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: 103

WPCNR CORONOAVIRUS REPORT. MAY 9, 2020:

GOVERNOR CUOMO ANNOUNCES STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IS INVESTIGATING EVIDENCE THAT COVID-19 CAN CAUSE SEVERE ILLNESS IN CHILDREN

On Thursday, a 5-Year-Old Boy Passed Away in NYC from These COVID-Related Complications

Health Department Has Issued an Advisory to Inform Health Care Providers About This Serious Inflammatory Disease

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the State Department of Health is investigating several cases of severe illness in children and child deaths that may be related to COVID-19. There have been 73 reported cases in New York where children are experiencing symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease and toxic shock-like syndrome possibly due to COVID-19, and on Thursday a 5-year-old boy passed away in New York City from these COVID-related complications. The Governor has directed the Department of Health to work with the CDC to develop a case definition for this illness to determine whether the remaining cases under investigation are definitively associated with the syndrome.   

At the direction of Governor Cuomo, the State Department of Health has issued an advisory about this serious inflammatory disease, called “Pediatric Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome Associated with COVID-19,” to inform healthcare providers of the condition, as well as to provide guidance for testing and reporting. Health care providers, including hospitals, are required to report to the Department of Health all cases of pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome potentially associated with COVID-19 in those under 21 years of age.

New Yorkers should seek immediate care if a child has:

• Prolonged fever (more than five days)
• Difficulty feeding (infants) or is too sick to drink fluids
• Severe abdominal pain, diarrhea or vomiting
• Change in skin color – becoming pale, patchy and/or blue
• Trouble breathing or is breathing very quickly
• Racing heart or chest pain
• Decreased amount of frequency in urine
• Lethargy, irritability or confusion

“There’s still so much we don’t know about COVID-19, and in the beginning we were led to believe that the good news about this virus was it didn’t affect children,” Governor Cuomo said. “Now we have a new issue that we’re looking at where some children affected with the COVID-19 virus are becoming ill with symptoms similar to the Kawasaki disease or toxic shock-like syndrome. This would be really painful news and would open up an entirely different chapter in our fight against this virus, and the State Department of Health is currently investigating these cases to learn more. In the meantime, we are cautioning all people to look out for the symptoms of this serious illness and to seek help immediately if your child is sick.”

(Editor’s Note: Yesterday, in a news conference,called by County Executive George Latimer, Dr. Sherlita Amler and Dr. Micheal Gewitz of Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, said 65 children in Westchester had contracted the new, possible Covid-19 related disease.

Dr. Gewitz said the children had been quarantined, but had contracted the new condition some 4 to 5 weeks after being diagnosed as corona-19 positive. Dr. Amler urged parents and relatives who have persons diagnosed as Covid-19 positive, and who have contacted with children, relatives or friends, to contact their doctor, if any child exposed to covid-positive persons they know should suddenly start developing the above symptoms associated with the new condition. )

Here is what Dr. Gewitz said in the news conference:

New York State Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said, “With each passing day we’re learning more about this terrible virus, and this potentially new development requires even greater understanding. We’ll devote the resources of the department to research each potential case and share our findings with healthcare providers around the state and country.”

Though most children who get COVID-19 experience only mild symptoms, in the United Kingdom, a possible link has also been reported between pediatric COVID-19 and serious inflammatory disease.

The inflammatory syndrome has features which overlap with Kawasaki disease and toxic shock syndrome and may occur days to weeks after acute COVID-19 illness. It can include persistent fever, abdominal symptoms, rash, and even cardiovascular symptoms requiring intensive care.

Early recognition by pediatricians and referral to a specialist including to critical care is essential. Molecular and serological testing for COVID-19 in children exhibiting the above symptoms is recommended. The majority of patients have tested positive for COVID-19, some on molecular testing for SARS-COV-2, others on serological testing.

Hits: 0

WPCNR GOVERNOR ANDREW M. CUOMO FRIDAY CORONAVIRUS BRIEFING. By John F. Bailey, May 8, 2020 UPDATES IN BLACK BOLD TYPEFACE :

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced a “Toxic-Shock” like disease killed a 5 year old child Thursday in New York, who had been suffering from the corona virus. The Governor listed the symptoms above. The Governor said the State Health Department is investigating.

The Governor commented that though coronavirus infection statistics were going down they were going down much slower than they went up. He attributed that to a continuing new hospitalizations rate of approximately 600 a day, he commented on earlier this week.

“We would have liked to see a steady sharp decline in these numbers, (the decline) is more of a flattening out as numbers continue to drop,” the governor said. He said Thursday saw 216 New Yorkers die from coronavirus, which has been the trend this week.

He said “We are in control. There is a science to this, contrary to politics and emotion. You can pull up the records of countries who reopened, and now have had to do a 180 degree turnaround. I don’t want to see 100,000 more people die. Facts make the decision. If we make a wrong move, more people will die. Let’s get through it without any further loss of life.”

The Governor is now concentrating on how to lower the vast proportion of infections in black and Latino neighborhoods. He said, from his address: “When you look at the new cases and where they’re coming from in the state, it’s clear that a majority of the new cases and a disproportionate number are coming from minority communities. 21 zip codes with the highest rate of hospitalization – 20 have greater than average black and/or Latino populations. So, this is something that we’re focused on and we’re going to address and we will address immediately. We will have more information on this in the next couple of days. “

In the “Q. & A,” the governor said upstate regions would likely be allowed to reopen for construction and manufacturing, but felt the numbers for the downstate region were not going to be there..

The “Q. & A.” brought reporter questions on the unemployment checks situation.

Melissa DeRosa, Secretary to the Governer said the state was “trying to build a plane while trying to fly it,” because the automatic telephone system crashed due to 1.6 million unemployment claims in 3 weeks. Last year the state only processed 300,000 in twelve months. She repeated for about the umpteenth time to the reporters, who always raise this question, that 3,000 people had been hired to get through the backlog. She said 1.6 Million million claims had been processed in 7 weeks.

The governor with a huge grin, remarked to reporters in a few weeks reporters would be asking about persons who received checks who were not entitled to them, the state should take the time to check them.

There were no questions on nursing homes. There were questions on the new illness being investigated.

The Governor confirmed 2,938 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 330,407 confirmed cases in New York State. Of the 330,407 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows (DOWNSTATE REGIONS IN BOLD FACE. WESTCHESTER HAS TOPPED 30,995 CASES, ROCKLAND IS NOW AT 12,349 CASES, NASSAU, 37,812; SUFFOLK, 36,223; NYC, 18,713:

Hits: 0

WPCNR THURSDAY GOVERNOR ANDREW M. CUOMO CORONAVIRUS BRIEFING. By John F. Bailey, May 7, 2020:

This morning, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo extend until August 20 the moratorium on evictions for non-payment of rent in New York State, and allowed persons unable to pay rent to use their security deposits (with landlords) to draw down against the rent, with ability to pay the security used later.

In the “Q. & A”, Governor Cuomo in response to a question said the state is working for a moratorium on foreclosures of banks on landlords who have protested that nonpayment of rent affects their abilities to pay their mortgages.

He also announced efforts to avoid farmers destroying food for lack of buyers on the face of the accelerated demand Food Banks are facing. He detailed how the state is spending $25 Million to purchase food for Food Banks who are seeing unprecedented demand from persons needing food. He encouraged philanthropic organizations to contact the state to aid the Food Banks in purchasing enough food to feed the growing public demand (up 200% in Westchester alone).

Governor Cuomo said the state’s $25 million Nourish New York Initiative has purchased food and products from more than 2,100 New York farms and provided support to nearly 50 food banks, soup kitchens and food pantries to date.

Within the next week, more than 20,000 households across the state will receive Nourish New York products. First announced by the Governor on April 27th, the Nourish New York Initiative provides relief by purchasing food and products from Upstate farms and directs them to the populations who need them most through New York’s network of food banks. The state is also asking any philanthropies or foundations that would like to help the state’s food banks to contact COVIDPhilanthropies@exec.ny.gov.

The Governor said the coronavirus rates of decline were continuing on all leading indicators of the disease slowdown in infections. He said total hospitalizations was down to 8,600, net hospitalizations were down and the 3-Dqy average was down. Deaths were steady with another 231 New York dead from the virus yesterday. New hospitalizations were down.

He reported  that 27,000 essential employees who were on the front lines were tested for antibodies, and results showed what he called “amazingly good news,” than that of the general population, noting that masks and sanitizers work. The essential workers average 7% infecttions behind the average 14% rate of infections in the general population.

• 6.8 percent of health care workers in Westchester County tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies, compared to 13.8 percent of the general population in Westchester County
• 12.2 percent of health care workers in New York City tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies, compared to 19.9 percent of the general population in New York City
• 11.1 percent of health care workers on Long Island tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies, compared to 11.4 percent of the general population on Long Island

He said the New York Policy would be to prevent deaths as much as possible, and not reopen until deaths had declined well below the 231 a day rate.

Hits: 0

WPCNR TUESDAY GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO CORONAVIRUS BRIEFING. By John F. Bailey. May 5, 2020:

The coronavirus infections continue on the way down, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today, most notably new hospitalizations dropping 50 to  650. The Governor has said previously he would like new hospitalizations to drop to 400-500 before any reopening which he said was going to be a serious possibility after the New York Pause order expires May 15.

The Governor announced New York Subways would shutdown nightly at 1 AM to 5 AM tonight, two days earlier than he predicted last week.  Workers will find transportation available for them at stations, via bus, van, uber or Lyft, free.

Governor Cuomo renewed his call for the congress to pass a funds bill to reimburse states,  like New York, California, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and other states with revenues depleted by economic shutdowns and stay-at-home orders. He said “ You have a national crisis. Nothing iss going to happen unless President Trump has to be the reasonable man here or they will not pass it and he will have failed the nation as a leader. ”

The Governor explored an issue he said is not being discussed about the need to reopening, and that is the cost of human life.  He  argued strongly for a measured, controlled reopening carefully measured as he introduced Monday, pointing out that Washington D.C. is doubling its estimtes of how many Americans will die with the present possibilities of 31 states reopening this week. The governor said the estimate of $60,000 Americans dying was now judged to be going up to 136 million Americans,  The Governor said, “the coronavirus doesn’t kill Democrats and Republicans. It kills Americans.”

He advocated for a new approach to education, announcing that the Bill and Melinda Gates  Foundation was developing a techmology based learning program for New York Education bases on more efficient means to using technology to teach at home.

He announced that the state would be creating some television spots promoting wearing a mask featuring real New Yorkers at the suggestion of his daughter Mariah Cuomo whom the Governor acknowledged has not felt he has been communicating well to get the importance of wearing a mask across to New Yorkers will head up the project. A contest will be staged for 30-second ad submissions featuring mask-wearers. The Governor’s daughter will not be paid.

Hits: 208

WPCNR MILESTONES. May 4, 2020 From his family :

Edward John Ciocca, Deputy Chief of the City of White Plains Fire Department, died May 1, 2020. He was 62. Edward was born April 28, 1958 in White Plains to JoAnn MacDonald Ryan and the late Adelmo Ciocca.

Chief Ciocca was a 35 year veteran and third generation firefighter.  His grandfather, Edward J. MacDonald, was White Plains Fire Chief and later the city’s Commissioner of Public Safety.  His father, Adelmo Ciocca, served as Deputy Chief.

Hired May 1985, Ed was assigned to firefighter Group 4 until his promotion to Lieutenant, September 1991.  He led Fire Prevention for several years and in July 1999, was promoted to Deputy Chief.

Edward was kind to everyone he met. He was a source of strength and inspiration for all who knew him, and his presence lit up every room he entered. He was a principled leader and dedicated public servant.  Edward was a beloved father and son who treasured family and emphasized its importance.  Ed was a sports enthusiast, and an ardent fan of the Oakland Raiders and the Chicago Blackhawks.  He enjoyed attending games with his family.

Besides his mother JoAnn Ryan (William) of White Plains, Edward is survived by his daughter Brianna Ciocca of Elmsford; his partner Maureen Nestor Brown of Ossining; two sisters Kim Treacy (Darren) of Fishkill; and Tracey Bonaro (James) of Clifton Park; and nieces Michelle Carpenito and Alyssa Bonaro, nephews TJ Carpenito and Jarrod Bonaro, and great nephew Christopher Mende.

In lieu of flowers donations to the White Plains Hospital Endo ICU Nursing.