Third COVID-19 vaccine arriving in NY as soon as Wednesday

Workers in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, see off the first box of...

Workers in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, see off the first box of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to be placed on a conveyor for delivery on Monday. Credit: AP/Timothy D. Easley

Northwell Health expects to receive its first shipment of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at some of its hospitals in the region as soon as Wednesday, health network officials said.

New York City believes the vaccine will start to arrive there Wednesday or Thursday.

Johnson & Johnson is the third approved vaccine against COVID-19, following those produced by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. Those two vaccines require two doses to be effective, while Johnson & Johnson is a one-shot vaccine.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Tuesday in a statement issued by his office that the state expects to receive approximately 164,800 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week.

Those added doses will supplement New York State's expected supply of Pfizer and Moderna for Week 12 of the vaccination campaign — for a total of approximately 878,080 doses expected, the highest weekly vaccine allocation since the effort to inoculate state residents started, Cuomo said in a statement.

A Biden administration official said Tuesday that drugmaker Merck & Co. will help produce the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, in an effort to expedite supply.

Plus: The majority of Fishers Island residents received their first vaccine dose on Sunday, after Suffolk County officials packed a donated private plane and a police boat to bring doses and staff to the tiny remote island, officials said.

The chart below shows the percentages of Long Islanders in recent days who received one dose of a vaccine or who have been fully vaccinated.

This chart shows the percentages of Long Islanders who received...

This chart shows the percentages of Long Islanders who received at least one dose of a vaccine and those who have been fully vaccinated.

Search a map of new cases and view more charts showing the latest trends in vaccinations, testing, hospitalizations, deaths and more.

Still looking to book a vaccine appointment? Check our guide for some resources.

The number of new positives reported today: 582 in Nassau, 498 in Suffolk, 3,117 in New York City and 5,800 statewide.

Wantagh High School closed after new COVID-19 cases surface

After placing its senior class on remote learning last week, the entire Wantagh High School is going on virtual learning this week because new cases continue to crop up, district officials said Tuesday.

All after-school and athletic activities also are canceled for this week after nine students tested positive, said Superintendent John C. McNamara. Those activities will remain suspended until students return for in-person learning.

Late last month, the senior class at the school was forced into remote learning because of a COVID-19 outbreak.

The district will host free virus testing for all high school students at designated times on Wednesday and Thursday, McNamara said in a note posted on its website.

Schools opting for remote days over snow days

A pedestrian in the snow on Sunrise Highway on Feb....

A pedestrian in the snow on Sunrise Highway on Feb. 7 in Valley Stream. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin

More than a dozen Long Island school districts opted to have remote online lessons during winter storms, rather than shutting down for a day or two when there's snow on the ground.

Supporters say switching from "snow days" to "remote days" makes sense, as schools have made massive purchases of electronic tablets, camcorders and other equipment needed for online instruction in response to COVID-19. Some districts are making use of it when the weather turns bad.

Take Huntington's 4,900-student system, for example. They went remote on three stormy days this school year.

"Particularly for younger kids, the initial reaction from parents might have been disappointment that they didn't have time for sledding," said Kristin Kanzer, president of the district's PTA Council. "By the time of the second or third day, the reaction was different, and parents were more interested in seeing that continuity of learning."

Suffolk cop is first name on new COVID-19 memorial

The family of Sgt. Keith Allison at the COVID-19 memorial in...

The family of Sgt. Keith Allison at the COVID-19 memorial in Smithtown on Monday. Credit: Raychel Brightman

One year after the first virus case was confirmed in the state, Sgt. Keith Allison of Brentwood became the first name added to Suffolk County's new COVID-19 memorial on Monday.

He died in December after a 17-day battle with COVID-19 and was remembered as a devoted father and doting grandfather.

"He has not been forgotten," said his wife, Brenda Allison, shortly after she tied a blue ribbon to a wooden memorial outside the County Legislative Building in Hauppauge.

The memorial will be on display through the month, giving family members an opportunity to add ribbons with their loved ones' names. Names can also be added to a similar memorial at the Evans K. Griffing building in Riverhead. You can submit names for both memorials online.

Pandemic summer rentals in the Hamptons

The summer rental market for all points east is hot, and it's getting a boost during the pandemic.

With people wanting to spend more time on Long Island, the season started much earlier, experts said — and if you’re planning to vacation at a seaside spot in the Hamptons this year, the homes are going fast.

"I think because of the pandemic, people who own houses are using them for themselves," says Marianne Collins, a real estate agent with Brown Harris Stevens. Also, many who rented in 2020 renewed their lease agreements for the 2021 season, leaving fewer rentals available this summer, she says.

More to know

Players and coaches gathered on Monday for East Islip's first...

Players and coaches gathered on Monday for East Islip's first football practice of the upcoming season. Credit: Reece T. Williams

The first day of the re-imagined fall sports season for public schools was met with enthusiasm across Long Island, along with some challenges that teams don’t typically encounter when starting in September.

Older Americans isolated at home or unable to leave senior communities during the pandemic have adapted to learning online shopping to get groceries or other products delivered.

The U.S. Small Business Administration is exclusively processing Paycheck Protection Program loan applications for borrowers with fewer than 20 employees, but only until 5 p.m. on March 9.

State Attorney General Letitia James said the top consumer complaints last year in New York were linked to the pandemic, such as price gouging and scams.

News for you

The Main Greenhouse on display at the Planting Fields Arboretum...

The Main Greenhouse on display at the Planting Fields Arboretum in the village of Upper Brookville, seen on Feb. 20. Credit: Johnny Milano

Getting out to a state park for free. The winter season shouldn't keep you from heading outside — you can visit Planting Fields Arboretum, Caumsett State Park and Connetquot River State Park Preserve free of charge until the spring. Check our guide for what to know, including some COVID-19 restrictions.

When you've got your takeout in the car. During the pandemic, Newsday's food critic has found himself eating in his car on several occasions. Scott Vogel shares some contraptions and tips you need to make dining in the car or a parking lot more efficient and enjoyable, from dip clips to French fry holders.

'Tom & Jerry' brings box office life. Warner Bros.' live-action-animation hybrid "Tom & Jerry" debuted this weekend with $13.7 million in ticket sales, the best domestic opening of the year.

Plus, next on Newsday Live: What to make of COVID-19 variants? Local health experts will discuss new findings on the COVID-19 variants, how to protect against them and vaccine efficacy during a virtual event at noon on Wednesday. Register here.

Sign up for text messages to get the most important coronavirus news and information.

Commentary

Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto/Nuthawut Somsuk

The inevitable politicization of herd immunity. Daniel W. Drezner writes for The Washington Post: The trend lines for U.S. emergence from the pandemic this spring look very promising. After a storm-related lull, vaccinations are ramping up to nearly 2.5 million shots a day. There is every reason to believe that number will increase in March. The Food and Drug Administration's emergency use authorization of the Johnson & Johnson single-shot vaccine immediately unlocks another couple million doses of available vaccine.

By the end of March, Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson have pledged to have a combined 240 million doses available for Americans. Add that to the number already vaccinated (and those recovering from COVID-19 and therefore also immune) and suddenly talk about being "at an inflection point" starts to feel real.

So … is that it? By May, 14 months after the pandemic transformed our daily lives, will it be "pretty much the ballgame" in this country?

I have my doubts. Never underestimate the ability of 21st-century Americans to politicize something, even ridiculously good news. This past week there was a contretemps about vaccine selfies, for Pete's sake. Keep reading.

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