RyeCity REVIEW THE
October 1, 2021 | Vol. 9, Number 37 | www.ryecityreview.com
Hochul authorizes COVID booster doses in NY
On the
ATTACK!
Rye field hockey players prepare for a corner chance during a game against Clarkstown North on Sept. 21. The Garnets are off to a blistering start this year. For story, see page 16. Photo/Mike Smith
Photo/Mike Smith
Eastchester lawyer arraigned on child porn charges Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah announced that Eastchester resident Androsky Lugo has been arraigned for promoting and possessing child pornography and unlawful surveillance of a minor. Lugo, 51, was charged on Aug. 27, 2021, in Eastchester Town Court with Promoting an Obscene Sexual Performance by a Child, Possessing an Obscene Sexual Performance by a Child, and Unlawful Surveillance in the second degree, all felonies. The
Westchester County District Attorney’s office’s High Technology Crime Squad made the arrest, with assistance from the Eastchester Police Department. On dates in 2019 and 2020, Lugo, an attorney, obtained images of nude children who were approximately 3-10 years old on Microsoft Bing. He also possessed an image of a nude child who was approximately 8-10 years old and took lewd photographs of an approximately 12-year-old child that captured
the child’s genital area underneath the child’s clothing. Certain images possessed by Lugo included those of non-relative children taken at the defendant’s Eastchester home. “The conduct alleged against Mr. Lugo is very disturbing and we will continue to do everything we can to protect minors from adults who seek to manipulate or exploit them or put them in harm’s way,” Rocah said. “Our investigation is ongoing and any individuals who may have rel-
evant information concerning Androsky Lugo or any potential victims are ask to contact our office.” Lugo was scheduled to appear again in Eastchester Town Court on Sept. 15. The case is being prosecuted by the Trials and Investigations Division Cybercrime Bureau. If anyone has been a victim or has further information on this case, please contact the District Attorney’s Office at 914-955TIPS. (Submitted)
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Monday, Sept. 27, a robust implementation of booster doses into the state’s COVID-19 vaccination program, ensuring an efficient, equitable, and effective distribution of booster doses to eligible New Yorkers statewide. “Our top priority remains staying ahead of this constantly changing virus and protecting New Yorkers with effective, long-lasting vaccines,” said Hochul. “As we’ve heard from our federal and State medical and health experts, as with many other vaccines, the protection from the COVID-19 vaccine can wane over time. A booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will help particularly at-risk New Yorkers stay protected from the virus for longer. While the focus of our vaccination effort remains ensuring all unvaccinated New Yorkers get vaccinated, those who are booster eligible should waste no time receiving maximum protection from COVID-19 as soon as possible.” In a letter to the state health commissioner, the New York State Clinical Advisory Task Force endorsed CDC’s statement issued Friday, Sept. 24 by Director Rochelle Walensky—providing New York with a new boost in the fight against COVID-19. In accordance with CDC›s recommendations, there are four groups of New Yorkers who are now eligible for their COVID-19 booster dose: New Yorkers who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine should receive their booster dose at least six months after their primary vaccine series if: • They are 65 years and older or residents in long-term care settings. • They are 50 -64 years of age with underlying medical conditions. New Yorkers who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vac-
cine may receive their COVID-19 booster dose at least six months after their primary vaccine series if: They are 18-49 years with underlying medical conditions, based on your individual benefits and risks. They are 18-64 years and are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of your occupational or institutional setting, based on your individual benefits and risks. At this time, individuals must have received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for their initial vaccine series at least six months ago to be eligible. Individuals who received the Moderna or Janssen/ Johnson & Johnson, J&J, vaccine are not currently eligible for a booster dose at this time, but may be in the near future. “The COVID-19 vaccines continue to be remarkably effective at preventing severe cases and hospitalization,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker. “After reviewing data from New York State, across the United States and around the world, our federal and State health experts including New York State’s Clinical Advisory Committee agree: more vulnerable New Yorkers can keep their protection up by getting a booster dose at least six months after they complete their initial Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine series. Eligible New Yorkers should receive their booster dose or consult with their primary health care provider if they have questions. There are many vaccines that require more than one or two doses for lasting protecting, including the tetanus, measles-mumps-rubella, and Hepatitis A and B shots.” The state has been actively planning for the development of booster doses, and because of this preparedness, free booster doses are already widely available HOCHUL continued on page 4