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: 236

Hits: 245

COUNTY AVERAGES 800 A DAY FOR 5 DAYS, INFECTION RATE 9.2%,. CUTS INFECTION RATE FROM 23% IN 16 DAYS. STATEWIDE INFECTIONS AT 9.75%

WPCNR COVID MONITOR. From the New York State Covid Tracker. With analysis by John F. Bailey.  January 21, 2021:

On the day Governor Kathy Hochul of New York announced statewide  new  covidpositives had declined to a 10% infections, Westchester reported  3,918 positive cases for the first five days of this week, averaging 783 a day.  Westchester  for the last 15 days has continued to lower infections per day overall.

“For the first time since December 20, New York State’s percent positivity is in the single-digits,” Governor Hochul said. “I want to thank New Yorkers for doing the right thing to get where we are in fighting this winter surge. However, this isn’t the time to take our foot off the gas. Let’s keep using the tools – the vaccine, the booster and masking up – to further bring the numbers down and keep our vulnerable loves ones safe from this virus.”

Today’s data is summarized briefly below: 

·         Test Results Reported – 290,107

·         Total Positive – 28,296

·         Percent Positive – 9.75%

·         7-Day Average Percent Positive – 12.27%   

·         Patient Hospitalization – 11,016 (-554)   

·         Patients Newly Admitted – 1,357  

·         Patients in ICU – 1,548 (-35)   

·         Patients in ICU with Intubation – 880 (-5)   

·         Total Discharges – 261,073 (1,706)   

·         New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS – 154

·         Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS – 51,532

Currently the Mid-Hudson Region of Westchester, Orange Rockland, Dutchess, Ulster, Putnam and Sullivan Counties is averaging between 2,500 and 3,000 new covid-infected persons a day. Nassau and Suffolk Counties are seeing less positives than when they were leading the metropolitan area by a large margin, positives as high as 4,000 a day for each Long Island County back on January 10. Nassau reported 1,883 covid positive persons Thursday and Suffolk, 1,703, down to 10-1/2% and 12.2% infections of those tested.

New York City all five boroughs reported 12,285 positives yesterday about a 2 to 1 margin more infections that the 9 counties surrounding NYC, 6,386.

Hits: 2

Hits: 352

WPCNR THE FEINER REPORT. By Paul Feiner, Greenburgh Town Supervisor, January 19, 2021:

Following the devastating fire in a Bronx complex recently that started due to a space heater and spread due to faulty self-closing doors, local officials have been hosting a series of public safety events. 

First, building Inspector Bob Dam addressed Town regulatory and fire safety concerns in a January work session discussion you can watch on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/bYB_x-eA6ck.

He and representatives from each of Greenburgh’s three paid fire districts – Fairview, Greenville, and Hartsdale – will convene online to present important fire safety tips and answer citizen questions before the Wednesday January 26th board meeting  beginning at 7 p.m. They will also discuss the need to inspect fire extinguishers, blocked exits, alarm and sprinkler systems, elevators.  Those interested in attending should email PublicComment@GreenburghNY.com to receive a Zoom link that will be sent an hour before the meeting.  

Please join us Wed, Jan 26 at 7 pm via Zoom to learn what you can do in your own home, business or apartment to stay safe this winter. Email PublicComment@GreenburghNY.com to attend.  We will create a you tube of the meeting on Wednesday January 26.  Be safe. Careful.

PAUL FEINER

Greenburgh Town Supervisor

Hits: 456

WPCNR COVID MONITOR. News and Analysis By John F. Bailey. January 18, 2022 UPDATED JANUARY 19, 2022:

County Executive George Latimer today in his weekly covid briefing said hospitalizations in Westchester County had decreased from 677 last Wednesday to 613, Monday.

This is a hospitalization rate of 2.4% of the 25,294 infected with covid from January 2 to 9th.

The number of persons testing positive for Covid Monday in Westchester continued to lower Monday, the 17th to 821, the lowest number of infections since December 12 when 292 persons tested positive, continuing 9 consecutive days of sharply reduced infections from the 3,000 infections a day level the county had seen since December 26. Mid-Hudson Region infections also dropped.

The Mid-Hudson counties, including Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Dutchess, Ulster, Sullivan and Putnam total new infections numbered 2,726 a drop of 54% since Friday when infections for the reason, numbered 5,980.

“I’m proud of the work New Yorkers have been putting in to keep the numbers down and protect our vulnerable loved ones,” Governor Hochul said. “While we are continuing to see promising trends, we are not through the winter surge yet and it is critical that we continue to use the tools that will help stop the spread. Our best weapon is the vaccine, so if you haven’t, get your shot today and make sure you get your second dose and booster as well.”

Mr. Latimer began the briefing in a confident mood, reporting the number of cases of persons with covid in the county had declined, and continued to appear to be “in diminution.”

Though there is no specific timetable to say which weekly cohort of covid positive persons automatically gets sick to the point where they have to be hospitalized within the 14-day gestation period of the disease, the lowering of hospitalizations means that those 25,000 testing positive from January 2 to 9 have so far after 14 days have not exploded the number of hospitalizations in Westchester to the degree they could have had there not been a vaccine.

From January 10 when the hospitalizations stood at 624, three days later on January 12, Latimer said they had gone up to 677.

Today showed a reduction of hospitalizations to 613. Dividing 613 by 25,294 gives you a percentage of hospitalized of that 25,294 of 2.4%.

This would indicate more evidence that the 72% fully vaccinated population of Westchester County and those with at least 1 shot (92%) even if they get the virus, the vaccine in them is limiting the violence of the infection, to the point they do not have to go into the hospital.

The vaccines are obviously demonstrating lethal effectiveness against the virus at the highest number of infections Westchester has ever seen.

What is missing is a definition of what  the number of hospitalizations actually tells us.

It needs to be broken into categories of vaccine and no vaccine demographics.

Latimer said he is waiting for the breakdown of County hospitalizations into categories of how many were vaccinated with 1 shot, 2 shots, or 3 shots, or no vaccinations at all and by age. As reported previously by Governor Hochul 90% of persons being hospitalized are not vaccinated.

It would also be helpful in this reporter’s opinion since Westchester is still spreading the disease (although bringing down the new infections dramatically last week) to know how many were discharged from hospital, how many new came in and the total number hospitalizaed each week, and an average stay.

Just knowing the hospitalization number for one day a  week doesn’t tell you really what the total of hospitalizations are from a week of newly infected people on a cumulative basis.

They have a miraculous data program in the state compiling these statistics and should with a press of a button and searches by dates and length of stays, you could do that. 

But you get the point. Right now you do not know of the 613 hospitalizations whether they are all new, part of last week’s infections or “just in.”

The cumulative spread of serious covid infections would give the county and the state more confidence that the covid-19 and its gang of variants is being rounded up, or just in abandoned line shacks for awhile.

County Executive  Latimer encouraged Westchester to continue to get vaccinated and pointed out you are not fully vaccinated without a third covid shot.

Week by week in view of the unprecedented number of new cases, if we did not have the vaccine this county and the rest of New York would be a state of very sick people.

Residents needing tests who have symptoms are urged to scheduled tests at the Westchester County Center, by going to the Westchester Health Department website and to schedule an appointment for the vaccine at the County