2,905,611 VISITORS VISIT 8,324,077 TIMES 3 TIMES EVERY DAY IN ONE YEAR. HIGHEST ACTIVITY IN WPCNR HISTORY.White PlainsCitizeNetReporter lifted its worldwide visits from unique visitors to wpcnr.com to 8,324,077,a 1,306,419 increase in visits in one year from 7,017,658 visits to the site last year which covers White Plains and Westchester County. The 8,324,077 visits were made by 2,005,611 unique visitors who visited wpcnr an average of 3 visits a day. ON JULY 20- -2026 visitors have accessed wpcnr and made 3,072 visits an average of 1.6 visits. In the last week 33,495 individual vistors made 54,458 visits, averaging 1.6 visits. In the last month, 152,940 visitors recorded 229,338 visits (1.5 visits)
WPCNR WESTCHESTER VIRUS REPORT. UPDATED 3:35 PM ESTFrom the NYS Covid Tracker. December 2:
At 2 PM Today, the NYS COVID TRACKER Reported 570 more persons tested positive for Coronavirus.
Yesterday, Monday afternoon, New York State reported that 9,934 Westchester County persons had been tested, and 527 had tested positive for the corona virus, an infection rate of 5.3%.
The figures for Tuesday December 1, posted at 2 PM, of 10,852 testing, 570 tested positive for Covid, Westchester continues to have an infection rate of 5.3% and has averaged 560 new infections for 3 straight days.
In the last 5 days of November ending Monday, the Westchester infection rate was averaging over 5%. A total of 2,779 Westchesterites have tested positive in those 5 days.
If this rate of positive virus tests persists, the number of infections will have increased in Westchester by another 3,242 people in one week.
In the 7 days ended Monday, November 30, Westchester saw the number of Covid-19 positive persons rise by 3,958.
The number of infections rise depending on the number of persons tested.
WPCNR WASHINGTON CONNECTED.From New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. December 1:
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand will hold a video press conference AT 2 PM TODAY to urge Congress to invest $6 billion in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in the Fiscal Year 2021 Agriculture Appropriations bill.
Nationwide, 1 in 5 parents do not have enough to feed their children.
Millions of Americans, especially women, continue to be affected by widespread business closures and subsequent job loss and more low income households are relying on social safety nets to feed themselves and their families.
WIC providers have reported increased need due to the pandemic and economic crisis, including in New York, where they have experienced a 3% increase in cases since February.
WPCNR COUNTY-CLARION LEDGER. From the Westchester County Department of Communications. December 1, 2020:
Linda Hakim, a dedicated advocate for those with and at risk for HIV for more than 17 years, will receive a Commissioner’s Special Recognition Award at the statewide 22nd Annual World AIDS Day Event to take place virtually on Tuesday, December 1.
Hakim, who manages the Westchester County Health Department PrEP/PEP Program, is one of 19 awardees selected statewide. PrEP is a preventive treatment that when taken daily can prevent HIV in people who are most at risk and PEP or post-exposure prophylaxis, is medicine taken to prevent HIV after a possible exposure.
She also serves on the Ryan White Part A Tri County Steering Committee and NYSDOH AIDS Institute HIV Advisory Board. Hakim makes herself available to clients 24/7 to ensure they have their medications, access to prevention services, and supports to address issues related to social and economic factors that influence their health.
Health Commissioner Dr. Sherlita Amler said: “Linda Hakim is a passionate and tireless advocate who gives her all to the community she serves. I am thrilled she is being recognized for the wonderful work she does for Westchester residents.”
The 22nd Annual World AIDS Day Event is free and open to the public. Register to participate at https://whova.com/web/endin_202012/. The recognition ceremony will take place on World AIDS Day at 11:30 a.m. The New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute is sponsoring these events.
This year’s theme is “The Story of Ending the Epidemic: Past, Present, and Future.” The goal is to highlight personal stories of determination, courage, hope, and progress that New Yorkers demonstrate each day, despite the many challenges they have faced this year.
In recognition of more than 30 years of fighting the epidemic here in Westchester and around the world, the Westchester County Department of Health reminds residents to get tested for the disease.
Amler said: “An estimated 1.2 million Americans are living with HIV, and yet one in five don’t know it. Everyone should know their HIV status and free testing is readily available.”
Free rapid and regular HIV testing and PrEP are offered by the Health Department at 20 South Broadway in Yonkers and at 134 Court Street in White Plains. Residents can call 995-5800 for dates and times or view the clinic schedule at www.westchestergov.com/health.
HIV remains a nationwide and worldwide epidemic. HIV.GOV estimates that 38 million people worldwide are living with HIV. Although there are effective treatments for HIV, there is still no cure for HIV and no vaccine to prevent it.
WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. From Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. November 30, 2020:
We are entering a new phase in the war against COVID, and therefore a new strategy is required. We need to ensure that hospitals have enough capacity and enough staff to deal with the fall and winter surge that is upon us.
Tonight’s update will be longer than usual, so bear with us, as the details are significant. The Winter Plan to combat the COVID surge is multi-tiered and puts to good use the hard-won lessons we learned from the spring.
First, we will manage hospital capacity to enhance and equalize care.
Second, we will increase and balance testing resources and availability.
Third, we will keep schools open safely.
Fourth, we will try to prevent viral spread that stems from small gatherings.
And fifth and finally, we will operationalize an equitable and safe vaccination program. (You can read more about the plan here, but many key aspects of it are included below.)
A vaccine is coming and this crisis will end. But until that happens, we must not overstress our hospital systems so we can save lives. That is the point of the Winter Plan, but it’s also a mission we all must get behind. We’ve been through the worst but we’re not done yet.
Charts of the Day:
The rise in COVID hospitalizations is not limited to one area of New York. In fact, we can see it in every region of the state. Here’s what else you need to know about the Winter Plan:
1. The State Department of Health is implementing new emergency hospital measures to manage capacity. Hospitals are directed to identify retired medical staff, prepare to add 50 percent bed capacity, and confirm they have the mandatory 90-day stockpile of PPE, among other measures.
2. The State will refine the criteria for Yellow, Orange and Red Zones. The refinement will take into account important factors including the rate of hospitalizations, available hospital and ICU beds, and hospital staffing, and is part of our larger strategy of protecting hospital capacity. These changes will be implemented after experts evaluate any “post-Thanksgiving effect” in the COVID numbers.
3. If a hospital system is overwhelmed, we can pull an “Emergency Stop.” In addition to the three existing micro-cluster zone levels (Yellow, Orange and Red), New York will add a new “Emergency Stop” level, which will effectively put that area under the NY on PAUSE guidelines from the spring. This new level would be used if a hospital system in that area was at serious risk of becoming overwhelmed.
4. The State will encourage school districts to keep schools open, particularly K-8 schools. Our efforts will be focused on keeping K-8 and Special Education open as long as it can be done safely—using sustainable, ongoing testing. While local school districts are able to close at levels under the State’s mandatory closure rule, they are urged to keep K-8 schools open whenever it is safe.
5. Small gatherings have now been identified as the number one spread of COVID-19. At least 65 percent of all cases come from these settings and sixteen states, including New York, have already limited gatherings to no more than 10 people. While the government’s ability to monitor small gatherings is limited, public education on the safety concerns of small gatherings is crucial. Help us spread the word on the danger these gatherings pose.
6. It will likely be months before a critical mass of vaccinations becomes available. Even though a vaccine is expected to be released in the coming weeks, we’re still a while away from having a vaccine that is widely available. As the State operationalizes vaccine distribution, we continue to base our plan on three pillars: Fairness, Equity and Safety.
Here’s what else you need to know tonight:
1. The statewide positivity rate was 4.57 percent yesterday. There were 6,819 positive cases from 148,974 tests reported yesterday. The positivity rate in the micro-cluster focus areas was 6.22 percent. Excluding these areas, it was 4.02 percent.
2. Total hospitalizations rose to 3,532. There were 681 patients in ICU yesterday, up 14 from the previous day. Of them, 325 are intubated. Sadly, we lost 54 New Yorkers to the virus.
3. Elective surgeries in Erie County will be temporarily halted on Friday. Currently, the region has the most critical hospital situation in the state. Stopping elective surgeries will free up hospital beds. Elective surgeries consist of surgeries that are scheduled in advance.
4. Contact tracers allow people to know if they’ve been exposed. This is important for the safety of the individual and the greater community. If you are contacted by a NYS contact tracer, please pick up the phone—if you have caller ID, it will read “NYS Contact Tracing.” Help them do their jobs and keep all of us safer.
If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe to New York State’s Coronavirus Updates here.
