March 14th, 2022 Daily Headlines
Cornell University is easing its mask requirement effective today. Masks will no longer be required in a majority of university settings. However, masks will still be required in classrooms, laboratories, and other teaching settings. Masks will also be required in all COVID-19 testing facilities, and all university owned vehicles including buses. Tompkins county lifted it’s mask advisory two weeks ago, leading local schools including Ithaca College to lift their own mask requirements.
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Schuyler County Public Health will be hosting a COVID-19 vaccine clinic this Friday at the Watkins Glen Community Center. The clinic will be open to all residents 5 and older from 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Walk-ins will be available till 4:30. 61 percent of Schuyler residents are vaccinated and 67 percent have received their first dose. For more information visit the public health webpage at Schuylercounty.us
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New York’s COVID positivity rate continues to fall. According to WGRZ, the state’s 7-day average has been under 2 percent for over two weeks. On Saturday Governor Kathy Hochul said the state had reached its lowest seven-day average since last july. The governor went on to urge New York parents to talk to their pediatrician about getting their children vaccinated.
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The New York State Climate Action Council has reported that 35 percent of households in New York live in “environmentally ‘disadvantaged communities.’” Communities were defined as “disadvantaged” using a number of metrics including poverty rates, pollution, and natural disasters. The report also took into account minority populations who have faced systemic inequality. The report comes as part of a draft plan released by the council. According to the Albany Times Union, the council is tasked with outlining the state’s transition away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy like wind and solar. Communities defined as disadvantaged are supposed to receive extra consideration in the state’s transition to green energy.