Coronavirus, Continued

The novel coronavirus continues to shape our days as we long for a return to “normal.” The curve is flattening statewide, but we’re still seeing an increase in positive cases and deaths here in the Glens Falls region.

The biggest concerns now are the devastating toll the virus continues to take on our nursing home residents and in our local prisons, where hundreds of local residents work.

The Impact on Local Nursing Homes…

Several local nursing homes, including Fort Hudson, the Glens Falls Center and the Pines, have suffered loss while their determined front-line workers care for residents under very difficult conditions.

New York State released data on statewide nursing home deaths on Thursday, and shows the Glens Falls Center in Queensbury reported nine COVID-19 related deaths and four presumed COVID-19 deaths as of Wednesday. Fort Hudson in Fort Edward reported eight COVID-19 related deaths, and The Pines in Glens Falls had three confirmed deaths and one presumed death as of Wednesday.

Statewide, 5,020 people have died in the state's nursing homes and assisted living facilities since March 1, according to statistics released by Governor Andrew Cuomo's office. This total includes confirmed COVID-19 cases and presumed COVID-19 cases.

…and on our Prisons

The number of infected inmates continues to rise at Great Meadow Correctional Facility, the maximum security prison in Fort Ann. As of Wednesday, 31 inmates had tested positive for COVID-19, with two tests pending. Only five other facilities in the state have higher infection totals than Great Meadow. The total number of inmates infected at Great Meadow jumped 41% from April 30 to May 6, from 22 to 31.

At Washington Correctional Facility, the medium security prison across the street from Great Meadow, the state said Tuesday that two inmates who had been tested do not have the virus. That’s great news. There remain no confirmed cases among inmates at Washington.

As for staff, NYS Corrections only releases statewide numbers. On Wednesday, the state said 1,143 staff across the state had the novel coronavirus, and four staff had died. Statewide, 15 inmates have died.

COVID-19, County by County

There were four more COVID-19 related deaths in Warren County reported Wednesday. All four were nursing home residents. No additional deaths were reported Thursday. Total county deaths remain at 23. Seventeen deaths have been nursing home residents. Total cumulative number of cases remains 185.

As of Thursday, Saratoga County had 370 total confirmed cases of COVID-19, eight people hospitalized and 14 deaths. County health officials report two new cases Thursday. The good news is the numbers in Saratoga County appear to be leveling off.

In Washington County, no new deaths were reported Wednesday or Thursday. Ten people have died from COVID-19 since the outbreak began. On Thursday, eight more confirmed cases were reported by county officials, and that total remains at 174. There are 72 active cases. Nine more people recovered as of Thursday, bringing that total to 92.

The Scoop on School Budgets

School district officials are stuck in limbo as they try to craft a budget for next year and look to the following year as well. Governor Cuomo has mandated that all upcoming school board elections and school budget votes be held by mail ballot only on Tuesday, June 9, which throws another substantial wrinkle into the turbulent coming weeks.

“The first order of business is helping our 31 school districts in the Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES understand their budgets for 2020-21,” district superintendent Jim Dexter told Glens Falls Living. “How do they adopt a budget if they don’t have the data from the state regarding state aid?”

Governor Cuomo has said school districts can expect a reduction of state aid up to 20%, with state aid adjusted and partially made up by $10-billion in anticipated federal aid.

“The poorer districts would see more of a cut, and the more wealthy districts would see less of a cut because they generally get less state aid because of their higher property tax base,” Mr. Dexter said. “Some of the poorer districts receive up to 70% of their budget through state aid. More wealthy districts won’t be affected as much, but the cuts could be catastrophic for some local districts.

“And don’t forget, the federal CARES money goes away next year, so it’s not just now, it’s looking into next year and thinking about, ‘What’s our two-year plan?’ It’s a little nervewracking.”

School districts that have a sizable fund balance will be able to temper the reductions to maintain services, but not all districts have huge fund balances they can tap, Mr. Dexter said.

Along with creating a budget and school boards passing those budgets so they can have residents vote on them, the issue of the mail balloting looms large.

“That’s the first order of business right now,” he said. “For example, I have people trying to find envelopes right now. You need outer envelopes to send the ballots and inner envelopes so residents can return them.”

The Latest from Glens Falls City Schools - and What about Graduation?

Glens Falls City School Superintendent Paul Jenkins said the Governor’s office has told school officials that they will release more information on state aid on May 15th.

“Then we will have a board of education meeting on May 18th and officially adopt a budget,” he said in a Zoom interview with Glens Falls Living Monday. “We’re anticipating reduction in state aid may be an issue, but there are some answers we just don’t have, unfortunately.”

The early projections indicate Glens Falls could actually see an increase in state aid, from $19.972-million in 2019-20 to $20.420-million next year. But those numbers could change on May 15th.

“We will have to adjust,” Mr. Jenkins said. “We don’t want to cut programs, and on top of that, we don’t know what next year will bring in terms of making major changes in what we do. I can’t see us cutting staff when we’re looking at smaller class sizes and more monitoring of students. I can’t see us reducing staff. We will just be utilizing staff in a different way.”

What will graduation look like?

“We are reviewing a couple of scenarios right now,” he said. “There will be a ceremony in some form.”

What about holding graduation at a local drive-in movie theater, as some have suggested?

“That is one of our thoughts,” Mr. Jenkins said. “A lot of people have mentioned that. But the issue is, what are the restrictions going to be in mid to late June? Having a large gathering like that could be an issue, and it could be very difficult to control.

“So the questions of how do we actually get students their diplomas and where it will be is evolving.”

Mr. Jenkins said the pandemic is prompting larger questions.

“We are taking a very different look at education and how we do things like professional development, how we present information to students, how we grade them,” he said. “There is talk about having split school sessions, with some students coming in one day and others staying home. How do we handle the students not there?”

Are there silver linings?

“I’m communicating a lot more with other superintendents,” he said. “I have a great administrative staff, and everyone from the board members to the teachers to the staff has been amazing. I’ve seen a lot more personal support, both internal and external, for teachers and staff than ever before.

“We are all very concerned about the families and the parents, and this has been hard on our own staff. Many of our teachers have kids at home, and are working with their own kids while also teaching their students remotely.”

Mr. Jenkins said right before schools were closed in mid-March, he upgraded his internet capacity at home.

“If I hadn’t done that, I would have been in trouble,” he said. “But a lot of families don’t have internet access, or don’t have the speed to do remote learning.”

At South High: Buildings are Closed but School is Open

South Glens Falls School Superintendent Kristine Orr, in an email interview, said they are putting together a budget but “we have discussed no student programs at this time. If cuts ever have to be made, we look at cutting through attrition first if possible.

“At this point, we are continuing our continuity of learning, giving food to our families in need and providing child care. Supporting our families through this time is first on our mind. I am working with the administrators to review all end of the year traditions and we will set a plan on all of those now that we know school is closed. Graduation will happen. We have several scenarios that we are reviewing and will let families know what it will look like soon.

“As educators, we thrive being around children and watching them grow every day,” Ms. Orr said. “Seeing everyone over the screen helps, but human contact is just as important.

“As a leader, communication to staff, students, and families is essential. I write to the staff almost daily in some way. We continue to update our webpage and I have sent several videos to our families.

“It is important as a leader to take this one day at a time and to lead with empathy and compassion. Regardless of any situation, all families are feeling lost in some way and it is important to recognize that and support them anyway we can. Our entire staff has been there for our families in many ways.

“We will continue to work with students until the end of the year and help them process this. Our buildings may be closed but our schools are open and we will continue to work hard to keep our students engaged in learning.

“As a BOCES, the 31 superintendents led by Jim Dexter meet several times a week to review all important topics. We will be talking about what reopening schools looks like as a group and adjusting our needs based on the makeup of the school.”

GFH Stands Ready for a Surge - If It’s Coming

At Glens Falls Hospital, “We are waiting for the surge, if a surge is coming,” said Dr. Sean Bain, president of the medical staff. “We’ve been lucky so far. We haven’t gotten as many cases as we thought we might.”

Dr. Bain, a South Glens Falls native, said “It’s been stable. We haven’t seen a big spike. We’ve actually seen a decrease in the last week or two, from seven to nine patients to six or seven now.”

He said the hospital has yet to receive patients from Great Meadow. That could change, he said, as Glens Falls is the closest hospital to the prison, even though the state contracts with Albany Medical Center.

What is he expecting in the next week?

“I don’t know that we know yet,” he said. “The nursing homes and prisons are just starting, and I don’t know if we’ve reached a peak yet. I just don’t know.”

He said because this area is less congested than other larger cities, and because we started social distancing here early, the hospital hasn’t seen the surge of COVID-19 patients it expected.

“But we are prepared for a surge if it does happen,” he said. “We could staff up to 200 beds.”

Staff morale “has calmed down. There was a lot of anxiety in the beginning, with so many changes. But over the last two weeks, we’ve settled into a groove and things have calmed down.”

As of Thursday afternoon, Glens Falls Hospital has received permission from the state to resume elective outpatient surgeries and procedures while keeping their plan in place for any potential COVID-19 surges that may develop. Further details are available on their website here.

Testing, 1-2-3

Warren County, in concert with Glens Falls Hospital, continues to operate a drive-up COVID-19 testing facility at the County Municipal Center on Route 9 in Queensbury. The testing site is open to residents of Warren, Washington, Saratoga, Essex and Hamilton counties, and is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Anyone who believes they should have a test needs to contact a doctor or urgent care center to have it arranged. Warren County Health Services can be reached at 518-761-6580 for any questions.

In the meantime, some important links: Centers for Disease Control, NYS Department of Health, Warren County Health Services.

Ending on a High Note

The Glens Falls Police Department shared this on social media on Wednesday, and we wanted to share it with you!

“On April 25th, 2020, Police Officer Thomas Pratt responded to a report of a 19-month-old child that was not conscious, alert or breathing.

“Upon arriving at the scene, Officer Pratt made a quick assessment of the situation and the child’s condition and proceeded to administer life saving assistance.

“Officer Pratt was able to clear a large obstruction from the child’s airway and breathing was restored. His quick alert actions, (and) ability to assess the situation and act swiftly during a highly stressful time, resulted in saving the child’s life.

“His actions on that day are not only appreciated by the City of Glens Falls Police Department but also by the child’s family.

“Officer Pratt was awarded the Life Saving Award by Police Chief Anthony Lydon at a ceremony at the Glens Falls Police Department on May 5th, 2020.

“Thank you for your dedication to the Glens Falls Police Department as well to the City of Glens Falls. Congratulations on a well-deserved award. The department is proud of your accomplishment.”

Until next time -
Gordon

Hometown News: May 6