The Peru Gazette

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State Senator Dan Stec (L) and Mark Henry, Chairman of the Clinton County Board of Legislators

            To address the severe lack of access to COVID-19 testing, Senator Dan Stec (R,C-Queensbury) and his district staff delivered more than 1,000 test kits to locations across the entire 45^th Senate District. Providing these tests to local organizations will help ailing residents receive the medical care they need and assist communities in combating the spread of the virus.

“While much of the discourse around coronavirus has become hyper-political, it’s a fact that many people who are in need of a COVID test can’t get access to one,” said Stec. “This lack of access is simply unacceptable.

“I was pleased my staff and I could partner with local organizations to address this crisis,” he added. “By delivering these tests, I’m optimistic that we can protect vulnerable populations and help our communities stay healthy during this challenging time.”

Senator Stec and his office delivered COVID-19 tests to the following people and locations:

Clinton County 

• Clinton County Legislature Chair Mark Henry
• Clinton County Sheriff David Favro
• Plattsburgh Mayor Chris Rosenquest

Essex County 

• Essex County Director of Public Health Linda Beers 
• Essex County Office of the Aging Director Krissy Leerkes 

Franklin County 

• AmVets, Malone 

St. Lawrence County 

• Town of Colton Supervisor Ronnie Robert
• AmVets of Colton and Parishville

Warren County 

• Open Door Mission, Glens Falls
• Glens Falls Senior Center Executive Director Kim Bren
• Greater Glens Falls Transit

Washington County 

• Learning Employment Assistance Partnership (LEAP), who will distribute kits to Washington County Head Start centers

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DiNapoli Urges Policymakers to Examine Safely Reducing Number of Incarcerated Individuals

The state’s prison population declined by half from March 2008 to March 2021, but the population of individuals aged 50 and above grew slightly, according to a follow-up report by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. No age segment under the age of 50 showed an increase.

The number of older incarcerated individuals has grown from 7,511 in March 2008 to 7,586 in March 2021. As a percentage of the state’s shrinking prison population, however, the older population has doubled. Nearly 1-in-4 (24.3%) of the state’s 31,262 incarcerated individuals were 50 and above in March 2021. Thirteen years earlier, just 12% of the then prison population of 62,597 were 50 and over. The share who are at least 60 years old nearly tripled from 2.7% in March 2008 to 7.9% in March 2021.

“The safe and efficient operation of the corrections system is critically important to protecting public safety, providing incarcerated individuals with opportunities to find success upon release and ensuring wise use of public resources,” DiNapoli said. “Since our initial 2017 report detailing the rise in the number of aging incarcerated individuals, we found that despite reductions in the overall size of the population, the share of older prisoners is increasing. In the months ahead, policymakers should examine opportunities to reduce the population of incarcerated individuals 50 and over where public safety would not be compromised.”

Factors Contributing to Population Change

At least two trends may explain the net gain in older prisoners: one is the rise in the number of admissions of older individuals to Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) prisons for a new offense or parole violation, which increased by an average of 3.5% per year from 2008 to 2020. The average age of incarcerated individuals under custody in New York state prisons was 40.3 years in March 2021, an increase of 4.1 years, or 11.4%, since March 2008. The number and the percentage of older individuals released from prisons to parole supervision under DOCCS jurisdiction also rose.

The state’s prison population has been trending downward for years. The decline has resulted from various factors such as reduced admissions and releases to parole supervision, early release of certain individuals during the COVID pandemic and reforms to the Rockefeller Drug Laws in 2009. The most recent state report on the impact of the 2009 reforms shows significant declines in felony drug arrests (-41.7%), indictments (-42.6%) and prison time (-32.9%) from 2010 to 2019.

In addition, Raise the Age legislation enacted in 2017 and fully implemented in 2020 removed all individuals under the age of 18 from DOCCS prisons to facilities operated by the state Office of Children and Family Services. State prisons housed over 200 sixteen-and-seventeen-year-olds in March of 2008, but only 26 in March 2020.

Cost of Medical Care

Overall health care costs for the state prison system have averaged about $350 million per year since State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2012-13, peaking at just under $400 million in SFY 2016-17. Costs have trended significantly lower since, likely due in part to declines in the state prison population. Over the same period, health care costs for each incarcerated individual have averaged about $7,380 per year, 29% higher in SFY 2020-21 than they were eight years ago. DOCCS pays almost all the health care costs of incarcerated individuals in state prisons.

DOCCS has acknowledged the potential of higher medical costs for aging incarcerated individuals in testimony to the state legislature but has not provided specific information about those costs. DiNapoli said DOCCS should take the necessary steps to collect and share this information with policymakers to allow for more informed choices about the best way to address this challenge.

Click here to view the detailed report

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Plattsburgh, January 13, 2022. Due to the recent surge in cases, the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) announced that local health departments are no longer required to contact trace for COVID-19. 

During this transition, the Clinton County Health Department (CCHD) and Virtual Call Center (VCC) will continue to prioritize calls to lab-confirmed COVID-19 positive cases to residents who fall in high risks categories. These categories include children in K-12 school setting (ages 18 and younger), those 65 years of age and older, and those who live or work in a congregate setting. However, in light of the continued high volume of new daily cases, lab-confirmed positive cases should not anticipate receiving a phone call. 

Individuals testing positive for COVID-19, or those in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, are encouraged to access the NYSDOH’s website for the most up-to-date guidance for isolation and quarantine. If needed, individuals can also now request an affirmation of isolation or quarantine directly from NYS. 

If you have tested positive for COVID-19, stay home and isolate yourself from others for 5 days from symptom onset. Tell your close contacts that you have COVID-19 right away so they can monitor for symptoms. If your symptoms are improving, you may discontinue home isolation on day 6 but you must continue to wear a well-fitted face covering and social distance whenever around others for another 5 days. Visit https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2022/01/affirmation_of_isolation_011222.pdf to self-register for isolation paperwork. 

If you have tested positive using an at-home test, stay home and isolate yourself from others for 5 days from symptom onset. If your symptoms are improving, you may discontinue home isolation on day 6 but continue to wear a well-fitted face covering and social distance whenever around others for another 5 days. You do not need to seek additional testing unless you require isolation paperwork. 

Anyone who has been identified as a high-risk, close contact (i.e. household members, domestic partners) that are not fully vaccinated, including a booster if eligible, should stay home for 5 days from their last interaction with the positive case and monitor for symptoms. Visit https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2022/01/affirmation_of_quarantine_011222.pdf to self-register for quarantine paperwork. 

Additional information can be found by visiting https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/contact-tracing-frequently-asked-questions. 

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