COVID-19 News
This page will be updated frequently. Please find information listed by category, then by date listed from most recent to oldest.
Note: Outdated or redundant materials have been moved to a COVID-19 News archived page which you can find at the following link: http://cceclinton.org/resources/covid-19-news-archive
COVID AlertNY
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COVID Alert NY is New York State’s official Exposure Notification App. This is a free smartphone app for anyone 18+ that lives and/or works in New York available for download in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store starting October 1 st. The COVID Alert NY app notifies users if they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Upon receiving an exposure notification, the app will encourage users to contact their physician or the State Health Department hotline (1-833-227-5045) to get more information about quarantining and testing
For more information: http://cceclinton.org/resources/covid-alertny
Resource List Put Out by NYEDEN
https://eden.cce.cornell.edu/family-pets-health/influenza-pandemics/covid-19/
New York Forward Business Safety Plan
June 17th:
New York State requires businesses to have a specific business safety plan in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes all farms, both food and non-food producing. In addition, a well-written and executed business safety plan will help reduce business liability risk during and after the pandemic. A Cornell Task Force recently developed materials to directly support farms in the plan writing process.
http://agworkforce.cals.cornell.edu/ny-forward-business-safety-plan/
Agriculture
WEBINAR Recordings:
Recording links for past webinars (listed below) will be posted on the
Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development NY Forward Business Safety Plans page.
NY Forward Business Safety Plan Support for (Dairy/Livestock/Crop) Farms : https://vod.video.cornell.edu/media/Clip+of+NY+Forward+Business+Safety+Plan+Support+for+(Dairy+Livestock+Crop)+Farms/1_8v839nyj#t=8:36
NY Forward Business Safety Plan Support for (Fruit/Vegetable) Farms :
NY Forward Business Safety Plan Support for (Retail) Farms :
NY Forward Business Safety Plan Support for (Greenhouse/Landscaping/Ornamental) Farms :
NY Forward Business Safety Plan Support for (Equine) Farms :
June 5th:
New CDC Guidance for Agriculture Workers and Employers
https://eden.cce.cornell.edu/2020/06/04/new-cdc-guidance-for-agriculture-workers-and-employers/
May 20th:
Employee Placement Help
New York Farm Bureau is launching a new system to connect farms in need of labor during the COVID-19 pandemic.
https://eden.cce.cornell.edu/2020/05/19/new-york-farm-bureau-creates-farm-relief-worker-database/
May 18th:
New York's Guide to Re-Opening
https://eden.cce.cornell.edu/2020/05/15/new-york-forward-provides-a-guide-for-re-opening/
April 7th:
COVID-19 Resources for Dairy Farmers:
http://cceclinton.org/resources/covid-19-resources-for-dairy-farmers
Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development:
May 5th: Cloth Face Coverings vs. Respirators:
April 1st:
Biosecurity for People: 7 Steps to Protect Farmers from COVID-19
March 30th:
Novel Coronavirus Home Page: https://agworkforce.cals.cornell.edu/novel-coronavirus-covid-19/?fbclid=IwAR1R1t33XPxCMeJ2Djmx2OZWZgz2BqnoU43Bz0S3dfl1CahJD71Ag5LHlRM
Novel Coronavirus Prevention & Control for Farms: http://agworkforce.cals.cornell.edu/2020/03/12/novel-coronavirus-prevention-control-for-farms/
Cornell CALS
May 27th:
We have created short videos in Spanish and English that outline information about the virus that causes COVID-19, and strategies employees can adopt to protect themselves and others. These videos include subtitles and cover the following topics:
- Why COVID-19 is not a foodborne virus
- What to do if symptoms appear
- Mitigations strategies employees can adopt:
- Social distancing at work and at home
- Hand washing
- Avoid touching the face
- Wearing face coverings
- Where employees can go to find answers
We encourage the industry to utilize these videos by displaying them on their closed circuit video systems in the workplace, or through other outlets.
You can find the YouTube links here:
ENGLISH:
SPANISH:
April 29th:
Best Management Practices for U-Pick Farms
https://cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/blogs.cornell.edu/di...
March 30th:
Building Farm Resilience in this Crisis: https://smallfarms.cornell.edu/2020/03/building-farm-resilience-in-this-crisis/
Cornell Pesticide Management Education
May 11th:
Pesticide Use Guidance During COVID-19
Department of Agriculture and Markets
March 30th:
COVID-19 Updates: https://agriculture.ny.gov/coronavirus
ENYCHP
March 30th:
Updates: http://cceclinton.org/agriculture/enychp-covid-19-update-changes
New York Farm Net
April 1st:
Managing Financial Stress on the Farm in Uncertain Times
North Country Regional Ag Team
July 13th:
Greenhouse, ornamental, and landscape industry! Check out this webinar on Safety Plan considerations. watch the link here:
June 19th:
Recording of the webinar for Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops on NY Safety Plans:
https://vod.video.cornell.edu/media/Clip+of+NY+For...
June 2nd:
1st Cutting Alfalfa-Grass Quality Report
April 28th:
Considerations for Whole Milk Feeding
April 20th:
PRO-DAIRY has released an info sheet on "Diet and Management Considerations for Emergencies: Reducing Milk Flow Without Harming Cows and Threatening Future Production".
Check this out for some ideas on how to temporarily reduce production on your farm if necessary.
April 13th:
Using Surplus Milk as Fertilizer: Provisional Guidance for COVID-19 Emergency Response + NYSDEC Memo
Ongoing: North Country Regional Ag Team has a YouTube Channel and will be uploading timely materials in the days and weeks ahead. To check out previous videos and or to subscribe to be alerted when new videos are posted, please visit:
Ongoing: North Country Regional Ag Team Blog:
https://blogs.cornell.edu/northcountryregionalagteam/
Ongoing: North Country Regional Ag Team FB Page:
https://www.facebook.com/NorthCountryRegionalAgTeam/
Resources for Farmworkers
April 9th:
Reliable Resources for Spanish- & English-Speaking Farmworkers about COVID-19
April
COVID-19 Resources for Dairy Farmers:
http://cceclinton.org/resources/covid-19-resources-for-dairy-farmers
USDA
March 30th:
Coronavirus Homepage: https://www.farmers.gov/coronavirus
Business
July 17th:
Bar Guidance with new executive order:
May 19th:
NYS Focused COVID-19 Information:
The resources on the hub outline how COVID-19 affects work, labor, and employment in an effort to help make sense of how the pandemic changes the workplace – from employment and legal policy, to labor relations and HR policies and practices.
The hub’s topics include paid leave, job numbers, COVID-19 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, workers in NYS at risk of layoffs, managing during the pandemic and much more.
https://www.ilr.cornell.edu/work-and-coronavirus
May 11th:
The Northeastern IPM Center has put together a list of resources and guidance for pesticide businesses.
http://www.stoppests.org/frequently-asked-questions/covid-19-resources/
April 27th: Statewide Family Economics and Resource Management (FERM) Program Work Team
COVID-19 Financial Wellness Resources
April 24th:
Cares Act to help with Child Care Expenses for Farm Employees and Food Processors
NYS has decided they will be utilizing $30M of federal CARES act assistance to help with child care expenses for essential workers. Farm employees and food processors are considered essential workers.
(Updated 4/24/20)
As of 3/20/2020 licensed child care businesses in New York State are considered essential services and allowed to operate. NYS announced on 4/24/2020 that child care scholarships will be available for child care expenses for essential workers; which includes food processing and farm employees. Scholarships are being paid for from $30M in federal CARES Act funding received by NYS, and are open to families who are at 300% or less of the federal poverty level – or $78,600 or less for a family of four. More information can be found here: https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/news/article.php?idx=2119. The parent application is here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScvxhLCNWoq4koXGsY2QbInTgj8MTB3911ZO9Kw2rgz5ciLrQ/viewform. The scholarships will be available for the duration of the NY Pause order. The Office of Children and Family Services provides guidance to New York State licensed child care centers during the COVID-19 crisis here. While child care centers are being given flexibility to add spots for child care for essential workers, facilities are also being mindful of social distancing guidance. The Office of Children and Family Services maintains a listing of licensed day care providers to search for child care options although not all of the providers may be open during this current time. In certain regions, local YMCA’s have been expanding child care options for local essential workers and may be an option to explore. The ABCD program, which serves as a primary resource for the children of farm employee and food system employees, is currently closed and will re-evaluate its status regularly so please call local Centers for availability.
April 15th:
The New York Department of Health has released new instructions in regard to the use of face-masks for all essential employees interacting with customers. Please find information at the link below.
April 6th:
Paycheck Protection Program: Agriculture & Food Producers Now Eligible
https://eden.cce.cornell.edu/2020/04/06/paycheck-protection-program-producers-can-apply-now/
April 1st:
Small Business Administration COVID-19 Loans
https://esd.ny.gov/small-business-administration-sba-covid-19-loans
April 1st:
USDA Implements Immediate Measures to Help Rural Residents, Businesses and Communities Affected by COVID-19
March 30th:
The U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship has released a Small Business owner's Guide to the CARES Act.
It can be found at the following link: Small Business Owner's Guide to the CARES Act
Family, Community & Workforce
April 1st:
Talking to kids about COVID-19 (CCE Suffolk County)
http://ccesuffolk.org/resources/talking-to-kids-about-covid-19-novel-coronavirus/
Guidance on Paid Sick Leave and Expanded Family and Medical Leave under Families First Coronavirus Response Act
Food Industry Resources
Food Industry Virtual Office Hours
Thursday, October 8, 2020 | 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm (EDT)
The New York Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence and the IFS@CU are hosting a Q & A and facilitated discussion to address questions from the food industry on COVID-19. Speak directly to subject matter experts in sanitation, epidemiology, microbiology, virology, food safety culture, and the food safety of dairy foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, and processed foods and beverages.
Do you have a question for the panel but do not want to ask it live? You can submit questions in advance:
1) When you register,
2) Anonymously on the IFS@CU website ( instituteforfoodsafety.cornell.edu/content/submit-question-virtual-office-hours), or
3) Via email (mail to: foodsafety@cornell.edu).
Visit the IFS@CU's website (instituteforfoodsafety.cornell.edu/coronavirus-covid-19/virtual-office-hours) to learn more about upcoming sessions.
Intended audience: Open to anyone in the food industry from farm to fork.
Cost: Free
Registration required: cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYrcOioqT4pGtFxC1y6AI6ncJR9dJEL_OjY
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information to join the session.
Subject matter experts on the panel
Cornell University:
Dr. Sam Alcaine,
Assistant
Professor
Dr. Betsy Bihn, Senior Extension Associate
Dr. Aljosa Trmcic, Extension Associate
Dr. Martin Wiedmann, Gellert Family Professor in Food Safety
Ecolab, Inc.:
Dr. Ruth Petran, Senior Corporate Scientist in Food Safety & Public Health
Virtual office hours are supported in part by USDA NIFA AFRI Grant NO:2020-68006-32875/ Accession no. 1024254 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in these office hours are those of the participant(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
June 23rd:
Training Videos on COVID-19 for Food Processing Employees:
In collaboration with CCE Harvest NY, the Dairy Foods Extension Program and the Institute for Food Safety at Cornell University, Cornell Cooperative Extension is pleased to announce the release of free, 10-minute training videos for food processing employees. This training is available in both English and Spanish and covers background information about the virus causing COVID-19 as well as prevention and control strategies to mitigate the spread of the virus. Participants who watch the video and complete a knowledge-check will receive an email of completion that can be utilized as a training record. English and Spanish versions are available.
You can access this training by visiting the Institute for Food Safety at Cornell University’s website or by following the links below.
English: https://cornell.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3CoTQuOrxpQX7w1
Spanish: https://cornell.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6WMNc97mj5o6rNH
June 4th:
Guidance to provide owners/operators of outdoor & take-out/delivery food services sites & their employees & contractors with precautions when re-opening
http://cceclinton.org/resources/interim-guidance-for-outdoor-and-take-out-delivery-food-services
June 1st:
Hi All Food Service Establishments –
We understand that restaurants are included in Phase 3 of the re-opening plan and could be able to open around June 12th. We’re assuming that the restaurants will be able to open with limited seating capacity or outdoor seating during this phase. In anticipation of a potential opening, we offer the following:
- New York State may require restaurants to keep a log of customers (name, address, phone number). We understand that other businesses have been asked to complete this task (i.e., hair salons). The Clinton County Health Dept would complete the contact tracing, if necessary. We recommend preparing for this requirement and establishing a procedure.
- There is free antibody testing (see attached) for restaurant workers from June 1 to June 4 (10am-530pm) that is available at:
SUNY Albany – SEFCU Arena (Albany)
SEFCU Arena (please enter via Western Avenue)
1400 Washington Ave, Albany, NY 12222
- If facilities plan to utilize new outdoor seating, please work with your local code enforcement officer and the CCHD to ensure you are following proper protocols.
- New York State may require periodic COVID-19 testing for restaurant employees – perhaps every 2 weeks.
As we gather more information over the next week or so, we’ll share any information that would be helpful. Please let me know if anyone has any specific questions.
Ryan E. Davies, P.E., Director/Engineer of Environmental Health, (518) 565-4870 ryan.davies@clintoncountygov.com
Environmental Health & Safety Division (EHS), Tele (518) 565-4870, Fax (518) 565-4843
Resources to be Read:
NYS Antibody Testing Food Delivery and Restaurant Workers.pdf
May 27th:
Complete Listing From Institute for Food Safety at Cornell University
https://instituteforfoodsafety.cornell.edu/coronavirus-covid-19/food-industry-resources/
April 3rd:
How to Apply for SNAP:
https://hungersolutionsny.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Statewide-SNAP-COVID19-flyer-3_25_2020.pdf
Hunger Solutions New York is working to provide updates that can help schools, community organizations, and families mitigate the impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) on the food security of low-income people.
https://hungersolutionsny.org/covid-19/
April 3rd:
Cornell CALS has created a Food Industry Resource. Please see the link below
https://instituteforfoodsafety.cornell.edu/coronavirus-covid-19/food-industry-resources/
April 2nd:
North Carolina State Extension has developed a Food Safety Resource. Please see the link below.
https://foodsafety.ces.ncsu.edu/covid-19-resources/
April 1st:
Adirondack Harvest has created a list of local food producers who continue to serve the community during COVID-19. The pick-up/delivery list is searchable and you certainly could share it, hint-hint!
https://adirondackharvest.com/special-covid-19-services/
Health
May 27th:
Dispelling Consumer Myths: Learning The Facts About COVID
Slideshow to complement the video or to be viewed as standalone PDF: Dispelling Consumer Myths
May 5th: Building Resilience to Stress During COVID-19
https://smallfarms.cornell.edu/2020/05/building-resilience-to-stress-during-covid-19/
APRIL 13TH:
Updated Interim Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfection of Food Manufacturing Facilities or Food Retail Stores for COVID-19.
April 9th:
CDC Provides Recommendations Regarding the Use of Cloth Face Coverings
April 1st:
Photo-credit Clinton County Health Department
April 1st:
NYS Office of Mental Health: Managing Anxiety in an Anxiety-Provoking Situation
https://omh.ny.gov/omhweb/guidance/covid-19-managing-stress-anxiety.pdf
Ongoing: NYS Office of Mental Health: Guidance on COVID-19
https://omh.ny.gov/omhweb/guidance/
March 30th:
NAMI Champlain Valley: Has come forth with agency updates/changes including remote office hours and online services.
The complete announcement can be found at the following link:
NAMI Champlain Valley Updates/Changes
Last updated October 6, 2020
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This video from our colleagues at the University of Florida Extension offers suggestions on managing stress during the COVID-19 outbreak
WATCH THE VIDEO.