Protesters decry mandates in Cooperstown, Oneonta By KEVIN LIMITI • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com Anti-mask and anti-vaccine protesters staged two rallies in Otsego County in the past week, bringing their message to Bassett Healthcare and others. Hundreds of protesters, along with Assemblyman John Salka, R-Brookfield, marched to A.O. Fox Hospital and through Main Street in Oneonta on Friday, Sept. 17. Protesters also marched Tuesday, Sept. 21, in Cooperstown, from the Otsego County Courthouse to Bassett Medical Center.…
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Protesters against vaccine mandate march to A.O. Fox Hospital in Oneonta By KEVIN LIMITI • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com ONEONTA — Hundreds of protesters, along with Assemblyman John Salka, R-Brookfield, marched to A.O. Fox Hospital and through Main Street Friday, Sept. 17, to protest the vaccine mandate put in place for healthcare workers. The protesters chanted slogans such as “stop the mandate” as they walked through downtown Oneonta towards the hospital. There were signs that said “unmask our children” and “protect…
COVID Update One new death reported in Otsego County STAFF REPORT • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com One new death has been reported in Otsego County, according to the Otsego County Department of Health (DOH). As of Friday, Sept. 17, there are a total of 166 active cases with 13 reported today. The DOH encourages those who haven’t been vaccinated yet to get vaccinated as it is the most effective way to combat the COVID virus. …
Editorial Live free and die? With the news this week that the Lewis County General Hospital in Lowville was going to “pause” operations of its maternity services because of the resignations of several members of that department who refused to be vaccinated against COVID-19, the not unexpected consequences of the recent New York state and federal mandates for healthcare workers suddenly hit very close to home. While it is certainly difficult to envision both the future of these workers when…
Museum reinterpretation The Farmers’ Museum has remade itself during the pandemic now it will turn one of its most popular weekends into a month-long ‘Celebration’ By PATRICK DEWEY • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com As museums adapt to the coronavirus pandemic, The Farmers’ Museum has embraced its outdoor space and turned its living museum into a socially distant outing that still appeals to visitors. With the rise of the Delta variant, the museum’s staff is replacing its weekend Harvest Festival with “Celebration…
Letter to Commissioner of Health requests unvaccinated healthcare workers be allowed to work past vaccine deadline Staff Report • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com In a letter addressed to Howard Zucker M.D., commissioner of health at the New York State Department of Health, Stephen Hanse, president and CEO of New York State Health Facilities Association, requested that unvaccinated healthcare workers be allowed to work, at least temporarily, past the Sept. 27 vaccine deadline due to worker shortage. In a survey conducted by…
Opinion by Charles Hyman, M.D. Delta variant or not, vaccines are best option There is a lot in the news about the Delta variant of COVID-19 that is now spreading across the United States, threatening to move us back to a time of lockdown, universal masking and social distancing. With all this buzz, I wanted to offer my friends and neighbors some helpful background information. Namely: What is this Delta variant and how did it occur?…
COVID breakdown for August Staff Report • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com Otsego County had an increasing number of COVID cases in August. Community transmission is considered high. According to the Otsego County Department of Health (DOH), there 380 total cases in August with 52% unvaccinated and 48% vaccinated. Everyone hospitalized due to COVID, a total of six people, were unvaccinated individuals, including the two most recent deaths locally from the virus. The majority of cases occurred in people between the ages…
Bassett Healthcare has Sept. 27, deadline for employees to be vaccinated By KEVIN LIMITI • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com COOPERSTOWN — In response to the state government mandating vaccinations for all healthcare workers, Bassett Healthcare has given its employees a deadline of Monday, Sept. 27, in order to have the first dose of the vaccine. The mandate does not offer room for religious exemption but it does allow medical exemptions. An internal email, penned by Dr. Tommy Ibrahim, CEO of Bassett…
High School Sports by Nate Lull Now more than ever, September holds a year’s worth of promises The last 18 months have been hard for all of us, but it has been especially difficult for high school athletes. The coronavirus pandemic ended playing careers early, dashed championship dreams and changed local record books forever. However, as this fall season begins, it feels like maybe we are getting a fresh start. Sure, we know it could all come to a crashing…