April 14, 2020
Dear Community,
Today, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that he will issue an Executive Order requiring all New Yorkers to wear a face covering in public when it is not possible to practice social distancing. For instance, New Yorkers should wear a face covering when visiting a store or using public transportation. This requirement will go into effect on Friday, April 17th. As a reminder, you can use a homemade face covering such as a bandana or scarf. Please do not use surgical masks or N95 masks – those supplies should be reserved for medical professionals and others serving on the front lines. Here are some tips on making homemade masks.
New York is continuing to flatten the curve and slow the rate of infection. Because the situation has stabilized, New York is going to send 100 ventilators to Michigan and 50 to Maryland. Several states generously lent New York ventilators in our time of most acute need. I am grateful that we are now able to give back and help other states in their moment of crisis.
Beginning this week, New York State will conduct up to 2,000 antibody tests a day, prioritizing health care workers, first responders, and other essential workers. The state is also seeking FDA approval for their antibody test which would allow as many as 100,000 New Yorkers per day to receive a finger prick antibody test.
Today, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a $170 million investment to provide food assistance to New Yorkers in need and shore up our city’s food supply. New York City is already providing hundreds of thousands of meals each day to New Yorkers through grab and go food sites and deliveries to seniors, people who are medically fragile, and others who cannot leave their homes. With this investment, New York City plans to serve 10 million meals to New Yorkers this month alone.
Last month, Mayor de Blasio appointed Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia as Food Czar to oversee and coordinate the city’s food assistance programs. She will continue to guide New York City’s efforts to secure the supply of food to the city so that all New Yorkers have access to food whether they purchase it at grocery stores or have meals delivered. To that end, New York City is making a $50 million investment in an emergency food reserve. The city will purchase 18 million shelf stable meals so that the City can continue to provide meals to those in need even if the supply chain is impacted. Commissioner Garcia’s team is also working closely with food retailers to make sure they have the protective equipment they need. And to maintain transportation of food into our city, and support drivers, New York City is setting up two new rest areas, including at the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center. You can read more about New York City’s plan to feed New Yorkers during COVID-19 here.
As a reminder, if you are in need, you can call 311 or visit nyc.gov/GetFood to connect with available food resources. If you live in Westchester, you can find available food resources here. No one should go hungry during this crisis.
Update on CARES Act Relief Checks: The IRS began distributing direct payments today via direct deposit. You can check the status of your payment online here. Note, due to high demand, you may have to wait to access the portal. If you do not have direct deposit information on file, your check will be mailed and may take up to 20 weeks to arrive. As a reminder, individuals who make up to $99,000 and joint filers who make up to $198,000 are eligible to receive a payment of $1,200 per adult and $500 per child under 17 years. You can read more about eligibility and how to access your payment here.
Note, if you receive social security payments you do not need to take any action –– you will automatically receive your payment. You can find further information from the Social Security Administration here.
As a reminder, the IRS and New York State have both extended their filing deadlines to July 15th. Taxes are not due today.
Update on Nursing Homes: Governor Cuomo will issue an Executive Order requiring nursing homes to report any positive COVID-19 cases or deaths to the families of other residents. This requirement will apply to all adult home and assisted living facilities. Notification must occur within 24 hours.
Update on Unemployment Claims: If you filed for unemployment online, you will only get a call back if your application is incomplete. If your application is complete, do not expect a call. You can check the status of your application on the Department of Labor website.
Updates for NYCHA Tenants: NYCHA residents can find the latest updates on food resources, daycare for essential workers, and more, here.
Financial Empowerment Guidance: New York City Financial Empowerment Center counselors are available to support those experiencing financial challenges. You can book an appointment here.
Upcoming Events:
- On Thursday, April 23rd at 7:00pm, I am hosting a virtual town hall with New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer. We will be talking about how our offices are responding to COVID-19, what resources are available, and how we can better support our community. RSVP here or by calling 212-669-4315.
- On April 24, 2020 at 6:30pm, join my office for an open conversation and resource-sharing webinar hosted by myself and the Bronx Council on the Arts. Submit questions and reserve your spot here.
Ways to Lend a Helping Hand:
- Donate or Sell Supplies: Learn more from the EDC about providing and manufacturing PPE here.
- Donate Food to Healthcare Workers: Support Westchester Hospital workers here.
- Make Masks: Sign up to make PPE for our state and city here, or here.
- To see how you can get involved for New York State, click here.
- For how to help in New York City, click here.
- Remember, New York is recruiting help from around the country, not just the state.
- Find virtual volunteering opportunities at New York Cares, Mutual Aid NYC, Volunteer New York, and more here.
- Support Women-Owned Businesses: Ladies Get Paid and the Female Founder Collective have put together a directory of women-owned businesses to support.
- Support Baby2Baby: Baby2Baby provides basic necessities to families with small children impacted by COVID-19. Learn more about how to support their work here.
- Support Local Businesses: To learn more about how to support your local businesses click on the links below.
As of today, April 15th, 2020, nation-wide there are 636,350 cases, reported deaths, and reported recoveries. Worldwide there are 2,056,055 cases, with 134,178 reported deaths and 471,469 reported recoveries.
In New York State, there are 213,779 confirmed cases. 12,089 New Yorkers have recovered from COVID-19. To date, New York has conducted 526,012 tests statewide.
We have now lost 6,840 New Yorkers to the virus. The Bronx has the second highest number of nursing home and adult care fatalities due to COVID-19 in the state.
Of the confirmed cases:
- 111,424 are located in New York City
- 26,715 are located in Nassau County
- 23,278 are located in Suffolk County
- 20,947 are located in Westchester County
- 8,474 are located in Rockland County
You can find the geographic breakdown of coronavirus cases by County here.
As of April 15th, the Westchester County breakdown is as follows:
- 89 are located in the Village of Pelham
- 57 are located in the Village of Pelham Manor
- 1,313 are located in Mount Vernon
As of April 15th, the New York City borough breakdown is as follows:
- 24,587 in The Bronx
- 29,250 in Brooklyn
- 34,831 in Queens
- 14,188 in Manhattan
- 8,504 on Staten Island
You can find more information and data breakdowns here.
This is an evolving situation. For updated information on COVID-19 (in multiple languages) from trusted sources for your designated area, please visit:
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention
- New York State Department of Health
- Westchester County Department of Health
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
You can also call the New York State Novel Coronavirus Hotline at 1-888-364-3065 or the New York City Hotline at 1-844-NYC-4NYC with any questions.
While you are at home, don’t forget to fill out the Census! Let’s make our communities count! For more information, and to complete the census, you can click here.
If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe to our newsletter here.
Stay strong.
With Gratitude,
State Senator Alessandra Biaggi
0 comments:
Post a Comment