The Peru Gazette

The state’s effort to vaccinate health care workers has been underway for the last eight weeks. So we are now starting to shift doses not used to date to prioritize New Yorkers with qualifying comorbidities and pre-existing conditions. These New Yorkers will be able to make appointments at state-run mass vaccination sites beginning Sunday, February 14, with vaccinations beginning next Monday, February 15. Local health departments will determine how, where and when to schedule appointments in their jurisdictions, and those appointments will begin as early as February 15. New Yorkers will have to provide documentation as required by the facility where they are getting vaccinated—the exact form of documentation will be up to local governments, but may be either a doctor’s letter, medical information evidencing comorbidity, or a certification.

Federal supply of the vaccine remains extremely limited, and I urge all New Yorkers to be patient. We can only administer as many doses as we receive and we’re continuing to fight for more every day.

Photo of the Day: Helen, pictured above, became the 10,000th person to be vaccinated at the Roc Dome Arena vaccination site in Henrietta, NY, this morning.

1. COVID hospitalizations rose to 7,716. Of the 197,183 tests reported yesterday, 8,448, or 4.28 percent, were positive. There were 1,454 patients in the ICU yesterday, down 5 from the previous day. Of the, 961 are intubated. Sadly, we lost 114 New Yorkers to the virus.

2. Today we launched NY PopsUp, an initiative to accelerate the revival of culture and the arts: the creative soul of New York. As we approach 2 million New Yorkers vaccinated, we’re bringing back the arts with over 300+ arts events across the state. Arts industry workers have been devastated by the pandemic, with many out of work since March. This initiative will marshal the return of the arts with safe, in-person events and online shows—coming to your neighborhood soon!

3. If you’ve gotten your first dose, make sure not to skip your second dose. Second doses are crucial to building full protection to the virus, as Dr. Anthony Fauci emphasized yesterday. Remember: both currently authorized COVID vaccines require two doses.

4. Indoor dining in New York State will reopen at reduced capacity Friday, February 12, two days before Valentine’s Day. Strict health guidelines are in place, including a 25 percent occupancy cap. We know the restaurant industry is struggling due to the pandemic, and we remind New Yorkers that takeout and delivery continue to be great ways to support your favorite dining establishments.

Tonight’s “Deep Breath Moment”: Despite the challenges of the past year, the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse is full-steam-ahead in the construction of a new state-of-the-art animal health clinic that will help the zoo better care for its animals—which range from red pandas and snow leopards to flamingos and penguins. The zoo is open and welcoming visitors, although there are capacity restrictions due to the pandemic.

Ever Upward,

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

*Attention*

Franklin County is experiencing community spread of Covid-19 infection. In order to reduce the spread of infection:

Reduce Gathering Sizes.

Comply with the face covering requirements of New York State.

Socially distance 6 feet and wear your face covering.

Wash hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer.

Clean and disinfect surfaces.

Driver or ride share – keep face covering on in car or bus.

STAY HOME IF YOU ARE SICK!

COVID-19 Case Statistics As Of 02/08/2021 :

Daily Statistics:

New Positives: 20

New Probables: 0

Active Cases: 317

Positivity Rate (02/06): 5.10%*

7-day Average (02/06): 5.97%*

New Deaths: 0

New Recovered: 21

Individuals in Isolation/Quarantine: 592

Active Cases By Correctional Facility:†

Bare Hill Correctional: 52

Franklin Correctional: 146

Upstate Correctional: 5

Cumulative Totals:

Cases: 1918

Confirmed Positive: 1789

Probable: 129

Deaths: 10

Recovered: 1591

* Positivity and testing statistics generated from NYS Department of Health COVID-19 Tracker (https://covid19tracker.health.ny.gov)

† As Of 1/04/2020, only active positive cases for correctional facilities reported directly to the Franklin County Department of Public Health are included in the active case counts and isolation numbers. Breakdowns of verified active cases for each correctional facility are provided for reference.

As has been clear during this pandemic, people with comorbidities and underlying conditions are more likely to succumb to COVID-19.

With that in mind, adult New Yorkers of any age with qualifying conditions will be eligible for the COVID vaccine beginning February 15. Eligible conditions include cancer, chronic kidney disease, pulmonary disease, diabetes (Type 1 and Type 2), heart conditions, pregnancy, obesity, sickle cell disease, liver disease and more.

We’re committed to vaccinating vulnerable populations that have suffered the most as we distribute a vaccine that is still in extremely limited supply. We are asking local governments to begin getting ready now to vaccinate New Yorkers with these conditions.

The full list of comorbidities and underlying conditions is available here.

Photo of the Day: The vaccination site at Yankee Stadium opened its doors this morning (by appointment only) to eligible Bronx residents. (Photo by Don Pollard)

1. Yankee Stadium opened today as the first mass vaccination site reserved for Bronx residents. I thank our partners SOMOS, the City of New York, the New York National Guard, and especially the Yankees for stepping up to the plate. If you’re an eligible Bronx resident, call 1-833-SOMOSNY or visit somosvaccinations.com to schedule an appointment. Appointments are required.

2. COVID hospitalizations dropped to 7,937. Of the 203,627 tests reported yesterday, 8,777, or 4.31 percent, were positive. This is the lowest daily positivity rate since November 28, 2020. There were 1,516 patients in the ICU yesterday, up 10 from the previous day. Of them, 1,000 are intubated. Sadly, we lost 153 New Yorkers to the virus.

3. As of 11am this morning, 93 percent of first doses received by the State have been administered. This represents 1,539,355 first doses administered of the 1,661,290 first dose allocations received from the federal government. So far, 413,512 second doses have been administered out of 794,650 second doses received. See data by region on the State’s Vaccine Tracker.

4. An update on the UK virus variant. Fifteen additional cases of the UK variant of the COVID-19 virus were identified in New York State. To date, there are 59 known cases of the variant in New York State in the following counties: Jefferson, Niagara, Allegany, Tompkins, New York City (multiple boroughs), Westchester, Nassau, Suffolk, Saratoga, Ulster, Onondaga, Warren and Essex Counties.

5. Watching the Super Bowl? Celebrate smart. I’ve said before that we can’t ever be cocky with COVID. I encourage New Yorkers who are planning to watch the Big Game on Sunday to take precautions and to not attend or host large Super Bowl parties. As a reminder, private gatherings in residences remain limited to no more than 10 people. The safest way to watch the Super Bowl is with your immediate household only.

Tonight’s “Deep Breath Moment”: After a pelican got lost and ended up in the cold waters of Connecticut, a local flying club helped the bird find its way south. Pelicans are seldom seen north of Virginia, so it was a surprise when a pelican was found, half-frozen and injured, in a Connecticut marina—perhaps having been blown too far north in a storm. Fortunately, the pelican, named Arvay, was rescued and given care that saved its life. A pilot at a Connecticut flying club then flew the bird to Florida in her small plane. “I just love animals and do anything I can to help animals, so when I saw this and saw he needed to get to his new home, I figured why not help out,” said the pilot, Arianna Strand. Arvay is now recovering at the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary in Jupiter, Florida.

Ever Upward,

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo