The pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will remain in effect for at least a little while longer.
A special federal advisory panel on Wednesday requested more data as they continue to review a handful of cases involving women who developed unusual blood clots after getting the New Jersey company s vaccine.
They’re trying to determine if the clots were linked to the shot, and if so, how significant the risk is.
In the meantime, New Jersey health officials are working with vaccine distribution centers. to preserve their inventory of the J&J shots.
Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said state officials don t know whether more Pfizer or Moderna shipments will be sent to make up for the difference.
Over 1,300 childcare centers in NJ remain closed, some forever
TRENTON – Nearly 400 childcare centers in New Jersey have closed permanently, and more than 900 others are temporarily closed but plan to reopen, as capacity restrictions and safety concerns continue to hobble the industry and broader economy.
Children and Families Commissioner Christine Norbut Beyer said 3,195 childcare centers are operating currently in the state, down 23% from March 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic. She said the centers are now operating at 46% of licensed capacity.
Beyer said she understands the economic and family needs for childcare services but will balance that with safety and her goal of preventing outbreaks in which children or staff are infected. She said there was a “significant spike” in cases in childcare centers the past two months.
Make 2021 the Year You Find Your Inner Hudson Valley Artist
Now that we are going to be getting back out and doing more I wanted to take a moment to talk about the arts in the Hudson Valley. As I am sure you are aware the Hudson Valley is full of many talent artist in many different disciples. To do them all justice I would have to type a manifest. So for this particular article I want to focus on how you can find art you might be interested in around your community
Chances are the town you live in has an artists community or an organization. One of the great places to start when trying to find out more about the arts in our area is Art Along the Hudson. When you get a moment check out their Facebook page and you will see that they cover a wide variety of art and a large area of the region.
Prior to the COIVID-19 pandemic there were families throughout the Berkshires including the southern Berkshires that were facing food insecurities. As you would expect, when you add on the pandemic including the loss of income, the number of families facing shortages of food skyrocketed.
On a recent edition of the WSBS Let s Talk program, we spoke with Pat Salvi from Sheffield Kiwanis. Pat talked about the need for food in our community which became greater during the pandemic. For example, Pat mentioned that in present times the People s Pantry in Great Barrington is now serving up to 300 people each week. It s difficult for the pantry to keep food on the shelves as they constantly need to replenish. How can they can keep a robust supply at their location? Well, by the generosity of our local community.
Gov. Phil Murphy on Wednesday defended his use of emergency powers after 13 months, declining to set a sunset date.
He has continued to extend the health emergency every 30 days by issuing a new executive order while also issuing more than 200 other executive orders related to the pandemic.
“It’s not something that we want to be doing. We do it because we have to do it,” he said. “It’s a topic of constant conversation within our team, with our legislative colleagues, and they’ve been great about that.”
Murphy has been under fire for months by Republican lawmakers. But Democrats have also expressed concern, suggesting instead he should be conferring more closely with them about how policies and procedures move forward.