COVID-19 test kits are available for pick up at the four Clarkstown Communitiy Centers (Street Community Center, Pascack Community Center, Congers Community Center, and Central Nyack Community Center) and the Recreation Administration Office during normal business hours.
Proof of residency is required.
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Health
NEW YORK BLOOD CENTER ANNOUNCES BLOOD EMERGENCY
School breaks and increased travel have caused a dramatic decrease in blood
donations; types O and B have dropped to 1-to-2-day level
NEW YORK – New York Blood Center (NYBC) announced a blood emergency today,
as school spring breaks and holiday travel have caused an alarming drop in donations
over the past six weeks. All blood types are low and type O is at just a 1-to-2-day level.
This shortage occurs amid increasing COVID rates, which can be attributed to the
highly contagious Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1 that has been spreading rapidly
throughout New York and surrounding areas. For example, New York City’s COVID
transmission rate has increased 32% in the last 10 days. Last Monday, the city raised
its COVID alert level to medium as cases surpassed a rate of 200 per 100,000 people in
the five boroughs.
Hospitals and patients rely upon a steady flow of volunteer donors to receive life-saving
blood donations, but the recent spike in cases and spring break travel have caused
uncertainty. Donor participation has reached record lows at blood drives and donor
centers. In the last 6 weeks, NYBC has seen approximately 6000 fewer blood donors
versus earlier this year.
“This time of the year always tends to be difficult for the blood supply, with school spring
breaks and increased travel making blood donations less of a priority. These factors are
now coinciding with increasing COVID cases and a potential fifth wave of the
pandemic,” said Andrea Cefarelli, Senior Executive Director at New York Blood
Center. “One blood donation has the ability to save up to three lives. We highly
encourage all who are able to donate today to help New Yorkers who need it most.”
It only takes one hour to donate, and a single donation can save multiple lives. Roughly
one in seven hospital admissions require a blood transfusion. Those in need include:
cancer patients, accident, burn, or trauma victims, transplant recipients, surgery
patients, chronically transfused patients suffering from sickle cell disease or
thalassemia, and many more.
To make an appointment at this blood drive, donors can call 1-800-933-2566 or
visit by visiting nybc.org.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES ANNUAL MOSQUITO CONTROL TREATMENT OF CATCH BASINS AND STORM DRAINS
NEW CITY, NY, – Rockland County Executive Ed Day and County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert inform residents that the Health Department will be treating catch basins and storm drains to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in standing water inside of these structures.
If you see Health Department staff on the roads driving slowly in County vehicles doing these treatments, please be patient. Also, try to avoid parking over storm drains while these employees are doing the treatment work so that they can access the catch basins more easily.
“Not all mosquitos carry diseases, but several species can sometimes spread potentially dangerous diseases like West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) to humans,” said Dr. Ruppert.
The best and most effective mosquito control begins in your yard. Eliminating standing water is the first step in reducing the mosquito threat. Residents can help by regularly checking their property for ANY items that can hold stagnant water, such as plant saucers, dog bowls, and birdbaths, and replace them with fresh water daily. Remove objects around your yard that collect water. Anything you choose to keep outside, such as kids’ toys, buckets, wading pools, canoes, and wheelbarrows, should be flipped over when not used to prevent them from collecting any water.
Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. The eggs hatch into larvae that develop in the water for 7 to 10 days before emerging as adult mosquitoes that fly and bite. Since the West Nile virus outbreak in 1999, the Health Department has been collecting, identifying, and tracking mosquitoes in their adult and larval stages and providing education to the public to reduce the mosquito population.
The Mosquito Control Program focuses on reducing Rockland’s mosquito population at the larval stage during the spring and summer months by identifying and monitoring a variety of mosquito-breeding sites, including roadside catch basins. Program staff also conduct routine and complaint-based inspections at many commercial properties that are considered “high risk” for mosquito breeding, including tire-storage facilities, landscape yards, municipal storage yards, outdoor swimming pool facilities, horse farms, marinas, and garden centers, as well as respond to complaints against private residential properties.
“Mosquitoes are more than just a nuisance, they also spread dangerous diseases including Zika and West Nile virus. We ask that families do their part by eliminating any standing water on their property where mosquitos could breed,” said County Executive Day.
For more information, call the Health Department at 845-364-3173 or visit http://bit.ly/RCDOH_mosquito. To learn more about the West Nile Virus, Zika, and EEE, visit the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) webpages at http://bit.ly/ny_west_nile_virus, http://bit.ly/ny_Zika_virus, and http://bit.ly/ny_EEE.
“BE TICK FREE” THIS SPRING TO PREVENT TICK-BORNE ILLNESSES
NEW CITY, NY, – Rockland County Executive Ed Day and County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert remind residents that as you welcome the warmer weather and spend more time outside, be sure to protect yourself from tick bites. May is Lyme Awareness Month, and this is the time of year when ticks start making their annual appearance. Forecasters predict more precipitation than usual this spring and summer, leading to above-average tick populations.
“A bite from an infected tick can cause Lyme Disease and other tick-borne diseases such as Ehrlichiosis, Babesiosis, Anaplasmosis, and Powassan. If caught early, most cases of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases are treatable with antibiotics but are hard to diagnose, and it is difficult to know if the infection has been eradicated. This is why it is so important to protect yourself from ticks and their diseases. To prevent tick-borne disease in people, follow these five simple steps to protect yourself and your family,” said Dr. Ruppert:
- Check your skin for ticks daily. When outside, check your skin and clothing for ticks. Know where to expect ticks. Ticks live in grassy and wooded areas and prefer a humid environment. Check often and brush any ticks off before they attach. Do a full check of your skin when you go back inside. It is easy to check when you bathe or shower. Be sure to check for ticks on your children and pets too!
- Remove ticks quickly and safely. Remove any attached ticks using this safe method: Using fine-tipped tweezers, grasp the tick near the mouthparts as close to the skin as possible. Do not twist, turn, or squeeze the tick’s body. Instead, pull the tick in a steady, upward motion away from the skin until the tick lets go. To lessen your chance of infection, remove an attached tick as soon as possible. For tick identification, call the Cornell Cooperative Extension Horticultural Lab at 845-429-7085.
- Dress in clothes that protect. If you are heading outdoors, wear light-colored clothing, such as white or pastels. Wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, socks, and shoes. Tuck your shirt into your pants and pant legs into your socks. Wear sneakers or boots, not sandals. Tie back long hair or wear a hat.
- Consider the use of an insect repellent. Carefully read and follow the directions on the repellent label. Some products should be used only on clothing, never on the skin. Talk to your pediatrician about using repellents on your children. Never let children put repellents on themselves.
- Learn the symptoms of Lyme disease: After a tick bite, watch for symptoms for at least 30 days. Symptoms can include tiredness, headache, neck stiffness, slight fever, swollen glands, pain or stiffness of muscles or joints, and a red circular rash (called erythema migrans) that often appears at the site of the tick bite, usually within 3 to 14 days after the bite of an infected tick. The rash then grows larger. Sometimes many rashes appear, varying in shape and size. Common sites are the thighs, groin, trunk, and armpits. The center of the rash may clear as it enlarges, resulting in a “bull’s-eye” appearance. If you have any of these symptoms or are feeling ill, see your doctor.
- Do I need antibiotics after a tick bite? Taking antibiotics within three days of a tick bite may benefit a person living in an area where deer ticks infected with Lyme disease are common, and there is evidence that the tick fed for more than one day. Rockland County is an area of concern for deer ticks and Lyme disease. Ticks have flattened, tear-shaped bodies at all stages of growth. If you are bitten by a tick, and its shape is not flat (i.e., engorged), it is a sign that it had a blood meal. This could put you at risk for common tick-borne disease transmission. If you experience a case like this, discuss the possibilities of antibiotics with your doctor.
“Taking steps to protect yourself, your children and your pets against ticks is the best way to protect yourself from ticks. As we all begin to get outside to enjoy our beautiful local parks, it is critically important that we remain vigilant against tick-borne diseases,” said County Executive Day.
For more information, visit the New York State Department of Health website at www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/lyme/.
Prescription drug take-back in Orangetown April 28th
There will be a prescription drug take-back at Orangetown Town Hall on Thursday, April 28th from 2:30 to 6:30 pm.
