New York State is getting ready for dealing COVID-19 in another school year and more increases in cases around the state.

Governor Kathy Hochul on July 20 announced the state is actively preparing a Fall Action Plan to address potential pandemic surges later this year.

Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News
Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News
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The Democrat says the state is working closely with health experts on plans for dealing with seasonal COVID-19 surges and how to allow students to safely return to school this fall.

The Return to School Strategy includes distributing 3 million tests to schools before the beginning of the new year and getting more New Yorkers vaccinated and boosted.

The State’s Fall Action Plan is being put together using information gained through a public opinion survey that was conducted in mid-June as well as consultations with health policy experts.

The plan is also calling for early testing, more access to treatments and therapeutics, preparing a stockpile of personal protective equipment, strengthening hospital systems and coordinating with federal and local partners.

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This comes as COVID cases around the state are rising again with New York’s positivity rate back over ten percent.  Broome has had 185 new cases over the past five days and one new COVID death for the week, bringing the total to 532.

Also July 20, Governor Hochul announced a request for proposals to develop a pandemic After-Action Review to look at the state’s COVID-19 response and point out what worked, what did not and what could have been done better.  Information gathered will be used to prepare a planning guide for New York to use in a future emergency.

A copy of the Request for Proposal can be found at the governor’s website.

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