NYS Department of Public Service Winter Outreach

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As the winter season approaches, many New Yorkers will face a difficult time managing their energy costs. This situation may be particularly hard on the elderly and those with fixed or low incomes. It is important that consumers are made aware of steps they can take, and the programs they can participate in, to reduce their energy use and help control energy bills this winter.

The New York State Department of Public Service’s annual winter outreach and education campaign is intended to help consumers manage their energy bills while staying warm and safe during the cold weather months. We encourage consumers to take simple, low-cost energy savings measures to reduce energy use and to consider bill payment options and financial assistance programs to help manage their winter heating costs.

The Department of Public Service has launched a webpage dedicated to winter preparedness: www.dps.ny.gov/winter. This page has information for consumers about controlling heating costs, including links to state and utility financial assistance programs, consumer protections, energy efficiency and winter safety.

Health Department Asks Residents to Report Positive COVID-19 Results from At-Home Tests

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COVID-19 testing options have expanded over the past several months. At-home test kits are now available at retail stores and pharmacies. Residents should report positive results from at-home test kits to Franklin County Public Health Services. This can be done by calling 518-481-1709.
Some at-home COVID-19 tests are supervised by a lab or medical professional, usually by video chat. The results are either mailed to a lab for processing, or processed at home. If the test syncs to an app or is sent out to a lab, these results are automatically reported.
Other at-home antigen tests, such as the Binax NOW Self-Test, are simple and affordable. These tests do not include a mechanism to report results into the state's reporting system.
Many different home tests are available for sale. Tracking the name of make, Lot Number, and the manufacturer will be very helpful when reporting your home test positive result to FCPHS.
It is very important to track COVID cases so our community can act quickly to prevent further spread. Residents may want to use prior recent infection as a way to travel or attend large public events. These results can also be used to avoid quarantine after an exposure. To do this, the prior infection must be documented by the health department.

Governor Hochul Announces State Actions to Address School Bus Driver Shortage

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Governor Kathy Hochul announced a multi-agency plan to address the school bus driver shortage affecting schools across the state. The plan includes short-term steps to remove barriers and recruit traditional and non-traditional Commercial Driver's License holders, expand CDL testing opportunities, and enhance processes all designed to get more drivers into school buses. Additionally, New York State is launching outreach to more than 550,000 CDL license holders in New York State.

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