Officials focus on vaccinations, not mask mandates as cases rise  This chart shows the number of new coronavirus cases confirmed each day this month. COVID-19 positivity rates have been ticking up throughout the state during the past few weeks, mainly because of the highly contagious delta variant being spread among the unvaccinated. On Long Island, the seven-day positivity rate rose on Wednesday to almost 2% in Nassau, more than six times the 0.3% rate on June 29, and to 1.7% in Suffolk, up from 0.4% as recently as July 1. Those who have been vaccinated are no longer required by the state to wear masks, unless otherwise asked to by a business, although under federal regulations, everyone must wear masks on buses, trains and airplanes, and in transportation venues such as airports and train stations. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo emphasized this week that getting the vaccine "is more crucial now than it's ever been before. He has not signaled that he would back reimposing a mask mandate. Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said they, too, are focused on increasing vaccinations to slow the spread. Plus: What's a vaccine "breakthrough" case? It's when a fully vaccinated person gets infected with the virus. A small number of such cases are expected and health officials say they're not a cause for alarm. Read more about it. Earlier this week, the state Department of Health told The Associated Press that at least 8,700 vaccinated people tested positive for COVID-19, out of the nearly 11 million New York residents who are fully vaccinated. | | | 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: 152 in Nassau, 126 in Suffolk, 934 in New York City and 1,584 statewide. See new additions to our data page, including a map, seen below, and searchable table that show vaccination rates across Long Island communities.  This map shows vaccination progress among Long Island communities, based on federal data provided by New York State. State to shutter 4 mass vaccination sites  Nurse Joanne Duran gives Edward Stern, of Montauk, a COVID-19 shot at the state's mass vaccination site at SUNY Stony Brook Southampton campus on March 19. Credit: John Roca New York on Tuesday announced that four more mass-vaccination sites would close, including one in Southampton, as the state's focus narrows to places where the fewest people are vaccinated, according to Gov. Cuomo's office. The "downscaling," as the office calls the closures, comes as the rate of usage at the once-overflowing sites continues to plummet from earlier in the year, a time when online appointments were snatched up seconds after being made available. In addition to the Southampton site, which is at a hospital there run by Stony Brook University, the other state closures are at Binghamton University; Aviation Mall in Queensbury; and the Diana Center at SUNY Orange, according to a news release from Cuomo's office. Protesters decry COVID-19 vaccine mandate for SUNY, CUNY students  Protesters rally against mandatory COVID-19 vaccines at Stony Brook University on Monday. Credit: Howard Simmons About 150 protesters gathered Monday at the LIRR station across from Stony Brook University to decry mandated COVID-19 vaccinations for SUNY and CUNY students this fall. Those in attendance held signs such as "Why are politicians medical experts?" and "My health, my choice." As far as getting vaccinated, they chanted "I do not consent." SUNY officials have said the mandate is pending full FDA approval of the vaccines beyond the current emergency authorization. Read more from this story by Newsday's Keldy Ortiz. MTA postpones 4% fare hike; budget deficit could hit $600M by 2025  MTA officials said Wednesday that trimming service on the LIRR makes sense, given that ridership isn't expected to return to even 85% of pre-pandemic levels until 2025. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca The MTA will have to find new ways to generate revenue now that it has nixed a planned fare increase this year, and that could impact future service for Long Island Rail Road riders, agency officials said Wednesday. A day after Metropolitan Transportation Authority chairman Patrick Foye relented to requests from board members to further postpone a planned 4% fare increase, agency officials resuscitated calls to "right-size" service to reflect the reduced demand due to the COVID-19 outbreak. "We've got to align our service to whatever the new normal is going to be," MTA chief financial officer Robert Foran said during an MTA Board meeting in Manhattan as he gave his midyear update on the agency's finances. Newsday's Alfonso A. Castillo has more details in this story. More to know President Joe Biden expressed pointed frustration over the slowing COVID-19 vaccination rates in the U.S. and said it's "gigantically important" for Americans to step up and get vaccinated. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new policy Wednesday, requiring city public health care workers to get vaccinated or submit to weekly testing, beginning Aug. 2. Chembio Diagnostics Inc. has received a $28.3 million purchase order for its coronavirus antigen test from Brazil, which is larger than the Hauppauge company's sales for all of 2020. The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits rose last week from the lowest point of the pandemic, even as the job market appears to be rebounding on the strength of a reopened economy. U.S. life expectancy fell by a year and a half in 2020, the largest one-year decline since World War II, public health officials said Wednesday, saying it's mainly because of the pandemic. Small businesses and small for-profit arts and cultural organizations have a few more weeks to apply for a share of $800 million in pandemic-relief grants from New York State, officials said. Suffolk County Community College has won a $500,000 grant to help small businesses owned by members of minority groups recover from the pandemic, officials said. News for you  Jason Perry, 6, of Florida, is visiting family in Westbury, and has already come three times to see the large-scale model train show at the Old Westbury Gardens. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin Outdoor model railroad exhibit now rolling. Congregate outdoors and visit the Great Pine Railway, an outdoor large-scale model railroad exhibit now up and running at Old Westbury Gardens. It's something cool for all ages, organizers say. A return-to-office dress code. COVID-19 took casual work attire to a new level as many employees were remote. Now as employees return to the workplace, business casual seems to be the predominant theme, but companies would be well-advised to remind employees of dress code expectations to avoid problems later on, experts say. Read more on what they advise. Travel essentials in this new era. If you're starting to get back to traveling again, here's a list of what you should bring along for the ride to ensure comfort, health and safety as the pandemic continues. Reopening The Paramount in Huntington. As The Paramount prepares to reopen on Aug. 12 after over a year of being closed, more shows are getting announced. Check out the roster. Plus, if you're planning your weekend: We've got a list of things to do on Long Island, with spots to explore and events to attend. Commentary  The flyer for Tuesday's event opposing COVID vaccinations. Credit: Newsday LI naysayers rally against COVID shots. Newsday Opinion Columnist Randi F. Marshall writes: If you wonder why COVID-19 cases are on the rise, why the delta variant has taken hold and why this pandemic isn't over, look no further than a small church in East Northport. There, on Tuesday night, a standing-room-only crowd, combined with hundreds more on Zoom, listened as a local pediatrician, advocates and lawyers painted a dark picture of fear, health risks and death — not due to the pandemic, but to the best solution we have: the vaccine. Social media promotions urged people to "PLEASE bring all of your friends and family members who are ON THE FENCE about getting the jab." Conservative commentators and leading Republicans in Congress may suddenly be pushing a pro-vaccine narrative to stop the spread of the delta variant, but the resistance movement on Long Island is now spreading organically. The church's small parking lot filled, as cars spilled onto surrounding streets. A line of people stretched out the front door, as more than 100 attended in-person, many unmasked, and about 245 virtually, including me. If there were people who heard Tuesday's central speaker, Northport pediatrician Lawrence Palevsky, without any countering, factual information, they'd go running from the vaccine. Keep reading. | 
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