Amid Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, State is Investigating 85 Reported Cases in New York
Governor Proposes "Americans First Law" Stating a Corporation Cannot Receive Government Funding if it Does Not Rehire the Same Number of Employees Pre-Pandemic
Issues Executive Order Mandating All Nursing Home Staff Be Tested for COVID-19 Twice Per Week
Executive Order States Hospitals Cannot Discharge a Patient to a Nursing Home Unless That Patient Tests Negative for COVID-19
Department of Health and Human Services Has Distributed New Treatment Remdesivir to New York to Help Patients Infected with COVID-19 Recover More Quickly
Confirms 2,273 Additional Coronavirus Cases in New York State - Bringing Statewide Total to 335,395; New Cases in 47 Counties
Governor Cuomo: "New York State is investigating 85 cases of a COVID-related illness in children. Mostly toddler to elementary schools, it's symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease, what they call Kawasaki disease or toxic shock-like syndrome. This does not present as a normal COVID case. COVID cases tend to be respiratory. This presents as an inflammation of the blood vessels, sometimes inflammation of the heart."
Cuomo: "It's possible that these cases were coming in and were not diagnosed as related to COVID because they don't appear as COVID. But it is a situation that has taken the lives of three New Yorkers. There are two additional deaths that are currently under investigation as possibly related to the same situation. The New York State Department of Health is going to notify all the other state departments of health Again, we've recently found this and are investigating it, but it may be possible and it may even be probable that this is a situation that exists in other states and we want to make sure that they are where aware of it."
Cuomo: "Here's my suggestion to my colleagues in Washington -- the Americans First Law. If a corporation does not rehire the same number of employees, no government money. All the billions that they just gave out, if you don't rehire the same number of employees you had pre-pandemic, you have to return those funds. We're not going to subsidize you to lay off workers. If you can lay off workers and you're saving money by laying off workers, you don't need the American taxpayer to subsidize you. Otherwise you will never get those employment numbers back.
Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced earlier today New York State is notifying 49 other states across the country of emerging cases of COVID-related illness in children. The State is currently investigating 85 reported cases in New York where children - predominantly school-aged - are experiencing symptoms similar to an atypical Kawasaki disease or a toxic shock-like syndrome possibly due to COVID-19. The illness has taken the lives of three young New Yorkers and an additional two deaths are currently under investigation.
Governor Cuomo also proposed the "Americans First Law" which states that a corporation cannot be eligible to receive government funding if it does not rehire the same number of employees that the corporation had before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Governor also announced he will issue an Executive Order mandating that all nursing homes and adult care facilities test all personnel for COVID-19 two times per week and report any positive test results to the State Department of Health by the next day. The Executive Order also mandates that hospitals cannot discharge a patient to a nursing home unless that patient tests negative for COVID-19.
All nursing home and adult care facility administrators will be required to submit a plan on how they will accomplish this testing and a certificate of compliance with this Executive Order to the State Department of Health by Friday May 15th.
Any nursing home or adult care facility found to be in violation of the Executive Order may have its operating certificate suspended or revoked or may be subject to a penalty for non-compliance of $2,000 per violation per day. Additionally, any personnel who refuse to be tested for COVID-19 will be considered to have outdated or incomplete health assessments and therefore will be prohibited from working in the nursing home or adult care facility until testing is performed.
The Governor also announced that the Department of Health and Human Services is distributing a promising treatment called Remdesivir that has been shown to help patients infected with COVID-19 recover more quickly. The Department of Health and Human Services has sent New York enough antiviral to treat 2,900 people at 15 hospitals and will send more doses in the coming weeks to treat 500 more patients, including children, at additional New York Hospitals.
