Cuomo: LI leads NY in vaccinations as state offers new incentive  The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is given out at the Hempstead LIRR station, one of eight new pop-up vaccination sites at MTA station stops. Credit: Howard Schnapp The governor praised Long Island's vaccination rate and the region's seven-day average positivity rate, which at 0.72% was the region's lowest figure since Aug. 29. While many COVID-19 indicators statewide are promising, Cuomo warned that vaccination rates are dropping and the ultimate solution to wiping out the deadly virus is getting the vast majority of the population inoculated. "We have the beast contained, but we have to continue to contain the beast," he said at a news conference. Cuomo offered a new incentive to those who haven't gotten their shots: Get vaccinated this week at any of the state's 16 parks where shots will be administered and you'll get a free two-day "family pass" to any state park. "Stop, get a vaccine, you get a two-day free pass," he said. " … It's easy, it makes sense, it's smart, you don't have to go out of your way." Read more, and see a list of locations on Long Island. Plus: Cuomo predicted schools throughout the state would reopen for in-personal learning in September, after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the city's schools will fully reopen in the fall with no remote learning option. | | | Newsday readers support our strong local journalism by subscribing. Please show you value this important work by becoming a subscriber now. | | | The number of new positives reported today: 43 in Nassau, 57 in Suffolk, 340 in New York City and 929 statewide. The chart below shows the seven-day average positivity rates on Long Island during the past month.  This chart shows the percentage of coronavirus tests that were positive for the virus on average each day over a seven-day period. Search a map of new cases, and view more charts showing the latest local trends in vaccinations, testing, hospitalizations, deaths and more. Analysis: Vaccination rates vary drastically by ZIP code  A map of Long Island shows COVID-19 vaccination rates by ZIP code, with darker areas representing communities with higher percentages of residents with at least one vaccine dose. COVID-19 vaccination rates on Long Island vary drastically by ZIP code, a Newsday analysis found, with race, ethnicity, income and education levels key predictors as to whether someone has been inoculated. Overall, Suffolk has a lower vaccination rate than Nassau: 51.8% vs. 57.9%, according to the analysis, which used U.S. Census Bureau population estimates for each community and state-compiled vaccination data from Nassau and Suffolk counties. In ZIP codes where most residents are Black or Latino, 41.9% of residents have received at least one dose of vaccine, while in ZIP codes where most residents are not Black and Latino, 54.9% have, the analysis found. In addition, people in ZIP codes with lower median household incomes and a lower percentage of residents with a bachelor's degree were less likely to have gotten vaccinated. Read more from this exclusive story by Newsday's David Olson and Matt Clark, and see the vaccination rate in your community. Even after vaccination, some LIRR riders uneasy to be maskless  Commuters wait on the platform at the Hicksville LIRR station in July 2020. Credit: Howard Schnapp Mask usage on the Long Island Rail Road likely won't go away any time soon. Riders and transportation experts say a confined and crowded commuter train can make passengers uneasy — even after being vaccinated. The state recently relaxed mask requirements in most indoor and outdoor areas, but the rules remain unchanged on public transportation settings. That's fine by Oyster Bay commuter Karen Raccioppi, as seen in this story by Newsday's Alfonso A. Castillo. Although fully vaccinated, Raccioppi said it will be a while before she feels comfortable going maskless on the LIRR. "Even as we are vaccinated and we come back to a little more normalcy — and you're used to having people around — I think it's going to take a little bit of time to get used to having people so close to us," she said. LI districts get creative with high school graduations  Seniors attend one of seven graduation ceremonies at North Babylon High School in June 2020. Credit: Jeff Bachner High school seniors are hoping for a somewhat normal ending to the year. School districts have moved their Class of 2021 graduation ceremonies to outdoor university stadiums, scheduled separate ceremonies over several days, will stream the event for those who can't make it — and at least one is planning a drive-through commencement. Schools this year, with COVID-19 restrictions easing, can have more than 500 attendees for outdoor graduations in large venues such as stadiums. Read about some districts' plans in this story by Newsday's Joie Tyrrell. More to know Boating experts and marine officials are urging those going onto Long Island waters to brush up on boating safety, as they expect another busy summer with higher-than-usual traffic, in part due to the pandemic. "Hadestown" has set its Broadway reopening date on Sept. 2, jumping ahead of megahits like "Hamilton" and "Wicked" to be the first show to welcome audiences on Broadway since the pandemic. Thrift stores across the country have been flooded by household items from people who have been homebound and are eager to clear out some possessions, but many of the items could be described as trash. This year's Kennedy Center Honors looked different this year as the nation emerges from the pandemic, but five honorees were recognized Friday at the ceremony that had been delayed from December 2020. It will be broadcast on June 6. News for you  Chris Brown and Jaime Burchfield, of Locust Valley, dine outdoors at Pinon's Pizza Company in Locust Valley last month. Credit: Yvonne Albinowski The ultimate guide to outdoor dining on LI. Long Island has an al fresco setting to suit every mood — whether it's for steak with a water view, tacos and margaritas while people-watching or a basket of fried clams on the beach. Check out Newsday's guide to outdoor eating that covers spots beachside, on a rooftop or by the water. What to know about the Mets' new COVID-19 rules. Like other businesses, the Mets are slowly lifting their pandemic-related restrictions, including with a new batch of rules beginning Monday when they open a seven-game homestand against the Rockies and Atlanta. Here's what you should know. Going to the Bethpage Air Show? Here's a preview of what you can expect at the Memorial Day weekend event, which will offer new aerobatic routines, new scripts and music — and a livestream alternative for anyone unable to attend. A weekly series of outdoor entertainment. The Jazz Loft in Stony Brook village is presenting "Summer SWAP (Stages With A Purpose)," a weekly series of outdoor events that blends art, history and music in nature settings. Four stages will run different arts programming simultaneously every Thursday for free starting May 27 through July 1 from 6 to 8 p.m. Read more. Plus: Restaurants in Patchogue's downtown are hoping to find job candidates on Wednesday afternoon with what they're calling a village "job crawl" hiring event. Sign up for text messages to get the most important coronavirus news and information. Commentary  People line up at a vaccination site in Hauppauge on Thursday. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin A shot and a deal. Newsday columnist Michael Dobie writes: It's all in the timing. And I might have blown it. I'm not sorry, mind you, that I was part of the gold-rush crowd that moved to get vaccinated the minute — and I do literally mean "the minute" — my age group became eligible. The inner calm of the past six weeks has indeed been soothing. But now the vaccines come with incentives, in case the incentive of being armored from a virus that could be deadly to you or someone else who gets it from you isn't enough. Which, for a dismayingly large group of people, it apparently isn't. So now they're being wooed. And who doesn't like to be wooed? This wooing is taking place everywhere, across the country and around the world, and as you might expect given the astonishing diversity of humanity on this planet, the incentives are astonishingly diverse. Keep reading. | 
No comments:
Post a Comment