Fri, Feb 19th 2021 04:20 pm
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Friday announced the launch of the "New York Forward" rapid test program to help businesses safely reopen. This unique public-private partnership - first announced in the governor's 2021 State of the State - will make low-cost rapid testing available to the public to support enhanced economic activity as the state continues to reopen sectors of the economy.
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Fri, Feb 19th 2021 04:10 pm
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Friday announced the New York State Department of Health will allow visitation of residents in nursing home facilities in accordance with CMS and CDC guidelines. The Department of Health recommends visitors take a rapid test before entry into the facility, and DOH will provide rapid tests to nursing homes at no cost.
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Fri, Feb 19th 2021 03:55 pm
State tax receipts cumulatively through January of state fiscal year 2020-21 are nearly $2 billion lower than last year, according to the monthly state cash report released by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. Overall, tax receipts are $1.7 billion higher than anticipated by the state Division of the Budget's (DOB) January projections.
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Fri, Feb 19th 2021 03:50 pm
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Friday announced what his team called "sweeping nursing home reform legislation to increase transparency, hold nursing home operators accountable for misconduct and help ensure facilities are prioritizing patient care over profits as part of the 30-day amendments.
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Fri, Feb 19th 2021 10:00 am
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday night issued the following statement on vaccine shipping delays:
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Thu, Feb 18th 2021 11:05 am
To provide urgent economic relief to homeowners impacted by COVID-19, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced extensions of the Federal Housing Administration's (FHA) foreclosure and eviction moratoriums, as well as an extension of the initial start date of a COVID-19 forbearance. Forbearance is an option mortgage servicers use to provide homeowners with a pause to their monthly payments for a limited period of time during a COVID-19-induced hardship.
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Wed, Feb 17th 2021 06:10 pm
Congressman Brian Higgins, D-NY-26, announced school districts in Erie and Niagara counties would see an estimated $413,973,000 in COVID-19 relief under President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan. The data was provided by the House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor, which recently held hearings to advance education measures included in the $1.9 trillion COVID relief package.
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Wed, Feb 17th 2021 04:00 pm
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday announced that, at his request, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will establish four additional community-based vaccination sites in Buffalo, Rochester, Albany and Yonkers. These four major vaccination sites outside of New York City will vaccinate approximately 1,000 New Yorkers each day beginning the first week of March, and appointments will be initially reserved for members of the community in which the sites are located.
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Wed, Feb 17th 2021 04:00 pm
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday announced 13 community-based pop-up vaccination sites coming online this week at community centers, public housing complexes and cultural centers. These sites are expected to vaccinate 3,850 people throughout the week, with more sites coming online every week.
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Wed, Feb 17th 2021 03:00 pm
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday announced New York's health insurance open enrollment period will be further extended to May 15, aligning with states across the country. With this extension, New York joins the federal marketplace and other state-based marketplaces giving consumers even more time to enroll for 2021.
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Wed, Feb 17th 2021 02:40 pm
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday announced indoor family entertainment centers and places of amusement can open with a 25% capacity limit beginning Friday, March 26. Outdoor amusement parks can open with a 33% capacity limit beginning Friday, April 9.
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Tue, Feb 16th 2021 05:05 pm
Congressman Brian Higgins announced federally qualified health centers (FQHC) in Western New York will be included among the 250 clinics nationwide first to receive a direct allocation of COVID-19 vaccine doses.
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Tue, Feb 16th 2021 02:10 pm
Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center has canceled Wednesday's COVID-19 vaccination clinic due to a Moderna second dose vaccine delivery delay caused by the winter storm that has pounded much of the continental U.S.
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Tue, Feb 16th 2021 02:05 pm
New York State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt on Tuesday penned a letter to Attorney General Letitia James respectfully requesting her office to formally broaden the scale and scope of its investigation into COVID-19-related nursing home deaths to also include an investigation into what he called the "clandestine" Feb. 10 meeting held between members of the Senate and Assembly and top staff members from Cuomo's administration.
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Tue, Feb 16th 2021 01:20 pm
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday offered commentary on coronavirus deaths related to nursing homes. His administration has been under fire for how it presented the numbers, with calls from Republican state leaders to lessen Cuomo's emergency powers in this pandemic.
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Tue, Feb 16th 2021 10:40 am
The Niagara County Department of Health's second-dose COVID-19 point-of-distribution event today at the Kenan Center has been postponed due to weather.
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Mon, Feb 15th 2021 04:00 pm
Earlier this month, Catholic Health resumed limited visiting hours for hospitalized patients. On Wednesday, Feb. 17, the health system will expand its visitation policy for patients undergoing outpatient or "same-day" surgery at Kenmore Mercy Hospital, Mercy Hospital of Buffalo, Mount St. Mary's Hospital, and Sisters of Charity Hospital (Main Street campus) only.
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Mon, Feb 15th 2021 02:10 pm
With Niagara County expecting a significant snowstorm beginning Monday and lasting through Tuesday, the Niagara County Department of Health announced the Feb. 16 vaccination distribution at Kenan Center has been postponed to later in the week.
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Mon, Feb 15th 2021 12:40 pm
The first international guidelines on treating patients severely ill with COVID-19 were published in March 2020. Now, nearly a year later, the organization that published them has issued its first update: Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines on the Management of Adults With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the ICU.
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Mon, Feb 15th 2021 11:20 am
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday announced 102,907 first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been administered in the past 24 hours.
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Mon, Feb 15th 2021 11:15 am
New York State United Teachers President Andy Pallotta released the following statement Friday regarding the latest school reopening guidance released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
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Mon, Feb 15th 2021 10:55 am
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday announced that, given the continued decline in hospitalization and infection rates throughout New York, he signed executive order 202.94, extending closing times for bars, restaurants, gyms and fitness centers, casinos, billiards halls, as well as other State Liquor Authority-licensed establishments, from 10 to 11 p.m. statewide.
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Mon, Feb 15th 2021 10:55 am
The Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) on Sunday provided this update for its COVID-19 vaccine allocation from New York state for this upcoming week.
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Mon, Feb 15th 2021 10:55 am
The U.S. Small Business Administration recently reached a milestone in the success of the COVID-19 economic injury disaster loan (EIDL) program, which has provided U.S. small businesses, nonprofits and agricultural businesses a total of $200 billion in emergency funding.
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Sat, Feb 13th 2021 11:55 pm
Kaleida Health on Saturday released the following statement regarding Erie County Department of Health's plan to vaccinate residents with certain comorbidities and underlying medical conditions:
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Sat, Feb 13th 2021 11:55 pm
A press release noted, "After consulting with local infectious disease and medical experts, ECDOH decided to distribute next week's NYS-directed vaccine allocation to hospitals for people with comorbid conditions. As of this media release, ECDOH has not been notified of the vaccine allotment for this population for the week of Feb. 14. Hospitals will evaluate inpatients during their hospital stay and vaccinate those who are most at-risk due to one or more comorbidities. Hospitals will also identify outpatients with significant comorbidities, such as those accessing specialty clinics, and offer them COVID-19 vaccine."
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Sat, Feb 13th 2021 11:55 pm
The "Am I Eligible" screening tool will be updated for individuals with comorbidities and underlying conditions at 8 a.m. Sunday, with new appointments released on a rolling basis over the next weeks. Starting next week, local health departments will also receive vaccine allocations for these individuals. People can use the following to show they are eligible:
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Fri, Feb 12th 2021 12:00 pm
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Friday announced that, given the continued decline in hospitalization and infection rates throughout New York, closing times for restaurants and bars will be extended from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. statewide beginning Sunday, Feb. 14.
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Fri, Feb 12th 2021 11:55 am
In the wake of a New York Post story, Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa released the following statement Friday regarding comments made during a Zoom conference call with state legislators:
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Fri, Feb 12th 2021 11:40 am
Senate Republican Leader Robert Ortt and members of the Republican conference on Friday called on the Senate majority to convene a special session and immediately strip Gov. Andrew Cuomo of his emergency powers. They also stressed the immediate need for a thorough, top-to-bottom investigation into the entire administration.
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Fri, Feb 12th 2021 11:30 am
Congressman Brian Higgins, D-NY-26, announced, during a second full day of hearings on the American Rescue Plan, the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee approved several measures providing COVID-19 relief for families.
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Thu, Feb 11th 2021 10:15 pm
Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker issued a statement on updated Centers for Disease Control guidance eliminating quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated people following close contact exposure:
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Thu, Feb 11th 2021 10:10 pm
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday announced 106,017 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered in New York in 24 hours. As of 11 a.m., New York's health care distribution sites have received 2,002,055 first doses and already administered 89% (1,787,189) first-dose vaccinations and 81% of first and second doses. The week 9 allocation from the federal government continues being delivered to providers for administration.
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Thu, Feb 11th 2021 10:10 pm
The Western New York COVID-19 Community Response Fund announced it has awarded more than $4.5 million to over 300 nonprofit organizations in the region, bringing the total grant amount from the fund to $13.1 million.
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Thu, Feb 11th 2021 09:40 pm
Republican Assemblyman Angelo Morinello and members of the minority conference held a press conference Thursday calling for a subpoena of New York State Commissioner of Health Dr. Howard Zucker.
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Thu, Feb 11th 2021 01:25 pm
Like the rest of the nation, the people of Erie County have suffered devastating effects from the COVID-19 pandemic. We have lost hundreds of lives, and our way of life has been impacted in negative ways that we could not have predicted in early 2020. While we are encouraged by the newly approved vaccines, we pause to mourn with those who have lost loved ones, and to applaud the commitment of front-line health care workers and other essential worker heroes.
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Thu, Feb 11th 2021 01:20 pm
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday updated New Yorkers on the state's progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
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Wed, Feb 10th 2021 05:05 pm
Congressman Brian Higgins, D-NY-26, announced the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee has begun its work on the American Rescue Plan, passing several components of the COVID-19 disaster relief package in committee.
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Wed, Feb 10th 2021 03:00 pm
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday announced that, building off of the successful Buffalo Bills pilot program, sports and entertainment events in major stadiums and arenas with a capacity of 10,000 or more people can reopen with limited spectators beginning Feb. 23.
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Wed, Feb 10th 2021 11:15 am
The Niagara Small Business Development Center (SBDC) will host a series of free entrepreneurship webinars aimed at those looking to enhance business skills and strengthen a new or existing business. The series will run from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesdays, starting March 24 and ending May 19. The schedule of topics is as follows:
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