COVID-19 Reports on Cases and Vaccine Rollout: January 11-15 | THIRTEEN – New York Public Media – MetroFocus

THIRTEEN and PBS offer regular, in-depth reporting on the coronavirus pandemic’s COVID-19 cases and the vaccine rollout and distribution, as well as repercussions on employment, social services, the economy and politics. Here is the most recent information from infectious disease doctors and medical professionals, government officials, and journalists who cover news about COVID-19 and its impacts.  This page will be updated as reporting continues.

Recent COVID News and Numbers

Click for National, State, and City Hotlines and Resources

After a week of tumult over the inefficient vaccine rollout in New York State, new vaccine guidelines begin Monday, January 10. The Governor will address the pandemic and vaccines in the State of the State Address, to be broadcast live on THIRTEEN at 11:30 a.m. on January 11 (stream after on New York NOW).

Now eligible for COVID-19 vaccine is the group Phase1B:  people 75 and older, first responders, corrections officers, teachers and school staff; in-person college instructors, childcare workers, public-facing grocery store workers, transit workers and people who live and work in homeless shelters.

To confirm eligibility and see list of vaccine providers closest to you, see this New York State site.

We’re offering updates via email or mobile on the coronavirus now through the duration of the pandemic. Sign up for email alerts here, or text UPDATES to 30644 for mobile notifications.

The Open Mind

Hosted by Alexander Heffner, The Open Mind is a thoughtful excursion into the world of ideas and airs at noon on Saturdays (see schedule).

January 4: When Will Vaccines Eradicate the American Pandemic?

University of California San Francisco Medicine chair Dr. Robert Wachter discusses the impact of emerging COVID-19 vaccines.

PBS NewsHour Reports

PBS NewsHour is broadcast weeknights at 7 p.m. and weekends at 6 p.m. and streams live. Listen to half-hour broadcasts on 88.3 WLIW-FM weeknights at 6 p.m.

January 8: Vaccine Campaign Struggles

The death toll from COVID-19 has passed 365,000 in the U.S. with 130,000 people hospitalized with it now. Mass vaccinations are going slower than had been expected. Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, joins Stephanie Sy to discuss.

Amanpour and Company

Amanpour and Company airs Monday – Friday at 11 p.m.; repeats at 4 p.m. Watch broadcast or livestream.

January 6: Strain on LA Healthcare Workers

According to the Los Angeles County Director of Public Health, people in LA County are dying of COVID-19 at the rate of one every ten minutes. The total number of cases has doubled in just over a month, and health workers are now being asked to ration oxygen. Registered nurse Nerissa Black from Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital tells Hari Sreenivasan what she’s seeing from the front lines.

MetroFocus Interviews

MetroFocus airs weeknights at 6 p.m. (see schedule for late-night and weekends) and livestreams; listen weeknights on 88.3 WLIW-FM at 11 p.m..

NJ Spotlight News with Briana Vannozzi

NJ Spotlight News provides daily reporting on the coronavirus in New Jersey, as well as newsletters.

January 8: New Jersey unveils mega COVID-19 vaccination sites

Gov. Murphy toured one of five vaccination sites Essex County. The inoculation of first responders and medical professionals, who called or registered online, started last week.

Hotlines and Information

Stay-in-the-know about what’s on-air and online at THIRTEEN. Sign-up for free weekly eNewsletters, including on coronavirus reports.

Government Sites and Resources

National: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

The CDC’s Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) page includes links to national case reporting, symptom information, advisories by health condition and occupation, and more.

New York City

Vaccine Distribution

See the NYC vaccine information page for city guidelines.

According to Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York City will begin administering vaccine shots to city workers and the elderly on Monday, January 11.

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last week that New York City will open five vaccination centers in the coming weeks, which will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to move towards a capacity of up to 100,000 vaccine doses per week.

Vaccine rollout begins Monday, January 11 at the Bathgate Contract Postal Station in the Claremont section of the Bronx, and the Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park. Appointments are required.

See the vaccine distribution site finder.

COVID Express sites offer free rapid COVID-19 virus PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests, by scheduled appointment. Learn more on NYC.gov.

NYC tracks positive COVID-19 cases by zip code; you can review a map reflecting cases in the past seven days.

NYC’s official COVID-19 site with information on testing, resources (including rent and housing and more), and announcements: www.nyc.gov/coronavirus.

For text updates from New York City, text COVID to 692-692. You will receive regular SMS texts with helpful behavior tips and news related to the coronavirus. Text COVIDESP to 692-692 for updates in Spanish.

Work and Assistance

Employers and employees can visit nyc.gov/workers or call 311 (212-NEW-YORK outside NYC) for labor law information and more.

The state has a web application to help struggling New Yorkers locate benefits they may qualify for. “Find Services” is an easy starting point for first-time users of social programs that relate to unemployment, food insecurity, and housing, among other services.

New York City Public Schools and Learning

Create a NYC Schools Account to sign up for Department of Education notifications and track your child’s education.

For free homework help from a teacher, K-12 students and their parents or caregivers can call 212-777-3380 or visit the Dial-A-Teacher website Mondays through Thursdays 4–7 p.m.

New York State

NY State Hotline: 888-364-3065
For all New York State updates, and announcements from Governor Andrew Cuomo, see the state COVID site.

Vaccine Distribution

COVID-19 vaccination sites opening Wednesday, January 13:

• Jacob K. Javits Convention Center (NYC)
• Westchester County Convention Center (Westchester County)
• State Fairgrounds (Onondaga County)

Governor Cuomo’s weekday coronavirus updates focus on hospital and ICU bed availability in New York State’s regions, based on seven-day averages. See the status of regions on forward.ny.gov.

Micro-Cluster Hot Spots

Look up an address to see if it is in a New York COVID-19 color-coded Hot Spot Zone with restrictions. Maps of the cluster zones can be found here.

The places and activities regulated are non-essential gatherings, businesses, dining, and schools. See the New York State site for details on how cluster zones are identified and implemented.

COVID Alert NY is a voluntary, anonymous, exposure-notification smartphone app. You will get an alert if you were in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19. Learn more about how it works and download it to your mobile phone.

The New York State Department of Health posts a daily COVID-19 tracker case tally by county.

New Jersey

NJ State Hotline: 1-800-962-1253
Text NJCOVID to 898-211 to receive text updates.

The State of New Jersey coronavirus hub is covid19.nj.gov.

Vaccine Distribution

Pre-register for a COVID-19 vaccine and learn more about the vaccine distribution in New Jersey on the official state vaccine hub.

Remote Learning Resources from WNET Education

To better serve families during the COVID-19 pandemic, The WNET Group offers At Home Learning educational programming.

Let’s Learn weekday lessons led by NYC DOE educators for grades 3K- 2 are broadcast at 11 a.m. on THIRTEEN and 9 a.m. on WLIW21, followed on WLIW21 by a NJTV Learning Live lesson for 3rd graders at 10 a.m., 4th graders at 11 a.m., and 5th graders at 12 p.m.

Broadcast schedules on WLIW21, WLIW World and PBS Kids were developed to help schools and districts bridge the digital divide and provide equitable access to learning for all students at home, regardless of access to the internet or computers.

Help keep students learning at home with tools for parents and educators on WNET’s Education site. All resources are free and standards-aligned.