NEW YORK — The state launched a new digital marketing campaign Wednesday to maximize the number of 12- to 17-year-olds vaccinated against COVID-19 as officials fight to ward off new variants of the fatal upper respiratory illness.

ALBION — Active COVID-19 cases in Orleans County have decreased significantly over the past week.

Since being discovered in Colombia in January, the mu variant of COVID-19 has spread to nearly four dozen countries and has made its presence known in Hawaii and Alaska. It has so far been found in 49 states with Nebraska being the only state to not have a mu variant case detected.

Daily coronavirus cases are four times higher than they were following Labor Day weekend of last year with the number of daily deaths twice as high as they were this time in 2020, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

ALBANY — Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday that her strategy to reopen schools safely advanced on two fronts.

BUFFALO — State health officials are working to establish COVID-19 testing requirements for unvaccinated teachers, expanding vaccine requirements for health staff and other policies, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday, but added mandates will continue to be assessed with input from localities.

BATAVIA — There has been an overall upward trend in positivity rates and COVID spread in Genesee and Orleans counties.

PLATTSBURGH (TNS) — Though the delta variant is leading to an increase in COVID cases statewide, counties do not want to see a return to state centralization of the coronavirus response, New York State Association of Counties Executive Director Stephen Acquario says.

ALBANY — Gov. Kathy Hochul is collaborating with lawmakers to encourage them to broaden her executive decision-making and spending powers as the pandemic continues to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine for all teachers and statewide school personnel.

NY bill would require COVID vaccine for kids to attend school

GENESEO — As Livingston County has entered a “high” transmission rating for COVID-19, area officials are maintaining a “status quo” approach.

This afternoon, Gov. Kathy Hochul will deliver a virtual address to the people of New York State. The event will begin at approximately 3:00 p.m.

At 10:00 AM, Governor Kathy Hochul is scheduled to host a ceremonial swearing in ceremony at the State Capitol.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given full approval to the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, whose shots are now the first to move beyond emergency status since the pandemic began.

BATAVIA — Due to COVID-19 cases within the Genesee County Jail, Sheriff William A. Sheron, Jr. is suspending all inmate visitations effective immediately until further notice.

(TNS) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted full approval Monday to the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, whose shots are now the first to move beyond emergency status since the pandemic began.

BATAVIA — Both Genesee and Orleans counties are now in a high level of community transmission according to the CDC COVID Data Tracker.

ALBANY — All New York health care workers, including hospital and long-term care facility staff, must be vaccinated against COVID-19 within the next six weeks, state officials announced Monday.

BATAVIA — Genesee and Orleans now have substantial and high levels of COVID-19 community transmission, respectively, according to the latest federal data.

ALBANY — All New York health care workers, including hospital and long-term care facility staff, must be vaccinated against COVID-19 within the next six weeks, state officials announced Monday.

STATEN ISLAND (TNS) — The New York State Education Department has released reopening guidance to aid school districts in their preparations for the new academic year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

(TNS) – U.S. regulators cleared giving a third COVID-19 vaccine dose to people with weakened immune systems in an effort to improve protection for those with impaired responses to standard shots.

ROCHESTER — Monroe County has entered a “high” transmission rate for COVID-19, according to tracking data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

(TNS) – U.S. health officials stepped up calls for pregnant women to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as new evidence showed no increased risk of miscarriage from the shots.

In the last seven days, Orleans County went from a transmission of no more than 10 cases per 100,000 people as of last Wednesday to 59.48 cases per 100,000 as of Monday in the eyes of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

FORT DRUM — In a message to the force Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, announced plans to mandate vaccines for the entire active duty force as cases of the novel coronavirus continue to drastically increase.

ATTICA — Police are asking the public to beware of a 4.5 foot monitor lizard that’s loose in the village.

The Canadian Border Services Agency and workers unions have negotiated a deal to end the strike that threatened to delay travelers crossing the border when the country reopens to vaccinated Americans today.

BATAVIA — The number of active COVID-19 cases has nearly tripled in the GLOW region, according to county health departments.

The New York State departments of health and education are squabbling over who should provide guidance for the reopening of schools in September.

The mass COVID-19 vaccination site at Rochester’s Dome Arena, 2695 East Henrietta Rd., Henrietta, will be relocating to the SUNY Rochester Educational Opportunity Center in downtown Rochester later this month.

Public health officials are closely monitoring COVID-19 transmission rates and continue to encourage people to be vaccinated as rising transmission rates in Monroe and Erie counties have pushed those counties into led those counties to renew recommendations for wearing face masks regardless …

BATAVIA — The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments will be on the road next week with Back-to-School pop-up clinics.

NEW YORK — Gov. Andrew Cuomo pressed local businesses and the private sector to only accept customers fully vaccinated against COVID-19, he announced Monday morning.

New York doctors and health care workers want people with questions about the COVID vaccine to do one thing: Ask.

BATAVIA — As worries continue over COVID-19’s Delta variant, vaccination numbers remained low at two county fairs.

New York may expand its legal authority to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine in public school districts after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Wednesday that school administrators should prepare to take aggressive action as virus cases rise with the emergence of the delta variant.

ALBANY — All state employees and health care workers in state-run hospitals who directly treat patients will be mandated to get a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the summer, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday.

(TNS) - A renewed vaccine push mixed with masking could flatten America’s recent spike in coronavirus cases within two weeks, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday morning.

WASHINGTON (TNS) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Tuesday that some people vaccinated against COVID-19 resume wearing face masks indoors as new data indicates fully vaccinated individuals can spread the dangerous delta variant.

ALBANY — Health care workers in state-run hospitals who directly treat patients or face the public will be required to get a COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday.

(TNS) – Viruses constantly change through mutation, and new variants of viruses are expected to occur. Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been documented, including a highly transmittable form of COVID-19 known as the delta variant.

(TNS) – Some people may be hesitant to be vaccinated for COVID-19 because they think COVID-19 vaccines were developed too quickly. But today’s successes are the result of many years of coronavirus research.

The seven-day rolling average of positive cases in the four GLOW region counties remain below the average for the entire Finger Lakes region and New York State, but did pass 1 percent in Wyoming County on Thursday.