Weekend News Brief
Written by Tom Tharp on February 10, 2023
Sunday the requirement for people to mask up in healthcare settings will expire and New York State is not renewing it. Back in September the CDC loosened it’s mask requirements but New York continued the renewal for staff, patients, and visitors in healthcare settings regardless if they were vaccinated or not. This rule change will apply to hospitals, nursing homes, home health care and hospice agencies, and diagnostic and treatment centers. University of Rochester Medical Center and Rochester Regional Health responded to the announcement by saying that they will continue requiring masks in their facilities, citing the emergency departments and hospitals being at or near capacity.
If you received a pink letter in the mail it means you were caught buying drugs in the North Clinton Area of Rochester. The City of Rochester has been mailing out these pink letters since November and city representatives say that most of them are going out of the city limits. The initiative is meant to target those buying drugs, mailing them a letter telling them they were seen buying drugs and offering a list of criminal and safety risks. The City says that several of the letters went to Batavia and Corfu.
All flavored tobacco products could soon be banned in the state of New York. The legislation, included in the Governor’s state budget would end the sale of menthol cigarettes, flavored cigars and cigarillos, and flavored smokeless tobacco. It expands the state’s ban on the sale of flavored vaping products. The legislation would also add $1 to the tax of cigarette products in New York State.
February 17th Everpresent Church is holding a Mass Deliverance Service for people who struggle with mental and physical disorders. While many disorders have a physical component Pastor Jason Norton believes that there is a spiritual component as well. This service is a healing service for anyone who wants to attend. The doors to the church, located in the City Center in Batavia, will open at 5:30 and the service starts at 6pm.
The Notre Dame Running with the Irish 5K Run/Walk is back for its second year and is set to take place on March 11. The event will kick off with a Kids Fun Run for children under 11 years old at 9 a.m., followed by the 5K run/walk starting at 10 a.m. The course will start behind the school and take runners north on Richmond Avenue, around the VA facility, and up and down Redfield Parkway before returning to the school. Participants in the Kids Fun Run can register for $10, with prizes being given to all participants. T-shirts for the kids can be purchased separately. The 5K registration fee is $25 and includes a cotton long-sleeved T-shirt with the race logo. All proceeds from the event will go towards supporting the athletic department at Notre Dame.
