About 3 out of 4 LI adults have one COVID-19 shot, data shows
Long Island far surpassing state, national vaccination rates
Freshman Alana Gill recieves the Moderna vaccine at Stony Brook University on April 6. Credit: Newsday / Raychel Brightman
The state's data shows Long Island far surpassing vaccination rates both statewide and nationally.
Nassau has vaccinated 885,924 residents 18 and older or 78.8% of its adult population, the data shows.
Meanwhile, Suffolk County, which has a slightly higher population than its neighbor to the west, lags slightly behind with 870,920 residents 18 and older receiving at least one dose of the vaccine, constituting 71.4% of its adult population.
Long Island's 74.9% vaccination rate among adults is considerably better than New York State's 68.9% and 65.7% nationally, according to state and federal figures.
More than 68% of Long Islanders have completed their vaccination series, compared to nearly 63% statewide and more than 56% nationally.
Plus: Among 12- to 15-year-olds, Suffolk County’s rate is below average for both New York State and the United States, while Nassau County’s is higher than those state and national rates, statistics show.
The number of new positives reported today: 27 in Nassau, 18 in Suffolk, 202 in New York City and 343 statewide.
The graphic below shows when we can expect 70 percent, and then, 90 percent, of the entire Long Island population to be vaccinated based on the current pace. (Gov. Andrew Cuomo lifted COVID-19 restrictions after 70% of the state's adults received at least one dose, according to federal figures.)
These bars show the percentage of the entire population that is fully vaccinated, according to state data.
Search a map of new cases and view charts showing the latest local trends in testing, hospitalizations, deaths and more.
Nearly 80% of LI students end year learning 'on-site'
Graduates of Walnut Street Elementary participate in a "moving up" ceremony at Uniondale High School on Wednesday. Credit: Howard Schnapp
Nearly 80% of Long Island students were learning "on-site" to end the school year, after most districts started last fall on a virtual or hybrid schedule, according to data analyzed by Newsday from the state’s COVID-19 Report Card.
The analysis, compiled from the June 16 Report Card, found that 79.1%, or 329,724 of students in the Island's 124 districts, were on-site in mid-June. More than 86,000 children Islandwide were categorized as off-site, or remote learners.
The majority of districts started the school year with a hybrid model — a mix of in-person and remote learning — and a Newsday survey in November found that roughly 76,000 students in 108 districts began the year on a remote path.
"Some parents decided that it was more important for them to send their kids to school, and some felt they wanted to keep them at home and [that] they could provide or complement what was provided by the school," said Robert Dillon, district superintendent for Nassau BOCES.
Several districts added days of in-person learning back to their calendars over the course of the school year, and a handful — such as Montauk — offered full-time in-person to start the school year. Months into the year, some districts eliminated the hybrid option, giving parents the choice to keep their children on a full remote schedule or return them in-person full time.
Read more and see a breakdown by district of students learning on-site vs. off-site.
Masks? Vaccines? Cakes? Answers to back-to-office questions
A cake in an office setting. Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
As Long Islanders stream back to the office, pandemic questions linger.
Will masks be mandated? Should co-workers shake hands or (gasp!) hug? Will employers demand proof of vaccination? And when can we again nosh on cake to mark birthdays, holidays and every other occasion?
On June 15, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, citing the state's vaccination progress (70% of adults with at least one shot), peeled back restrictions for offices and other venues.
But the devil is in the details.
Now employers will have to apply the new guidance and navigate some workplace minefields.
Here are answers to more than two dozen questions that may be on your mind.
Afraid for their elders. Tired of stereotypes. Young Asian Americans speak up.
Eri Kim at her Manhasset home. Credit: Danielle Silverman
Olivia Wong’s voice shook as she spoke to a crowd of 100 gathered on a chilly April day in Mineola to honor hate crime victims.
"Let us share our experiences, lean on each other and stand as a community," said Wong, 17, of New Hyde Park. "A single candle can [light] one person, but 1,000 can light a path for everyone. I implore you to be the spark that changes the narrative for us all."
The galvanizing moments, like the one in Mineola, emerged soon after reports of physical assaults and verbal harassments — many of which captured on video — targeting Asian Americans became rampant during the pandemic. Some advocates and experts have tied the rise in anti-Asian crime to geopolitical tensions and the rhetoric of elected officials, including former President Donald Trump, who repeatedly called COVID-19 the "Chinese virus."
With the uptick in violence came an awakening for a younger generation. Many said they felt compelled to act. Newsday's Dandan Zou spoke to some of these young people and other Asian Americans on Long Island. Here's what they want others to know.
More to know
No fully vaccinated Long Islander has died of COVID-19, according to the Nassau and Suffolk county governments, similar to statistics across the United States since after vaccinations became available in mid-December.
The Paramount is opening earlier than expected with Limp Bizkit now bringing "The Limited Last Minute Post Pandemic Popup Party Edition" tour to the venue on Aug. 15.
An Olympics with "no-spectator games" remains an option for the Tokyo Olympics, which open officially in just four weeks, the president of the organizing committee said Friday.
News for you
The Fourth of July fireworks will fill the sky over Jones Beach. Credit: Newsday / Thomas A. Ferrara
Your guide to Jones Beach fireworks. The Independence Day fireworks spectacular is returning to Jones Beach State Park in Wantagh with a big bang this year. Find out how and where to watch the 25-minute extravaganza.
Buying a home in this hot market? With Long Island's housing market sizzling hot, the process of buying a new home can seem like a daunting one. But it doesn't have to be. Here are some tips.
Time to get wet. With temperatures climbing back into the 80s this weekend, check out our guide to public pools on Long Island and check out these splash parks. (On Thursday, Nassau County announced the reopening of their pools and splash parks as well as the lifting of ticketing requirements and capacity restrictions.)
A new Italian ice place. The end of the school year. A return to normalcy. Or even just the start of the weekend. Whatever you're celebrating, if you're look for a sweet, cold treat you know have another option: Uncle Louie G’s Italian Ices and Ice Cream opened it's only Nassau location.
Plus, what to know about the Delta variant. Join us Tuesday at noon for our next Newsday Live webinar, which will feature local health experts addressing questions about this variant of COVID-19, which is rapidly becoming the dominant strain the United States. Register here.
Sign up for text messages to get the most important coronavirus news and information.
Commentary
An officer stands in front of a sign advising of vaccine appointments at a drive-up vaccination center. Credit: AP/Jeff Chiu
The pandemic's end is as messy as the start. Clara Ferreira Marques writes for Bloomberg Opinion: China has now delivered more than 1 billion vaccine doses, hitting that COVID-19 milestone the same weekend that Brazil passed one of its own: more than 500,000 deaths. Daily case numbers remain worryingly high, and those hospitalized and dying include larger numbers of young people. India, meanwhile, is at risk of a third wave of infections sooner than predicted, after a devastating second.
The end of the pandemic is almost here. But the tail is long and — thanks to short-sighted global and national policies — this phase is no more of a "great equalizer" than the start was.
Blame uneven access to immunization made worse by vaccine nationalism as rich governments focus on domestic needs. Insufficient state capacity, poor logistics, and distrust and misinformation, often fueled by populist leaders, have left millions behind and widened existing gaps in the global economy. Then there are insular policies in places like Australia or Hong Kong that focus on zero cases, making them reluctant to open up, discouraging vaccination and prolonging the endgame.
We know from past pandemics that the finale was never going to be swift or clear-cut. But we don’t have to repeat all the same mistakes. Continue reading
