Tag Archive for "coronavirus" - The Adirondack Almanack

The North Country Healthy Heart Network has teamed up with the St. Lawrence Health Initiative and the New York State Office for the Aging to promote Better Choices, Better Health, a free, six-week online workshop to help people prevent or better manage diabetes, high blood pressure, or other chronic disease, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

Better Choices, Better Health’s self-paced workshop is designed by Stanford University to help people with a wide range of medical conditions, including anxiety, COPD, diabetes (type 1 & type 2) and more.

The workshop will help participants stay informed about medications and physical activity, as well as pain, stress, and isolation management skills. For more information and to register, visit bit.ly/bcbh2020.

For more information about the North Country Healthy Heart Network, visit heartnetwork.org.

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Biden won the election, say 2/3rds of NYers

39 Comments

Recent Siena College Research Institute findings:

Biden Won the Election, Says 2/3 of NYers; 9%, Including 1/4 of Republicans, Say Trump Won; Nearly 2/3 Say Trump Should Cooperate Immediately for Peaceful Transition
Voters’ Top 2021 Priority for Albany By Far: Addressing the Pandemic; By 20-Point Margin, Majority of Voters Want Legislature to Let Cuomo Continue Using Executive Powers It Gave Him to Manage the State
2/3 of NYers Say they will Definitely/Probably Get an FDA-Approved COVID-19 Vaccine, 1/4 Say they Will Definitely/Probably Not
Voters Strongly Approve of the Way Biden is Acting as President-Elect; Cuomo Ratings Slip, Still Positive; Trump Ratings Rise, Still Strongly Negative

Monday, November 23, 2020

Lake Placid’s Holiday Village Stroll

Lake Placid, NY – Lake Placid invites you to keep holiday spirits high this December by continuing a holiday tradition. The 11th annual Holiday Village Stroll is scheduled for December 11-13, 2020.

The Holiday Village Stroll will take a different shape this year. With virtual events, a scavenger hunt, and lots of shopping. All plans will follow the recommended health guidelines including social distancing and wearing face masks, while still making sure to offer plenty of festive cheer.

Friday, November 20, 2020

#maskupnorthcountry: A collaborative campaign

Click here for coronavirus-related news on the Almanack

A Multi Organization Effort to Stress the Importance of following State Safety Guidelines

In response to the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases in the North Country Region, the North Country Chamber of Commerce along with the Clinton County Health Department, Plattsburgh YMCA and the United Way of the Adirondack Region have created a #maskupnorthcountry social media campaign to reinforce the importance of following state guidelines to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

The social media campaign, which kicked off on Wednesday, features pictures and quotes from regional community leaders, including Assemblyman Billy Jones and Town Supervisor Michael Cashman, stressing the importance of wearing face coverings and practicing social distancing.

The group also created a webpage featuring fresh signage for businesses to hang stressing the importance of face coverings, maintaining safe distances and handwashing. They can be found on northcountrychamber.com by clicking on “Collateral”.

Garry Douglas, President/CEO of the North Country Chamber of Commerce: “”It’s the simplest thing we can all keep doing to come through this challenge, and also a key way to support our local businesses. Higher numbers could bring new restrictions, which none of us want to see happen. So mask up and maintain safe distances. For yourself, for everyone you meet and for the future of our businesses.”

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

NY’ers Less Excited This Year But Say Holidays Cannot be Ruined by Virus

Fifty-nine percent of New Yorkers, down from 71 percent a year ago, are somewhat or very excited about the upcoming holiday season according to a new statewide survey of consumers released by the Siena College Research Institute (SCRI).

While 16 percent say that they are more excited than last year, 41 percent are less excited. Sixty-eight percent say that the holidays will be different but that they cannot be ruined by the virus as the spirit of the season will triumph over the pandemic.

“Over a quarter of New Yorkers are coming into the holiday season saying that no matter how hard they try, the pandemic will take the joy out of the holidays,” according to SCRI Director, Don Levy. “But over two-thirds just won’t let the virus be the Grinch that steals the season this year.”

Saturday, November 14, 2020

Dairy Cows, Milkmaids, and the First Vaccine

by Richard Gast

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented worldwide societal and economic instability. We’re facing an astonishing loss of human life and unprecedented challenges to public health, economies at every level, food systems, employment, and education. And global extreme poverty is rising for the first time in more than 20 years.

While nations everywhere struggle to prevent the further spread of the virus, developing a Covid-19 vaccine has, apparently, become the number one priority in the world right now. Several candidate vaccines are in development, including a few that are currently in phase 3 trials in the US. The first two were halted briefly after safety incidents, but the FDA has since allowed them to continue. The results are promising.

Thursday, November 12, 2020

John Brown Lives! hosts virtual blues concert, online discussion

Blues at Timbuctoo delivers a generously spirited, deeply meaningful day of the Blues usually held at the home of abolitionist John Brown at the 270-acre John Brown Farm State Historic Site in Lake Placid. This year however, we are holding the event online. We couldn’t let a pandemic keep us from, as bluesman Jerry Dugger pleaded to a Lake Placid audience a few years earlier, “rebooting” a national conversation on race and what can and does connect us today.

Blues at Timbuctoo 2020 is a professionally recorded film of nationally renowned vocalists, instrumentalists, performers, and storytellers. This year’s lineup includes co-founder Jerry Dugger filmed at the John Brown Farm, and performances filmed around NY by Michael Hill, Alexis P. Suter, Dave Keyes, and Yacouba Sissoko, with Karl Schwarz and Ray Grappone.

The film is live on the John Brown Lives! YouTube channel and for Covid-safe viewing.

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Trudeau Institute Fellow Takes Lead Role In Covid-19 Vaccine Trial

by Kenneth Aaron

Trudeau Institute Fellow Dr. Stephen Thomas has been named lead principal investigator for Pfizer/BioNTech’s phase 3 clinical trial for a COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

On Monday, those companies announced early tests showing that the vaccine was more than 90 percent effective in preventing COVID-19.

Thomas, the chief of infectious disease for SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, became Trudeau’s first fellow in 2018. He has worked closely with the Institute on projects targeting Zika virus and other emerging infectious diseases and was co-organizer of the Institute’s 2018 Global Health Summit.

In his role as lead principal investigator, Thomas will assist Pfizer and BioNTech as the companies share trial results with regulatory agencies.

Monday, November 9, 2020

All Franklin County schools to go remote through Jan. 4

2 Comments

All schools in Franklin County will shift to fully remote learning through Jan. 4, Franklin-Essex-Hamilton BOCES announced earlier this evening.

Franklin County Public Health officials strongly recommended making this change because COVID-19 infection numbers have risen exponentially in the last week, calling it an epidemic within a pandemic. The county has reached a point of community spread, meaning officials aren’t able to identify where every case comes from.

In a Monday morning video call, health department leaders asked for help containing the virus from superintendents of each of the seven school districts within Franklin County as well as the district superintendent of Franklin-Essex-Hamilton BOCES.

Thursday, October 29, 2020

Adirondack Health, Trudeau Institute launch high-speed COVID-19 testing lab

by Kenneth Aaron

Adirondack Health, in collaboration with the Trudeau Institute, has opened a high-speed COVID-19 testing laboratory—the first of its kind in the North Country to rely on the most accurate testing technology available.

The laboratory, located at Adirondack Medical Center, began operating last Friday. In its first phase, the lab will process results for 80 to 160 tests a day; in a second phase, the lab will install additional equipment with the ability to handle up to 1,000 tests a day.

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Halloween drive-in movies in the Tri-Lakes

With changes to Halloween schedules this year, Tri-Lakes communities will deliver drive-in movies for families, children, ghosts, and goblins of all ages.

In Saranac Lake, “Hotel Transylvania” will be shown on Friday, October 30 at 6:30 p.m. The screen will be at the Lake Flower Plaza (former Tops Shopping Center next to Coakley). The movie is presented by the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) with support from the Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. Admission is free.

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

2021 Empire State Winter Games Cancelled

by Melissa Hart

Regarding the 2021 Empire State Winter Games, a statement from Molly Mayer, Executive Director of the event:

After careful consultation with our sponsors, sport coordinators, and local/state officials regarding the health and safety of everyone in our industry – our athletes, coaches, volunteers, spectators, and our longtime partners – we have made the difficult decision to postpone the 41st annual Empire State Winter Games in the North Country. Empire State Winter Games events originally scheduled for January 28 – 31, 2021 will not take place. The challenges and uncertainty that COVID-19 has presented prevent the organization from appropriately planning, organizing, and producing events safely in 30+ different sports.

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Movie theaters, ski resorts get green light to reopen

NYS movie theaters and ski resorts have permission to reopen after being closed due to the coronavirus.

Gov.Andrew M. Cuomo has announced that most movie theaters outside of New York City can reopen at 25 percent capacity under state guidance starting Friday, October 23.

No more than 50 people are allowed in front of each screen in each movie theater at once.

Theaters can only open outside of New York City in counties that have COVID-19 positivity rates of less than 2 percent on a 14-day average and do not have any cluster zones. Theaters will be subject to rigorous state guidance and enforcement. Click here for the full announcement.

Friday, October 9, 2020

BOCES: Families should prepare for quick move to remote learning

School officials within the Franklin-Essex-Hamilton BOCES region are warning families to prepare for sudden changes to fully remote learning due to new state COVID-19 guidelines, even when there’s no confirmed threat that the virus is spreading.

The main issue is a new rule giving 48 hours until a student or staff member is “presumed positive.” Last week, the New York State Department of Health issued updated guidelines about when students and staff can come to school, and when they have to stay home.

Monday, September 21, 2020

4H together, where ever: A traveling Franklin County Fair

by Pat Banker

4H and County Fairs are as much a part of Americana as country songs and denim jeans. 4H youth work on a host of hands-on projects, gardens, community service programs, raising and training animals of all sorts, and a slew of science discovery programs throughout the year. All with the hope of exhibiting their masterpieces and menagerie at the county fair.

Thousands of people usually walk by exhibits in the Youth Building of photography, foods, woodworking, crafts, artwork, and educational exhibits that are usually judged face to face by volunteers with expertise in the subject.

Horses, dairy and beef cattle, goats, sheep, poultry, swine, hedgehogs, rabbits and critters of all sorts are trained, handled, groomed, and wearing their finest show gear in hope that there will be ribbons above doors and on cages. 4H youth can be found with their exhibits answering questions and proudly telling the public about their special projects.