Coronavirus Update, February 16, 2021

A Siena College poll shows that Cuomo’s approval with voters has barely changed with his handling of the pandemic.

The poll was conducted after Attorney General Letitia James reported that COVID caused nursing home deaths in New York have been undercounted by the thousands. The Cuomo administration has withheld New York nursing home data throughout six months of public appeals from state lawmakers.

Spectrum News reports, state lawmakers are making a bi-partisan push to remove Cuomo’s emergency COVID-19 powers. L awmakers include Assembly Persons, Republican Phillip Palmesano and Democrat Anna Kelles.

In Covid news, students from Suny Cortland have been arrested after having an illegal off-campus party with over 100 people in a house. The students who attended the party Saturday will also face disciplinary action from the school, which may include suspension. SUNY Cortland’s Covid-19 positive testing rate is 1.69%, the highest among the SUNY Colleges in Central NY. Other colleges in the region, including Syracuse University and Cornell have also responded to surges in Covid cases following student gatherings. 

And in state news, Governor Cuomo announced Monday morning that more than one million New Yorkers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. New York State Health Care distribution sites have administered 91% of the total first doses received from the federal government. This week is the 10th week of vaccine distribution to counties with doses arriving mid-week.

Tompkins County is reporting 7 new COVID cases. The total of active cases is down to 158 from yesterday’s 185. There are 3 new active COVID-19 hospitalizations in Tompkins County.

Schuyler County is reporting 5 new cases. There are  currently 8 active cases of COVID in Schuyler county.