June 2026
S M T W T F S
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
282930  

News Categories

Site search

More About The Peru Gazette

The editor is John Ryan at email: perugazette@gmail.com. The Peru Gazette is a free community, education and information website. It is non-commercial and does not accept paid advertising.

Comment Policy

The Peru Gazette welcomes comments on posted stories. The author MUST include his/her first and last name. No  foul or libelous language permitted. The Peru Gazette reserves the right to not publish a comment.

Recent Comments

‘Year of the Republican woman’: How Stefanik helped bring record number of GOP women to Congress this year | News | pressrepublican.com

Source: Year of the Republican woman’: How Stefanik helped bring record number of GOP women to Congress this year | News | pressrepublican.com

Governor Cuomo Announces Winter Plan to Combat COVID-19 Surge in New York State | Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

Source: Governor Cuomo Announces Winter Plan to Combat COVID-19 Surge in New York State | Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

VTrans’ $600,000 Covid sign blitz targets travel to and from state – VTDigger

Source: VTrans’ $600,000 Covid sign blitz targets travel to and from state – VTDigger

Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Nov. 30th COVID-19 Update

November 30, 2020.
I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving weekend. 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.
Tonight’s “Deep Breath Moment”: Iron Chef winner Peter Kelly cooked up gourmet Thanksgiving meals for seniors living in public housing in Yonkers, NY. On Thanksgiving, Chef Kelly delivered 300 to-go meals, full of Thanksgiving favorites, to residents who were homebound and unable to see their families over the holidays. Chef Kelly, who owns the restaurant X2O in Yonkers, wanted to give back to the community where his culinary journey began.
If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe to New York State’s Coronavirus Updates here.
Ever Upward,
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

NEW: St. Lawrence County reports 160 coronavirus cases since Thursday | NCPR News

Source: NEW: St. Lawrence County reports 160 coronavirus cases since Thursday | NCPR News

Local Nov. 30th COVID-19 Report: Lab-confirmed positive +20, Recovered +31, Active -11, Tested + 1,093

All residents are encouraged to continue monitoring themselves for symptoms of COVID-19, especially if you recently attended a gathering or other event. Symptoms of COVID-19 can appear anywhere from 2 to 14 days after exposure to the virus and may include:
– Fever or chills
– Cough
– Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
– Fatigue
– Muscle or body aches
– Headache
– New loss of taste or smell
– Sore throat
– Congestion or runny nose
– Nausea or vomiting
– Diarrhea
If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, STAY HOME and contact your health care provider.
Since our 11/27 update, 20 additional lab-confirmed COVID-19 positive cases have been reported and 31 individuals have moved to recovered (30 lab-confirmed positive and 1 probable).
Here are links to some frequently requested data:
– NYS School Report Card (providing school and college data): https://schoolcovidreportcard.health.ny.gov/
– Hospitalization data: https://forward.ny.gov/daily-hospitalization-summary-region. As of 11/29, 28 individuals hospitalized (4 ICU) in the North Country Region.
– Percentage positive results: https://forward.ny.gov/percentage-positive-results-county…. As of 11/29, 7-day average % positive in Clinton County = 1.3%
– Additional information: www.clintonhealth.org/covid19

City & State Coronavirus Update co-sponsored by AT&T

Source: City & State Coronavirus Update co-sponsored by AT&T

Farm succession planners work to preserve Vermont’s agricultural heritage – VTDigger

Source: Farm succession planners work to preserve Vermont’s agricultural heritage – VTDigger

Slammed by $20 billion in losses, New York hospitals lobby for more federal aid

Source: Slammed by $20 billion in losses, New York hospitals lobby for more federal aid

Important Message From Peru Town Supervisor Brandy McDonald

We are now a solid 9 months into this. The holidays are here. If you are not working/not getting a paycheck/struggling to make ends meet and run out of food or necessities or anything. Please don’t let yourself or your kids go to sleep with an empty stomach tonight. Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to send me a private message or call me on cell # 1-518-593-3078 I am more than happy to help. I will drop and go, or order for delivery or will find a friend to drop off food. No one has to know. What’s understood never has to be explained. We are happy to share what we can…We are all in this together. Let’s always help one another.

Albany County coronavirus hospitalizations reach new high Sunday

Source: Albany County coronavirus hospitalizations reach new high Sunday

Churchill: A Supreme check on Andrew Cuomo’s power

Source: Churchill: A Supreme check on Andrew Cuomo’s power

As hotel occupancy drops, some Albany hotels close again

Source: As hotel occupancy drops, some Albany hotels close again

CNY hospitals struggle to cope with record surge of Covid-19 patients – syracuse.com

Source: CNY hospitals struggle to cope with record surge of Covid-19 patients – syracuse.com

Albany County sees highest number of coronavirus hospitalizations, 6 deaths

Source: Albany County sees highest number of coronavirus hospitalizations, 6 deaths

Trading textbooks for pitchforks: students try farm life during pandemic | NCPR News

Source: Trading textbooks for pitchforks: students try farm life during pandemic | NCPR News

“It’s not our system”: Why many Mohawks don’t vote | NCPR News

Source: “It’s not our system”: Why many Mohawks don’t vote | NCPR News

Cuomo staff skirted hiring freeze, and rules for exemptions from it

Source: Cuomo staff skirted hiring freeze, and rules for exemptions from it

Local Nov 27th COVID-19 Two-Day Report: Lab-confirmed positive +8, Recovered +18, Active -10, Tested +790

Since our 11/25 update, 8 additional lab-confirmed COVID-19 positive cases have been reported and 18 individuals have moved to recovered.
Here are links to some frequently requested data:
– NYS School Report Card (providing school and college data): https://schoolcovidreportcard.health.ny.gov/
– Hospitalization data: https://forward.ny.gov/daily-hospitalization-summary-region. As of 11/25, 29 individuals hospitalized (7 ICU) in the North Country Region.
– Percentage positive results: https://forward.ny.gov/percentage-positive-results-county…. As of 11/25, 7-day average % positive in Clinton County = 1.1%
– Additional information: www.clintonhealth.org/covid19
Note: Our next update will be provided on Monday, November 30.

Native American Heritage Day: November 27, 2020

Source: Native American Heritage Day: November 27, 2020

Supreme Court blocks NY coronavirus limits on attendance at churches, synagogues – syracuse.com

Source: Supreme Court blocks NY coronavirus limits on attendance at churches, synagogues – syracuse.com

US-Canada border closure not stopping Christmas tree imports

Source: US-Canada border closure not stopping Christmas tree imports

Thanksgiving Message From John R. Brumsted, MD President and CEO, The University of Vermont Health Network

My upbringing instilled in me the importance of being thankful for everything, in no small part because my parents had lived through the Great Depression. And throughout my professional life, I’ve been surrounded by selfless health care providers and colleagues who put in long hours to help others – a fact that constantly makes me feel thankful.

In a year like this one, it’s difficult to consistently find reasons to give thanks. But it’s more essential than ever. In fact, I want to take a moment to talk about the importance of gratitude itself – the ability to feel it and share it in these hard times. Gratitude is something that can connect us when the news is so difficult and our divisions are so prominent. Gratitude can boost our sense of well-being, happiness and pride. And gratitude can have a ripple effect in our families and our communities by helping foster generosity and stronger relationships.

The simple act of taking a few moments to reflect on the aspects of our lives that are worthy of gratitude – and then taking just a few more moments to share those thoughts with someone – can have an outsized impact. It can alleviate the sting of our disappointments and challenges; it can make a measurable difference in bridging the gap between ourselves and others; and it can hold us together when problems multiply and morph into crises. Gratitude helps us focus on what matters most, at the times when that matters most.

We’ve learned this year that there are ways to stay connected even when the normal ties that bind us are weakened or broken. Unfortunately, as the holiday season begins, those ties are being tested yet again as rising COVID-19 case counts mean we have to stay apart and practice basic precautions – masking, distancing and hand hygiene – to protect each other. Within our health network, we are responding not only to the COVID-19 surge but also to the ongoing effects of an insidious cyberattack that threatened to weaken the connections between providers and patients, as well as the connections among our staff. We are making steady progress in recovering from that event, and we are striving to make our network stronger as a result.

I am thankful for the many connections and common bonds that continue to make us a community – in fact, a family – of caregivers, patients and neighbors on both sides of the lake. The fact that we have persisted, together, through the trials of this year shows that we all will continue to have much to be grateful for in spite of the challenges ahead.

With gratitude,

John

John R. Brumsted, MD
President and CEO, The University of Vermont Health Network

A Thanksgiving Day Message From Governor Andrew Cuomo

The past year has been one of the most challenging in history. In March and April, New York became the global hotspot of the COVID pandemic. We suffered unimaginable losses with deep pain. But in the months that followed New Yorkers made sacrifices, big and small, to help stop the spread and save lives. Together we worked to protect one another and the public health. It was truly inspiring. As we respond to a new surge in COVID, that hard work is once again required.
Happy Thanksgiving, New York.
Today is a day to reflect on our blessings and to share thanks. I am thankful for all our essential workers. For the doctors and nurses and medical staff who continue to put their health at risk to get us through this vicious pandemic. For the restaurant owners, business owners, bar owners who are hurting economically but still follow the rules to help keep patrons safe. For the bus drivers and train operators who show up every day so others can get to where they need to go. For every EMS worker, every first responder, every teacher. I am eternally thankful.
I am thankful for each and every New Yorker who stepped up as one community to meet this unprecedented crisis. It was never only about what government did — it was about what each of you did.
Today is not a normal Thanksgiving. It is hard that we cannot celebrate as we usually do with all the ones we love most.
But we know that Thanksgiving is not just about the trappings, or about how many chairs you can fit around the table. It’s more profound, more meaningful, than that. This year we show our love to each other by continuing to look out for one another. And we know that if we continue to do so, we will have even more to be thankful for next year.
Ever Upward,
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

Rangers ticket hunters for illegal camp – – The Adirondack Almanack

Source: Rangers ticket hunters for illegal camp – – The Adirondack Almanack