Coronavirus

Before there was the Covid-19 pandemic, there was the drug epidemic — a health and social battle that was ongoing when the virus arrived — and experts say that Covid-19 has worsened the problem of substance abuse.

For elderly residents still in need of a Covid-19 vaccination, including the homebound and those lacking the computer skills needed to schedule an appointment, East Hampton Town is offering help through the Human Services Department, and other organizations are also looking to help.

A desire to know something for certain is particularly evident in medicine. However, there is always that small opportunity for rainy days and tornadoes, in medicine as in everything else. Nothing is absolute.

This year, high school seniors can expect graduation ceremonies that inch closer to the traditional norms of past years, thanks to new guidelines announced by New York's governor on Monday which expand capacity over 2020's limitations.

A proposal that would allow outdoor dining to become a post-pandemic fixture in East Hampton Village's commercial district and at its historic inns was introduced at a village board meeting on Thursday and will be the subject of a public hearing on Friday, April 16. 

Single moms, who are among those hit hard by the pandemic, have a lot on their plates. To help them out, the organization There's Some Good News is donating wholesome meals from Honest Plate and providing individualized support to mothers under stress. 

Several medical studies have shown the power of gratitude. I am grateful for every single nurse, certified nursing assistant, technician, sanitary worker, cafeteria worker, and staff member in the hospitals where I work who did not give an inch in this fight, who offered me weary smiles and kind words after long shifts.

For people who have been fully vaccinated for Covid-19, Staples is currently offering free lamination of vaccine identification cards.

Local catering companies are walking a dangerous edge. Another season like last year and some say they are sure to go out of business. That is the main point that they are trying to drive home with state lawmakers. And time is running out for them to take on work in the summer of 2021.

In unusual times, mothers, nurses, midwives, and doulas are facing preganancy and birth under circumstances that sometime demand the exact opposite of the intimacy that is part and parcel of the experience.

New Yorkers 30 and older will be able to get the Covid-19 vaccine starting on Tuesday, and everyone 16 and older will be eligible on April 6, the state announced Monday. At the same time, the number of East End vaccination sites seems to be keeping pace with increased eligibility.

Para quienes desean vacunarse contra Covid-19, el primer desafío -no menor, por cierto- es el de cumplir con los requisitos establecidos por el Estado de Nueva York. Después, hay que conseguir una cita, un proceso que puede ser complejo y lento, sobre todo si uno tiene acceso limitado a internet. A continuación presentamos algunas recomendaciones y links, fruto de nuestra investigación, que pueden ayudar.

For those eager to get a Covid-19 vaccine, meeting the state's eligibility requirements is only the first hurdle. Actually securing an appointment can be tricky and time-consuming, and the process can be even more difficult if you have limited access to the internet. Here are some tips, and links, gleaned from our research that may make it a little easier.

Many people who are now vaccinated are curious as to how it changes their lives in terms of day-to-day activities. What can you do once you are vaccinated that you couldn't do before? 

A recent cluster of Covid-19 cases in an East Hampton Town government department "really brings home the point that this is not the time to relax," Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc said last Thursday, after Councilman Jeff Bragman asked for a discussion of the cluster at the conclusion of a town board meeting.

By now, it's an open secret: A single gathering of teens, reportedly held two weekends ago at a house in Sag Harbor and attended by students from multiple schools, has resulted in a spate of positive Covid-19 cases.

New York State residents age 50 and above will be eligible to receive Covid-19 vaccines starting on Tuesday. The state is also encouraging houses of worship to sign up as vaccination sites.

Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming presented Marit Molin, the founder and executive director of Hampton Community Outreach, with the award in recognition of her service to the community over the past year.

More than a year after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic caused a boom in East End real estate sales and rentals, industry professionals said the market is still going strong even as the end of the pandemic may be drawing near.

The junior varsity team has begun a 10-day quarantine period after one of its players, a Pierson student who played in Saturday's game with Babylon's jayvee, tested positive for Covid-19 over the weekend.

The rate of Covid-19 vaccinations among New York State's Black and Latino residents continues to lag far behind that of their white counterparts, according to data from the state. South Fork community leaders say the discrepancy is due primarily to a lack of access to the vaccine. 

East Hampton Town officials this week renewed the call for medical and nonmedical volunteers for upcoming Covid-19 vaccine clinics at a town site on Stephen Hand's Path.

Starting on Wednesday morning, people will be able to schedule appointments for Covid-19 vaccinations at a new state-run site opening Friday at Stony Brook Southampton college campus.

In a pandemic environment that has cost the school district more than $600,000 so far, and against the fiscal pressure of New York State's cap on tax levy increases, East Hampton school officials are holding the line on budget increases wherever possible as they develop their 2021-22 school spending plan.

As eligibility for the Covid-19 vaccines expands in New York, so too are the locations closer to home where people can get their shots. Last week, East Hampton Town administered first or second doses to nearly 2,000 people at its site, and still more were able to get vaccinated at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Hamptons in Southampton. In addition, the state is opening a mass vaccination site at the Stony Brook Southampton college campus.

"Right now, our plans are all systems go, but we recognize that anything could still change," said Marty Bauman, the show's communications director.

As Covid-19 infection rates continue to either fall or plateau across the state, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has announced that pandemic-related restrictions on social gatherings, indoor dining at restaurants, and attendance at arts venues will be relaxed.

How does the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine, approved last week by the F.D.A., compare with the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines already in use? Differences aside, all three appear to be practically perfect at preventing hospitalization and death from Covid-19.

As federal supplies of Covid-19 vaccines begin to tick upward, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has once again expanded eligibility for the vaccines, announcing on Tuesday that people ages 60 and over will be able to get shots starting Wednesday morning.

After much lobbying by local officials, a state-run site for Covid vaccinations will soon be opening on the campus of Stony Brook Southampton.