Unvaccinated 'at very high risk' of delta variant, experts say
Experts say unvaccinated at 'high risk' of delta variant as cases rise on LI
Jayson Molina Majano, 17, of Freeport, is administered a vaccine by nurse Tricia O'Brien on Thursday at Freeport High School. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
Long Island's positivity rate continues to creep back up amid a rise of the highly contagious delta variant strain, as Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Monday that COVID-19 "is now mainly a pandemic among the unvaccinated."
The daily positivity rate on Long Island Sunday was 2.3%, more than double that of one week earlier, according to state Department of Health data. It was the highest daily positivity level since the Island registered a rate of 2.6% in daily tests for April 25.
Experts have said people who aren’t vaccinated against the virus are "at very high risk" of getting infected.
Dr. Bettina Fries, chief of infectious diseases at Stony Brook Medicine, said when she visits hospital patients, she is "really astonished how many people are not vaccinated." Fries said her first advice to unvaccinated people is to get the shot. For those who don’t, they must take precautions such as wearing a mask and practicing social distancing, she said.
The large number of unvaccinated people not wearing masks is a key reason the delta variant is spreading so quickly, she said.
"If you’re not vaccinated, you are really playing with fire if you don’t wear a mask right now," she said. Newsday's David Olson has more on what experts say about the delta variant.
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Sunday said he is "worried for what is to come" as the country continues to see an uptick in COVID-19 cases stemming from the highly transmissible variant.
Over the weekend, more than 1,000 New Yorkers tested positive for the virus for two days in a row on Friday and Saturday — the state's highest daily virus spikes since May, statistics showed.
Plus: Some Long Islanders are wary of a COVID-19 comeback. Watch what some say in this video from Newsday's Steve Langford.
The number of new positives reported today: 99 in Nassau, 88 in Suffolk, 461 in New York City and 823 statewide.
The chart below shows the percentage of all Long Islanders that have been vaccinated, according to state data.
This chart shows the percentages of Long Islanders who received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and those who have been fully vaccinated.
Search a map of new cases and view charts showing the latest local trends in vaccinations, testing, hospitalizations, deaths and more.
Some struggling with alcohol addiction in COVID-19 aftermath
St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson saw a 30% increase in alcohol rehabilitation and detox admissions, said Dr. Mark Solomon, medical director of the chemical dependency rehabilitation, outpatient maintenance and acute detox units at the hospital. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
Alcohol consumption surged during the pandemic, as more people felt isolated or were laid off from their jobs, causing some Long Islanders to struggle with alcohol addiction, experts told Newsday.
Treatment and recovery center officials said they have seen a big increase in people seeking help, both those who previously had problems with alcohol and relapsed, and people who never had serious issues with alcohol.
Many who relapsed or began drinking more used alcohol as a way to suppress anxiety or depression, said Dr. Mark Solomon, medical director of the chemical dependency rehabilitation, outpatient maintenance and acute detox units at St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson.
More than 41% of Americans reported symptoms of depressive disorder or anxiety disorder in January, compared with 11% in the first half of 2019, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of federal data.
Patients told Solomon that, with no work or socializing, they were bored, and drinking "helped pass the time."
Newsday’s David Olson has more of this story.
Summer school on Long Island takes on a new look
Summer school is underway in Amityville, where Nakia Wolfe instructs students. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
Many Long Island school districts have reinvented summer school in response to the pandemic school year and disrupted learning, Newsday's Craig Schneider reports.
Educators said the goal is to help students reclaim some of that lost learning, but more importantly to make them feel comfortable and excited again about school.
Long Island schools are being assisted by $1 billion in federal stimulus money, which they have three years to spend. Schools began the summer session in early July and will run programs into August. Districts have also added an abundance of programs — sports, art, music, dance — to attract more students and try to remove the stigma that summer school is a place for failing students.
For 12-year-old James Baker, summer school is becoming kind of fun.
"It's actually been quite good," he said, adding he’s taking a math class at Brentwood's East Middle School in addition to playing basketball and volleyball. "It's more like a summer camp than a school environment."
Boosting East End mental health services to meet pandemic need
New York City therapists relocating out east, advances in telemedicine and additional Stony Brook University psychiatry residents have improved the landscape of mental health services on the Twin Forks during the pandemic.
Those changes may permanently strengthen the web of counselors, psychologists and psychiatrists working on the East End even as the threat of the virus ebbs, Newsday's Vera Chinese reports.
Part of the change was born of necessity. A common thread among all providers Newsday spoke to is that clients across the socioeconomic spectrum are more in need of their services than ever.
"I can tell you this, every single person I know in this field is just inundated with people who are in different states of distress, stress and panic," said Robby Stein, a Sag Harbor psychologist. "And within my own practice … there’s been an increase in depression, suicidal ideation and a need for really outside stimulation that doesn’t exist."
More to know
Storefronts near Middle Neck Road in Great Neck on Thursday. Credit: Chris Ware
Long Island saw 16,900 net new jobs in June, slightly above the average gain of 16,100 jobs, the state Labor Department reported Thursday.
There's been a passport backlog during the pandemic, and U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer said at a news conference Sunday he's gotten an influx of calls from constituents whose travel plans are in jeopardy because of the delays. He urged the federal government to beef up staff to clear it.
The Yankees announced on Friday that Aaron Judge, Gio Urshela and Kyle Higashioka all had confirmed cases of COVID-19, and joined Jonathan Loaisiga, Nestor Cortes Jr. and Wandy Peralta on the COVID-19 list.
Canada announced Monday it will begin letting fully vaccinated U.S. citizens into the country on Aug. 9, and those from the rest of the world on Sept. 7.
News for you
The seafood bucket of shrimp, mussels and clams at Cherry's on the Bay in Cherry Grove. Credit: Raychel Brightman
The ultimate Fire Island foodie crawl. Well, you made it to summer 2021 after the largely social distanced summer. So how about traveling the entire length of Fire Island on foot in search of fine food and drink? Our food critic Scott Vogel did that. See how it went.
What to know about the Tokyo Olympics. The calendar says 2021, but the summer 2020 Olympic Games were postponed a year because of the pandemic — and they're around the corner. It technically begins on Tuesday with softball games, but opening ceremonies are on Friday and events run through Aug. 8. Find out how to watch, what to expect and more in this guide. Who could be the new breakout stars for Team USA? Here's a look. Plus, see the Long Islanders headed there this year.
Staying on the East Coast to get away. From Maine to Rhode Island, we have a guide to destination ideas — including places where you can hang by the beach, go camping or visit a zoo.
Sail away with a boat tour. On sailboat cruises from Oyster Bay to Montauk, you can relax outside and on deck. Here's how to get a taste of cruising on Long Island's waters, whether it's a public tour or private charter.
Plus: While many are still trying to spend their time outside, it's hot. Cool off by heading to one of these open splash parks on Long Island.
Commentary
For some, it feels as if the pandemic has been going on for a decade or more. Credit: iStock
It's COVID time: The days go by faster, or slower. Robin Abcarian, of the Los Angeles Times, asks: Has this happened to you?
You call your dentist to make an appointment for your annual checkup, and you discover that you haven't been to see him since April 2019.
You are getting dressed for a meeting when you suddenly realize you already attended it — two days ago.
You find yourself checking the calendar because you can't remember what day of the week it is, and then realize you don't know what week of the month it is, either.
While COVID-19 famously impairs its victims' senses of taste and smell, many of us who have managed to stay healthy over the last 16 months have developed a different kind of symptom: an impaired sense of time.
For some, it feels as if the pandemic has been going on for a decade or more.
For me, it's the opposite; time seems to have telescoped. Keep reading.
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.
