COVID 19

Long Island Officials Say Delta Variant, Unvaccinated Residents Are Driving Surge In COVID Cases

/ CBS New York

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Medical experts are concerned about the recent rise in positive COVID cases in our region, and vaccine hesitancy appears to be spreading among the young.

"Right now, the people that we're seeing with COVID are all people that did not get the vaccine," said Dr. Joseph Greco, of NYU Langone Hospital - Long Island.

The unvaccinated and the Delta variant are sending Long Island virus cases spiraling upward a whopping 77% in a week.

"Sixty percent of cases over the past week are in people 30 and under, 30 years old and under," Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said.

"And you've had a death?" CBS2's Jennifer McLogan asked.

"Yes. Unfortunately, yes," Curran said.

COVID VACCINE

The Surgeon General says false information shared on social media is a serious threat to public health, driving vaccine hesitancy.

The mobile Vaxmobile and health care workers are now spreading the message of science over social media misinformation.

"We're actually going to crank it up. We're going to be going to pools. We're going to be going to beaches. Go visit the town website. Now that you can have kids 12 and older get vaccinated, we want our kids to be maskless," Hempstead Town Supervisor Donald Clavin said.

East Northport resident Matt Edwards was among those getting vaccinated Friday.

"I got it 'cause my sister is immunocompromised," he said.

"I feel everybody should get their vaccine so we can all go back to normal as much as possible," 17-year-old Conception Alvedo said.

Meanwhile, some parents and lawmakers are fighting mandatory vaccinations for their New York state college students.

"I don't want my son to be vaccinated, and he does not want to be vaccinated," parent Jayne Baillie said.

"Our students and our minors who are at low risk for contracting COVID should not be a part of this experiment," said Republican New York State Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio.

"You are calling the COVID-19 vaccine experimental?" McLogan asked.

"On children, yes, between the ages of 18-25," Giglio said.

CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

Greco says asymptomatic young can be super spreaders.

"My son is about to go back to college and they are mandating vaccines, and I think that is the greatest thing," Greco said.

To open the world again, doctors say the COVID-19 vaccine is a must to stop the spread of the Delta variant.

Veterans groups are volunteering on Long Island to speak to vaccine hesitant residents.

© 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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