Coronavirus

In line with Gov. Kathy Hochul's announcement on Saturday of New Yorkers' eligibility for second-booster shots of the Covid-19 vaccines, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital has updated its appointment times and testing hours for Covid and influenza.

An awful lot of people are getting sick with one thing or another in the weeks since New York State's mask mandate was lifted. “In prior years, this is when flu season is just ending, but right now, it’s just starting,” said Dr. Gail Schonfeld, whose East End Pediatrics practice in East Hampton has seen an average of five cases of flu each day over the past two weeks.

East Hampton Town's Covid-19 testing site at the former Child Development Center of the Hamptons on Stephen Hand's Path will continue operating at least through April 15, as concerns about the BA.2 subvariant and the upcoming April school break spark renewed interest in tests.

Both Pfizer and Moderna have asked the federal Food and Drug Administration for authorization of a fourth (or second booster) dose of their respective mRNA vaccines against Covid-19. Should this be approved, how much extra protection would it provide and who would benefit?

Two years and two days after East Hampton Town declared a state of emergency because of a surging Covid-19 pandemic, Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc announced on Tuesday the rescinding of that declaration and of its accompanying executive orders, saying that he was "really excited that things are looking up, finally, after two very long years."

Earlier this month state and local authorities began to roll back mask mandates in a variety of settings including schools and public spaces like restaurants. After two years of such mandates, these changes have given many a feeling that the end of the Covid-19 pandemic may finally be upon us. But is it soon to set aside our masks?

The Sag Harbor School District's superintendent, Jeff Nichols, outlined the school’s new Covid-19 protocols relating to contact tracing, close contacts, and "even students returning to school if they test positive."

The Bridgehampton School and Stony Brook Southampton Hospital have teamed up to offer a Covid-19 vaccine clinic for children and teens on Saturday at the school.

Face coverings in most South Fork schools are now optional. School districts from Montauk to Southampton confirmed that as of Wednesday masks will no longer be mandatory for students, teachers, administrators, or staff. The mask rollback extends to school buses as well.

"My friends, the day has come," Gov. Kathy Hochul said Sunday after announcing that the state would lift its school mask mandate as of Wednesday following consultation with public health officials, teachers, school administrators, and PTA members. Local officials in individual school districts and counties will continue to have the power to impose mask mandates and other restrictive measures based on their needs.

With Covid-19 transmission falling to levels not seen since last year, East Hampton Town has lifted a mask requirement for those entering town offices and other facilities. 

A New York State mandate that people wear masks or show proof of vaccination at restaurants, gyms, theaters, offices, and stores was lifted last Thursday. The decision, Gov. Kathy Hochul said at the time, was motivated by improving Covid-19 measurements, including the percentage of tests coming back positive, hospitalizations, the number of cases per 100,000 people, and vaccinations.