CORRECTION: Vaccination site at Stony Brook not shutting down

Correction: An earlier version of this newsletter and a story on Newsday.com reported that the state-run vaccination site at Stony Brook University was in the process of shutting down. That site will remain open and this newsletter and the aforementioned story have been updated.

Lifting restrictions might make it harder to increase vaccinations

The state's quick, "rip-the-Band-Aid-off" reopening, complete with fireworks in celebration, "sends false messages that we’re back to complete normality, instead of what should be being messaged, which is it’s a normality that’s somewhat different than before," said Perry Halkitis, a public health psychologist and dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health in New Jersey.

He was alluding to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo ending most COVID-19 rules Tuesday, his announcement that "we can now return to life as we know it," and the fireworks shows across the state that followed, including at Jones Beach.

"I’m worried this gives the impression the pandemic is behind us and we should just move on," said Wafaa El-Sadr, a professor of epidemiology and medicine at Columbia University. "We know we still have vulnerabilities … with the potential of surges and clusters of cases within unvaccinated groups."

State data show the number of Long Islanders getting newly vaccinated dropped sharply since the reopening announcement: from 8,129 people receiving first doses in the 24 hours ending 11 a.m. Tuesday, just before the lifting of restrictions, to 4,057 in the 24 hours through Wednesday morning and 4,428 through Thursday morning.

Read more of the story from Newsday's David Olson.

The number of new positives reported today: 30 in Nassau, 27 in Suffolk, 196 in New York City and 370 statewide.

Gov. Cuomo lifted COVID-19 restrictions after 70% of the state's adults received at least one dose, according to federal figures. This graphic shows the percentage of the entire population in New York State that is fully vaccinated, according to state data.

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

Demand low, with many statewide still 'hesitant' about getting vaccine

As demand for vaccines on Long Island remains lower than several weeks ago, officials throughout New York say many more people need to get inoculated to crush the deadly virus.

Nassau County has shuttered four of its vaccination sites, starting in early May and continuing until June 9.

At this point, "We’ve gotten all the low hanging fruit," said Dr. Bruce Farber, chief of infectious diseases at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset and Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park. "The group that has not received the vaccine, it’s not because they don’t have access to it. It’s because many of them are hesitant and don’t want to take it."

Four state-run sites remain open on Long Island.

Nassau has a single site, at the health department offices in Mineola, and it’s open only once a week, on Wednesday nights, county spokeswoman Vicki DiStefano said in an email. Suffolk officials did not respond to requests to discuss vaccination sites.

Malls turning to temporary pop-up shops to fill vacancies

My Cookie Dealer had been pushing its treats online since 2019, hand delivering and shipping the goodies made at its Nesconset bakery.

This spring, the owners decided to venture into their first physical store, and opened a pop-up in Tanger Outlets Riverhead in April that sells warm cookies, said Karen Morel, who owns the business with her husband, Juan.

Sales have been so strong that the pop-up, open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday, might stay past the planned September date, she said, adding that the results could lead to a permanent store.

"We love the concept. We love the interaction," said Morel, who said the pop-up opened after a Tanger leasing agent contacted her about bringing My Cookie Dealer to the shopping center.

Hit with rising retail vacancy rates, due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic that led to months of store closures starting in March 2020, some retail landlords on Long Island and across the country are rolling out the red carpet to the temporary tenants that they used to shun, retail experts said.

Newsday's Tory N. Parrish has the full story.

These seven sons share the same career paths as their fathers

They're doctors, police officers, electricians, social workers and Amazon employees. And they are all fathers and sons working in the same profession, some even alongside one another like Luis Rosa and his son, William.

"Working with my son has been one of the best things I’ve ever experienced. I’ve seen him grow up as a kid, and then to see him working with me, it’s such a great experience," says Luis Rosa, 42, who works at the Amazon facility in Shirley with his 19-year-old son, William.

Sometimes they are unloading, other times they are scanning and stowing packages. They drive to work together, and they eat together on breaks.

"I always see him working really hard, and I want to work just as hard as he does," William says.

After a challenging year -- at one point during the pandemic the whole family had COVID-19 -- the family plans to celebrate Father’s Day this Sunday with a barbecue before Luis, William and Luis' wife, Margarita, who also works at the facility, all head to the job.

Read more about their story and six other Long Island sons who are in the same line of work as their fathers.

More to know

Many Americans are relaxing precautions taken during the COVID-19 pandemic and resuming everyday activities, even as some worry that coronavirus-related restrictions were hastily lifted, a new poll shows.

The spectator limit for high school sports, which was 500, has been lifted after the New York State Department of Health updated its guidance.

David Byrne's "American Utopia," essentially a theatrical concert starring the Talking Heads frontman, is coming back to Broadway this September.

News for you

A party fit for a princess. A certain Ice Princess (wink wink) will be celebrating her birthday on June 19 with a suprise party in Farmingdale featuring her older sister and five royal friends. The festivities also mark the return of the Royal Princess Prep Party Co.’s public events after being shut down for more than a year due to the pandemic. Find out how your family can attend.

Taking Dad out to eat. It's that weekend when we all try and show Dad how much we love him via guessing at gifts he might want (because he always says he doesn't need anything) and maybe grilling him a steak or you could take him out to lunch or dinner. Here are three restaurant recommendations from our food critic Corin Hirsch, who's father is requesting oysters. (Maybe you'll bump into her at one of these places.)

Ranking summer drinks. Or if you're planning to host a barbecue this weekend, check out Corin's ranking of locally-made spiked seltzers and canned cocktails before you purchase adult beverages for your get-together.

Start training for 26.2. The Suffolk County Marathon will return as an in-person race on Oct. 24 with a "spectacular" new course across the Great South Bay, County Executive Steve Bellone announced Thursday. The race, which went virtual last fall, is expected to attract runners from across the region, nation and world to raise money for veterans organizations.

Juneteenth events. Communities throughout Long Island are preparing to honor Juneteenth, the day the last enslaved African Americans in the Confederacy were told about their emancipation, this Saturday. (The federal government recently declared it a national holiday.) Learn about local events.

Plus, coming up on Newsday Live's Music Series: Enjoy a special evening of music and conversation with Blues Hall of Famer and two-time Grammy award-winning R&B musician Bobby Rush, as he discusses his five decades in the music business, his life and new memoir. Register now and see the latest line-up of other Newsday Live events.

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

Commentary

Why we should let children go maskless outdoors this summer. Dr. Mayssa Abuali, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist, and Dr. Amy Beck, an associate professor of pediatrics, write for the Los Angeles Times: We are living in a modern dystopia when, in the name of science, adults enjoy life unmasked while young children are masked; adults freely go to restaurants and gyms while children have attended school mainly by remote learning. The U.S. pandemic policies have firmly placed us in this position.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated guidance for youth camps in late May that used vague wording that could be read as recommending continued outdoor masking of children. "People who are not fully vaccinated," it said, "are encouraged to wear a mask in crowded outdoor settings or during activities that involve sustained close contact with other people who are not fully vaccinated." Most group camp activities will require "sustained close contact."

Since the CDC has yet to specifically address masking of children in other settings, gaps in the guidance have led to confusion. Some are using the camp guidance to extrapolate to other settings. As of now, the CDC recommends that unvaccinated people should wear masks anywhere they will be around other people.

As pediatricians, the two questions we must ask are "what is the scientific evidence to support the outdoor masking recommendation for children?" and "how will the endpoint for the masking of American children be determined?" Continue reading