44 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • JANUARY 2021
PRESS HEALTH
COVID-19 ROUNDUP
LATEST PANDEMIC HEADLINES
NORTHWELL TO
LEAD COVID VACCINE
DISTRIBUTION ON LI
Northwell Health, New York’s largest
healthcare system, will lead the initiative
to vaccinate Long Islanders for
Covid-19 in phase two, Gov. Andrew
Cuomo announced in his press briefing
on Dec. 16.
Each region in the state is assigned
a “vaccination hub coordinator,” a
healthcare system that will work with
local government, health providers,
and others in the community to roll
out the vaccine once the state reaches
phase 1b, when essential workers and
the high-risk general public will start
getting vaccinated.
“This state has paid more than its fair
share for Covid with what we went
through in the spring,” Cuomo said,
“and I want to make sure we do everything
we can to be the first state to kill
this beast.”
Northwell Health will need to submit a
vaccination plan for Long Island to the
New York State Department of Health
by the first week of January. The health
department will then decide whether
to approve every region’s plans based
on the guidance it has given.
-Briana Bonfiglio
LI GETTING 40K DOSES OF
MODERNA VACCINE
Long Island’s initial allocation of
Covid-19 vaccines has increased to
about 69,600 doses, Gov. Andrew Cuomo
said on Dec. 18, after the U.S. Food
And Drug Administration’s advisory
committee recommended emergency
approval of the Moderna vaccine on
Dec. 17.
That means roughly 43,100 Moderna
vaccines are being shipped to Long
Island distribution facilities, part of
the 346,000 going out statewide. Long
Island has also been allocated about
26,500 Pfizer vaccines which are already
being given to high-risk hospital
workers as part of phase 1.
“The vaccines are going to be distributed
medically, not politically,” Cuomo
said. “It’s going to be done by medical
facilities, so there will be no politics in
the distribution.”
State health officials originally believed
that each vial of vaccine held five
doses. However, as the rollout began
this week, administers are finding they
can get one or two more doses out of
each vial. Therefore, the number of
doses allocated to each region could
increase by 20 to 40 percent, officials
said.
-BB
6 LI EATERIES CITED FOR
VIOLATIONS
Four restaurants in Suffolk County and
two more in Nassau County recently
had their liquor licenses suspended
after authorities said the businesses
violated New York State-issued coronavirus
restrictions.
The eateries were Rockwell’s Bar &
Grill in Smithtown, Station Pub in
Sayville, Buen Ambiente in Patchogue,
Best Pizza and Dive Bar in Amagansett,
Bachata in Hempstead, and Cabo Sports
Bar & Mexican Grill in New Hyde Park,
officials said.
“As we move into the colder weather
and are forced indoors, it is imperative
that businesses stay compliant across
the state,” State Liquor Authority (SLA)
Chair Vincent Bradley said. “New
Yorkers must continue wearing masks,
practicing social distancing, and following
the life-saving protocols put
into place to keep us all healthy.”
The six local establishments were
among 36 statewide that had their
licenses suspended for alleged violations
in recent weeks. They are among
279 that have faced similar action since
the pandemic restrictions began.
-TB
NASSAU LAUNCHES
PANDEMIC RENT RELIEF
In the new year, a new program will
begin helping residents struggling
financially due to the Covid-19 pandemic
pay their rent, Nassau County
Executive Laura Curran announced
Dec. 22.
The Rental Relief Program (RRP) will
be administered by the Community
Development Corporation of Long
Island (CDC-LI) and cover up to three
consecutive months’ unpaid rent for
the period that began in April 2020.
“Home matters now more than ever,”
Gwen O’Shea, president and CEO
of CDCLI, said in a statement. “The
financial burden and uncertainty
this pandemic has caused is really
unimaginable, especially for households
that were struggling prior to
Covid. This program will begin to
alleviate some of that burden for
renters, landlords, and our local
economy.”
CDCLI will be conducting outreach to
raise awareness about the program
in the next two weeks. Then, beginning
Jan. 6, potential applicants can
complete an initial inquiry form at
cdcli.org.
There are specific criteria individuals
must meet to qualify for the program,
such as making below a certain
maximum income, demonstrating a
loss of income, and being current on
rent before March 2020. Once a person
finishes the application process
and is deemed eligible, the program
will make the rent payments directly
to the landlord or homeowner.
-BB
AIRBNB MANSION PARTY
DRAWS LEGAL ACTION
Airbnb is pursuing legal action
against a guest who rented a mansion
in Brookhaven and threw a party for
about 400 people in November.
The company, whose app homeowners
use to rent out their properties shortterm,
has cited “violation of Airbnb’s
Community Standards and Terms of
Service, nuisance, and that the guest
booked the listing under false pretenses,”
according to a statement released
today.
Ben Breit, an Airbnb spokesperson,
said that the company’s claims against
the guest “and potentially anyone else
responsible” for throwing or promoting
the party “will be litigated in arbitration
or state court.” The individual
who hosted the party has also been
banned from using the platform.
Suffolk County police said officers
responded at about 12:25 a.m. Nov. 1 to
the home and were on the scene for up
to four hours dispersing the crowd.
-BB
For more on these stories, visit
longislandpress.com
Michelle Chester, DNP, director, employee health services, Northwell
prepares the Moderna coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccine at Northwell
Health's Long Island Jewish Valley Stream hospital in New York, U.S.,
December 21, 2020. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/Pool/File Photo
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/cdcli.org
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