News & Events

Gov. Hochul Weekly COVID Update … Stay Informed and Stay Safe

I wanted to start this week’s newsletter with an update on where we’re at. We have seen a sharp increase in COVID cases over the last week. This was not surprising. Once omicron hit the shores of this country and we learned about how fast it spread, we knew we’d see cases rise.    But let me be clear: This is not March of 2020. We have defenses. We have people across the State of New York who are doing the right thing.    To all New Yorkers who’ve gotten vaccinated, gotten boosted, are wearing their masks, and are getting tested when necessary, thank you for making sure that this holiday season is vastly different than last year.    If you haven’t gotten the vaccine or booster yet, there’s still time to protect yourselves and the most vulnerable person at your holiday table.    I don’t want to lose one more New Yorker to this virus. We need to take these variants seriously and do everything we can to slow the spread, save lives, and get through this winter surge.

UPDATES IN OUR FIGHT AGAINST COVID
OVER 40 NEW VACCINE AND BOOSTER POP-UPS. As part of our extensive efforts to get all New Yorkers fully vaccinated and boosted, we’re partnering with local health departments and community partners to launch over 40 new pop-up vaccination sites across the state. Learn more and find a pop-up site. And remember, as of 12/17, you can get vaccinated from one of over 5,600 active providers across the state. Find a site near you.   MASK OR VAX REQUIREMENT NOW IN EFFECT. Now through January 15, businesses must require either proof of vaccination or mask-wearing indoors for everyone on their premises. Thank you to all the New Yorkers who are getting vaccinated and wearing their masks, and all the businesses and community leaders who have come together to keep their neighbors safe. Find answers to frequently asked questions about the temporary requirement.      ONE MILLION RAPID TESTS. With cases on the rise and the omicron variant here, we’re ensuring that everyone who wants a test can get one. One million rapid tests arrived at local health departments this week and will be going to areas most in need. Find a testing site near you.   

THE LATEST ON THE NUMBERS
THIS WEEK’S COVID TRENDS. As of December 18, 2021, 3,880 New Yorkers are hospitalized with COVID-19. Our 7-day percentage positivity average is 6.88%, which is up from 4.61% last week. There were 83.26 cases per 100K statewide.      According to the CDC as of December 18, 2021, 94.3% of adult New Yorkers have received at least one vaccine dose. So far, 32,372,596 total vaccine doses have been administered, and 136,402 doses have been administered over the past 24 hours.     Governor Hochul meets young New Yorkers getting the COVID vaccine at a New York state-run mass vaccination site   Photo of the Day: I met New Yorkers of all ages doing their part and getting vaccinated & boosted at the Crossgates Mall vaccination site this weekend (Photo by Darren McGee)

ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS
Every week, we’re answering some commonly asked questions about COVID-19 and vaccinations.  You can submit a question for a chance to get your question answered in next week’s newsletter. Submit your question here.   QUESTION: How long must someone wait after a COVID diagnosis to get a vaccine? (Toni R., Oswego County)     ANSWER: According to the CDC, people with COVID-19 who have symptoms should wait to be vaccinated until they have recovered from their illness and have met the criteria for discontinuing isolation; those without symptoms should also wait until they meet the criteria before getting vaccinated.     I’ll leave you with a quick reminder: Get your last-minute gifts at a local shop or grab a meal from your favorite local restaurant. We know the past 21 months have been incredibly tough on our small businesses, and we must all do our part to keep them going strong. Look out for the small businesses that make our state such a great place to live, and continue to look out for each other this holiday season.    Ever Upward,   Governor Kathy Hochul

TOMORROW IS THE DAY … THE BHA HOLIDAY EVENT 2021

The City of Beacon Housing Authority has collaborated with Community Partners to prepare and deliver Holiday Meals to the residents of BHA.

All residents who have signed up to receive a Holiday Meal are requested to be home to accept delivery. Holiday Meals will be delivered this Saturday December 18th starting at approximately by 4pm

Remember it is the Holiday Season, so be kind to each other and have a Wonderful Holiday.

8,708 Happy Holidays Stock Photos, Pictures & Royalty-Free Images - iStock

TODAY’S DAILY QUOTE 12/15/21 ~ MARTHA GRAHAM

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Dance is one of the most natural expressions of emotion that we have as humans, and to try to grade it in terms of “good” or “bad” is to undermine the whole point. Modern dancer and choreographer Martha Graham was one of the most talented and famous dancers of the 20th century, and even she knew it didn’t matter if you could dance well — just let go of your inhibition and experience the joy of moving to the music. It’s a lesson that can be applied to all areas of life: Fear of imperfection should never cause us to miss out on life’s wonders.

FREE GROCERIES ARE COMING TO BEACON AGAIN !

Please note the change in times on the Recreational Center … Thank You

A BRIEF MESSAGE FROM EVERCARE CHOICE

TODAY’S DAILY QUOTE ~ RICHARD BACH

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Before becoming a beloved writer of the 1970s, Richard Bach had a considerable career as a pilot. He first experienced the wonder of flying at age 14, and went on to serve as an aviator in the military as well as on film shoots and in flying circuses. These experiences influenced his 1970 novel “Jonathan Livingston Seagull,” a story of a gull who flies for enjoyment rather than survival. Bach prioritized that sense of wonder throughout his life, and his philosophy invites us not to let fear stand in the way of seeking new experiences. In fact, it’s often when we push past that initial resistance that we stumble upon something truly wondrous.

Gov. Hochul Weekly COVID Update: New Mask or Vaccine Requirement for Businesses — Rockettes Booster Partnership — Mass Vaccination Sites

If you’ve been tracking the COVID-19 numbers, we are confronting a winter surge.   Hospitalizations and positivity rates are on the rise, we’re seeing reduced hospital bed capacity, and vaccinations are lower than we’d like to see in certain areas of the state.   That’s why on Friday, I announced a temporary requirement for businesses to require either proof of vaccination or mask-wearing indoors. The requirement starts Monday and lasts through January 15, when we will reevaluate based on current conditions.   As Governor, my two top priorities are to protect the health of New Yorkers and to protect the health of our economy.   These temporary measures will help accomplish this through the holiday season.    We shouldn’t have reached this point, especially with the vaccine at our disposal, and I share many New Yorkers’ frustration that we are not past this pandemic yet.   I want to thank the more than 80% of adult New Yorkers who have done the right thing to get fully vaccinated. If others will follow suit, these measures will no longer be necessary.   We must take action. I’m confident we can do this.
UPDATES IN OUR FIGHT AGAINST COVID
AN UPDATE ON OMICRON. While there have been new cases of the omicron variant found in New York State, the dominant strain we’re seeing is still the delta variant. We have the tools that work against COVID and its variants. Protect yourself and get vaccinated, get boosted, and wear a mask.   CELEBRATE GETTING BOOSTED WITH THE ROCKETTES. What better way to celebrate the holidays in New York than with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular? The first 50 people who get their booster at one of five New York vaccine locations will get two free tickets to see the Rockettes at Radio City.   NEW STATE-RUN VACCINATION SITES. We are opening nine new vaccination sites to bring the vaccine closer to New Yorkers across the state. In coordination with local public health departments, sites are opening in Allegany, Broome, Clinton, Cortland, Delaware, Erie, Fulton, Suffolk, and Yates Counties. Make your appointment today.
THE LATEST ON THE NUMBERS
THIS WEEK’S COVID TRENDS. As of December 10, 2021, 3,603 New Yorkers are hospitalized with COVID-19. Our 7-day percentage positivity average was 4.58%, which is down from 4.85% last week. There were 51.13 cases per 100,000 people statewide.    Per the CDC as of December 11, 2021, 93.1% of adult New Yorkers have at least one vaccine dose. So far, 31,186,056 total vaccine doses have been administered, and 139,505 doses were administered over the past 24 hours.      Governor Hochul and Lieutenant Governor Benjamin stand at podium with two video screens displaying the Rockettes   Photo of the Day: The famous Rockettes joined my press briefing this week to announce a new booster incentive with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular (Photo by Kevin Coughlin)
ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS
Every week, we’re answering some commonly asked questions about COVID-19 and vaccinations.  You can submit a question for a chance to get your question answered in next week’s newsletter. Submit your question here.   QUESTION: I am fully vaccinated with Moderna. Can I receive a Pfizer booster? (Carmen, Dutchess County)      ANSWER: Eligible New Yorkers can receive any of the FDA-approved or authorized COVID-19 vaccines for their booster dose, including Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Janssen/Johnson & Johnson. If you have questions, talk to your primary health care provider or vaccine administrator.   To the more than 80% of adult New Yorkers who have done the right thing to get fully vaccinated: Thank you. Let’s get more New Yorkers vaccinated this week and beyond we can all put this pandemic in the rear-view mirror.   Ever Upward,   Governor Kathy Hochul

TODAY’S DAILY QUOTE ~ 12/08/21

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Jack Kornfield is a spiritual teacher who helped introduce Buddhist practices into Western mainstream culture in the 1970s. Educated in the United States, he joined the Peace Corps and worked in tropical medicine in Southeast Asia. His travels led him to train as a Buddhist monk for several years in Thailand, India, and Myanmar (then called Burma). Upon his return to the U.S., Kornfield co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Massachusetts and continued his studies, writing numerous books and giving talks on Buddhist philosophy. Many of his teachings focus on the need to let go of attempts to control our lives in order to reflect more deeply. In loosening our grip on a situation, we can also release the fear that surrounds it, making way for the calm that comes from acceptance.

FREE GROCERIES IN BEACON TOMORROW

TODAY’S DAILY QUOTE ~ 12/7/21

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Gloria Anzaldúa was a Chicana poet and feminist theorist whose work often centered on intersectional identities. Born to a family of field workers on the Texas-Mexico border, Anzaldúa worked hard to earn a master’s degree in English and became a professor, simultaneously working with political groups such as farm worker collectives and feminist organizations. Anzaldúa’s writing often grapples with identity, and how it can shape not only our place in a community, but also our outlook on the world. The words above, from her 1987 book “Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza,” are a reminder that working on our own personal development is the first step to shifting the world around us. In breaking down our own barriers, we make ourselves more effective vessels for change.