Walk-in vaccinations for those 60 and older
'Just show up': Those 60-plus can walk in for vaccine starting Friday
New Yorkers get vaccinated for COVID-19 in January at the Javits Center in Manhattan. Credit: Sputnik via AP/Stringer
Cuomo urged all state residents to take advantage of the vaccine availability to protect themselves and others from further spread of the virus.
"For people over 60 years old … you don't even need an appointment to get the vaccine … Walk in and they will give you the vaccine," Cuomo said, speaking from a vaccination site in Yonkers.
Those over 60 won't need appointments at 16 state mass vaccination sites across New York, including two on Long Island.
He said to the newly qualifying group for walk-in vaccinations, "you don't have to go on the internet" searching for an appointment, "you don't have to do anything. Just show up."
The change comes after many New Yorkers have gotten their shots and vaccine supply has increased. Cuomo said older residents will be prioritized because they are "more susceptible" to the virus.
If you're under 60: Still looking to get a vaccine? Try these resources.
Meanwhile, New York City temporarily retooled its door-to-door vaccination program for those who are homebound, now using Moderna instead of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, officials said Wednesday.
The chart below shows the cumulative percentages of those vaccinated on Long Island in recent days.
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.
Data: LI's jobless rate edges down as more unemployed find work
A help wanted sign is displayed in a store window on Main Street in East Rockaway in December. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
Long Island’s job market showed improvement last month as more unemployed residents found work and those not actively searching jumped back into the labor force, state data shows.
John A. Rizzo, chief economist for the Long Island Association business group, said the report is "good news" for the Island, but the market still presents challenges for many.
"We’re going in the right direction, but unemployment is still elevated and there’s still more to go," Rizzo said.
How homebuyers can compete during the 'worst time to buy'
People wait outside an open house in Bethpage on April 10. Credit: Danielle Silverman
First-time homebuyers have learned to adapt to the competitive market that erupted in the wake of the 2020 pandemic shutdown.
They have a difficult challenge, said Maddy Camay, broker associate for Compass USA in Syosset, "because the houses that come on the market go so fast they have to make an immediate decision. The availability is tough for second-time homebuyers too, but at least they have the experience so know what the process is."
"It’s the best time to sell and the worst time to buy," she said.
So what can first-time homebuyers do to compete? Experts shared insider tips and strategies.
MTA spent $1.1 billion in overtime pay in 2020, report says
Four of the MTA’s top five overtime earners in 2020 worked for the Long Island Rail Road and more than doubled their base salaries with six-figure extra earnings, according to a new report.
The annual MTA payroll report compiled by the nonprofit Empire Center for Public Policy found while overtime continued falling from record high levels in 2018, more than 400 employees made more than $100,000 in extra pay.
Although overtime fell from 2019 to 2020, it did exceed the MTA’s budgeted amount for last year by 6%. Officials have said it was "mainly driven by security and cleaning needs brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, including enhanced overnight bus service to supplement the overnight closure of the subway system to allow for deep disinfecting."
More to know
The U.S. is set to meet President Joe Biden's vaccine goal of administering 200 million shots in his first 100 days in office.
The Wyandanch Public Library, which is the only library on Long Island not to have opened its building since the pandemic, is proposing a freeze on taxes.
Ronkonkoma's annual Run Around the Lake honoring Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a Navy SEAL killed in a 2005 firefight in Afghanistan, is scheduled for June 26 this year after being virtual-only last year during the pandemic. But it's in a new location.
NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said Tuesday that unless his department gets some "tools in the tool box," the end of the pandemic will not mean an end to violence.
Rocker Ted Nugent is revealing that he was in agony after testing positive for the virus, months after he said the virus was "not a real pandemic."
News for you
Matthew Daley, of Riverhead, with his son Crew, 5 months, at the Tulip Festival at Waterdrinker Family Farm and Garden this month. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
Get outside for peak tulip bloom. Half a million tulips and spring bulbs are blooming at Waterdrinker Family Farm & Garden in Manorville for the farm’s second annual Tulip Festival. Peak bloom is expected by Friday, the manager says, adding the flowers will stay vibrant through mid-May. Get the details.
Long Island Restaurant Week is coming. This spring edition of Long Island Restaurant Week begins Sunday, April 25, and runs until May 2; perfect timing with vaccinations and bar and restaurant curfews extended to midnight. Takeout will still be available, but some tables will be filling up, too. Here are five things to know about what's to come.
'Who's Next' at the Tilles Center virtual concert. The stage at LIU Post’s Tilles Center in Brookville has been dark for a year, but the venue filmed "Reflections of ‘Who’s Next,’" a crowd-less virtual concert celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Who’s classic 1971 album. It'll be available to stream on April 30, May 1 and May 2.
LI's boardwalks by day and night. There are a few boardwalks to choose from on Long Island. Here's a list of some good for family fun, exercise and nature. Keep in mind the social distancing guidelines in place.
Plus, this week on Newsday Live: Join us at noon on Thursday for a virtual discussion with experts answering questions and giving tips on finding a job with or without a college degree during the pandemic. Register here.
Sign up for text messages to get the most important coronavirus news and information.
Commentary
Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto/biscotto87
I'm an epidemiologist. Here's what I got wrong about COVID. Eleanor Murray, an epidemiologist and assistant professor at the Boston University School of Public Health, writes for The Washington Post: Like many epidemiologists, I have for the last 15 months been intensely focused on COVID-19. One of the most surprising aspects of this work has been the constant, often aggressive criticism directed at my field — from insinuations that epidemiologists aren't smart enough to grasp key issues (compared with, say, economists) to drive-by attacks on Twitter suggesting we are somehow profiting from or delighted by COVID-related restrictions.
My research focuses on methods for doing epidemiology: how it works, why it sometimes doesn't, and how best to use evidence to make reliable public health decisions. I'm very interested in understanding what we got wrong about COVID and why, and I would be among the first to admit that we didn't get everything right. At the same time, the caricature of the field presented by its most vociferous critics is unrecognizable to me, so it's worth attempting some kind of accounting of how we've done.
One place to start would be admitting my own mistakes. I saw the first report of "pneumonia of unknown cause" on Dec. 31, 2019, and knew this was something to pay attention to. But throughout January, I was only mildly concerned. I believed COVID would be contained relatively quickly with case counts similar to those for SARS in 2003 (which ultimately infected about 8,000 people, that year). 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.
