WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER TOPS 5 MILLION VISITS IN A YEAR! 5,566,746 VISITS IN ONE YEAR BY 1,769,260 VISITORS 7,631 VISITORS A DAY! IN AUGUST, 247,700 VISITORS MADE 684,903 VISITS (22,830 DAILY)

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Dear John, 

Tonight, as you may be aware, I am stepping down as Governor of New York at 11:59pm. Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul will become governor, and we all wish her success. So I want to send my final note to you as governor.

New York’s future is based on what we have accomplished together, and during my tenure we’ve shown that New York has a spirit that reaches for the skies.

We have worked to make New York the progressive capital of the nation.

From passing Marriage Equality and the $15 minimum wage to enacting Paid Family Leave and the NY SAFE Act, from building new bridges and airports to combating climate change, from fighting against hate to fighting COVID—together we did what no one thought could be done.

We didn’t get everything done that we wanted to, and we didn’t always get it quite right, but I want you to know, from the bottom of my heart, that every day I worked my hardest, I gave it my all, to deliver for you.

Thank you for empowering me to fight for you. Thank you for your trust in me through COVID.

Thank you for the honor of serving you.

And never forget: Always stay New York tough, smart, united, disciplined and loving. It’s the essence of what makes New Yorkers so special.

Ever Upward,

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

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https://youtu.be/1xWjBnHjOhY

Tonight Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 68. Southwest wind 9 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Monday Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. Southwest wind 8 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.

Monday Night A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. West wind around 6 mph.

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166,700 HOSPITAL, LONG TERM CARE FACILITY WORKERS UNVACCINATED AFTER 8 MONTHS OF VAXING. HOW DID THAT NOT HAPPEN?

SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS ON THEIR OWN IN DEVISING FALL SCHOOL OPENINGS. NO OVERSIGHT.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. August 19, 2021:

School Superintendents– it’s all up to you. You decide what you want to do, how you are going to open your school districts this fall.

Your plans do not have to receive approval from the New York State Education Department, the governor, the county at this time, unless the new Lieutenant Governor-to-be Kathleen Hochul who starts the job Monday decides otherwise.

The Department of Education clarified and confirmed this “hands off” policy to WPCNR (with the exception of providing a Health and Safety Guide, a week ago)to WPCNR today by issuing this clarifying statement. The key paragraph is the last one:

“School administrators are strongly encouraged to partner with their local department(s) of health, directors of school health services, and other health professionals when developing their policies and plans responding to health and safety concerns that may arise during the school year.

     NYSED’s objective in issuing the Health and Safety Guide is to provide schools with information needed to start the school year and sustain the educational process in a manner that is informed by the CDC and other experts, supports the return to in-person learning, and enables districts to respond to student needs. 

     For school districts, opening plans are subject to the approval of the superintendent of schools. As was the case in the 2020-21 school year, 2021-22 opening plans will not be subject to approval by NYSED.“

Editor’s note: In 2020 an 2021, Governor Andrew Cuomo set school instruction and covid policy protocols during the first and second waves of covid. He was relieved of this responsibility in the spring when the State Senate and Assembly voted to relieve him of his emergency powers and appointed a committee of ten assembly and State Senate members to oversee the Governor’s suggestions. It remains to be seen whether the new Lieutenant Governor will continue this policy of School Superintendents making decisions for each school district.

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WPCNR CORONAVIRUS REPORT. By John F. Bailey. August 19, 2021:

Westchester is being careful about Covid, even though weary and ready to get back to normal

Since July 4, when the Westchester infection rate of new cases was less than half a percent, 4,663 new positive covid cases have been diagnosed and the infection rate is now at 3.1% based on the New York State Covid Tracker figures of August 17. Yesterday figures are due out late this afternoon.

 At the  Johns Hopkins spread metric standard that 1 person spreads the disease to 7 people, Westchester infections the last two months have averaged  2.2. infections per new infection, nowhere near 7 PERSONS FOR EVERY PERSON INFECTED.

This responsibility that Westchester residents have shown has helped the county avoid a possible additional 20,000 more victims of covid at this time.

No figures on the actual Westchester infection rate have been released by authorities.

WPCNR analyzed the infections of new covid cases since July 4 when 11 persons tested positive for Covid  through August 17 Tuesday when 234 persons tested positive of 7,664 tested, an infection rate of 3.1%. Going back two weeks to August 3, there were 139 new covid infections reported that day.

 At the average spread rate of 2.2 persons per person infected, multiplied by 139 you come up with 278 infections as an estimate for August 17, which is 44 cases more than the actual 234. Some infections discovered on Tuesday may have been infected sooner since the disease usually shows symptoms within 10 to 14 days.

Go back to August 3 and we have 139 new covid  positives of 6,448 tested, an infection rate of 2.2% not to be confused with my finding of an average 2.2% Westchester Spread Rate I have discovered. Two weeks prior on July 20, 56 persons tested Covid positive of 4,082 tested..

Multiply 2.2 (average Westchester Spread Rate) persons by 56 and you get 123 possible covid infections on August 3 two weeks later when you actually tested and found 139, just a little more. I attribute this to possible more or less people getting infected earlier than the arbitrary 2 week spread date-to-date

Take July 20. If you go back two weeks to  July 6, when only 15 persons were found positive, and you multiply 15 x 2.2 you get 33 infections on July 20, 23 less than the 56. Still there was a faster spread from July 4 due to the mixing and mingling over July 4 weekend, which means more people got infected earlier.

To be sure not every person is getting infected on a strict timetable.

But, the ability of residents of Westchester who have covid to not spread the disease once they are infected is very positive and contributes to Westchester, though still experiencing a third wave crest or ebb or surge,( we do not know yet), is a tribute to intelligence and concern.

In the last five days,  there is no evidence the third Covid wave in Westchester is not surging.

Friday, the 13^th: 187  new infections in  7,630 tests.  This number is right on the 2.2% Westchester Average Spread rate of 2.2. On July 23, two weeks prior 85 were found positive and 2.2  persons times 85 is 86. Right on the Average Infection Rate.

Saturday, the 14^th, 208 persons tested for covid of 7,241 (infection rate 2.9%). Two weeks prior on July 31 , 137 tested positive, and the 2.2 average overestimates  predicting 301 infections  93 over short of the actual  208  July 31 figure. The actual spread rate was 1.5 persons per person infected. I take this to mean that Westchester residents are being more careful with social distancing as figures of positive go consistently  closer to the 200 mark.

Sunday the 15^th, Westchester reported 146 new cases( a 2.9% infection rate).  On August 1, we had 96 infections. Apply the 2.2 infection rate times 96 , you get 211  for Sunday the 15^th. The Spread rate from August first declined again to 1.5% per infection on August 1^st

The 16^th, of August, (Monday) another 189 infections of 4,968 tested.  The 2.2 average produces 323 for Monday, based on August 2,  but over actual infections by 134. The actual person to person spread from the infections of Monday August 2^nd was  1.3% of the infections on August 2.

What do we make of this decline in persons infected with the disease spreading? Better behavior perhaps? More caution? More persons vaccinating?

Now this is a trend noticed by simply applying earlier infections and the effect of those infections over two weeks. The spread rate based on infections two weeks prior is on the balance dropping in the last 7 days below the 2.2 average Spread Rate.

August 10 –New infection spread rate from persons infected 2 weeks prior — 2.6 per person

August 11– 1.76

August 12—1.4

August 13 —1.2

August 14—-1.5

August 15—-1.5

August 16—1.3

August 17–1.7