Coronavirus Update, November 16, 2020
There was a public COVID exposure involving an employee at the Ithaca Texas Roadhouse restaurant. According to the Ithaca Voice, the exposures occurred on Tuesday, November 10th from 3PM-10PM, and Wednesday November 11th from 3:30PM-8PM. Tompkins County Health Officials are urging diners who were present at those times to get tested, and monitor any symptoms closely.
Looking at the local COVID-19 caseload, the latest numbers from the Tompkins County health department website indicate that as of Monday there are 6 additional positives, and 13 new recoveries. 3 more people have been hospitalized with complications from the virus, bringing the total number of hospitalizations to 7. According to the County Health Department, that 135 active cases of COVID-19 remain in Tompkins.
In Schuyler County, there are 7 new cases of COVID-19 reported as of Monday, for a total of 35 active cases, according to their Health Department. 4 people are hospitalized with complications from COVID-19. In addition, a report from the health department website indicates that contact tracing investigations that had begun on Saturday for two workplace clusters have now been completed. There are no public exposure risks from either workplace.
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The Council of Ivy League Presidents announced Thursday evening that they were cancelling all winter sports, as well as delaying the potential start of spring sports. The Cornell Daily Sun reports that the announcement also put to rest any possibility of fall sports playing in the spring, as all fall sports are now cancelled as well.
The cancellation will mean that both the Men’s and Women’s hockey teams at Cornell will not compete this season. The teams both ended last season ranked number one in the nation. The Men’s program was ranked number 6 coming into the new season, and the women’s program was ranked number 2. The perennial power wrestling program will also not compete this season, nor will Men’s and Women’s basketball, Gymnastics, Swimming and Diving, or Squash.
In a statement, the Ivy League Presidents said quote “Regrettably, the current trends regarding transmission of the COVID-19 virus and subsequent protocols that must be put in place are impeding our strong desire to return to intercollegiate athletics competition in a safe manner” end quote.
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Governor Andrew Cuomo is threatening to join a lawsuit against the Trump administration, if the administration’s plan to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine does not change, according to Politico New York. Cuomo is arguing that the plan to distribute the vaccine through private healthcare providers like CVS and Walgreens will only serve more wealthy communities, and will not serve black and brown communities well.
Minority communities in NYC and around the country have been especially hard hit by the pandemic. In a statement Cuomo said quote “the Black and brown communities that were first on the list of who died cannot be last on the list of who receives the vaccines, period” end quote.
If changes are not made to the administration’s plan, Cuomo said the state will join a lawsuit with the NAACP and the Urban League.
Contributing writing by WRFI News Volunteers Jon Donville and Esther Racoosin