FIRST TIME: MID-HUDSON, LONG ISLAND NEW COVID CASES TOP NEW YORK CITY

11 OF 26   ADMISSIONS  AT WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL  TUESDAY POSITIVE FOR COVID

WPCNR CORONA VIRUS SURVEILLANCE. Statistics from NY Covid Tracker, New York State Hospitalizations Tracker. Observation & Analysis by John F. Bailey. February 23, 2028:

Monday new cases of covid in Westchester, Orange, Rockland, Dutchess, Ulster, Putnam, Sullivan Counties and Long Island Nassau and Suffolk County exceeded the number of new daily cases in New York City for the first time during the three years of the Pandemic.

The 9 counties surrounding the 5 New York City boroughs were reported by New York Covid Tracker as having 525  new laboratory-confirmed  positive covid cases  Monday  while all of New York City reported 519.

The nine county daily cumulative number of new cases  has never exceeded a New York City   daily total  in the three years  duration, on-going covid pandemic.

The  nine counties and their governments and health officials have with a heavy reluctance to impose loose enforcement or no enforcement at all of recommended covid precautions.

This over the last two years has resulted in the 9 counties with  total  population of 5.1 million  (60% of New York City population of 8,804,000)  having new covid infections at higher and higher percentages of the 9 county infections compared to New York City populations.

The 9 counties have for two straight years failed to keep covid cases down once they had case surge under control to where a covid person would spread the disease to one or less than 1 person.

The nine counties and their villages cities and towns did not impose fines for individuals failing to mask, or organizations for failure to observe social gathering guidelines.

The New York State Education Department eliminated the requirements for schools to report students, staff and administrative infections of covid creating a lack of awareness of covid spread in the schools and school districts.

The New York State legislature by taking emergency powers away from former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and now with Governor Hochul shackled with the handcuffs prohibiting her from imposing executive orders in an emergency, the state legislature is choosing to ignore the covid spread potential.

The Big wave in covid built through the spring o 2023 when socializing and mask wearing, and vaccinations declined and the new variants of the disease started infecting.  

That spring of spread in Westchester had  infections started spreading slowly, accelerated in July to 10,000 in July and now has declined monthly for 6-1/2 months to last week’s low of 625.

 The State Health Commissioner recently said masks were not necessary in schools.

Now with the 9 counties equaling the number of cases New York City reported Monday, we may see more spread when schools comeback in session next week. The socializing of March returns to 5 day business and school weeks.

You are on your own Westchester because now the legislature is concentrating on the state budget and not paying attention to the covid problem at all they want an economy roaring again.

Monday, 17,264  New York City (all 5 boroughs) Lab-Verified Tests were reported and 519 were found positive, 3%.

In the 9 surrounding Mid-Hudson Counties and Nassau and Suffolk Counties 12,355 Lab Verified Tests were administered and  525 tested positive, 4% Positive rate. Bear in mind there is a lag here between the day a lab test comes in and effect on future positives.

The disturbing news from Monday in the Mid-Hudson Region:

Top three counties in population in the region: Westchester County, Orange and Dutchess each doubled with infections on Monday. Westchester  went from 54  Sunday to 110 infections Monday.  Orange County with population of  404,525 doubled from 28 cases Sunday  to 49 new cases of covid Monday .  Dutchess County (population, 339,227)   did double  from  20 cases Sunday to 45 new cases of Covid. Westchester had 110.

Be wary.

The low amount of tests in New York City and the 9 surrounding counties suggests to me two things: the positive is that people who feel sick or take an at-home test that turns up “+” are motivated to get a lab test to see if they are really “+” positive– are coming in 

The take away here is one of two things…the antigen tests are inconsistent possibly necessitating worry they have covid and they come in for a lab test to make sure they do or do not have it. Or, another possibility is the antigen positive test they may choose to ignore because they do not want to have to quarantine, or miss work, or what have you.

Right now Westchester county is coming off its lowest number of weekly positives in one year (625 last week). With infections hitting 110 Monday in Westchester, we will see how it goes the rest of this vacation week and next week to see if the vacation effect combines with the “covid is in the review mirror and happy days are here again” attitude starts another surge in cases.

The hospitalization figures for White Plains Hospital Center on February 21, Tuesday were published today.

The hospital reported to the state  they had 26 admissions  Tuesday February 21, and 11 of the admitted were found with covid, and 6 of those 11 were found to be tested positive after admission.  The hospital reported the facility had  322 “Acute Care Beds” Staffed, and 280 of Acute Care beds were occupied (87%).

To date from the first year of the covid pandemic From January 2020 to February 21, White Plains Hospital Center has admitted 5,008 covid patients. The hospital treated and discharged 4,477 covid patients and reported 531 fatalities (11%).

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Westchester TRIMS NEW CASES OF COVID TO 54 ON SUNDAY–LOWEST DAILY TOTAL SINCE FEB 26 OF LAST YEAR. WORRISOME MIDWEEK HIGHER POSITIVE TREND LOWERS 34% 164 DOWN TO 108

WEEK BEGINS WITH LOWEST SUNDAY POSITIVES IN WESTCHESTER IN 4 WEEKS.

WPCNR CORONA SURVEILLANCE. Statistics from NYS Covid Tracker. Observation and Analysis by John F. Bailey. February 22, 2023:

Lab verified test totals continue to show persons going for lab tests that confirm they are not positive continues to lower. Totals on First day of the week the first 4 Sundays in February have been 132, 62,59 and 54, reflecting the very positive slowdown in midweek rises in infections Tuesday through Fridays, a very encouraging trend.

Tuesday Wednesday, Thursday Friday positives in February have lowered from an average of 164 February 1 to 3, to 108 Tuesday through Friday February 14 through 17. That is a drop of 34%

Persons opting for lab test confirmations of possible home positives, if that is the reason they are testing, are apparently not positive for covid in greater proportions.

With more persons vaccinating, yet socializing accelerating, it shows vaccinations help.

Last week’s covid logbook demonstrating the lowering of midweek positives over the last 4 weeks (back to March 29).
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WESTCHESTER NEW CASES DECLINE 8TH WEEK IN ROW. 642 NEW CASES IN 7 DAYS

 WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL COVID CASES RUN 42% OF ADMISSIONS 1ST 2 WEEKS OF FEB

WPCNR COVID SURVEILLANCE. From NYS Covid Tracker & NY Hospitalization Reports. Observation & Analysis by John F. Bailey.

Westchester County  recorded 642 cases of new persons testing positive for covid last week Sunday.

From February 12 through Saturday, February 18, it was the lowest number of cases in a week so far in the new year, the 9th straight week that cases have declined since the last week in December.

The county averaged  92 lab verified cases a day last week, slightly ahead of the average 7.2 daily cases a day per 100,000 population. Westchester population is 1,004,000  which works out to 10.04  100,000 segments. The daily average of 7.2 x 10.04  for Westchester indicates 72 daily infections a day , which works out to an average 2,020 case a month.

The 642 cases for the county last week shows that  the county may be infecting at a pace  slightly more than the 7.2 daily average indicates and could reach 2,400 cases in the month.

A concern locally is the number of new cases admitted to White Plains Hospital  in the last two weeks has declined since February began but is still showing 40% of newly admitted patients are testing positive for covid according to New York Hospitalizations records through February 14.

The figures:

In January 2023 White Plains Hospital reported 840 Patients admitted and 510 were found treated for Covid 60% of admissions.

 From  February 1 to February 14, 224 admissions to White Plains Hospital reported 93 were positive for covid. The number admissions found to have covid after arrival had tested positive a percentage of 42%.

The Mid Hudson Region as of last Thursday, showed hospitalizations in the 7 counties in the region: Westchester, Rockland, Range Putnam, Dutchess Ulster and Sullivan Counties reported 244 persons admitted and 84 found to be positive with covid after admission a percentage of 34.4%.

On Long Island, Nassau and Suffolk Counties reported 313 admissions, 144 found to have covid or  46%

In the five  boroughs of New York City, there were 816 admissions with 328 found after admission to have covid,  40.2%

An observation, if I may, if the numbers of positives indicated by the weekly daily rate is running ahead  of the positive case reporting figures, confidence in how covid cases are appearing to decline with numbers publish, but by conservative presentation of daily numbers (broken down by 100,000 population segments, the numbers do not appear to give Mr. and Mrs. New York the true picture of the pace of disease slow decline, and are  running behind actual positives in real time. 

FEBRUARY White Plains Hospital Center Admissions and Number of whom found to have Covid
THE JANUARY 2023 WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS AND COVID PORTION

It is imperative the numbers be presented in crystal clear, comprehensive format to give the public the true picture of their risks of getting covid, which is a disease that lingers once you get it and comes back an back and back. You do not want to get it.

Here is how the week in covid looked ended February 18 region by region on hospitalizations for Covid

Here is how the Mid-Hudson Region did on covid infections : Saturday

Westchester and the Mid Hud Region and Long Islandhave 70%of the cases New York City has when the 9 counties have 40% of NYC’s population. The trend of Westchester out-infecting NYC has been consistent for the last year.\

Some takeaway from this chart is the lowering infection rates on Long Island which has been notorious for new cases for the last three years. Infection rates in the Mid Hudson region are consistently above the 1:1 target (1 person infecting less than 1 other person Westchester infection percentage continues uncomfortably high at 5% of those tested, given that the Westchester testing activity is so low, 1,283 tests a day. If Westchester tested 5,000 a day, infections could be 250 a day (1,750 a week). (Since the county no stopped publishing its map of a county infections chart there is no way the public can see infections by town and city.)

The number are going up slightly on Tuesdays and and Thursdays but now significantly enough to decrease the weekly decline trend.

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PRESIDENTS DAY: GEORGE WASHINGTON, THE FIRST AND THE BEST.

WPCNR MILESTONES. Reprinted from the WPCNR ARCHIVES. February 20, 2022:

Wednesday, February 22 is George Washington’s Birthday.

The time when we remember the first leader and the best. It is instructive to look at our first leader, George Washington, the father of our nation — America — that used to be.

One cannot help be reminded of the snowy winter at Valley Forge, when the bedraggled, poorly equipped rebel army suffered but held together, and attacked the Hessians in Trenton on Christmas Eve, 1776, crossing the Delaware River at night. What kind of man was he that George Washington could inspire his troops against all odds?

Washington was a man of tremendous character. Of principle.

Where did he get this character?

He specialized in self-control at an early age. That congressmen, lobbyists, and pundits and yes, Presidents,  means mind-control, reason and responsibility, and humanity.

According to  the book, The American President, Washington, at sixteen, had formed a code of conduct. He had written a book of etiquette with 110 “maxims” to guide his conduct in matters. In this etiquette book he had written:

Every action done in company ought to be done with a sign of respect to those who are not present. Sleep not when others speak; sit not when others stand; speak not when you should hold your peace; walk not when others stop;…Let your countenance be pleasant but in serious matters somewhat grave…Undertake not what you cannot perform but be careful to keep your promise.

The character sketch provided by the authors of The American President, indicates this personal “rulebook” was a book that Washington wrote over the years and referred to it often, for, they write, for the following reasons:

“for self-control, to avoid temptation, to elude greed, to control his temper. Reputation was everything to him. It had to do with his strength, his size, his courage, his horsemanship, his precise dress, his thorough mind, his manners, his compassion. He protected that reputation at any cost.”

Earning respect by example. Quelling rebellion with a few words.

He sets an example today for those who would take advantage of America’s weakness and seize power by opportunism.

Washington inspired by example.

John Vorperian with “George Washington” at Purdy House where General Washington stayed during the Battle of White Plains.

He lived with his troops. He shared hardships with them, and there was so much respect for him that he was able to talk them out of armed rebellion at the end of the American Revolution.

Washington had been asked by the army to join them to overthrow the Continental Congress, and make himself King.

Washington had been asked by one of the officers of the rebels to join them, and he wrote them,

You could not have found a person to whom your schemes are more disagreeable. Banish these thoughts from your mind.

Hearing that the rebels who were planning insurrection against the new country due to not having been paid by the Continental Congress, Washington rode to Newburgh, New York, (not far from White Plains, NY,USA) on March 15, 1783, to meet with the dissident insurgents. Washington spoke to the rebellious group, saying,

“Gentlemen, as I was among the first who embarked in the cause of our common Country; as I never left your side one moment, but when called from you on public duty; as I have been the constant companion and witness of your Distresses…it can scarcely be supposed …that I am indifferent to your interests. But…this dreadful alternative, of either deserting our Country in the extremest hour of her distress, or turning our Arms against it…has something so shocking in it that humanity revolts from the idea…I spurn it, as every Man who regards liberty…undoubtedly must.”

The would-be rebels fell silent, digesting what he had said. Then Washington withdrew a letter from Congress, but could not read the text, withdrawing some eyeglasses from his tunic, remarking,

“Gentlemen, you will permit me to put on my spectacles for I have not only grown gray but almost blind in the service of my country.”

The men present were reported to have tears in their eyes at this gesture of Washington’s and abandoned their plot out of respect for their leader.

Washington retired from the military, surprising the entire new country.

His action surprised King George III of England, who was astonished that Washington had refused to hold on to his military authority and use it for political or financial gain.

The defeated King of England, remarked, “If true, then he is the greatest man in the world.”

Seeker of Diverse Views. How to pick a cabinet.

As President, George Washington invented the Presidential Cabinet, whom he referred to as “the first Characters,” persons who possessed the best reputations in fields and areas of the jobs he was filling.

Washington said on political appointments:

“My political conduct and nominations must be exceedingly circumspect. No slip into partiality will pass unnoticed…”

Washington tolerated the relentless clashes between Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State, and Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury, but lectured them on the necessity for tolerance and moving beyond partisanship:

“I believe the view of both of you are pure, and well meant. Why then, when some of the best Citizens in the United States, Men…who have no sinister view to promote, are to be found, some on one side, some on the other…should either of you be so tenacious of your opinions as to make no allowances for those of the other? I have great esteem for you both, and ardently wish that some line could be marked out by which both of you could walk.”

The Constitution Should be Protected

When George Washington left office after two terms, he made a farewell address which warned future generations of Americans about foreign entanglements and partisanship in the republic:

I shall carry to my grave the hope that your Union and brotherly affection may be perpetual; that the Constitution may be sacredly maintained; and that free government…the ever favorite object of my heart…will be the happy reward of our mutual cares, labors and dangers.”

Washington died in 1800, three years after leaving office in 1797. He was saluted on the floor of congress as being

“First in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen.”

He was the first and best. The ultimate role model for any leader, February 22, 2023 is a day that tries Americans’ souls.

It is hoped that some of our “leaders” in Westchester, in Albany, in Washington might read the words I have quoted above and take them to heart in future deliberations. Work a little. It’s not all about you. It’s about doing what is best for us all.

George Washington’s vision of his country is being challenged by those who know not what they do.

But we who remember, and read these words must refocus.

I hear you, Mr. Washington, and we heed.

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