Wed, Jan 12th 2022 02:00 pm
The Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) is coordinating a series of COVID-19 vaccine clinics in January with five local cultural organizations, specifically for children and their families. These vaccine clinics will offer Pfizer coronavirus doses for children under 18 years old, and vaccine including boosters for eligible family members.
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Wed, Jan 12th 2022 01:35 pm
In response to the surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations and the high rate of coronavirus transmission throughout Western New York, Catholic Health is temporarily suspending visitations at its hospitals, with few exceptions, beginning Friday, Jan. 14.
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Wed, Jan 12th 2022 09:30 am
The KeyBank 2022 Financial Mobility Survey, released Wednesday, finds many Americans are reconsidering their work and financial priorities, with two-thirds (62%) of respondents indicating that work-life balance is more important to them than a high-paying salary (22%).
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Tue, Jan 11th 2022 07:10 pm
The Erie County Department of Health provided coronavirus case data for the week ending Jan. 8.
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Tue, Jan 11th 2022 07:10 pm
Erie County Department of Health COVID-19 vaccine clinics are offering booster doses to anyone currently eligible.
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Tue, Jan 11th 2022 03:40 pm
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Tue, Jan 11th 2022 03:40 pm
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday announced a new campaign to increase vaccination rates among children ages 5 and older - urging pediatricians, parents and guardians to help children get vaccinated and keep up with all recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses.
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Tue, Jan 11th 2022 11:35 am
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday announced all New Yorkers enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will receive the maximum allowable level of food benefits for January. All households participating in SNAP - including those already at the maximum level of benefits - will receive a supplemental allotment later this month, bringing in roughly $230 million in federal funding into the state's economy.
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Tue, Jan 11th 2022 10:50 am
The Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) has expanded its coronavirus testing capacity, with extended evening hours, weekend appointments and additional sites, including in the City of Buffalo. The COVID-19 information line hours on weekdays will also expand to 7 p.m.
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Tue, Jan 11th 2022 09:55 am
Many emergency departments are at capacity due to high COVID-19 case counts, staffing challenges and increasing demand for testing. The omicron variant is extremely contagious and that makes it important for everyone to get vaccinated and know when to go to the emergency department for COVID-19 concerns, according to the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).
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Mon, Jan 10th 2022 04:20 pm
Mayor Byron Brown on Monday announced the City of Buffalo will distribute 11,000 free coronavirus at-home antigen test kits from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Jan. 11, at five city community centers.
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Mon, Jan 10th 2022 11:10 am
Due to the evolving concerns regarding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19 virus) and the omicron variant, the Office of General Services on Saturday announced it is implementing new rules for visitors that will be in effect as of today at the Capitol and Legislative Office Building in Albany. It said these restrictions are to ensure the health and well-being of all employees and the public during the 2022 legislative session.
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Fri, Jan 7th 2022 06:55 pm
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday announced new guidance recommending booster doses for all New Yorkers ages 12 and older. The guidance, following action by the CDC, recommends that people, including the newly authorized 12-15-year-old age group, who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, should receive a booster dose at least five months after their second dose.
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Fri, Jan 7th 2022 04:40 pm
The Niagara County Department of Health announced "significant changes" have been made to the case investigation and contact tracing for COVID-19. Contact tracers will no longer conduct case investigations or identify close contacts.
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Fri, Jan 7th 2022 04:30 pm
At a virtual meeting Friday with more than 150 Erie County school administrators, district superintendents and nursing staff from public, private and charters schools, the Erie County Department of Health and its epidemiology school team presented "test to stay" protocols for p-12 students. ECDOH stated, "This program may start for many schools as early as next week."
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Fri, Jan 7th 2022 04:00 pm
The significant increase in local COVID-19 cases means that proper, consistent mask use is even more important as a protective measure for the University at Buffalo and Western New York communities, regardless of vaccination status.
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Fri, Jan 7th 2022 01:50 pm
Due to the continuing impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic on staffing and operations at Erie County Medical Center, a 20-member clinical medium medical team (MMT) will be deployed to the health care institution for an estimated 30-day mission. The MMT is expected to arrive this coming weekend and should be operational by early next week.
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Fri, Jan 7th 2022 12:40 pm
The Erie County Department of Health is coordinating a distribution of nearly 40,000 COVID-19 at-home antigen test kits to Erie County village, town and city emergency managers. Each test kit box includes two antigen tests, for a total of about 80,000 tests.
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Thu, Jan 6th 2022 03:25 pm
The New York State Department of Health issued significant changes to its isolation and quarantine guidance late in the evening on Tuesday, Jan. 4. As the Erie County Department of Health's epidemiology office began to review this documentation, it was quickly determined that ECDOH needed additional time to make significant changes to the Erie County "test to stay" protocols to prepare for the all-school meeting scheduled on Wednesday afternoon.
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Thu, Jan 6th 2022 01:20 pm
Both counties report large jumps over holiday week.
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Wed, Jan 5th 2022 05:35 pm
With the potential for winter weather to impact travel and road conditions on Thursday, the Erie County Department of Health made the following announcement about COVID-19 testing, vaccine clinic and information line operations.
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Wed, Jan 5th 2022 05:35 pm
WellHealth has partnered with the state of New York to roll out sites in strategic locations to support testing expansion across the state.
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Wed, Jan 5th 2022 04:40 pm
Niagara County Legislature Chairwoman Becky Wydysh announced Niagara County received a shipment of COVID-19 at-home test kits from New York state. The county will hold three simultaneous drive-thru events to distribute the kits to the public this Saturday, Jan. 8. Each at-home test kit contains two COVID-19 tests.
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Wed, Jan 5th 2022 02:50 pm
Patient visitation changes began this week at the VA Western New York Healthcare System (VAWNYHS) Buffalo and Batavia campuses. These changes will remain in place until further notice.
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Tue, Jan 4th 2022 07:45 pm
University at Buffalo scientists who do the genomic sequencing of the SARS-CoV2 virus in Erie County are seeing omicron cases increase, an indication that the region is exhibiting a similar trajectory to national trends.
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Tue, Jan 4th 2022 07:45 pm
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday announced 10 SUNY campus-based COVID-19 test sites will open beginning Jan. 6. Additionally, the governor announced the second round of sites slated to open the week of Jan. 10.
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Tue, Jan 4th 2022 03:30 pm
Northland Workforce Training Center and the Erie County Department of Health will hold a coronavirus vaccine clinic from 1-5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 5, at 683 Northland Ave., Buffalo. Use entrance A. First, second and booster shots will be available. Walk-ins are welcome; however, preregistration is encouraged.
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Tue, Jan 4th 2022 03:15 pm
Since the arrival of the omicron variant, there's been an increase in testing for COVID-19. Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned people of fraudulent coronavirus tests, vaccines and treatments as the pandemic continues.
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Mon, Jan 3rd 2022 05:10 pm
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday announced a partnership with SUNY and Syracuse University in which 10 new testing sites will be opening on State University of New York campuses across the state and at Syracuse University this week. More campus sites will open in the coming weeks as the project expands.
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Mon, Jan 3rd 2022 02:25 pm
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday announced applications are now being accepted for the New York State Homeowner Assistance Fund (NYS HAF), a program that will provide up to $539 million in aid or other direct assistance to help eligible homeowners who are at risk of default, foreclosure or displacement due to financial hardship caused by the pandemic. New York was the first state in the nation to receive U.S. Department of the Treasury approval to launch its program.
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Mon, Jan 3rd 2022 11:10 am
The Niagara County Department of Emergency Services and the Niagara USA Chamber of Commerce are cohosting a free drive-thru mask giveaway for businesses on Thursday, Jan. 6, at the county's Public Safety Training Facility in Lockport. Masks and signage about state masking requirements are available for any Niagara County business, though supplies are limited.
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Mon, Jan 3rd 2022 09:00 am
The substantial volume of COVID-19 case reports in recent days has exceeded the ECDOH and New York state contact tracing capacity to individually contact every Erie County resident with a positive COVID-19 test result.
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Mon, Jan 3rd 2022 08:55 am
The significant increase in recent COVID-19 cases means that proper, consistent mask use is even more important as a protective measure for Erie County residents, regardless of vaccination status.
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Sat, Jan 1st 2022 12:20 pm
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday announced "Winter Surge Plan 2.0," a new targeted effort to bolster New York's fight against the winter surge.
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Sat, Jan 1st 2022 12:15 pm
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday announced a new partnership between the New York State Department of Health and the New York National Guard that will train soldiers to become certified EMTs, resulting in additional service members eligible for clinical deployments at health care facilities in need of staff due to the winter surge of COVID-19.
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Sat, Jan 1st 2022 12:15 pm
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday announced issuance of spring semester reopening guidance for SUNY and CUNY campuses, which includes the continuation of the student vaccine mandate as well as requiring all students regularly accessing campus to receive the COVID-19 booster for the spring semester.
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Wed, Dec 29th 2021 04:50 pm
Due to an increasing inpatient census caused by the omicron coronavirus variant, Erie County Medical Center Corp. will suspend all inpatient visitation except when medically necessary, or for family members or legal representatives of patients in imminent end-of-life circumstances, beginning this Friday, Dec. 31.
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Wed, Dec 29th 2021 04:50 pm
The Niagara County Department of Health issued the following weekly update on positive COVID-19 cases in Niagara County from Dec. 23-29. Reports are made each Wednesday.
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Wed, Dec 29th 2021 12:20 pm
New York Attorney General Letitia James on Tuesday issued a statement to employers following new recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) isolation periods:
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Mon, Dec 27th 2021 09:20 pm
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the following on Monday:
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