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Parasitic Infection Exposure Warning Issued For Events Held In Northern Westchester: Officials Parasitic Infection Exposure Warning Issued For Events Held In Northern Westchester: Officials
Parasitic Infection Exposure Warning Issued For Events Held In Northern Westchester: Officials County officials are warning those who attended two events held in Northern Westchester that they may have been exposed to a parasitic infection that can prove deadly in some cases.  In an alert issued on Wednesday, Feb. 7, Westchester County officials warned that two people infected with toxoplasmosis, an infection caused by a parasite, attended two game dinners held at the Moses Taylor Jr. American Legion Post in Mount Kisco on Friday, Jan. 19, and Saturday, Jan. 20.  Because of this, officials are urging everyone who ate food at the dinners or leftovers afterward to c…

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by Ben Crnic
News
Mosquitoes With West Nile Virus Found In Westchester Mosquitoes With West Nile Virus Found In Westchester
Mosquitoes With West Nile Virus Found In Westchester For the first time this year, mosquitoes carrying West Nile Virus have been confirmed in Westchester by state health officials. The county's health department announced Wednesday, Aug. 10, that the virus was identified through testing done on a batch of mosquitoes in Rye. The area surrounding the positive mosquito batches are being inspected and catch basins that need it are being treated in order to prevent further mosquito breeding, the department said. Wednesday’s announcement marks the first positive out of 101 batches of mosquitoes that were collected in Westchester County and tested …

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Potential Rabies Exposure Warning Issued In Hudson Valley Community Potential Rabies Exposure Warning Issued In Hudson Valley Community
Potential Rabies Exposure Warning Issued In Hudson Valley Community Health officials are warning residents of potential rabies exposure from a cat that has tested positive in a Hudson Valley municipality. The incident took place in Rockland County in Monsey. Residents who live in a specific area of Monsey may have been exposed to the cat that has been confirmed to have rabies, said Rockland County Executive Ed Day and County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert. The young, solid gray shorthair cat was obtained by the health department on Tuesday, July 12 and showed signs of illness, and was monitored and tested for rabies, health officials sai…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Mosquitoes With West Nile Virus Found In Westchester Mosquitoes With West Nile Virus Found In Westchester
Mosquitoes With West Nile Virus Found In Westchester Two batches of mosquitos carrying West Nile Virus have been discovered in Westchester County, according to the county health department. Health officials reported that the mosquitos were found in Mount Vernon. The health department inspected the area where they were found and treated catch basins that held standing water to protect against mosquito breeding. The New York State Department of Health has tested 105 batches of mosquitos from 11 locations in the county. The department said there haven't been any reported cases of people contracting West Nile Virus in Westchester County so far t…

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by Nicole Valinote
Schools
COVID-19: NY Announces New Guidelines For Graduation, Commencement Ceremonies COVID-19: NY Announces New Guidelines For Graduation, Commencement Ceremonies
Covid-19: NY Announces New Guidelines For Graduation, Commencement Ceremonies Friends and family will be permitted to attend graduation ceremonies this spring, though there will still be certain COVID-19 restrictions in place. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday, April 12 that the state has adjusted its guidance for graduation and commencement ceremonies organized by schools, colleges, and universities. Beginning on Saturday, May 1, both indoor and outdoor ceremonies will be permitted with limited capacity permitted, depending on the size and location of the event. According to Cuomo, “all event organizers and venues hosting ceremonies must follow t…

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by Zak Failla
Sports
COVID-19: Limited Fans Allowed Back In Stands For NY College Sports COVID-19: Limited Fans Allowed Back In Stands For NY College Sports
Covid-19: Limited Fans Allowed Back In Stands For NY College Sports New York continues its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and soon will be permitting fans back into the stands at large- and small-scale college sporting events. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Tuesday, March 30 that beginning on Friday, April 2, college sports can begin bringing fans back under strict COVID-19 guidelines set up by the state. Intercollegiate sports at large-scale venues that hold more than 1,500 attendees indoors or 2,500 attendees outdoors can host up to 10 percent indoor or 20 percent outdoor capacity as of Friday. Before being allowed inside the venue, anyone attendin…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Yonkers Board Of Education, City Offices Closed Due To Positive Cases COVID-19: Yonkers Board Of Education, City Offices Closed Due To Positive Cases
Covid-19: Yonkers Board Of Education, City Offices Closed Due To Positive Cases The Yonkers Board of Education District Office and some city offices will be closed to non-essential staff for several days after positive COVID-19 cases inside the building. Schools Superintendent Edwin Quezada announced that the building at One Larkin will be closed from Friday, Oct. 30 through Tuesday, Nov. 3 after two staff members who work at the Board of Education received notifications of the positive tests. Officials said that the decision to close the offices was made after consulting with the county Department of Health. Anyone who may have been exposed has been instructed to ente…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Popular Hudson Valley Deli Closes After Owner, Staffers Test Positive COVID-19: Popular Hudson Valley Deli Closes After Owner, Staffers Test Positive
Covid-19: Popular Hudson Valley Deli Closes After Owner, Staffers Test Positive A popular deli in the area has closed after the owner and several staff members tested positive for COVID-19. The owner of Jay’s Deli, located in Orange County on Route 32 in Highland Mills, said several employees, and herself, have become infected. "After consulting closely with the Health Department I have decided not to reopen until I feel it’s 100 percent safe for us and our community," the owner stated in a post on social media Wednesday, Sept. 30. "That is my decision. I do not have to.  "We had a few employees, including myself, test positive for COVID. Everyone else is neg…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: Cuomo To Meet With NY Orthodox Jewish Community Following Flare-Up In Cases COVID-19: Cuomo To Meet With NY Orthodox Jewish Community Following Flare-Up In Cases
Covid-19: Cuomo To Meet With NY Orthodox Jewish Community Following Flare-Up In Cases Mass religious gatherings may be responsible for a recent rise in newly reported positive COVID-19 cases in certain parts of New York State. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that while the state has remained at or around a 1 percent infection rate for months, the 20 zip codes where there have been the newest outbreaks are closer to 5 percent. Related story - COVID-19: Hudson Valley Hits 2 Percent Infection Rate Mark As Cases In Clusters Spike Specifically, Cuomo mentioned Rockland, Orange, Nassau, Queens, Brooklyn, and New York counties as areas they’re going to keep an eye on in the coming…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Cases In Children Increased Dramatically In Second Half Of August, New Report Says COVID-19: Cases In Children Increased Dramatically In Second Half Of August, New Report Says
Covid-19: Cases In Children Increased Dramatically In Second Half Of August, New Report Says COVID-19 cases among children increased dramatically during the second half of August, according to a new study. Cases in kids went up 17 percent between Thursday, Aug. 13 and Thursday, Aug. 27, according to the report by the Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association. The study relied on data on the age distribution of COVID cases provided on the health department websites of 49 states, New York City, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam.  During the pandemic, 476,439 total child COVID cases have been reported, with children represented 9.5 percent of th…

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by Joe Lombardi
Sports
COVID-19: 'Lower Risk' NY HS Sports Can Practice, Play Within Region Only, Cuomo Announces COVID-19: 'Lower Risk' NY HS Sports Can Practice, Play Within Region Only, Cuomo Announces
Covid-19: 'Lower Risk' NY HS Sports Can Practice, Play Within Region Only, Cuomo Announces New York high school sports deemed as “low risk” have been given the green light to begin play next month, though higher-risk sports with full physical contact may only continue to practice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During a COVID-19 briefing on Monday, Aug. 24, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that lower-risk sports such as tennis, soccer, cross country, field hockey, and swimming in all regions may continue to practice and start play beginning on Monday, Sept. 21. However, when games begin, Cuomo said that there will be no travel practice or play permitted outside of a school’s region unti…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: Working Group Will Help Westchester School Districts With Reopening COVID-19: Working Group Will Help Westchester School Districts With Reopening
Covid-19: Working Group Will Help Westchester School Districts With Reopening Westchester County is establishing a working group that will help dictate what schools will look like in the fall when they reopen amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. County Executive George Latimer said that the working group will been designed to “further provide information and support around the areas of public health, emergency preparedness and response.” Latimer said the goal of the task force is to create a more efficient way to provide feedback for common issues that may arise as schools reopen in September. Among the issues being discussed is the purchase of Personal Pr…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Alert Issued For Contact Tracer Scam COVID-19: Alert Issued For Contact Tracer Scam
Covid-19: Alert Issued For Contact Tracer Scam Fraudsters posing as contact tracers have been exploiting the COVID-19 crisis to ascertain personal information from residents in the region. Multiple reports of scammers posing as COVID-19 contact tracers have been reported since the pandemic began, prompting officials to issue an alert and provide guidance on how to avoid becoming a victim. Officials said that the imposters claim to work on behalf of local law enforcement or health departments and are required to install contact tracing software onto their victims’ computers. The scammers have threatened fines, asked for personal financi…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: New York To Allow Visitors At Hospitals, Group Homes, But Not Nursing Homes COVID-19: New York To Allow Visitors At Hospitals, Group Homes, But Not Nursing Homes
Covid-19: New York To Allow Visitors At Hospitals, Group Homes, But Not Nursing Homes Visitors will soon be allowed at hospitals and group homes in New York, though nursing home visits are still forbidden as the state’s recovery from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues. During his daily COVID-19 briefing on Tuesday, June 16 in Albany, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that hospitals and group homes will be allowed to accept visitors at their discretion, though some restrictions will be in place. Cuomo said that visitors must follow state guidelines, including time-limited visits, wear personal protective equipment, and will be subject to symptom and temperature che…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Essential Workers In New York Showing Lower Rates Of Infection Than Public COVID-19: Essential Workers In New York Showing Lower Rates Of Infection Than Public
Covid-19: Essential Workers In New York Showing Lower Rates Of Infection Than Public Essential workers in New York who have been at the front lines combatting the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak are being infected by a lower rate than the general population, according to newly released data. Health officials have been conducting testing on transit employees, healthcare workers, police, fire, paramedics, and corrections officers for antibodies that would indicate they contracted COVID-19 and self resolved without showing symptoms. Surprisingly, according to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, despite battling the virus on a daily basis, the numbers in a new survey show that es…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: New Large Gathering In Area Sparks Police Investigation COVID-19: New Large Gathering In Area Sparks Police Investigation
Covid-19: New Large Gathering In Area Sparks Police Investigation Reports of a large party or wedding taking place in Rockland County over the weekend led County Executive Ed Day and local police to take action amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The incident took place during the day on Sunday, March 22, at a home in Wesley Hills, where a wedding was reportedly taking place with at least 100 people attending in violation of an executive order banning large gatherings. The more stringent New York State "PAUSE" policy went into effect at 8 p.m. Sunday. Under this policy, non-essential gatherings of individuals of any size for any reason …

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by Kathy Reakes
News
COVID-19: School Staffer Tests Positive In Westchester COVID-19: School Staffer Tests Positive In Westchester
Covid-19: School Staffer Tests Positive In Westchester A Westchester school district staffer has tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). During a daily briefing provided to parents, students, and teachers on video, White Plains School Superintendent Dr. Joseph Ricca said on Tuesday, March 17, announced the news. Ricca, who did not name the school where the "colleague" worked, said the staff member was doing well. The superintendent said the district had notified all who worked with the affected employee and that the district was working with the Health Department to make sure all protocols were followed. "We send best wishes to …

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Two Rockland COVID-19 Patients Reportedly Worked At Westchester Bat Mitzvah Two Rockland COVID-19 Patients Reportedly Worked At Westchester Bat Mitzvah
Two Rockland Covid-19 Patients Reportedly Worked At Westchester Bat Mitzvah The two Rockland County residents who have been confirmed to have the novel coronavirus were reportedly exposed while working at a bat mitzvah in Westchester County. The two were exposed while at Young Israel New Rochelle  -- the same event attended by the 50-year-old New Rochelle lawyer who was the first of 27 Westchester residents to test positive for the virus. Rockland County officials would not confirm where the two were exposed to the virus, besides saying it was in Westchester County. The lawyer, who works for a midtown Manhattan law firm, has been linked to all 27 Westchester …

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Son Of Westchester COVID-19 Patient Becomes Third Confirmed NY Case Son Of Westchester COVID-19 Patient Becomes Third Confirmed NY Case
Son Of Westchester Covid-19 Patient Becomes Third Confirmed NY Case Click here for an updated story: Wife, Two Kids, Neighbor Of Westchester COVID-19 Patient Also Test Positive, Cuomo Says A college student in New York City who is the son of a COVID-19 patient from Westchester has become the third person in the metropolitan area -- and New York State -- to test positive for the novel coronavirus. The announcement came on Wednesday morning, March 4, in a statement by Yeshiva University in Washington Heights, prompting the closure of the Wilf campus where the student is enrolled. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the student's father teste…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Westchester Man Who Tested Positive For Coronavirus ID'd As Attorney Who Works In NYC Westchester Man Who Tested Positive For Coronavirus ID'd As Attorney Who Works In NYC
Westchester Man Who Tested Positive For Coronavirus ID'd As Attorney Who Works In NYC This story has been updated with new information. The Westchester man who has tested positive for the second case of the novel coronavirus in New York State has been identified as an attorney at a small law firm in midtown Manhattan and lives in New Rochelle. The 50-year-old man is now hospitalized, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Tuesday morning, March 3. Cuomo said the man has an underlying respiratory illness. He recently traveled to Miami, but no direct connection to China or any country on the virus watch list has been established, making it an apparent case of "community spr…

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by Joe Lombardi
Politics
Appellate Court's Halt Of Flavored E-Cigarettes In NY Delays Executive Order For Two Weeks Appellate Court's Halt Of Flavored E-Cigarettes In NY Delays Executive Order For Two Weeks
Appellate Court's Halt Of Flavored E-Cigarettes In NY Delays Executive Order For Two Weeks A new state ban on the sale of flavored e-cigarettes has been put on hold for two weeks by a state appellate court just hours before it was set to take effect.  Judges granted a temporary restraining order Thursday, Oct. 3, that prevents the state from enforcing the ban of flavored e-cigarettes following a lawsuit filed by Vapor Technology Association, a Washington D.C., based trade group. The temporary ban allows time for a lower-court group to rule on the motion for a preliminary injunction on Friday, Oct. 18, the group said. Health officials were ready to begin enforcing fines…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Employee Infected With Hepatitis A Worked At Northern Westchester Restaurant Employee Infected With Hepatitis A Worked At Northern Westchester Restaurant
Employee Infected With Hepatitis A Worked At Northern Westchester Restaurant Health officials have put out a warning to anyone who dined at an area restaurant that they may have been exposed to Hepatitis A and need to seek treatment. According to the Health Department, an employee of the Winston restaurant in Mount Kisco with Hepatitis A worked while infectious, potentially exposing patrons from April 17 to May 1. The restaurant is located at 130 E Main St, in Mount Kisco. Winston is cooperating with the Health Department and is voluntarily closing to conduct a thorough cleaning. After the staff has been vaccinated and the restaurant has been re-inspected …

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Here's When You Can Get A Free Measles Vaccine In Westchester Here's When You Can Get A Free Measles Vaccine In Westchester
Here's When You Can Get A Free Measles Vaccine In Westchester For those in need of the measles vaccine, the Westchester County Health Department will be offering free measles, mumps, and rubella shots during three clinics. The clinics are being offered in an effort to stop the spread of the virus following the news that eight Westchester County residents have confirmed cases of measles. Health Commissioner Dr. Sherlita Amler urged residents to check their own vaccination status and protect themselves and their unvaccinated children from measles by getting the MMR vaccine from their provider or a special county clinic. “Call your healthcare provi…

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by Kathy Reakes
Lifestyle
Winter Danger: How To Stay Safe From 'Silent Killer,' Carbon Monoxide Winter Danger: How To Stay Safe From 'Silent Killer,' Carbon Monoxide
Winter Danger: How To Stay Safe From 'Silent Killer,' Carbon Monoxide With winter in full swing and temperatures plummeting, health officials are warning area residents to be wary of carbon monoxide, the “silent killer.” Health officials in the tri-state area issued an alert this week cautioning of the dangers of carbon monoxide, which has been dubbed the “silent killer,” since it cannot be seen, smelled or tasted. Officials warned that carbon monoxide can come from anything that burns fuels, especially if it is not used or vented in the right way, including furnaces, wood stoves, kerosene heaters, generators, gas-powered home appliances, gas-powered tools, g…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Restaurant Brawl Breaks Out After Customer Says He Found A Mouse In Rice Restaurant Brawl Breaks Out After Customer Says He Found A Mouse In Rice
Restaurant Brawl Breaks Out After Customer Says He Found A Mouse In Rice A Stamford man who ordered take-out Chinese for dinner got a real surprise when he opened his box of fried rice, and then ended up in jail. Antwaun Boyd, 25, who ordered food from China Xpress earlier this week, was arrested by Stamford Police Thursday after allegedly finding a fried mouse in his fried rice before punching one of the restaurant's employees, said Sgt. Robert Shawinsky. The crazy story began after Boyd and his grandmother said they opened the fried rice and dumped it out only to find a fried mouse mixed in with the rice, police said. Surprised, and angry, Boyd and his grandm…

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by Kathy Reakes