COVID-19

Hospital representatives on both sides of Lake Champlain are addressing vaccine hesitancy and any new concerns that are emerging as children aged 12 to 15 become eligible to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

    Coronavirus infections are rising in Springfield, Massachusetts even as vaccines become more widely available.

As the COVID-19 vaccination rollout continues across Massachusetts, the Berkshire House of Correction in Lanesborough is taking part. Nationwide, congregate settings like county jails have struggled to control coronavirus spread. WAMC spoke with facility Assistant Superintendent Daniel Sheridan about the effort – among staff and inmates alike.

Democratic Western Massachusetts State Senator Adam Hinds chaired the first hearing for a new committee on re-imagining Massachusetts after the COVID-19 pandemic Tuesday.

Governor Phil Scott outlined Tuesday what he is calling the Vermont Forward Plan: a roadmap to opening the state by July 4th.

A few high school students in Orange County decided to give back to their community by performing at a COVID-19 vaccination clinic.

The New England-Canada Business Council held a virtual discussion this week with stakeholders in Vermont and Canada about the impact of the USMCA trade agreement on Vermont, cross-border trade, the pandemic and renewable energy.

Public health professionals continue to track a recent spike in COVID-19 cases in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

Sullivan County’s health official is urging residents to continue to take precautions against COVID-19 — such as mask wearing and social distancing — whether they are vaccinated or not. This comes after a surge in local cases.

Emails obtained by WAMC News through a Freedom Of Information Act Request show tensions between Pittsfield, Massachusetts political leaders as they sought to address the needs of the city’s unhoused population in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

Marist College in Poughkeepsie has extended its campus pause due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. College officials also have added new restrictions.

At the Saratoga Performing Arts Center last year they had more than 200 events on their campus – including a total of 10,000 visitors, 50 people at a time, from July to December. During that time, their operations and facilities team worked according to very strict COVID protocols and created a blueprint for events that kept their guests and staff safe and healthy.

As they move into the 2021 season, their number one priority is creating a safe environment for everyone – audience members, staff and performers. So, they do not yet know when they will be allowed to open – nor, more importantly, at what capacity. There are many questions. And for answers – we welcome Elizabeth Sobol - President and CEO of Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

Governor Phil Scott reported on the latest vaccine distribution plan from the White House today and previewed plans to relax guidelines as more Vermonters receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro is presenting his state of the county address Tuesday. The recorded virtual presentation focuses on the county’s COVID-19 response in the past year. Molinaro plans to expand housing options and enhance the parks system, among other initiatives. WAMC”s Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Allison Dunne spoke with Molinaro ahead of his online address.

A fully vaccinated resident of the Skilled Nursing Facility at the Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital in Plattsburgh has tested positive for COVID-19.

Starting March 15, New York state will expand its capacity limits at weddings to 150 people, with COVID-19 testing required. Pandemic gathering restrictions have roiled many couples, families, and venues for the past year. WAMC’s Jesse King has more on what the stalled wedding industry thinks of the change. 

The nine school districts in Ulster County are preparing to reopen in person full-time. The Ulster County executive delivered the news during his COVID-19 update Thursday afternoon, alongside a district superintendent.

A group of bipartisan lawmakers in the House and Senate have introduced legislation that would support research to investigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health. 

The toll taken on survivors of those who have lost those close to them of the Coronavirus is tremendous. A new study calculates that nine family members are affected by every person who dies of the coronavirus. With about 525-thousand Americans having succumbed to the virus, that means nearly 4.7 million are grieving.

The numbers are staggering, and they are growing. It’s hard to imagine how this doesn’t dominate us for some time. Indeed, the grief pandemic will outlast the coronavirus pandemic.

To discuss this, we welcome Rebecca Soffer co-founder and CEO of the website Modern Loss - a place to share the unspeakably taboo, unbelievably hilarious, and unexpectedly beautiful terrain of navigating your life after a death.

We also welcome Amy Cunningham of Fitting Tribute Funeral Services. Cunningham is a licensed funeral director and celebrant in Brooklyn who collaborates with New York City families to help them create the best funerals and farewells possible.

With eviction moratoriums continuing for almost a year, lawmakers in Albany are trying to find ways to assist landlords struggling from a loss of rent during the pandemic. 

Westchester County Executive George Latimer is hosting a COVID-19 commemoration Wednesday, marking one year since the county’s first confirmed case. It will be livestreamed on Facebook.

It was on March 1, 2020 that New York state confirmed the first case of a novel coronavirus that would eventually change everyday life across the United States and the world. So how will history treat this COVID-19 era? Since early 2020, Madison County Historian Matt Urtz has been compiling a timeline of key events and personal stories in hopes of chipping away at that monumental task.

After year-long COVID-19 challenges, Kingston, New York is offering more support for local businesses.

Officials in Saratoga County provided updates Wednesday on a number of efforts related to assisting residents during the pandemic.

Vermont’s governor and members of his administration gave their latest COVID-19 briefing today. It came as the state dealt with a deluge of calls as it opened appointments for the next eligible group in its age-based vaccination rollout.

Governor Andrew Cuomo broke days of silence over escalating accusations that he and his top aides deliberately withheld for months key COVID-19 death numbers of nursing home residents who succumbed to the virus. He apologized to families of residents who died in the homes during the pandemic for the anxiety that the withholding of those numbers created.

The U.K. variant of COVID has been confirmed in Vermont for the first time. On Thursday, officials in the state’s largest city reported they detected evidence of the variant in wastewater.