Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez - Newsletter

UPDATES ON CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK

As New York State continues to battle the coronavirus, we’re here to keep you updated on essential news and services. There are currently 195,031 confirmed cases. The Bronx has reported 23,352 as of Monday, April ^13th. New Yorkers are urged to follow the Department of Health guidelines and to take caution around the people most likely to be infected: The elderly and those with preexisting conditions. We also encourage people to be mindful of our essential workforce that continue to work in the middle of a crisis. Please practice social distancing, wear masks and gloves, and wash your hands frequently whenever possible.

Recent data on reported infections indicates that the numbers of new cases are beginning to flatten. Mayor De Blasio announced in his press conference that the number people needing ventilators has fallen. It is still too soon to say the crisis is over but there are reasons to be optimistic. New Yorkers should continue to take safety precautions in public. Please remember, you can be a carrier even if you do not show symptoms and your efforts in fighting the virus go a long way. New York state is working as hard as possible to secure the supplies needed but the first line of defense starts with you. Keep it up!

We are here to help. Our Assembly office is working to provide free hand sanitizer for organizations in need and will continue to be a resource for all district residents. Please call 718-409-0109 or contact District80@nyassembly.gov.

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For now, please continue reading for updates on the State, City, and Federal response to this health crisis.

New Data

“Data shows that Latinx & Black populations are the hardest by this pandemic,” said Assemblywoman Fernandez. “These stats are DEVASTATING. COVID19 is affecting lower-income communities, such as ZIP 10467 and 10469, which I represent. This is where we need the State & Federal government to step up on resources ASAP”

The Mayor has announced the release of preliminary data by race/ethnicity on COVID deaths within NYC:

• Hispanic: 34% (29% of population)
• Black 28% (22% of population)
• White 27% (32% of population)
• Asian 7% (14% of population)

Schools on Pause

• Closing NYC Public Schools: NYC public schools will remain closed for the rest of this school year. Schools will continue with their remote learning methods as they have done over the past few weeks. The reasons can be cited as:
• Public Health: NIAID Director Fauci supports schools remaining closed. Even with low-level transmission, the city must continue many elements of social distancing to prevent resurgence of the virus.
• Academics: There is limited academic value of a truncated session. Individual school closures required by new infections would be frequent and disruptive. Finally, educators and parents need predictability.
• The New York State Regents exams in June have been canceled. Read more HERE. Elementary and intermediate-level state assessments have been suspended for the remainder of this school year.
• Free lunches are now available to all New Yorkers at 435 public schools throughout the city. Adults with children will be served between 7:30 am and 11:30 am. Adults will be served between 11:30 am and 1:30 pm. Read more HERE. No ID or documentation is required.
• Parents of students with individualized educational programs should contact NYC Department of Education to come up with Special Education Remote Learning Plan. These plans will be developed with teachers and staff familiar with the student to ensure their education continues during the coronavirus outbreak. Contact 311 or email specialeducation@schools.nyc.gov
• The New York Public Library is offering tutoring to students online from 2pm-11pm. Students will need a library card to access content and can be obtained HERE.

Workforce still on Pause

Governor Cuomo has extended a state-wide stay at home order until April 29th. All workers considered to be non-essential personnel are required to work from home. Please see HERE to see if your job is considered essential.

Testing in the Bronx

The Mayor announced an expansion of testing across the City in communities of greater need.  Morrisania in the Bronx will be provided a new testing facility. We are still awaiting the details of the new facility.

Current Testing Areas

• Drive-thru testing for the Coop City area is located in the Bay Plaza Mall, in the parking lot of the AMC movie theatre and is open from 8:00 am-9:00 pm. Please call 1-888-364-3065.
• Drive-thru testing is available at the Lehman College, in the parking area along Goulden Avenue. To make an appointment, please contact 1-888-364-3065.
• Drive-thru testing available at Jacobi Hospital. To schedule an appointment please contact 311.

Protecting Homeless New Yorkers:

The Mayor also announced that a 1/3 of single homeless New Yorkers will be OUT of congregate settings by Monday, April 20th, moving 2,500 more people into hotels by prioritizing:

• Seniors People with COVID or symptoms.
• People in shelters where we’re not seeing enough social distancing.
• Persuading more clients on streets to accept shelter Starting next week, we’ll open 230 new safe haven and low-barrier beds.
• People over 60.

Shelter

 

DHS is working hard to protect shelter residents and shelter staff during this time. They have taken the following steps to ensure the safety of their workers and residents, with more to come:

• Stood up more than 700 isolation beds in commercial hotels for individuals with symptoms of COVID-19
• Prioritized transfer of DHS clients aged 70 and older to commercial hotels
• Securing additional safe haven beds and drop-in centers
• Streamlined the process for families applying for shelter by eliminating in-person appointments and conducting interviews by phone

Medicaid

 

In New York City, all active cases will be extended. No Medicaid case will be closed for failure to renew or failure to provide documentation. Any case that is closed for failure to renew or failure to provide documentation that had Medicaid coverage on or after March 18, 2020 will be re-opened with coverage restored to ensure no gap in coverage. Renewals will be extended for 12 months.

Unemployment Update

The Department of Labor will no longer require claimants to call in to confirm their unemployment benefits. Now, the Department will instead call claimants back within 72 hours.

Donate Blood

Governor Cuomo has called on all New Yorkers who have recovered from COVID19 to consider donating blood. Individuals who have recovered from the virus may have convalescent plasma in their blood, which has antibodies against the virus and could help with the development of a treatment for the virus. More information about how to donate is available here.