Labor’s investigation, Governor Hochul announced that the State would seek repayment for fraudulent benefits payments and refer nonpayment to state law enforcement. Based on this investigation, the Department of Labor Office of Special Investigations is on pace to uncover $110 million in fraudulently attained benefits this year.

“At the height of the pandemic, when our state experienced an unprecedented unemployment crisis, these fraudulent unemployment insurance claims took resources away from New Yorkers who needed them most,” Governor Hochul said. “My administration is taking action to step up our investigations of unemployment insurance fraud, hold those who take advantage of the system accountable, and protect this crucial benefit for New Yorkers in need.”

The fraudulent payments were identified by DOL using an upgraded fraud detection system.

The system allows investigators to more efficiently review cases and streamlines records requests to employers in order to confirm dates of employment.

If the system detects a fraudulent payment, the claimant has an opportunity to explain the discrepancy.

Following the review, if the claimant is found to have worked while collecting benefits, DOL will take steps to ensure that ill-gotten payments are returned.

This includes establishing repayment plans, garnishing state and federal tax returns and referring matters of nonpayment to state and/or federal law enforcement, as needed.

New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, “When someone files a fraudulent unemployment insurance claim, they are stealing from New Yorkers. The Department remains vigilant and will continue to ensure that these criminals are held accountable. We thank businesses and employers for working with us to uncover fraud.”

This new system is part of NYSDOL’s modernization efforts which include a 4-year plan to enhance customer experience and reduce fraud. In June, Governor Hochul announced that NYSDOL is halfway through this plan.

NYSDOL is committed to ensuring fraudulent UI claims are prevented and corrected. To report UI fraud and learn more visit the Report Fraud page on the NYSDOL website.

###

Hits: 830

WPCNR CORONAVIRUS SURVEILLANCE. From the NYS Dept of Health Covid 19 Tracker (Suspended Temporarily). Observation and Analysis by John F. Bailey. September 25, 2022 UPDATED 12 NOON EDT WITH THURSDAY INFECTIONS JUST RELEASED AND WHAT THEY MEAN:

WPCNR regrets to report that it cannot report in latest trend in new covid infections for Westchester County. That is because new case numbers have not been reported across the state for 3 days, Thursday Friday and probably Saturday.

After new covid infections in Westchester County rose 43% for the week of September 11 to 17 10 1,468, the State Covid Tracker after a report through Wednesday showed 966 more new infections Sunday,Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. There was no report on Friday for the Thursday positives and no report on Saturday on the Friday infections. We await a resumption in Covid 19 numbers today.

THIS JUST IN: 11:30 a.m. WITH THE FIGURES FOR THURSDAY NEW INFECTIONS IN WESTCHESTER, 197 NEW POSITIVES BRINGING LAST WEEK TOTAL THROUGH THURSDAY TO 1,163. IF LAST WEEK FRIDAY AND SATURDAY TOTALS EQUAL THE SEPT 11-17 TOTALS WESTCHESTER WILL TOTAL 1,534 FOR LAST WEEK ENDED YESTERDAY; THAT IS AN INCREASE OF 197 OR 4%.

Westchester County population of 1,004,000 people averaged 212 persons.

The infection rates (lab verified) averaged 7-1/2% of all tested on an average of 3,092 a day being tested, or 229 positives a day through last Thursday 5 days, according to this mornings Covid Tracker Reporter. The 7-1/2% positive rate means the 1,026 persons infected with covid in the week of September 4 to 11 infected 508 persons or 1 person infected 1/2 a person…so far this last week up a tad from when 1,246 infected the Sep 4-11 week infected 1,026 two weeks later.

Of those infected September 4 to 11 or 1 person infected 1/4 of a person–almost even with the Stabilization ratio of 1 infectee infecting 1 other person over two weeks that starts to reduce the growth of the disease. This is why taking care to get vaccinated and not spreading the disease efforts are important to letting the economy the socializations the learning in schools to get better!

At midweek, the Covid 19 Tracker announced that it was suspending daily Covid infection numbers after reporting Wednesday new infections in Westchester as across the state for “Maintenance.”

The 166 infections last Sunday, 256 infections Monday, 309 infections Tuesday and 235 infections Wednesday in Westchester County totaled 966, are on track for 2,000 infections for the week but may diminish Thursday and Friday.

This upshot the first 4 days of last week alone leads this reporter to believe the Thursday Friday Saturday counts would be instructive as to whether like last September when schools resumed and social distancing and remote learning was in place — the pace of infections is critical to see — if with open schools with no social distanced classrooms, self testing only, and optional masking policies whether infections ARE in a surge.

Other than “Maintenance,” no other explanation for suspending covid counts across New York State was given as to why after 2 and ½ years in place the covid tracker needed maintenance, when for those same 2-1/2 years it was the clearest indicator in Westchester and every county where they were in controlling covid-19 and its gang of varients.

The Center for Disease Control believes Westchester is growing, moving its infection rate risk to “Medium.” 

The question is whether the Department of Health is improving their surveillance through their maintenance, drilling down into average days sick, population-clear statements of how many are infected in each county, demographics on children up to 5 getting sick, children 5 to 18, and adults over 18 to 65, and of course seniors, 65 and up. These improvements would go a long way to proving to the population the disease is not as seriously affecting people who get. This kind of reporting should have been done all along.

The new report this morning just issued at 11 A.M. (the earliest I can remember the covid tracker data ever being issued, except when Governor Cuomo was doing his daily updates, does not appear to have changed in the information provided. And the good news is the decline we have seen in the Thursday Friday Saturday figures appear to be stabilized in Westchester but not declining or rising. The lack of consistent decline is a worry.

Now after no consecutive day stoppages, I can remember in 2-1/2 years  the Covid 19 Tracker stops for 3 days?

STOPS when the CDC upgrades Westchester to “medium?”  

STOPS when Nassau and Suffolk Counties,  after averaging 600 new infections a day a week ago ballooned to 1,106 new covid cases last Wednesday and NYC (all five boroughs,) showed 2,314?  

STOPS weekly reports by School and school district of positives in students, teachers, administrators and staff – the one report that showed parents and officials where they stood on controlling the epidemic in our most cherished population…our children?

(That is, except for some delay of perhaps 1-day after 3-day weekends,which were never consistent, and which were never explained or quantified by day in a comprehensive manner in the first daily covid report after the one-day delay, a quibble of mine.)

I look forward to maintenance of the covid tracker, improving the report, and hopefully not simplifying, issuing it in more of a delayed schedule, since we do not know what the maintenance is that needs to be done,it is concerning that the best indicator we have that puts out the facts on covid may put out the facts in a less transparent, more comforting manner and diminishing the real impact this disease continues to have.

Under no  circumstances should the state kill the Covid Tracker report or suspend it. It is obvious that public officials “spin” figures and give the public the impression the disease is not as widespread and we are getting back to normal. Comparisons to the past are made to allay fears of the public. That is nice. But it does not tell persons what is happening in real time. WPCNR does this. It is news that no one wants to hear but they need to know.

Any effort to phase out covid tracking is a tragic mistake.

And in a report not to be believed, on Friday night  in another part of the CDC, new guidance was issued:

Masking is now considered not necessary in 25% of counties without high level of infections in hospitals, nursing homes, and places where medical services are provided

(That is, except for some delay of perhaps 1-day after 3-day weekends,which were never consistent, and which were never explained or quantified by day in a comprehensive manner in the first daily covid report after the one-day delay, a quibble of mine.)

 Now, the CDC says facilities in just over a quarter of counties can “choose not to require” all doctors, patients, and visitors to mask.

“Updates were made to reflect the high levels of vaccine-and infection-induced immunity and the availability of effective treatments and prevention tools,” the CDC said.

Government should not be rooters for a return to normal because it is beneficial to the economy and should not ignore what the covid rise in infections tells them.

Hits: 687

WPCNR WHITE PLAINS COMMON COUNCIL EXAMINER By John F. Bailey. September 24, 2022:

Verizon may begin installation of the company 5G wireless expansion in White Plains at will.

The city administration allowed the 60 day moratorium on implementation of the city-created upgraded regulations for monitoring new wireless installation of transmitters on locations throughout the city to expire this week.

The city did so without taking up new calls for stricter bans on locations near residences and monitorings of radiation levels by 5G Westchester, a advocacy group, WPCNR has learned.

There has been no official announcement of this by the city or by Verizon when the citywide 5G installations will start.

It is not known yet whether the anti 5G Wireless group demanding tighter protections for city residents will initiate legal action to halt the law from going into effect.

Hits: 0

Hits: 2073

WPCNR CORONAVIRUS SURVEILLANCE. Latest Covid Activity Figures from New York State Covid Tracker. Observation & Analysis by John F. Bailey. September 20, 2022UPDATED 2:15 P.M. E.D.T.:

New Covid cases August 28 through September 18 totaled 3,740 compared to the same period last year.

 It should be noted the three weeks of September last year surge in cases of 3,546 set the momentum for steadily increasing infections in October and November creating 3,076 new cases of covid in October, 3,757 in November, which lead to 41,000 infections the month of December and 36,000 in January. The spread was finally contained by the end of April after vaccinations began in January of 2022.

However when statewide mandates on covid preventive behaviors were lifted in June, infections steadily rose through June and the end of July, then began a 6 week consecutive decline in infections until last week.

The pattern may repeat itself. The main hope is that covid hospitalizations are down and the disease is lasting about a week for people who get it. But the disease does lay them low. The arrival of the new booster shots now available at the Westchester County Board of Health it is hoped the boosters should help those ready for the booster to fight off the omicron and delta variants which infect more quickly (as short as 48 hours after exposure).

This reduced period for symptoms to begin in persons exposed to covid, may be the reason behind the first significant increase in new covid cases in 6 weeks.

For the week ended Saturday, Sept. 11 to 17, the New York Covid Tracker reported 1,468 new Lab confirmed persons testing positive, compared to 1,026 September 4 to 11, a 43% increase in new cases.

No covid daily case updates were published by the state on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday last week. The Governor’s Press Office did not respond to my questions as to why the covid daily count was paused. This covid tracker report has to be continued, with no interruptions, in my opinion, otherwise there will be no ongoing record of the containment or lack of containment of the disease going forward.

After 10 days of school in the county the state school covid tracker has not started reporting yet. This was crucial to see if school spreading of disease, (entirely possible because there are no requirements for students to be vaccinated with covid). The other reason to expect a spread is as I have written previously school districts are lifting many restrictions: no masking, no social distancing, no plastic screens between desks in the classrooms.

Now in a little noticed change, there will be no covid state school report cards breaking down infections of students, administrators, teachers and staff for every school in the state.

UPDATED: IN AN AUGUST 22 LETTER FROM THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ANNOUNCED THAT SCHOOLS WILL NOT BE REQUIRED TO REPORT DAILY POSITIVE COVID RESULTS TO THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH COVID SCHOOL REPORT CARD. SO GOING FORWARD THIS YEAR THE INFORMATION ON THE STATE OF COVID INFECTIONS WILL BE STRICTLY UP TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS NOW OPERATING AN A VERY OPEN ATMOSPHERE WITH RELIANCE ON HOME ALLEGEN TESTS. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT HAS COME TO LIGHT THAT SCHOOL REPORT CARDS ON COVID WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE TO PARENTS THIS YEAR.

White Plains School Superintendent Dr. Joseph Ricca told WPCNR this afternoon that White Plains school nurses would continue to report cases of covid in their schools to the Westchester County Department of Health. Dr. Ricca said that in the first 10 days of School in White Plains, they have seen some cases of covid, but not near the levels of covid in the previous covid years. Ricca said it was up to the Westchester County Department to make public that data.

Asked if the school district would report White Plains schools covid cases regularly to parents as a standard report on a regular basis as district policy, Dr. Ricca said the district did not plan to do so at this time.

I asked him at what level would covid situations would be reported. Ricca said the district would be looking for “clusters” of infections in classrooms or schools or other situations and parents would be informed. He said there would not be detailed reports of how many students, administrators and teachers were sickened by covid on a school by school basis.

Last year in White Plains, unprecedented cooperation by parents children, teachers, administrators held infections of school populations to 25% (1,974).  This reporting of new cases that gave confidence the covid plague was being contained from spreading exponentially was a great confidence builder.

With basically open schools now across the county, with an atmosphere of “we just have to live with covid” will be, the disease may come back.

September is starting in infections at the same pace as last September.  Perhaps this is just temporary.

I hope so.

The state has to keep reporting those new school infections. I hope they will. So the pattern that started the climb to the huge covid cases in December and January 9 months ago could be repeating itself.

Cases around Westchester County the last two weeks are up. Currently 9 areas continue to have over 100 cases.

White Plains had  208 active cases the last 2 weeks, experiencing 50 new cases a day.  New Rochelle reported 223, 43 new cases daily.  Yonkers, long the place where the most covid infects are went to 635 active cases up from 576 a week ago—the number of new cases a day in Yonkers was 187.

Mount Vernon reported 202 cases, 59 new cases a day.

Greenburgh next door to White Plains reported  194 active cases, running  57 cases a day.

The northern part of Westchester is suffering similar outbreaks.

Cortlandt reported 135 active cases the last two weeks, 25 daily.

Yorktown hit 167 active cases with 32 new each day.

North Castle and New Castle combined  had 95 active cases,   21 a day

Ossining Village, 120, 18 a day; Peekskill reported 73 with  12 daily and Port Chester 73/ 12 a day.

The average new cases per day for the 9 communities with over 100 active cases is 53 new cases of covid a day.

Cross your fingers.