Update On COVID-19

Governor Kathy Hochul announced in October that $35 million in State funding is being distributed by the New York City Housing Authority to help address COVID-related rental arrears for NYCHA residents.

This funding secured by the Governor and State Legislature will provide up to 12 months of unpaid rent for NYCHA tenants and ensure these families maintain stable, affordable housing during recovery from the pandemic.

“We're continuing to support vulnerable New Yorkers who were hit hard by the pandemic and helping to ensure families remain in their homes,” Governor Hochul said.

New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) is expected to use these funds to address rental arrears accrued by NYCHA tenants. Qualifying households could be covered for up to 12 months of past due rent accumulated during the period of March 2020 – May 11, 2023.

Source: NY State Governor Office - www.governor.ny.gov/news

Update On COVID-19

Free COVID-19 tests are back for fall 2024.

As cases of a new COVID-19 variant tick upward across the U.S., the federal government is again offering Americans free at-home COVID-19 test kits. Individuals and households can begin ordering the test kits later this month, on the heels of a summer wave of COVID-19 cases.

The Biden administration restarted the same program last fall, too, after a brief pause to conserve test supplies. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the program, has started taking orders again for the at-home COVID-19 tests through the COVIDTests.gov website.

Last month, the Food and Drug Administration approved updated COVID-19 vaccine formulations from Pfizer and Moderna, which are currently being administered at pharmacies nationwide. The FDA later authorized Novavax's new protein-based COVID-19 vaccine, which is also available to patients.

Source: cbsnews.com

Update On COVID-19

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the new COVID-19 vaccine for the 2024-2025 season is now available in New York State. The Governor encouraged all eligible New Yorkers — especially those who are 65 and older, are at risk for severe COVID-19, or have never received a COVID-19 vaccine — to get the vaccine as students return to school, and ahead of the respiratory illness season.

The Governor and New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald also announced the Commissioner’s standing order allowing all eligible New Yorkers to receive the new COVID-19 vaccine at any pharmacy in New York State without a prescription from their individual health care provider.

“Now is the time to get the new COVID-19 vaccine to help protect your family and your community,” Governor Hochul said. “As in years’ past, we’re putting health first and making it easy for all eligible New Yorkers to get the new vaccine at any pharmacy statewide.”

State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is the most effective protection against being admitted to a hospital or suffering from Long COVID, so I'm once again encouraging all those eligible to prioritize their health and get vaccinated. As we enter the fall season, when respiratory viruses circulate, New Yorkers should get the vaccine to protect themselves from COVID-19 so they can risk less and live well.”

Source: NY State Governor Office - www.governor.ny.gov/news

Update On COVID-19

$646 million set aside to rebuild N.Y. health care workforce devastated by COVID, Gov. Kathy Hochul says.

A major financial boost is in the works to help rebuild New York's health care industry decimated by COVID-19.

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday announced a program called Career Pathways Training, which will provide funding to recruit and train thousands of much-needed workers.

Speaking to a group of workers at the headquarters of 1199 SEIU Health, one of the largest health care unions, the governor said they would be one of three groups to receive a combined $646 million to recruit and train a new wave of workers.

Source: CBS News New York

Update On COVID-19

According to the CDC, COVID-19 hospitalizations hit record a low.

Forecasts of new hospitalizations from the CDC indicate that admissions will likely remain stable for the next few weeks.

COVID deaths have also been steadily declining this year, reaching new lows. There were an estimated 231 deaths from COVID in the most recent week data that is available, according to the CDC. However, death data are delayed and may be incomplete.

At the height of the pandemic, there were over 25,000 Americans dying weekly from the virus as the Delta variant swept across the country.

Source: ABC News NY

Update On COVID-19

CDC released today updated recommendations for how people can protect themselves and their communities from respiratory viruses, including COVID-19. The new guidance brings a unified approach to addressing risks from a range of common respiratory viral illnesses, such as COVID-19, flu, and RSV, which can cause significant health impacts and strain on hospitals and health care workers.

CDC is making updates to the recommendations now because the U.S. is seeing far fewer hospitalizations and deaths associated with COVID-19 and because we have more tools than ever to combat flu, COVID, and RSV.

“Today’s announcement reflects the progress we have made in protecting against severe illness from COVID-19,” said CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen. “However, we still must use the commonsense solutions we know work to protect ourselves and others from serious illness from respiratory viruses—this includes vaccination, treatment, and staying home when we get sick.”

When people get sick with a respiratory virus, the updated guidance recommends that they stay home and away from others. For people with COVID-19 and influenza, treatment is available and can lessen symptoms and lower the risk of severe illness. The recommendations suggest returning to normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, symptoms are improving overall, and if a fever was present, it has been gone without use of a fever-reducing medication.

Source: CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Update On COVID-19

More U.S. hospitals are requiring masks and limiting visitors as health officials face an expected but still nasty post-holiday spike in flu, COVID-19 and other illnesses.

While many experts say this season likely won’t prove to be as deadly as some other recent winters, it still could mean hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and many thousands of deaths across the country.

“What we're seeing right now, in the first week of January, is really an acceleration — of flu cases, in particular,” said Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

COVID-19 cases are causing more severe disease than the flu but have been rising less dramatically.

Source: Associated Press

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