The Peru Gazette

Source: Doctor Story: North Country physicians volunteer in a NYC COVID-19 hospital | NCPR News

Four New Cases Over the Weekend

Ms. Erin Streiff Clinton County Health Department’s Director of Health Care Service reported that the four new positive cases of COVID-19 identified over the weekend in Clinton County required very little contact tracing. She said “Each of these individuals had been practicing social distancing and were already complying with voluntary isolation. Each of them had extremely limited contact with others prior to their diagnosis, which meant they did not expose others, and fewer people needed to be subsequently quarantined. They did their part to reduce the potential for spreading COVID-19 in our community.”

Saratoga, NY – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik will serve on the Bipartisan NE Congressional COVID-19 Regional Recovery Task Force, which includes a group of Members from the Northeast, where COVID-19 has hit the hardest.

The Task Force will work with leading economic and public health experts and work together to create bipartisan recommendations and policy proposals to get Americans back to work. Also on the Task Force are Representatives Mikie Sherrill (Co-Chair, D-NJ), Pete King (Co-Chair, R-NY), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Jim Himes (D-CT), Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), Dan Meuser (R-PA), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ).

“Examining how to protect public health and reopen our economy on a regional basis instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach is critical to the success of our region’s recovery,” said Congresswoman Stefanik. “Small businesses and agriculture businesses are the backbone of our North Country economy, and I will bring a unique perspective to this bipartisan task force as the Representative of a rural district. I will use input from my conversations with constituents, business owners, farmers, and public health officials in my district as a guide for recommendations to protect public health reopen our economy and get Americans back to work.”

The group will meet virtually weekly to discuss the following topics:

• When and how Americans can get back to work safely
• Replenishing stockpiles of PPE
• Coordinating future stockpiling of ventilators, gowns, etc. among federal, state, and local governments and hospitals
• Increasing access to reliable virus and antibody tests
• Developing a plan for efficient contact tracing
• Containing the pandemic and preventing future waves of outbreak
• Addressing societal fears around returning to public spaces

• Voting safely
• Ensuring that production of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies is returned to the United States from China

Saratoga, NY – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik has announced grant funding from the Department of Transportation for two North Country airports: Plattsburgh International Airport and Massena International Airport. Plattsburgh International will be receiving $270,000 for runway reconstruction, and Massena International will be receiving $404,700 for rehabilitation of runway lighting.

“Keeping our North Country airports updated with the latest technology and construction is critical for our tourism industry, which is an integral part of our economy,” said Congresswoman Stefanik. “As we work to combat and ultimately COVID-19, it is important that our airports are prepared to serve travelers when our economy is opened back up. This grant funding from the Department of Transportation is encouraging news for our district.”

Chamber to Host Webinar with Catamount Consulting on Preparing your Business to Return to the Office

 Plattsburgh, NY –  With plans to re-open hopefully just around the corner, business leaders and owners must be prepared to bring employees back to the workplace, address new concerns and navigate updated safety measures.⁠⁠

Join the Chamber for a webinar, COVID-19 Prevention, Preparedness and Response Plan to Return to Work, with Scott McKenna, from Catamount Consulting, who will give us an update on the current workplace environment, how-to maintain social distancing and necessary precautions businesses will need to be aware of moving forward. He will provide professional guidance and share documents on protocols for your staff to safely return to work.⁠

• Date: Thursday, April 30th
• Time: ⁠1:00pm⁠

To sign up or for more information visit our website northcountrychamber.com.

Source: NYSPHSAA cancels spring championships, regular season remains delayed | Sports | pressrepublican.com

Source: North Country native recounts COVID-19 experience | Coronavirus | pressrepublican.com

State Pension Fund Supports Paycheck Protection Program; Pursuing Additional $100 Million Allocation

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced that the New York State Common Retirement Fund (the Fund) is putting $50 million toward the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a component of the latest coronavirus relief package. Under the PPP, employers can secure loans that will be forgiven by the federal government if employees are kept on the payroll for eight weeks and the money is used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities.

The Fund’s commitment will supplement PPP loans being administered by Pursuit (formerly New York Business Development Corporation). Returns to the Fund will be consistent with U.S. Treasury securities.

“New York small businesses are facing unprecedented challenges that have put more than a million men and women out of work,” DiNapoli said. “We’re doing what we can to help small businesses keep employees on their payroll, even if they may have paused operations. PPP loans are critical to New York businesses trying to survive through this public health and economic crisis. We are continuing to look for opportunities to help New Yorkers that are consistent with our fiduciary responsibility to the pension fund.”

The Comptroller’s office and the Fund have a long relationship with Pursuit having provided funds for business loans to help more than 1,000 qualifying New York businesses in all 62 counties retain jobs and expand. The Fund’s allocation to Pursuit redirects a large portion of the existing available loan program funds to address the immediate crisis. Additionally, the Fund is exploring the possibility of providing another $100 million toward PPP through its existing program with Pursuit, pending approvals from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and others.

“The Paycheck Protection Program is a lifeline for businesses during this unprecedented challenge,” said Patrick J. MacKrell, President and CEO of Pursuit. “This vital financial support will allow us to provide increased access to the program for businesses across New York State, especially those that experienced difficulty accessing the program through their bank of account. We are grateful to Comptroller DiNapoli for our longstanding relationship and his commitment to supporting small businesses through the fund.”

To help make sure the Fund’s allocation benefits New York’s “main street” businesses, it has set certain parameters with Pursuit, including:

• Exclusive availability to New York businesses.
• No loan minimum, with maximum loan set at $350,000.
• 25 percent of loans are targeted for Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises.

Prior to the Fund’s allocation, Pursuit has processed PPP loans totaling nearly $200 million to small businesses. PPP loans are federally guaranteed. New York businesses can sign-up to apply for PPP through Pursuit at pursuitlending.com/pppapply.

For more information on the PPP visit the SBA. The latest $484 billion relief package included an additional $310 billion for the PPP.

About the New York State Common Retirement Fund The New York State Common Retirement Fund is the third largest public pension fund in the United States. The Fund holds and invests the assets of the New York State and Local Retirement System on behalf of more than one million state and local government employees and retirees and their beneficiaries. The Fund has consistently been ranked as one of the best managed and best funded plans in the nation. The Fund’s fiscal year ends March 31.

Source: Testing for the coronavirus in Vermont: What’s next? – VTDigger

Peru – The North Country Regional Blood Donor Center, UVM Health Network will conduct a blood drive on Monday, April 27, 2020 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the St. Augustine’s Parish Center, 3030 Main St. in Peru.

Your neighbors need blood. It is in short supply, especially during this crisis period. Please make every effort to donate.

Sponsored by the Peru Knights of Columbus

Source: As coronavirus deaths in NY fall below 400, Cuomo gives some details about phased reopening – syracuse.com

Source: How To Reopen Closed Schools Amid Coronavirus : NPR

Source: We asked how you’re handling unemployment. Here’s what you said. | NCPR News

Source: ‘No Evidence’ Yet That Recovered COVID-19 Patients Are Immune, WHO Says | NCPR News

Source: 14 Things To Do At Home In Montreal This Weekend: April 24-26 – MTL Blog

Source: 8 Famous European Museums Offering Virtual Tours To Satisfy Your Wanderlust – MTL Blog

The World Health Organization is warning that people who have had the coronavirus are not necessarily immune to a second infection. A recently published scientific brief from the WHO warns government officials about assuming patients who have recovered from the virus are safe to return to normal life. “At this point in the pandemic, there is not enough evidence about the effectiveness of antibody-mediated immunity to guarantee the accuracy of an ‘immunity passport’ or ‘risk-free certificate,’” the brief said.

By John T. Ryan

Plattsburgh – Reacting to the rapid spread of the coronavirus, Governor Andrew Cuomo issued an Executive Order closing New York State schools through May 15th. They could potentially reopen on May 18th. At the April 24th Clinton County Health Department COVID-19 briefing Dr. Wooter Reitsema, CVPH Vice-President of Population and Information Services and an infectious disease specialist offered his personal opinion on whether or not schools should reopen. He emphasized he was not speaking for CVPH.

Source: If we reopen the North Country’s economy will COVID-19 spiral out of control? | NCPR News

Clinton County Health Department COVID-19 case update for April 25, 2020

Lab-confirmed positive – 60, Recovered 44, Deaths 3
Probable* – 3, Suspect 2, Deaths 1
Suspect** – 42, Recovered 38, Deaths 0
Active Cases – 17
Tested – 573