Monkeypox on Slow Rise, COVID Steady in Westchester
News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Westchester reported 50 cases of the monkeypox virus on Monday as the number of those who are currently positive with COVID-19 remains in a narrow range.
County Executive George Latimer addressed the two viruses during his weekly briefing Monday afternoon, urging vaccinations for those who are at risk for monkeypox and anyone who hasn’t been inoculated against COVID-19.
So far, 941 people have received the monkeypox vaccine at the county’s clinics.
The good news regarding monkeypox has been the lack of fatalities in the county and New York State, despite the number of cases slowly inching up each week, Latimer said. However, community members who are in the at-risk groups should protect themselves.
“None of (the monkeypox cases) have been fatal situations so we’re hopeful that the disease will continue to have no fatalities,” Latimer said. “It can be a painful disease; it is not to be treated as trivial.”
Vaccinations continue twice a week at the county’s clinic at 134 Court St. and on Thursdays at The LOFT in White Plains. Reservations must be made in advance at the county clinic by calling 914-995-8500.
Monkeypox vaccinations are also available at Westchester Medical Center’s drive-through clinic in Valhalla Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Appointments can be scheduled there by calling 914-326-2060.
COVID-19 Update
As of Sunday, Westchester had 3,072 active cases, Latimer reported. That is down 176 cases from the previous week and 103 from the total on July 3.
In between, the number of active cases has been pinballing between the high 2000s and about 3,600. Those numbers do not include home testing, since people who test positively at home do not have to report the results.
There were 146 COVID-19-related hospitalizations on Sunday, down five from a week earlier. On July 3, there were 132 hospitalizations.
Westchester was at 9.5 percent and Putnam registered 11.2 percent on Aug. 7. On the state level, there was a 9 percent positivity rate.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
