Eastchester REVIEW THE
August 05, 2022 | Vol. 10, Number 31 | www.eastchesterreview.com
Hocul declares monkeypox State of Emergency
HOOPS FESTIVAL AHEAD! Alex Tavarez from Walter Panas High School drives the lane at a practice for the Hudson Valley’s Basketball Coaches Association of New York Summer Hoops Festival team on Aug. 1. Tavarez is one of 12 area standouts selected to the elite team. For story, see page 16. Photo/ Mike Smith
County named one of the ‘Top 10 Digital Counties’ County Executive George Latimer is pleased to announce that Westchester was named a “Top 10 Digital County” by NACo and CDG as a part of its yearly survey of U.S. counties. Latimer said: “Westchester County prides ourselves in providing the best possible services to the people we serve—and doing so in the most efficient manner,” Latimer said. “Additionally, in today’s modern world, governments must protect themselves from any number of cyber threats stemming from bad actors both near and far. Under the leadership of county IT Commissioner Marguerite Beirne, we are able to accomplish both of these goals and it is an honor to be recognized for it.” In April, all counties in the U.S. were invited to participate in the 2022 Digital Counties Survey. The survey identifies best technology practices in a number of areas, including initiatives that streamline service delivery; encourage collaboration; enhance cybersecurity and apply innovation to achieving county priorities. “I am honored that CDG and NACo have acknowl-
edged our collaborative, results-oriented approach to IT service delivery,” said Beirne. Westchester was the only county in the state to be recognized in the one million or more population category and one of only two New York counties across all population categories. Quoting directly from the survey results, NACo and CDG said: “Westchester County is back on the list this year with a slew of organizational cybersecurity initiatives, system upgrades and collaborative efforts between departments and with other local governments. A reorganization of the Department of Information Technology created new cybersecurity-focused job titles and a comprehensive list of IT projects to share with administration. An executive order created a Task Force on Cybersecurity, supported by a working group that meets regularly,
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On July 29, Gov. Kathy Hochul issued an executive order declaring a State Disaster Emergency in response to the ongoing monkeypox outbreak. The order enables the state to respond more swiftly to the outbreak and allows health care professionals to take additional steps that will help get more New Yorkers vaccinated. “After reviewing the latest data on the monkeypox outbreak in New York State, I am declaring a State Disaster Emergency to strengthen our aggressive ongoing efforts to confront this outbreak,” Hochul said. “More than one in four monkeypox cases in this country are in New York State, and we need to utilize every tool in our arsenal as we respond. It’s especially important to recognize the ways in which this outbreak is currently having a disproportionate impact on certain at-risk groups. That’s why my team and I are working around the clock to secure more vaccines, expand testing capacity and responsibly educate the public on how to stay safe during this outbreak.” The order specifically extends the pool of eligible individuals who can administer monkeypox vaccines, including EMS personnel, pharmacists and midwives; allows physicians and certified nurse practitioners to issue non patient specific standing orders for vaccines; and requires providers to send vaccine data to the state Department of Health. The announcement builds on the state’s ongoing response efforts on monkeypox, including efforts to secure more vaccines, expand testing capacity, and distribute the latest information and resources to New Yorkers. On Saturday, Hochul announced
that the federal government had secured an additional 110,000 vaccine doses, resulting in a total of 170,000 doses to New Yorkers to date. Hochul and the state Department of Health are continuing their ongoing coordination with White House, the CDC and the administration for Strategic Preparedness & Response to ensure that New York continues to receive its fair share of vaccine supply as soon they are available, especially for those New Yorkers in communities with high transmission rates. Earlier this month, the state Health Department launched a new SMStext notification effort to deliver the latest monkeypox information directly to New Yorkers. New Yorkers can sign up for text messages—which will include alerts about cases, symptoms, spread, and resources for testing and vaccination—by texting “MONKEYPOX” to 81336 or “MONKEYPOXESP” for texts in Spanish. By providing a zip code, New Yorkers can also opt-in for location-based messages. In addition to public outreach, the state Department of Health continues to focus on distributing vaccines to communities. Local county health departments that have received supply are administering the vaccine directly and establishing their own appointment processes. Working in partnership with counties, New Yorkers who sign-up for location-based alerts may receive alerts on vaccine availability, clinic locations, scheduling, and other monkeypox-related updates specific to their area. For more information about monkeypox, including case counts by county, treatment, and care, visit: health.ny.gov/monkeypox.
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