Snow cancels vaccine appointments
Officials: Vaccinations canceled at state and municipal sites due to snow
A line of vehicles at Jones Beach in Wantagh on Sunday, where drivers waited for the COVID-19 vaccine. Credit: James Carbone
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said vaccine shots were being halted on Monday and Tuesday at state-run sites including Jones Beach and Stony Brook University, though no one will lose their appointment.
"It's really going to get rescheduled in any state-run facility," Cuomo said during a Monday morning news briefing.
Nassau County said it didn't have any scheduled vaccine appointments for Monday, and appointments for Tuesday have already been rescheduled for later in the week.
New York City is canceling all vaccination appointments on Monday and Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio said at his daily news conference. Appointments will be rescheduled for later this week.
Suffolk County had not yet provided an update on its vaccination plans.
Despite the shutdowns, Cuomo said the state is closing in on administering 2 million vaccines so far, or about 10% of the state population. A total of 1.96 million vaccinations have been injected. The state is sending vaccines to hospitals, pharmacies, state-run vaccination sites and other locations as fast as it receives them from the federal government, but the problem remains insufficient supply, he said.
The number of new positives reported today: 919 in Nassau, 839 in Suffolk, 4,194 in New York City and 8,508 statewide.
The map below shows the concentrations of cases in Long Island communities.
This map shows the concentration of new cases in each community, with Nassau data as of Friday and Suffolk data as of Sunday.
Search that map and view charts showing the latest local trends in testing, hospitalizations, deaths and more.
Underlying health conditions? It's unclear where you'll be on vaccine list.
Smokers and people with coronary artery disease may be among those on the next priority list for a COVID-19 vaccine, but those with high blood pressure and asthma might not.
Cuomo said people who are immunocompromised because of certain medical conditions will be in the next eligible group, but it's unclear when they'll be added and which conditions will qualify. State officials said they're consulting with the CDC to determine which conditions will be eligible — even though the CDC for months has had a list of which medical conditions put people "at increased risk of severe illness" or death from the virus.
Nationwide, at least 56% of those ages 16 to 64 — 110 million Americans — have at least one of 11 medical conditions on the CDC list, although some already are eligible for vaccinations because of their age or job. Obesity is the most common, and more than 42% of U.S. adults are considered obese.
South Nassau hospital to launch traveling COVID-19 testing van
The mobile COVID-19 van will serve Hempstead Town communities by the spring. Credit: Chris Ware
A mobile testing van is expected to come by the spring to Hempstead Town communities that have been hit hard by the virus.
The testing vehicle, operated by Mount Sinai South Nassau, will be deployed six days a week throughout the town and may later be used to deliver vaccinations once a supply is available. Appointments will be taken Monday to Saturday.
"We have no control over this virus, but testing is essential," Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin said. "We want to expand it by getting mobile testing available, and when vaccines become more available, we want to have it at every location."
Nursing, med school applications are rising
Stony Brook paramedic student Bridget Kennedy. Credit: Morgan Campbell/Morgan Campbell
Applications are up nationally and on Long Island not only in public health programs, but in nursing and medical schools, and programs for paramedics and EMTs.
Some of the application spikes are unprecedented, and no one can say for sure all the factors behind them. But the pandemic is credited with inspiring interest in front-line professions and reaffirming the choice of those already enrolled in such programs.
Stony Brook paramedic student Bridget Kennedy, 23, of Dix Hills, applied last summer after months as a volunteer EMT on ambulances transporting COVID-19 patients.
"These were very, very sick people," she said. "There were multiple shifts I came home and cried. I wanted to keep helping, and the fact that I made it through and was able to keep helping cemented that, OK, this was something I could do."
More to know
School nurse Cathy Williams vaccinates Jodi Messin, a speech pathologist, at the Eastport-South Manor Junior-Senior High School gym in Manorville. Credit: Randee Daddona
As people go through all sorts of difficulties to get a vaccine, the Eastport-South Manor Central School District inoculated about 300 teachers and staff during a "Vaccination Day" Saturday.
Organizers of Black History Month commemorations on Long Island and beyond have been figuring out how, without endangering participants in a pandemic, to maintain tradition for events that have always been held in person.
Hofstra University’s efforts to help small businesses survive the pandemic have been recognized with a $10,000 grant.
The nation's schools could all reopen by April, the Biden administration signaled Sunday, despite concern about a potential surge of cases stemming from mutations of the virus.
California reached 40,000 coronavirus deaths on Saturday, as fatalities surge at a record pace while new infections begin to taper.
News for you
Sloan Tichner poses for a portrait in the basement of her home in Brookville on Jan. 15. Credit: Barry Sloan
Creating new home spaces while you're home. More time at home means more time to optimize your living spaces. Many have been taking on home improvement projects and creating spaces like a new playroom, a library or an office. Check out how some Long Islanders have been perfecting their homes.
A virtual Valentine's event for kids. Some Lindenhurst businesses are putting together a virtual event for children to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Learn more about the "virtual crawl" on Feb. 12, an online event involving to-go kits that kids can use to make pizza, create a painting and decorate a cake.
Working from home = the need for PT. Aches brought on by COVID-19-related lifestyle changes have sent many people to a physical therapist. Whether it's from conditions working from home, differing exercise regimens or recovering after having COVID-19, physical therapists say they're seeing many for pandemic-related issues. Read more.
This upscale bistro opened after pushing through pandemic. The owner of Hunter the Restaurant spent time last fall getting all the COVID-19 safety protocols in place, and in November, the curtain finally went up on the French-inspired upscale bistro in East Norwich. Check it out.
Plus: There's a nor'easter hitting Long Island. Stay updated, and check our list of schools and programs that announced closures and remote learning plans for today and Tuesday due to the snow.
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Commentary
Credit: AP
65+ but no vaccine in sight. The Newsday editorial board had asked eligible older Long Islanders for their stories trying to obtain a vaccine — and we got more than 500.
Listen to this episode of Newsday Opinion’s "Life Under Coronavirus" podcast, which captures the voicemails left by seniors about the frustrations and anxiety of searching for unavailable vaccines from Jones Beach to upstate SUNY Potsdam.
Erin Serpico is an assistant web producer who joined Newsday in November 2018. Originally from New Jersey, she now covers community events and produces local content for newsday.com while also helping run the homepage.
