editorial@post-journal.com
FILE - In this March 3, 2021, file photo, U.S. Army medic Kristen Rogers, of Waxhaw, N.C., holds a vial of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine in North Miami, Fla. With the U.S. pause of the vaccine, authorities are weighing whether to resume the shots the way European regulators decided to with warnings of a âvery rareâ risk. New guidance is expected late Friday, April 23, after a government advisory panel deliberates a link between the shot and a handful of vaccine recipients who developed highly unusual blood clots. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier, File)
U.S. health officials lifted an 11-day pause on COVID-19 vaccinations using Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose shot on Friday, after scientific advisers decided its benefits outweigh a rare risk of blood clot.
Dozens of COVID-19 vaccine doses are available at a local pharmacy.
Pharmacy Innovations, located at 863 Fairmount Ave., Jamestown, has 80 doses of the Moderna vaccine that need to be used by Tuesday.
Courtney Messina, Pharmacy Innovations quality assurance director, said the vaccine is free to those who want to sign up, which can be done online by visiting pharmacyinnovations.net or by calling 484-1586. She said people receiving the vaccine will have their second shot appointment scheduled during their visit. The pharmacy is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Messina said the pharmacy is also offering COVID-19 rapid and PCR tests as well.
jwhittaker@post-journal.com
New York state’s adoption of federal school social distancing guidelines won’t help schools much if COVID cases continue to increase.
The state Health Department cut social distancing requirements from 6 feet to 3 feet in most cases. The guidance came about a month after the federal Centers for Disease Control changed its guidance.
“Their recommendations of what you can do and how you can bring kids back and whether it’s 3 feet or 6 feet rely heavily on those color codes,” said Dr. Kevin Whitaker, Jamestown Public Schools superintendent. “The upper color codes red and orange require cohorting in order to reduce the distance between kids. That is extremely difficult to do at the high school level and in some other places maybe at the middle school level as well. We have been cohorting at the middle school level so I have some optimism about that. Our elementary I believe we have a little more freedom there as well. The challenges are go
editorial@post-journal.com
The Chautauqua County Department of Health reported 33 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, continuing a recent uptick in cases locally.
Of the newest cases, 11 came from Jamestown, four in Dunkirk and three in Fredonia.
There are currently 213 active cases, 13 people with the virus in the hospital, 521 in quarantine and a seven-day positivity rate of 2.1%.
To date there have been 8,654 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 8,299 recoveries and 142 virus-related deaths.
As of Thursday, 48,115 residents within Chautauqua County have received at least one dose, while 33,272 have completed their vaccine series. In Cattaraugus County, 23,936 have received at least one shot, while 17,296 have completed their series.
Apr 15, 2021
WESTFIELD For the second consecutive year, a staple event in Westfield has been canceled due to the pandemic.
William Bills, chairman of Westfield’s annual Ox Roast, announced this year’s event which was scheduled for Sunday, July 11, will not be held. “Due to the various COVID restrictions and requirements currently in effect we will not be able to host the Westfield Ox Roast in 2021,” Bills said.
Bills said the committee overseeing the Ox Roast made the difficult decision to cancel the event after on-going discussions with Chautauqua County Health Department representatives. Participants would need to be tested for COVID, and anyone attending would be required to show proof of a negative test.