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Peru’s farmers thrilled kids and adults alike tonight with a wonderful Christmas Tractor Parade. Cars and people lined the streets and hundreds of kids were outside their homes to watch. Great Job Farmers!!!!!!!!!

Posted: December 11th, 2020 under Agricultural News, Community Events, Northern NY News, Peru News, Peru resident news/accomplishments, Peru/Regional History.
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‘We’re just trying to find our Pop Pop’: Vermont grandfather still missing, family looking for answers

Source: ‘We’re just trying to find our Pop Pop’: Vermont grandfather still missing, family looking for answers

Posted: December 11th, 2020 under Regional NY-VT News.
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Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Dec. 11 COVID-19 Report

“Starting Monday, December 14th, indoor dining in New York City will be suspended.”

December 11, 2020.

Last night, New York’s independent COVID-19 Clinical Advisory Task Force unanimously approved the FDA vaccine panel’s decision to recommend the Pfizer vaccine. The Task Force, which is chaired by Nobel laureate Dr. Charles Rice, was able to review data on the vaccine concurrently with the FDA, allowing for a thorough review for New Yorkers.

This added level of approval should give New Yorkers additional confidence in the vaccine. As we prepare for the great task of administering the vaccine, we simultaneously continue to act to slow the spread of the virus and to ensure hospital capacity. We are constantly calibrating our strategy with the goal of maintaining as much economic activity as possible, while protecting public health. Today we took several new measures to that end.

Chart of the Day: Current COVID hospitalizations by region (COVID patients as percent of region population)

Here’s what else you need to know tonight:

1. To protect hospital capacity, New York will implement new metrics to determine micro-cluster zones. Under these updated metrics, Red, Orange and Yellow Zones will now be determined as follows: A Red Zone will be implemented when a region reaches a critical hospital capacity—that is, when 90 percent of beds are full (after measures to increase capacity have been taken). An Orange Zone will be implemented if an area has a 4 percent positivity rate over the past 10 days (on a 7-day average) and is located in a region that has reached 85 percent hospital capacity. A Yellow Zone will be implemented if an area has a 3 percent positivity rate over the past 10 days (on a 7-day average) and is in the top 10 percent in the state for hospital admissions per capita over the past week and is experiencing week-over-week growth in daily admissions. It sounds complicated—but the basic idea behind these metrics is to ensure that hospital systems are not overloaded.

2. Starting Monday, December 14th, indoor dining in New York City will be suspended. This is in response to the continued increase in positive cases and hospitalizations, in addition to recently issued CDC guidance emphasizing the high risk of indoor dining. Outdoor dining, delivery and takeout will remain in place. This suspension will continue to be re-evaluated based on updated data over the coming weeks.

3. The State Department of Health is directing New York hospitals to take additional steps to help keep capacity below 85 percent. Under the directive, hospitals must either add additional capacity, reduce elective surgeries, or a combination of both, in order to remain under 85 percent. This measure expands on the previously announced “Surge and Flex” protocol.

4. I will sign an Executive Order extending the State’s moratorium on commercial evictions. This moratorium will provide support to small businesses and other tenants during these difficult times. These businesses need help now more than ever, and Congress must include support for bars and restaurants in the next stimulus package.

5. Total COVID hospitalizations rose to 5,321. Of the 212,672 tests reported yesterday, 10,595, or 4.98 percent, were positive. There were 1,007 patients in ICU yesterday, up 13 from the previous day. Of them, 546 are intubated. Sadly, we lost 87 New Yorkers to the virus.

6. Gyms and personal care services will be permitted to open in Orange Zones with limited capacity. Starting Monday, December 14th, gyms, fitness centers, salons and barber shops—which are currently closed in Orange Zones—will be allowed to operate at 25 percent capacity. Employees must be tested for COVID-19 on a weekly basis. This is good news for establishments in Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse, among other Orange Zone locations—and a testament to the success these industries have had across the state in keeping patrons safe.

Tonight’s “Deep Breath Moment”: The Northern Lights, or the aurora borealis, are one of the most incredible natural wonders of the world. Every year, travel and photography blog “Capture the Atlas” hosts an annual Northern Lights Photographer of the Year competition to showcase stunning photos of the aurora borealis. The blog recently shared 25 of the best photographs of the Northern Lights from around the world. Unfortunately, an initially promising forecast that parts of Upstate New York might glimpse the lights earlier this week failed to come to pass after the forecast changed—maybe next time!

(“Heavenly Dance,” by Sergey Korolev)

If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe to New York State’s Coronavirus Updates here.

Ever Upward,

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

Posted: December 11th, 2020 under Heathcare News, State Government News.
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Peru High School remote starting Monday, December 14, 2020 through Tuesday, December 22, 2020. Reevaluate after the Winter holiday.

Positive COVID-19 Case at Peru Central School District

December 11, 2020

Dear Parents/Guardians and School Community Members,
Good Evening. We were just notified by the Clinton County Department of Health that one of our students has tested
positive for the COVID – 19 virus. We have started our tracing protocol to determine who was in contact or in
proximity to this student and that list will be sent to the county department of health. Employees, Students and their
families affected by this will be contacted directly by the Department of Health and quarantining measures will be
implemented based on the degree of contact.
The district will continue to update you as we move through this situation and learn of any new information. At this
time, the PERU HIGH SCHOOL will go remote starting Monday, December 14, 2020 through Tuesday, December
22, 2020 and then reevaluate after the Winter holiday.

Thanks very much.

Thomas Palmer Ed.D
Superintendent of Schools
Peru CSD

Posted: December 11th, 2020 under Education News, Heathcare News, Peru News, Peru School News.
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Sen. Betty Little reflects on her retirement and future

Source: Sen. Betty Little reflects on her retirement and future

Posted: December 11th, 2020 under Northern NY News, Peru/Regional History, State Legislator News.
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Notice to the Public – Potential Exposure to COVID-19

Plattsburgh, December 11, 2020. The Clinton County Health Department (CCHD) is asking any residents who were at Miller’s Barber Shop in Chazy, New York between Tuesday, December 1st and Tuesday, December 8th to be aware of potential exposure to COVID-19. Please call CCHD at 518-565-4840 if you were present at that location on any of the aforementioned dates.

As of today, December 11, 2020, the Department reports 92 active cases of COVID-19 in Clinton County. CCHD urges all residents to wear a face mask, keep at least 6 feet between themselves and others, wash hands often, avoid crowds and gatherings, and stay home if sick

Posted: December 11th, 2020 under Business News, Heathcare News, Northern NY News.
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Governor Cuomo Announces Second Phase of Empire State Digital with Ritual and PayPal to Support New York Restaurants and Food Service Industry | Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

Source: Governor Cuomo Announces Second Phase of Empire State Digital with Ritual and PayPal to Support New York Restaurants and Food Service Industry | Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

Posted: December 11th, 2020 under Business News, Heathcare News, State Government News.
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CHAMBER NOTES EXTENSION OF BORDER RESTRICTIONS TO JANUARY 21

The North Country Chamber of Commerce notes that Acting Secretary Chad Wolf of the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security has confirmed today in a Tweet that the existing personal travel restrictions at the U.S.-Canadian border will be extended for another month past the current expiration date of December 21, taking them to January 21.

“This is, of course, 100% expected at this time, although it has come a bit earlier than the previous month to month extensions,” notes Garry Douglas, Chamber President. “The reality at this stage is that there is unfortunately little reason to expect any significant relaxation of the current restrictions before spring sometime, although we continue to encourage consideration of some modest adjustments before then centered on such circumstances as family and near border property access.”

“In the meantime, we will be anticipating active engagement with the four-member Task Force recently announced and tied to the Canada Institute which will be listening to stakeholders in both countries and developing recommendations for how the two countries should plan to transition toward normalcy next year,” says Douglas. “We are already in touch with one of the task force members, former Quebec Premier Jean Charest, and the Northern Border Caucus in Congress, co-chaired by Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, has also reached out and plans to work actively with the task force.”

Douglas notes that one bit of encouragement in Acting Secretary Wolf’s Tweet was a reference to “great progress on a vaccine” and an intention to “reevaluate non-essential travel restrictions again early in the new year”.

The North Country Chamber is also pointing to this news as further reason why “the enactment of a new COVID-19 relief bill by Congress as soon as possible, with a second round of the PPP forgivable loan program for small businesses, is absolutely crucial. We must help our many border impacted businesses to make it through winter and spring.”

Onward & Upward

Garry Douglas

North Country Chamber of Commerce

Posted: December 11th, 2020 under Business News, Heathcare News, Northern NY News, Peru/Regional History.
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