2022 Covid-19 pandemic coverage

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Jan. 18

Latest data continues to suggest that the Covid-19 surge is past its peak locally: County Executive Mark Poloncarz said Tuesday that the latest county data confirms what he believed to be true last week: The latest Covid-19 surge is finally past its peak and trending downward. Read more

Erie County fines Williamsville over village's refusal to enforce mask mandate: County Executive Mark Poloncarz confirmed Tuesday that the village is the only local government to be formally sanctioned and fined $300 by the Erie County Health Department for actively and repeatedly flouting the mask-wearing rules. Read more

Hochul's health care proposals: Worker bonuses, increased Medicaid rates and millions for Roswell Park: "One hard lesson we learned about what happens when there's a lack of investment is how our health care system crumbled under the stress of the pandemic," Gov. Kathy Hochul said. Read more

Michael Houser in goal, Tage Thompson out for Sabres in fan-less Ottawa: While Houser's return to an NHL net is the big story on the ice, there's also major news off it for the Sabres on the injury/Covid-19 front as center Tage Thompson and winger Vinnie Hinostroza will both sit out the game. Also, because of current Ontario Covid-19 rules, this game will be played without fans. Read more

Jan. 17

Here's how to get at-home Covid-19 tests for free: Here's an attempt to answer questions about the recent testing changes taking place as metro Buffalo and the nation confront the Covid-19 wave brought on by the Omicron variant. Read more

Covid-19 numbers declining across the state, but still at high levels: In Western New York, the percentage of positive tests dropped from 21.88% Friday to 20.92% Sunday, which is highest of any region in the state. Read more

My View: Covid throws a curve into holiday travel: Despite our uninvited guest, thanks to vaccinations no one became seriously ill. Read more

Jan. 16

Pandemic Lessons: What is Gov. Hochul's Covid-19 leadership style?: The governor's broad indoor masking policy, which applies to nearly everyone regardless of vaccination status, reflects a group-strength approach to managing the virus. Read more

Positive Covid-19 tests, hospitalizations continue decline: The numbers of new positive Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations continued to fall statewide from their peaks earlier this month, but Western New York remains at the top of the heap among the state's regions, with more than one in five tests still coming back positive for Covid-19. Read more

Cheerleading community petitions state to move championships over vaccine rules: Nearly 12,000 people have signed an online petition encouraging the New York State Public High School Athletic Association to move its competitive cheerleading competition because of a vaccine requirement at Rochester Institute of Technology. Read more

Jan. 15

Covid caseload continues to decline in WNY and elsewhere in state: Although the numbers remain higher than anything seen before the onset of the Omicron variant, figures gathered Friday showed improvement in every part of New York. Read more

Buffalo Public Schools 'on board' with test-to-stay: Buffalo Public Schools will take part in the test-to-stay program to keep healthy children in school, but it is not known when the program will start. Read more

Tage Thompson set to return to Sabres' lineup Saturday night in Detroit: Tage Thompson exited Covid-19 protocol Friday and joined the team for an optional morning skate ahead of its game in Detroit at 7 p.m. Read more

Jan. 14

New York turning a corner in winter surge on positive Covid-19 cases, Hochul says: The seven-day average of cases declined from 90,000 statewide a week ago to 49,027 cases on Thursday, according to the governor. Read more

New York wants you to know what to do if you get Covid-19: With contact tracing no longer mandatory for counties, New York State has posted a guidance on its website to direct both people exposed to and testing positive for Covid-19. Read more

What Covid-19 hospitalization numbers do – and don't – tell us: In recent days, new data has been shared indicating that while many more patients are testing positive for Covid-19, that doesn't mean that they are hospitalized because they have Covid-19. Read more

Omicron intensified mental health challenges in WNY. Here's how you can address them: Melissa Farrell of Spectrum Health encourages everyone to establish an intentional plan for wellness in the coming weeks. Read more

Buffalo Public Schools down 54 school bus drivers due to Covid, district says: First Student, the private company that operates yellow buses for BPS, has been able to complete afternoon runs and "clear" all routes consistently in the 6 p.m. hour, Superintendent Kriner Cash said. Read more

Jan. 13

'It's just become unsustainable': Schools getting overwhelmed with contact tracing: A survey of school superintendents in Erie County in the fall and again in December found that school districts spend a total of about 2,000 hours a week, on average, doing contact tracing, case investigations and notifications of quarantines, according to Hamburg Superintendent Michael Cornell. Read more

Get sick with Omicron and your symptoms might not feel 'mild.' What you need to know: “Omicron may be less virulent, but do not confuse it with the common cold virus that has almost no potential to cause lethal disease,” said Dr. Thomas Russo, an infectious disease specialist with the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Read more

Gale Burstein's overtime pay continues to raise questions. Here are some answers.: Questions regarding Burstein's overtime are simple: How much overtime did she get paid? And is there anything wrong with her receiving that money? But getting true answers is tricky because of the political haze hanging over the conversation. Read more

17 public school districts, 11 private schools opt into Erie County's 'test-to-stay' program: The participating public and private schools in Erie County have agreed to work closely with the Erie County Department of Health Epidemiology School Team to coordinate testing and data reporting. Read more

Jan. 12

Frigid cold, Covid-19 rules seem to limit demand for Bills playoff game: With predicted game-time temperatures approaching 0 degrees, some fans are choosing to watch the game from the warmth and comfort of their homes. Further, the government policy requiring Canadian visitors to take a Covid-19 test before returning to their home country is putting a chill on interest from the thousands of fans in that country. And fear of the spread of the Omicron variant, combined with the vaccine mandate for everyone attending the game, also is likely keeping some fans away. Read more

Covid cases explode in area schools this month: The post-holiday Covid-19 surge has been so intense that in just the first 10 days of January, one-third of the schools in Erie County reported more cases than in the first four months of the school year. Read more

Falls soft drink company is among 8 firms receiving Niagara County Covid grants: The grants were funded with a $1 million block grant approved by the state, but the money originated with the CARES Act, the first federal Covid-19 economic stimulus bill, passed in March 2020. Read more

Big Four notebook: Canisius women's basketball rolls with schedule changes, Covid protocols: Stoppages have become almost commonplace in college basketball, particularly in the last four weeks, when more than 300 men’s and women’s Division I college teams have been impacted by the pandemic. Read more

The Editorial Board: Hospitals, schools strain as Omicron threatens our health care infrastructure: "It’s a hammer and anvil threat, as record numbers of patients swamp hospitals at the same time that breakthrough infections are sidelining health professionals, amplifying the stresses," writes The News' Editorial Board. Read more

Jan. 11

As booster mandate looms, health care providers see need, worry about staffing: Many providers also are wary the requirement, which mandates health care workers get a booster shot within two weeks of becoming eligible, could drive more employees out of the industry during a staffing pinch. Read more

New York: Health departments swamped by Omicron can stop Covid contact tracing: Instead, the health department will be issuing specific guidance about isolation and quarantine for people who test positive “to protect yourself, to avoid transmitting to others and to stay healthy.” Read more

Covid-19 deaths in Erie County have been rising, but not like last year: A total of 161 Erie County deaths last month were attributed to Covid-19, according to the county Health Department. That is the highest number of monthly deaths since last January, when 269 people died. Read more

Police, business owners on Elmwood and Hertel avenues receive free masks from anonymous donor: The donation was made recently to Delaware Council Member Joel Feroleto's office. Read more

Jan. 10

CDC warns Americans not to travel to Canada: The CDC put Canada in its highest-risk category: Level Four, citing a "very high" risk of Covid-19 infection for travelers heading north. Read more

Free at-home Covid tests will be distributed in Buffalo on Tuesday: A total of 11,000 free Covid-19 at-home antigen test kits will be distributed at several locations across the City of Buffalo on Tuesday. Of that, 7,500 kits will be given out via drive-through and walk-in processes set up at five community centers. Read more

Catholic Health extends closure of MACC's emergency department: The Mercy Ambulatory Care Center's emergency department in Orchard Park, which has been closed since Nov. 9, will remain closed through the end of January. Read more

Most prescribed drugs in Erie County show big changes in pain treatment and Covid impact: While the opioid epidemic has taken a backseat to Covid-19, the fight to end it has not stopped. Read more

Biggest donor to Buffalo politicians stung by charges he defrauded pandemic loan program: Hormoz L. Mansouri, a well-known political donor in Western New York, became known for something else in August. The 67-year-old Amherst man became the defendant in a felony fraud case at U.S. District Court. Read more 

Sabres summon Jack Quinn to taxi squad as Tage Thompson enters Covid protocol: The Sabres' battle with Covid-19 continues as center Tage Thompson has been added to the team's protocol list. Read more

While shorthanded, St. Bonaventure men's basketball ready to resume schedule: The Bonnies (8-3) are one of more than 300 men’s and women’s basketball teams that have been impacted by Covid-19 in the last four weeks, and now Bona is beginning a race to make up lost time and to create a rhythm in its schedule. Read more

The Editorial Board: Williamsville mayor’s flouting of rules on mask wearing serves no purpose: The mayor of the Village of Williamsville, Deb Rogers, has found a way to put the spotlight on herself by making a show of standing up to the county’s mask mandate. Read more 

Jan. 9

When will this pandemic end? Certainly not during the next few weeks, experts say: Medical leaders answered questions last week about where the region stands and what the future holds in regards to the pandemic. Read more

Free Covid-19 tests draw long lines, fall short of demand: People started lining up two hours early to get free Covid-19 test kits in some towns this weekend – and supplies ran out well before everyone who wanted one was able to get it. Read more

Buffalo schools to open in person again on Monday after long weekend off: Buffalo Public Schools has 300,000 KN95 masks available for students and staff, and the district has ordered 500,000 more, Superintendent Kriner Cash told parents in a letter Sunday evening. Read more

Anders Bjork rejoins Sabres from protocol, aims to make more of an impact: Bjork, 25, returned to practice Sunday in KeyBank Center after entering the National Hockey League’s Covid-19 protocol Jan. 4. Read more

Jan. 8

Erie County communities begin distributing Covid-19 test kits: Towns, villages and cities are distributing their share of the 40,000 Covid-19 at-home antigen test kits that they received from the county. Read more

Pandemic Lessons: What happens after Omicron?: Covid-19 isn’t something that simply goes away. It evolves, it reemerges, and it is something that, in the words of Dr. Isaac B. Weisfuse, a New York-based medical epidemiologist, “We’re going to live with.” We just want to live with it a little less than we are now. For this installment of Pandemic Lessons, we asked epidemiologists to project how much longer Omicron will grip us, and what life will look like when it’s done. Read more

Jan. 7

Test-to-stay could start next week in Erie County; details of program revealed: Erie County Health Department officials met with more than 150 administrators, superintendents and nurses from public, charter and private schools Friday afternoon to explain how the "test-to-stay" program will work. Read more

Hochul orders boosters for health workers, new rules for nursing home visitors: Like the original vaccine order last fall, there will be no opt out for getting tested instead of boosted. “You would want to make sure that anyone taking care of you is fully protected," the governor said. Read more

School districts trying to minimize the impact of staff shortages on kids: Since that day in March of 2020 when schools were forced to close and remote learning was instituted, educators have been trying to figure out how to keep children healthy and in school. That meant getting as many teachers and staff, and then children, vaccinated as possible. Read more

Refresh Takes: Alcohol became a crutch for a growing number during the pandemic: “People didn’t just increase their alcohol consumption for a month or two at the beginning of the pandemic – the trend held for nearly the entire year,” said Carolina Barbosa, a health economist at RTI, a nonprofit institute in North Carolina Research Triangle Park. Read more

Niagara County halts Covid-19 contact tracing: The change in policy follows Public Health Director Daniel J. Stapleton's decision this week not to have his staff devote any more time to compiling Covid-19 caseload statistics. Read more

Covid-19 surge returns Tonawanda town meetings to virtual format: The town on Friday announced that Town Board, Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals meetings will shift from in-person to online only, beginning with Monday's Town Board meeting. Read more

UB women's basketball games postponed due to Covid-19 protocols: UB's game Saturday against Kent State at Alumni Arena has been postponed, and its game Wednesday at Ohio also has been postponed. Read more 

My View: In Year of the Mask, I have senior moments: "If the virus doesn’t get me this damn mask surely will. So to all my fellow seniors, mask up and avoid eye contact whenever possible and just breathe, brother, breathe," writes Phil Ryan. Read more

Jan. 6

Military medical team coming to capacity-strained ECMC: A 23-member federal Department of Defense medical response team will arrive at Erie County Medical Center this weekend, part of an effort to alleviate pressure on one of the state's most capacity-strained hospitals. Read more

Gillibrand, local congressmen urge Biden to keep border open despite Covid surge: “Now that vaccines are widely available, we cannot return to the economic and personal sacrifices that would be made if the northern border is closed once again,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Reps. Brian Higgins and Chris Jacobs wrote. Read more

Niagara County Health Department too busy to compile Covid stats: The Niagara County Health Department announced Thursday that because of the current surge in Covid-19 cases, its staff is too busy to compile statistics for a weekly report. In the past seven days, according to the state, 2,916 new Covid cases have been reported in Niagara County, an increase from 952 cases last week. Read more

Amid latest wave of Covid-19, the show will go on, just a little later: With so many people sick and so many jobs unfilled amid the latest surge of Covid cases, disruptions to everyday life continue, especially at venues that count on live audiences. Read more

Jan. 5

Hochul aims to increase state's health care workforce by 20%: The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated a shortage of health care workers locally. The pandemic hastened the departure of thousands of health care workers, some out of health concerns and others over rising stress levels associated with their jobs. Read more

Hochul proposes relief to small businesses hit by pandemic: Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed a "Billion Dollar Rescue Plan" to help small businesses – including bars and restaurants – endure through the pandemic. Read more

Buffalo workers at only unionized U.S. Starbucks walk out over Covid, staffing concerns: Workers at a Starbucks store in Buffalo that last month became the chain's only company-operated U.S. store to be organized walked out Wednesday to protest what they viewed as unsafe Covid-19 levels that have left the location short-staffed. Read more

Visiting restrictions leave patients at state's psychiatric centers in 'isolation': Since March 2020, 1,617 patients and 2,785 employees at New York State’s 24 psychiatric centers have been infected with Covid-19. During that time, 53 of those patients and 12 state employees have died of the virus. Read more

Jeff Miers: Want 2022 to be a better year for live music? Do your part, or stay home: "Those who refuse to get vaccinated and follow health protocols have made everything much worse, including the financial crisis the live entertainment world has been dealing with for the past two years," Jeff Miers writes. Read more

Niagara County will give away Covid-19 test kits Saturday: Niagara County has received about 6,000 Covid-19 home testing kits from the state, and the county will give them away Saturday at three drive-thru events, each beginning at 11 a.m. Read more

Jan. 4

Erie County rolls out test-to-stay program option for all schools as Covid cases skyrocket: Health Commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein announced Tuesday that Erie County will now work with schools throughout the county to implement a Covid-19-testing program to keep children who might have been exposed to Covid-19 from being sent home to quarantine. Read more

WNY health care providers seeing record employee Covid-19 cases, straining staffing resources: It's not just a surge of Covid-19 patients battering the local health care system. The fast-spreading Omicron variant also is hitting health care workers, with several hundred out sick with the virus as of Tuesday. Read more

VA Hospital latest to suspend inpatient visitation: As a result of the surge in Covid-19 infections throughout the region, the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Buffalo announced Tuesday that it is suspending physical inpatient visitation at the Bailey Avenue hospital until further notice. Read more

Pandemic Lessons: How will new Covid-19 realities affect kids in schools?: In this Pandemic Lessons, we dig into what it’ll take to keep adolescents attending school and activities. By extension, we also examine what public-health guidance looks like in practice. Read more

Sabres' Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, Anders Bjork enter NHL Covid protocol: The Sabres have six players unavailable – Jacob Bryson, Kyle Okposo and Casey Fitzgerald were added over the past week – and the list could continue to grow. Read more

Covid-19 postponements continue schedule shuffle for Big 4 basketball teams: Between Dec. 21 and Sunday, 13 games involving the Big 4’s men’s and women’s teams were either canceled or postponed due to Covid-19 issues. Read more

Jan. 3

Erie County scales back Covid contact tracing, but it may not be as critical as it was: As record numbers of new cases flood the county Health Department, county case investigators are refocusing their attention on containing major outbreaks and high-risk populations. Read more

Williamsville trustee blasts 'toxic' mayor in resignation letter: Matthew Etu, who also had served as deputy mayor, said in a blistering resignation letter that personality and policy clashes with the mayor in recent weeks, notably over the Covid-19 mask mandate, had driven him to his decision. Read more

New York to reopen SUNY Covid testing sites: Eleven State University of New York campuses – including the University at Buffalo and Buffalo State – will start offering  free tests this week, with more likely to open in the coming week. Read more

Sabres Notebook: Kyle Okposo and Casey Fitzgerald added to Covid protocol list: Okposo was pulled off the ice after practice began Monday in KeyBank Center. Read more

Widow of Tonawanda councilman no longer seeks to replace him: The widow of Thomas A. Newman, a Tonawanda Common Council member who died last month from Covid-19, no longer wishes to take his place on the Council because of the backlash her potential appointment had generated. Read more

Niagara County offers mask giveaway for businesses: The masks will be given away from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday at the Warren Rathke Public Safety Training Facility, 5574 Niagara St. Extension, next to the County Jail. Read more

My View: Night of pure laughter chases the Covid blues: Every task we attempt to do, whether it be simple shopping or traveling or just gathering with family or friends, has been overshadowed by the fear of this insidious virus. Read more

Jan. 2

Renewed focus on testing as Covid-19 cases surge in WNY: State and local officials say they are working to make testing more available – especially to primary- and secondary-school students, who are scheduled to return to class from the holiday break on Monday. Read more

Surge in Covid cases forces Health Department to change contacting policy: A county spokesperson said that, due to the high volume of case reports, local and state health department staffers are no longer able to keep individually contacting every Erie County resident who tests positive for the disease. Read more

Pandemic exacerbates struggles of Western New York's rural hospitals: Rural hospitals have some of the lowest percentages of available staffed hospital beds in New York. Aside from operating in communities with generally lower Covid-19 vaccination rates, rural hospitals also are struggling with staffing and are trying to compete for high-priced travel nurses against the likes of their larger peers. Read more

Jan. 1

New year, similar pandemic woes as another Covid-19 surge arrives: Covid-19 cases remained high. Some businesses closed temporarily. Many people wondered if they would resume or continue to work at home. And anxious parents worried their school-aged children might return to remote learning. Read more

Don Granato returns from Covid protcol to take his spot behind Sabres' bench: Granato, who entered Covid-19 protocol on Sunday, missed the last two games. Assistant Matt Ellis directed the club in Wednesday's loss to New Jersey in KeyBank Center and Thursday's loss to the New York Islanders in UBS Arena. Read more

All remaining performances of 'Hamilton' canceled at Shea's Performing Arts Center: All of the remaining performances of the touring production of “Hamilton” in Shea’s Performing Arts Center have been canceled due to Covid-19, a theater spokesman announced. Read more