VN_A_0099_0321

Page 1

ECRWSS PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID DENTON PUBLICATIONS PO Box 338 Elizabethtown NY 12932 Postal Patron

HEATING FUEL KEROSENE • LP GAS CROWN POINT, NY • (518) 597-3444

SPORTS

WILL DEYO - FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED

241445

Postponements, cancellations and more » pg. 13 Published By Denton Publications Inc.

Valley News

March 21, 2020

suncommunitynews.com

• EDITION •

Leaders communicate, affirm COVID-19 precautions By Alina Walentowicz STAFF WRITER

PLATTSBURGH | Combating coronavirus has been declared a national emergency by President Donald Trump. Following suit with Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s intensive efforts to minimize the spread of the virus throughout New York, SUNY/CUNY classes are moving online through “distance learning” for the remainder of the 2020 spring semester— including SUNY Plattsburgh. The City of Plattsburgh has formally declared a “local state of emergency”, putting into place processes and procedures concerning safety measures for both city employees and the general public. Steps some perhaps considered overly cautious at first, are now leading a trend of local and regional closures.

CANCELLATIONS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY

UVM-CVPH has canceled non-essential external events taking place in affiliation with the hospital. State and regional sporting events have also been canceled or postponed as a number of area schools consider the potential for short- or long-term closure. County jails, like many nursing homes, are banning visitations. Public entities, businesses and institutions say they are making these preparations in the interest of setting an example throughout the state. In an effort to dispel recent rumors, a number of local and state officials and community leaders have hosted press events to support counties in distributing the latest information on personal health measures for individuals and groups. Right now, priorities are containment and mitigation; this means following the spread of the virus throughout the state and taking steps to slow it down.

CITY OF PLATTSBURGH, ESSEX COUNTY DECLARE “LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY”

Starting March 16, at 8 a.m., new city policies will be in place to promote safety measures when it comes to maintaining personal health and hygiene. The Local Emergency Order can be summarized through the following: - 20 people is the maximum for any group gathering in a city-owned public space. - Department staff will encourage “social distancing” and minimize face-to-face interactions. - Public facilities will be cleaned daily, and staff must wash hands appropriately. - First-responders will develop consistent safety procedures in tandem with the local hospital. - Non-essential interactions in nursing homes or assisted living centers, as well as other “areas of concentrated public attendance”, should be avoided. - At this time, any formerly planned event utilizing city facilities is canceled or postponed. Officials hope these efforts will delay the peak of infections to alleviate the breadth and density of the virus, thereby

minimizing the speed and rate of transference. Mayor Read says these safety procedures will remain in place for the city as long as necessary. Read and current Saranac Lake Mayor Clyde Rabideau issued a joint statement on behalf of their river-sharing municipalities, saying, “This Executive Order is not designed to limit the necessary work of municipal government. However, the use of tech-

First positive COVID-19 test result at Adirondack Medical Center SARANAC LAKE | Last night, Adirondack Health officials were informed that a COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) test specimen sent out over the weekend had come back positive. The patient, and Essex County resident, presented at Adirondack Medical Center’s Saranac Lake emergency department on Friday, was tested and discharged, in coordination with the Essex County Health Department. “We have been preparing for a positive COVID-19 test for months,” said Sylvia Getman, Adirondack Health president and CEO. “I’m pleased to report that the personal protective equipment and contact protocols were followed, and we did not identify

any exposure to the Adirondack Health staff who rendered care.” Essex Count y Health Department will continue to monitor the patient at home. “Thanks to our close working relationship with Adirondack Health, we have been on the same page since the patient first presented,” said Linda Beers, director of the Essex County Health Department. “We encourage all North Country residents to remain vigilant and socially distant to the greatest extent possible. We also cannot overstate the importance of proper hand hygiene.” Adirondack Health is requiring all employees who can work from home to do so until further notice. Patients and care partners

nologies like email, the postal service, telephone, PDF document exchange, online billpay, drop-boxes, YouTube and Skype meetings, and other technologies will allow the minimization of the rate of virus infection.” Self-quarantine is advised for a period of 14 days for individuals having recently traveled to or from a “hot spot” country. Officials support the wisdom in collecting enough basic supplies to last a two-week time frame; stockpiling, however, is not encouraged.

CONGRESSWOMAN WEIGHS IN ON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNICATIONS

Congressional representatives want to be sure reliable, official information is being distributed to the public in what Rep. Elise Stefanik recently called “times of uncertainty” in an exclusive interview with Sun Community News. She says evolving negotiations are taking place in the legislative sphere to support seniors and programs surrounding

ESSEX COUNTY BUSINESS

By Tim Rowland STAFF WRITER

In Essex County, the Board of Supervisors requested that anyone with county business to conduct first telephone the department or agency they want to visit prior to arrival. Supervisors Chairman Shaun Gillilland also requested that only

Publisher’s note: ELIZABETHTOWN | As of early Monday af ternoon the 16th, we’ve received a number of

essential business be brought to the county offices. Access to agencies will not be impeded — including to the departments of Motor Vehicles, County Clerk, Social Services, Mental Health and Health Department — but Gillilland asked that contact be minimized if at all possible. He also stressed that the county

advertising cancelations. These cancelations affect the size and scope of our ability to maintain the production and mailing of your free community newspaper.

WARD LUMBER

SINCE 1890

nutrition and health for families who will undoubtedly face challenges when dealing with the socioeconomic impacts of the virus. Testing remains a top concern for New York, as Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced that New York will partner with 28 private labs with testing capabilities creating the ability to provide up to 6,000 tests per day. “Overwhelmingly we’ve passed what will be an $8 million relief package to ensure that adequate funding is given to the states for test supplies and testing capabilities,” said Stefanik. “The administration announced that it will allow New York State to run coronavi-

emergency order of March 10 remains in effect. As of Monday afternoon, there had been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Essex County, and “all measures are precautionary and designed to protect the public,” Gilliland said in a news release. Additional information on the emergency is available at essexcountyny.gov. ■

Please know that we are seeking federal support from the SBA and other sources in an effort to maintain publishing and staffing resources. The situation, as I’m sure you

at Adirondack Medical Center are screened for COVID-19 upon arrival to the facility. Employees working on site are required to self-screen before the start of every work shift. To learn more, visit adirondackhealth.org/coronavirus. General questions about COVID19 should be directed to the New York State Department of Health COVID-19 hotline: 888-364-3065. Anyone who suspects they may have contracted COVID-19 should contact Adirondack Medical Center’s Saranac Lake COVID-19 clinic at 518-897-2462 for further guidance. Anyone experiencing trouble breathing should call 911 or proceed to the nearest emergency department. ■

rus tests in labs approved by the state, not just approved by the feds; that gives us much more flexibility to get these tests run in a timely fashion.”

KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS

No known cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed by the Clinton County Health Department (CCHD) so far in the wake of these emergency steps. Four individuals have been tested in the county so far, all negative. Officials say there is no need for panic; residents should call their doctor’s office first when evaluating symptoms, rather than heading directly to an already overloaded emergency room. Entities such as UVM-CVPH and SUNY Plattsburgh have the ability to offer testing, but tests and equipment are in limited supply at this time and should only be administered to individuals meeting testing criteria. With the governor banning events bigger than 500 persons, households and leaders are encouraged to take time to plan and put proper procedures in place for at-risk family members, should the virus find its way to Clinton County. Keith Collins, MD from UVM-CVPH said during the recent press conference that young, healthy individuals who contract this virus will likely not need to be hospitalized, and could even risk infection by visiting the hospital unnecessarily. “There have been over 18,000 deaths in the United States this year from influenza [...] I want people to keep in perspective that you are more likely to get influenza than you are to get COVID-19. The other thing I want people to keep in mind is testing is not treatment […] there is no known treatment right now for COVID-19 other than supportive treatment.” Stefanik recently tweeted that “NY-21 has one of the largest constituencies of seniors in the country”—it is acknowledged by CDC that older adults and those experiencing chronic illnesses are at greater risk of incurring the infection. ■

realize, is very fluid, and we will continue to keep you informed if only through our web site and social media outlets. Should you have any questions

please call our main office at (518)-873-6368. This line will be kept active regardless of operational conditions. Thank you. ■

Save on ARBORCOAT® per Gallon starting at $ ©2019 Benjamin Moore & Co. Arborcoat, Benjamin Moore, Gennex, and the triangle “M” symbol are registered trademarks licensed to Benjamin. Moore & Co. 6/19

697 Glen Rd. • Jay, NY 12941 • 518-946-2216 • www.wardlumber.com

242391

Officials move to minimize spread of virus


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.