Vaccine mandates for NY health care workers
All NY health care workers must be vaccinated against COVID-19, Cuomo says
All health care workers in New York will need to be vaccinated by Sept. 27. Credit: AFP / Kena Betancur via Getty Images
The vaccination order includes those employed at hospitals, nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, and there will be limited exemptions for religious or medical reasons, Cuomo said in a statement.
About 75% of hospital workers in New York are vaccinated, as are 74% of workers in adult care facilities, the state said. Only 68% of nursing home workers are fully vaccinated.
Cuomo said the state Department of Health will issue orders requiring the hospitals, long-term care facilities and nursing homes to "develop and implement a policy mandating employee vaccinations," according to the announcement. Health care workers would need to have at least one shot by Sept. 27.
The incoming administration of Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul was briefed on the new mandate, Cuomo's office said.
On Sunday, Hochul said on CNN's "State of the Union" that she was "open to all options" after being asked if she would consider statewide vaccine mandates with a policy similar to New York City, requiring proof of vaccination for some indoor activities. It's unclear whether Hochul would have the authority to issue such a mandate.
Plus: NYC's "Key to NYC" initiative begins Tuesday with a monthlong "education" period and enforcement protocols on Sept. 13. Get answers to questions about the program that will require anyone age 12 and older to show proof of at least one vaccination dose.
The number of new positives reported today: 347 in Nassau, 476 in Suffolk, 1,506 in New York City and 3,575 statewide.
This chart shows the percentage of all Long Islanders who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and those who have been fully vaccinated.
Vaccination rates on Long Island this month.
View charts showing the latest local trends in vaccinations, testing, hospitalizations, deaths and more.
Doctors: Recovering from COVID-19 doesn't grant total immunity
Dr. Bruce Farber, chief of infectious disease at North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center, poses for a portrait outside of North Shore University Hospital in July 2020. Credit: Charles Eckert
Health experts warn that recovering from COVID-19 doesn’t provide enough long-term natural immunity to ward off future virus infections without a vaccine.
Infectious disease experts told Newsday's Lisa L. Colangelo that people who recovered from the virus likely have about 90 days of immunity, but only from the initial strain they contracted.
People who recovered from COVID-19 and were not subsequently vaccinated are more than two times more likely to be reinfected than those who were inoculated, according to a study recently released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
More than 80% of new cases in the U.S. were because of the delta variant as of July 31, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Commuters: LIRR needs to enforce mask mandate
Long Island Rail Road president Phillip Eng hands out masks in a platform waiting room at the Jamaica Station on Friday. Credit: Craig Ruttle
Long Island Rail Road passengers are still required by law to wear masks on the train, and riders want the LIRR and its police force to do more about enforcing it.
LIRR officials acknowledged they've seen a drop-off in compliance in recent weeks, coinciding with mask mandates getting lifted in most places. An audit conducted last week found 88% of passengers wearing masks, LIRR officials said.
But several riders said the actual compliance rate is far lower than that. They blame authorities not enforcing the rules and say they've spotted LIRR crew members and MTA Police breaking them. Read more on this issue from transportation reporter Alfonso A. Castillo.
Booster shots OK'd for those with weakened immune systems
The Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday that transplant recipients and those immunocompromised can get an extra dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to better protect them — at least 28 days after getting their second shot.
The FDA made no mention of immune-compromised patients who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
On Friday, the CDC recommended a third shot for those groups as well. The CDC said immunocompromised people often have a poor response to the vaccine and can suffer severe, prolonged illness when exposed to the virus. A third shot could jump-start their weakened immune systems, the agency said.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky said the decision was important as cases of the delta variant continue to surge, Newsday’s Craig Schneider reports.
More to know
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) holds an image of a blank COVID-19 vaccination card at a news conference in Manhattan on Sunday. Credit: Craig Ruttle
U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer wants the federal government to more aggressively crack down on fake proof-of-vaccination cards, he said Sunday.
The NYS education department issued recommendations for high-risk fall sports last week, outlining that "high-risk sports and extracurricular activities should be virtual or cancelled in areas of high community transmission unless all participants are vaccinated."
Dead & Company will require concert attendees to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or of a negative test for 22 of the band's upcoming shows this summer.
Nassau County is planning to use $10 million in federal stimulus money to help 1,000 businesses recover from the pandemic, County Executive Laura Curran said Thursday.
Rep. Thomas Suozzi touted funds that Long Island municipalities will receive as part of the American Rescue Plan, including the Town of Oyster Bay getting more than $24 million and just over $30,000 for the Village of Cove Neck.
Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett refused to block Indiana University's plan to require vaccines for students and employees — also marking the first time the high court weighed in on such a mandate.
News for you
Decadent offerings at Chonky Cookies in Lindenhurst. Credit: Hannah Palmer Egan
Chonky Cookies are a product of the pandemic. In Lindenhurst, Chonky Cookies opened in mid-July to bring hefty, hand-sized cookies stuffed with everything from marshmallows to chocolate to cotton candy. And it all started at the beginning of the pandemic. Read the story.
Bringing the gym directly to you. If you aren't comfortable returning to the gym or working out indoors, Mobile Body Boutique may be for you. It's a "transient fitness studio" designed for all levels that brings outdoor workouts to homes and offices. Check it out.
The 'power casual' style for back-to-office wear. For many who have been working from home in relaxed attire, getting back in the clothes you used to wear to the office seems less than exciting. Now, people are searching for hybrid styles between comfort and chic — or "power casual." Take a look at the trends.
Comedy returns. The New York Comedy Festival is returning this year after last year's was canceled because of the pandemic. Tickets for the November festival go on sale next week. Also, Governor's Comedy Clubs announced Tracy Morgan will headline shows at two of its clubs in Levittown and Bohemia in December and January.
Plus, this week on Newsday Live: Local school superintendents will discuss on Tuesday how the coming school year is shaping up in terms of masks and social distancing policies. Register here. And, register for this Wednesday event to hear local doctors discuss how to keep children under 12 safe from the delta variant.
For more Newsday Live webinars and virtual events, take a look at this lineup.
Commentary
A typical COVID-era classroom, with chairs spaced six feet apart and face shields at each desk. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
We did everything right, but our kid still got COVID. Tricia Bishop writes for the Baltimore Sun: We hunkered down, worked from home, wore masks, shopped online, did virtual school (the whole time), joined a pandemic pod, avoided large gatherings, ate outside, and my husband and I got vaccines the second we were eligible. Yet, as I write this, our 8-year-old daughter is upstairs in her room, under a fort of blankets, with a sore throat, fever, cough and a confirmed case of COVID.
Where did we go wrong?
Summer camp.
It seemed like such a good idea, and if you ask our daughter, it was. In fact, those seven weeks were the best of her entire pandemic experience. It was a small group of 10 kids, all wearing masks and banded together in a "super session" that was supposed to last eight weeks. My daughter says it felt like they’d known each other forever by Day 3. But on Aug. 5, a Thursday, we got word that one of the kids had tested positive for COVID, and the whole camp section was shutting down, effective immediately. 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.
