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Vaccinated teachers and students don’t need masks, CDC says

NEW YORK (AP) — Vaccinated teachers and students don't need to wear masks inside school buildings, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday in relaxing its COVID-19 guidelines. The changes come amid a national vaccination campaign in which children as young as 12 are ...

Small businesses urged to apply for COVID relief

ALBANY – Small businesses can now apply for grants to offset COVID pandemic income losses — and state Sen. George Borrello, R-Sunset Bay, and Assemblyman Andrew Goodell, R-Jamestown, are encouraging local business owners to apply. The $800 million COVID-19 Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program reimburses New York small businesses with grants of up to $50,000 for COVID-related expenses incurred between March 1, 2020 and April 1, 2021. “Small businesses are the economic engines of our downtowns. They were hit hard by the pandemic lockdown. Many closed and those that ...

Senior groups hit hard by pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit most populations across the globe very hard, but for certain groups of people it has been a lot harder. Particularly for senior citizens — including those who live in Chautauqua County — the pandemic has meant not being able to leave the house much or to ...

State Senator Borrello introduces COVID bills

As Independence Day nears, state Sen. George Borrello, R-Sunset Bay, is introducing legislation to give state residents independence from state COVID-19 regulations. Borrello introduced three bills in the state Senate on Wednesday. S.7268 prohibits a government entity from requiring individuals to receive a COVID-19 vaccine; S.7269 prohibits a government entity or its subdivisions from requiring people to wear face coverings or face masks; and S.7270 prohibits a government entity or its subdivisions from issuing COVID-19 regulations or guidance without first getting approval from the ...

Fredonia Opera House touts improvements

The 1891 Fredonia Opera House Performing Arts Center touted four recently completed projects at a Friday morning event. The new two-piece marquee, one of the completed projects, was officially lit for the first time. The projects also include: • Restoration of 67 windows in the theatre, ...

No new COVID cases reported in Chautauqua County

In what has become a trend, no new cases of COVID-19 were reported Tuesday by the Chautauqua County Department of Health. In the last seven days, only three new cases have been recorded, according to information released by health officials. To date there have been 9,294 total confirmed cases, 9,135 recoveries and 157 virus-related deaths. There are currently two active cases, no hospitalizations and 17 people in quarantine. Regarding vaccinations, 57.6% of adults in Chautauqua County have received at least one dose, representing 61,511 residents. In addition, 56,611 have ...