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 GOVERNOR ANDREW M. CUOMO CORONAVIRUS REPORT, DECEMBER 18, 2020:

On this snowy day, I have a simple message that we can all agree with. We want to slow the spread, we want to avoid shutdowns, and together we can do it. We slow the spread by being smart during the holiday season.

It’s a difficult situation and people need to come together. There’s a feeling of safety in your home and there’s a feeling of safety when you’re with your family, but it just takes one person infected who doesn’t know it and living room spread happens. Half of all cases are from people who had no symptoms. So please be careful and stay safe.  

Photo of the Day: Residents take advantage of the snowfall to sled at Mattlin Middle School in Plainview, New York (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) Here’s what else you need to know tonight: 

1. Total COVID hospitalizations rose to 6,147—up 50 from the previous day. Of the 202,772 tests reported yesterday, 10,914, or 5.38 percent, were positive. There were 1,095 patients in the ICU yesterday, down 3 from the previous day. Of them, 611 are intubated. Sadly, we lost 120 New Yorkers to the virus. 

2. The deadline to sign up for a health plan through NY State of Health has been extended. New Yorkers have two more weeks (until December 31) to enroll in a health plan that begins on January 1. “As the pandemic continues, it is especially important for New Yorkers to have access to high-quality, affordable health insurance,” said Donna Frescatore, NY State of Health Executive Director. Visit their website or call 1-855-355-5777 to enroll.

 3. The Finger Lakes, with 736 hospitalizations, remains a region of particular concern. It has the highest rate of COVID hospitalization as a percentage of its population, at 0.06 percent.

Central New York has 386 hospitalizations (0.05 percent of its population);

Western New York has 501 hospitalizations (0.04 percent);

Mohawk Valley has 194 hospitalizations (0.04 percent);

Long Island has 1,025 hospitalizations (0.04 percent);

the Mid-Hudson region has 743 hospitalizations (0.03 percent);

Capital Region has 328 hospitalizations (0.03 percent);

Southern Tier has 170 hospitalizations (0.03 percent);

New York City has 2,005 hospitalizations (0.02 percent).

The North Country, with 59 hospitalizations (0.01 percent), continues to have the lowest rate of hospitalizations due to COVID. 

4. To date, New York has conducted over 22 million COVID tests. If you are experiencing COVID symptoms or believe you may have been exposed to someone who is positive, get tested. Find a testing site near you. You can also call 1-888-364-3065 to schedule a free appointment at a New York State-run testing location. 

Tonight’s “Deep Breath Moment”: A black-and-white stray dog who had become a celebrity in his neighborhood in Tallinn, Estonia, is being honored with a monument. When the mutt, called Zorik, was taken from the Estonian capital to live out his last years in the country, Zorik was so missed that residents decided to erect a statue of him. After raising funds, a local artist was commissioned to build the monument, which is meant to honor not just Zorik, but all strays. This one shaggy mutt’s legacy will live on for many years to come.  If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe to New York State’s Coronavirus Updates here. Ever Upward, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

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WPCNR WESTCHESTER MONEY From the New York State Department of Labor, White Plains NY. December 17, 2020:

Private sector jobs in the Hudson Valley declined by 73,700 or 9.0 percent, to 749,200 in the 12 months ending November 2020. 

Job losses were centered in leisure and hospitality (-29,700), trade, transportation and utilities (-10,300), professional and business services (-8,700), educational and health services (-8,600), other services (-6,800), manufacturing (-4,000), financial activities (-2,900), and natural resources, mining and construction (-2,400). 

The November 2020 over-the-year job losses continue to reflect the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

At 749,200, private sector job count has reached its lowest November level since 2011.  Meanwhile, a gain of 8,000 jobs in November, continues to reflect the reopening of the economy. 

The historical average over-the-month change between October and November is a gain of 2,300. 

Within the region, the Orange-Rockland-Westchester labor market area’s private employment sector declined the fastest year-over-year, down 9.3 percent. 

They were followed by the Dutchess-Putnam MSA (-9.0 percent), Sullivan County (-7.3 percent), and the Kingston MSA (-5.3 percent).   

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WPCNR WEATHER. December 17, 2020:

At County Executive George Latimer’s Thursday Covid Briefing this afternoon, the County Executive and Deputy County Executive announced Beeline Bus Service had been restored with some changes in schedules especially in the hilly sections of the county like Yonkers. The County Airport was open, subject to carrier delays or cancellations. Metro North was running its normal weekday schedule. The County Executive thanked county and local city and town DPW crews for the efforts through the night dealing with the snowfall.

Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins reported the highest snowfall was reported in Mt. Kisco and Yorktown Heights at 11 inches. Jenkins also advises residents to keep off the roads to allow crews to make them safe with adequate grooming. Jenkins said temperatures would be below freezing this evening with windchills as low as 15 degrees and advised motorists to dress appropriately.

The County Executive said New York State Gas and Electric reported no outages and that as of this afternoon Con Edison reported 11 outages affecting 397 customers. He said currently the customers affected are in Bedford, Buchanan, Cortlandt, Greenburgh, Mt. Kisco, North Castle Peekskill and Yonkers.

The County Executive said Con Edison effort on “restoration much better ” than the Con Ed response to the hurricane in August.

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THE NY STATE WORKBOOK COVID-19 TRACKER REPORTED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THAT WESTCHESTER COUNTY PERSONS TESTING POSITIVE TUESDAY CONTINUED at a 6.5% DAILY POSITIVE TEST INFECTION RATE.

AFTER 9,436 WESTCHESTER TESTS WERE CONDUCTED MONDAY AND 560 TESTED POSITIVE, A 5.9% INFECTION RATE, 8, 417 WERE TESTED TUESDAY AND 549 CAME BACK POSITIVE WITH THE CORONA VIRUS, A 6.5% INFECTION RATE

THE LAST 25 DAYS, NOVEMBER 21 THROUGH TUESDAY DECEMBER 16, 13,567 WESTCHESTER-TESTED PERSONS HAVE TESTED POSITIVE.

THIS IS AN AVERAGE OF 542 NEW COVID CASES PER DAY.

THE AVERAGE INFECTION RATE IS 5.4% .

November 21 through December 15, 13,018 WESTCHESTER-TESTED PERSONS HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19, AN AVERAGE OF 542 NEW CASES, AN AVERAGE INFECTION RATE OF 5.47% THE INFECTION RATE HAS RISEN SHARPLY THE THREE WEEKS SINCE THANKSGIVING.

IN THE LAST 7 DAYS TUESDAY TO TUESDAY, THE INFECTION RATE HAS AVERAGE JUST ABOUT 6%, AVERAGE 5.94%

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. From the Westchester County Department of Communications. December 16, 2020:

Three Mount Kisco businesses were recently charged with selling alcohol or vaping products to a youth who was under 21 years of age.

Westchester County Police and the Westchester County Department of Health sent the underage youth into multiple stores in Mount Kisco last week at the request of the Village. They conducted compliance checks to ensure that shops that sell beer, tobacco or vaping products were complying with laws that prohibit such sales to persons under 21 years old.

The stores that failed were:

·         Smoking of Chen Inc., (doing business as The Smoking King), 32 Main St, which is charged with selling vaping supplies to a person under age 21, a violation of New York State Public Health Law;

·         Henry’s Deli at 351 Lexington Ave. and Mount Kisco Snacks at 540 Main St., which are charged with selling alcohol to a person under age 21, a violation of the state Alcohol Beverage Control law.

Smoking of Chen was cited for a similar violation in 2019 and Henry’s Deli was charged with selling cigarettes to an underage person in 2019.

“The Village appreciates the continuing enforcement efforts of the Westchester County Police and the Westchester County Department of Health to ensure compliance with regulations prohibiting the sale of tobacco and alcohol to minors. We will advocate to suspend the license for businesses who continue to put the health of and safety of our children at risk,” Mount Kisco Mayor Gina D. Picinich said.

Public Safety Commissioner Thomas A. Gleason said the County Police conduct enforcement and public education in conjunction with its Office of Drug Prevention & Stop-DWI to deter underage persons from using alcohol, tobacco or vaping products.

“We continually conduct these compliance checks and work in partnership with community organizations and the municipalities we serve to encourage young people to make safe and healthy choices,” Gleason said.