The Peru Gazette

“In these unprecedented times, we are seeing the emergence of real-life heroes; healthcare workers, first responders, and law enforcement officials are consistently going to work each day, knowingly putting themselves at risk of contracting COVID-19 to help protect their community. Yet we are sending these brave individuals into harms-way, unprotected. The shortage of medical supplies and personal protective equipment in the North Country is unacceptable and I am calling on the state and federal government to make a concerted effort to get us the supplies we need. Our healthcare and correctional facilities need to have the resources necessary to protect their workers, so they can protect us.”

Source: Montreal Has Declared A State Of Emergency – MTL Blog

Source: Cheers & air hugs: How a Peru bus monitor is delivering food to kids | NCPR News

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik voted today to pass the CARES Act, the 3^rd legislative phase of Congress’ emergency coronavirus response. This stimulus provides economic relief to small businesses and hardworking families across the North Country.

“During this unprecedented public health crisis, I have prioritized support for our hospitals, healthcare workers, small businesses, and families in the North Country as we combat and ultimately beat COVID-19,” said Congresswoman Stefanik. “I strongly advocated for this economic rescue package focused on North Country small businesses and families in need of immediate relief, and today, Congress came together to deliver that relief for the American worker. I will continue to work on a bipartisan basis to overcome this public health crisis and the economic challenges and uncertainty that have come with it.”

The CARES Act provides:

• Funding for Hospitals, Community Health Centers, and Health Care Workers – provides over $100 billion for hospitals through direct payments and higher reimbursements, further expands access to telehealth services, and provides $16 billion for purchasing PPE and other critical supplies.
• Paycheck Protection Loans to Small Businesses – creates a new “paycheck protection” loan for small businesses that fully forgives the portion of the loan used to keep workers on payroll and pay their rent, mortgage, and utilities over the next few months.
• Direct Payments to American Families – provides an emergency tax rebate check of $1,200 for individuals, $2,400 for married couples, and an additional $500 for each child.
• Expanded Unemployment Insurance for Impacted Workers – expands access to Unemployment Insurance for the self-employed and independent contractors who are not able to work during this public health emergency.
• Additional Tax Relief for Individuals and Main Street Businesses – includes tax provision for businesses and individuals to provide more relief, such as a refundable payroll for employers who keep their workers on payroll despite having to close their doors.
• Financial Support for Distressed Businesses of Any Size – allocates $454 billion through loans and loan guarantees to businesses of any size in distress, with priority for mid-sized businesses that are above 500 but not large corporations, to provide immediate liquidity.
• Funding and Flexibility for Students, Schools, and Colleges – provides over $30 billion for K-12 schools and colleges to help them continue serving their students, pauses all student loan payments, and student borrowers are held harmless if they were not able to finish their semester.
• Relief for Homeowners and Bolstered Housing Assistance – prohibits foreclosures for 60 days and allows homeowners to delay mortgage payments by shifting them to the end of their mortgage, while providing significant funding for programs serving low-income families and the homeless.

Watch Congresswoman Stefanik speak on the House Floor today in support of the CARES Act here and below.

Dannemora Town Supervisor Bill Chase:

SLIC Networks Solutions of Nichoville NY has set up a High Speed Internet Hot spot at the Lyon Mountain American Legion Post #1623. This is open to all in the surrounding area to all residents who may need access to the internet. The internet speed is 125 mpbs and access can be obtain while parking your vehicle in the parking lot of Post #1623. There is no pass word necessary to gain access. The Town of Dannemora encourages those families with school age children or college age students to use this service.

Source: Cuomo: Schools to remain closed for at least 2 more weeks | WHEC.com

Source: Coronavirus case at federal prison in Adirondacks | NCPR News

Source: New York state order nonessential construction work to stop statewide because of coronavirus – Albany Business Review

Source: Deaths surge again in New York from coronavirus

Source: Trash Hauling Continues | Coronavirus | pressrepublican.com

Local medical manufacturer Monaghan Medical Corporation is feeling the pressures of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Source: ‘Helping people breathe’ | Coronavirus | pressrepublican.com

Source: Upstate counties push for quarantine for New York City travelers

Source: Tents are up but supplies are down – Sun Community News & Printing

Source: Leahy: Vermont to get nearly $2B in virus relief package

In advance of New York’s ban on single-use plastic bags, which went into effect March 1, DEC hosted eight BYOBagNY (Bring Your Own Bag New York) events across the state, including the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, Watertown Urban Mission, Town of Plattsburgh, Food Bank of the Southern Tier, Feeding Westchester Food Bank, Foodlink, Food Bank of Central New York and Western New York Food Bank.

The reusable BYOBagNY campaign continues to encourage New York State residents to use reusable bags wherever and whenever they shop. DEC is currently distributing hundreds of thousands of reusable bags across the state, with a focus on low and moderate-income New Yorkers with the help of partner state agencies, Feeding New York State – the statewide food bank organization – and other stakeholders.

Source: COVID-19 case confirmed at Ray Brook federal prison | News, Sports, Jobs – Adirondack Daily Enterprise

Source: YOUR DAILY CHAMBER DOSE

March 26, 2020— In these uncertain times, Stewart’s Shops is delivering some good news. After another successful Holiday Match season, checks are now in the mail to local children’s charities. Funding has now been allocated to 1,753 organizations across the communities where Stewart’s Shops are located.

From Thanksgiving Day through Christmas Day, customers donated almost $900,000 to the program, which was doubled to about $1.8 million with the Stewart’s match. There are no administrative costs with this program, meaning 100% of the funds collected and matched, benefit these organizations.

“Given the current uncertain circumstances, the Holiday Match Program means more this year than ever before and provides non-profit organizations with some certainty and much needed assistance. This true collaboration and support from our customers along with the Stewart’s match will positively impact children’s charities all year long”, says Stewart’s Foundation president Susan Dake.

The Stewart’s Holiday Match program has now allocated more than $30 million since the program’s inception in 1986. The success of program is credited to Stewart’s customers for their generous contributions, dedicated shop partners who worked diligently to collect the funds, and to the media partners who helped spread the word.

Stewart’s Shops is committed to giving back to the communities in which they are located, donating approximately $2.5 million a year to local non-profits with The Dake Family Foundations contributing an additional $5 million.

A listing of the charities which received Holiday Match grants is available here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QvMVkaDp5Q&fbclid=IwAR2e2YMymcXFBF09zEVzWPPicO1rDQJwE3BmWJYlTyBinCx7MAhHOBbn58Q

Thank you! That’s what CCHD is saying to residents who have been asked to stay home, and are doing so. CCHD also thanks those who are continuing to provide essential services at their usual worksite or by working from home. Erin Streiff, Director of Health Care Services for Clinton County Health Department noted, “We might be in a lot worse shape right now if residents were not following guidance for slowing the spread of COVID-19.”She also gave a shout-out to the individuals in quarantine and isolation that her staff has been monitoring. “They have been great to work with.” Through rigorous contact tracing, CCHD staff have identified and contacted over 100 people in the last few weeks. Those who are quarantined or in isolation at home are being monitored by CCHD throughout this period.

As of this morning, Clinton County has 10 positive cases, including one inmate at the Clinton Correctional facility. Ninety tests have come back negative. Sixty-one residents are in quarantine without symptoms and fourteen are isolated due to symptoms or positive test results. These numbers will change as contacts of the tenth case are identified. Other individuals are also self-quarantining or self-isolating based upon general recommendations for anyone who suspects they may have been exposed or are having symptoms, even if they have not been tested. Community leaders, organizations, and businesses are continuing to work together to implement processes to protect the public, as well as, to secure and distribute needed resources such as test kits, masks, and other personal protective equipment. “This effort will continue as long as needed,” stated Eric Day, Director of Clinton County’s Office of Emergency Services. “We are working together and we will prevail.”

Source: Cuomo: NY’s rising death rate from coronavirus is ‘bad news’

A message from Tops Markets

Beginning as early as today, Tops will be rolling our additional safety measures at all of its 162 stores in New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont.  Those safety measures include installing Plexiglas shields on as many of their front end registers as possible.  Where Plexiglas cannot be affixed because of equipment limitations, associates will be provided with protective face shields which will also be used by Tops associates working in our pharmacy department and at our customer service desk.  This installation process will take place over the course of the next few weeks.  

These safety measures are in addition to Tops existing PPE (personal protection equipment) procedures which include providing gloves for their associates, hand sanitizer and wipes for their associates and customers respectively, and the newly instituted Comfort Zone areas at the registers providing more social distancing between customers as well as the customer and Tops associate.  Additionally there is an associate assigned at each store specifically in charge of sanitization of the front end registers, check stands, conveyor belts, customer service desks, point of sale devices and other frequently touched surfaces most accessed by customers on a continual basis during operating hours.