Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - JANUARY 3, 2023

 

Governor Encourages New Yorkers to Keep Using the Tools to Protect Against and Treat COVID-19: Vaccines, Boosters, Testing and Treatment

30 Statewide Deaths Reported on December 30

 Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combatting COVID-19 and outlined basic steps they can take to protect against the spread of viral respiratory infections that become more common in the winter season.

"As New Yorkers warmly welcome a new year, I urge everyone to remain vigilant and continue to use all available tools to keep themselves, their loved ones and their communities safe and healthy," Governor Hochul said. "Stay up to date on vaccine doses, and test before gatherings or travel. If you test positive, talk to your doctor about potential treatment options."

Governor Hochul is urging New Yorkers to take common prevention measures — like staying up to date on vaccines and practicing proper hygiene — to protect from Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), the flu and COVID-19 and reduce the patient burden on local hospitals. The Governor recently updated New Yorkers on the state's winter health preparedness efforts.

Recently, the New York State Department of Health announced new guidance for bivalent COVID-19 booster doses, which are now available for eligible children down to 6 months of age. The updated boosters are the first to be targeted to the original virus strain and recently circulating variants and are recommended for young New Yorkers and all those eligible.

The Health Department's weekly flu surveillance report, with data through Dec. 24, showed influenza remaining widespread throughout the state for a twelfth consecutive week, with a total of 255,981 positive cases across all 62 counties reported to date. The report found that confirmed cases statewide dropped 23 percent, while overall hospitalizations were down 14 percent from the previous week ending on Dec. 24 at 2,501 hospitalizations across the state.

Additionally, there were 43 outbreaks in acute care and long-term care facilities, the report determined. There were also no additional pediatric deaths, leaving the total at five statewide.

With flu season continuing and infections remaining widespread, Governor Hochul encourages all New Yorkers to get their annual flu vaccine. The flu virus and the virus that causes COVID-19 are both circulating, so getting vaccinated against both is the best way to stay healthy and to avoid added stress to the health care system.

Governor Hochul also continues to urge New Yorkers to get their bivalent COVID-19 vaccine boosters. To schedule an appointment for a booster, New Yorkers should contact their local pharmacy, county health department, or healthcare provider; visit vaccines.gov; text their ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find nearby locations.

The State Department of Health is continuing its annual public education campaign, reminding adults and parents to get both flu and COVID-19 shots for themselves and children 6 months and older. Advertisements in both English and Spanish language began running last month.

For information about flu vaccine clinics, contact the local health department or visit vaccines.gov/find-vaccines/.

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

• Cases Per 100k - 16.60
• 7-Day Average Cases Per 100k - 24.38
• Test Results Reported - 28,348
• Total Positive - 3,244
• Percent Positive - 10.40%
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 8.71%
• Patient Hospitalization - 3,960 (-22)*
• Patients Newly Admitted - 641*
• Patients in ICU - 413 (-15)*
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 174 (-7)*
• Total Discharges - 381,875 (+637)*
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 30*
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 60,406*

** Due to the test reporting policy change by the federal Department of Health and Human Services and several other factors, the most reliable metric to measure virus impact on a community is the case per 100,000 data -- not percent positivity.

The Health Electronic Response Data System is a NYS DOH data source that collects confirmed daily death data as reported by hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities only.

Important Note: Effective Monday, April 4, the federal Department of Health and Human Services is no longer requiring testing facilities that use COVID-19 rapid antigen tests to report negative results. As a result, New York State's percent positive metric will be computed using only lab-reported PCR results. Positive antigen tests will still be reported to New York State and reporting of new daily cases and cases per 100k will continue to include both PCR and antigen tests. Due to this change and other factors, including changes in testing practices, the most reliable metric to measure virus impact on a community is the case per 100,000 data -- not percent positivity.

• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 76,877

This daily COVID-19 provisional death certificate data reported by NYS DOH and NYC to the CDC includes those who died in any location, including hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, at home, in hospice and other settings.

Each New York City borough's 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows **:

Borough	Saturday,   Dec.   31, 2022	Sunday,   January   1, 2023	Monday,   January   2, 2023
Bronx	9.99%	10.08%	10.27%
Kings	6.49%	6.52%	6.54%
New York	8.48%	8.52%	8.57%
Queens	10.53%	10.54%	10.71%
Richmond	8.97%	8.95%	9.21%

Bronx Metro-North: Upcoming Environmental Scoping Hearing - The City is Taking the Public out of These Meetings by Having them Online and not in Person.

 

Please join us for a City Environmental Quality Review Scoping Session for planning work related to the Bronx Metro-North Station Area Study and proposed land use changes at the Morris Park and Parkchester/Van Nest Station areas. 

When?  

January 9, 2023: Starting at 2pm and ending at approximately 5pm. 

Why? 

Scoping meetings give the public a voice in a proposal's environmental impact statement, a document disclosing potential impacts and mitigation related to proposed land use actions. Scoping meetings are an opportunity for the public to provide comments on the environmental impact scope of work documents  released in early December 2022. 

Context 

This is an important next step to planning updates shared as part of our recent Remote Info Sessions held on December 13 and December 15, 2022, including proposed zoning changes at Morris Park and Parkchester/Van Nest. For an overview of those sessions, including details on proposed land use changes, please see the below links: 

• Remote Info Session I --- ALREADY DONE

• Remote Info Session II --ALREADY DONE 

How to participate: 

Scoping meeting 

Details on how to join by videoconference or by calling from any phone are available on NYC Engage at the below link:

• Scoping Session: January 9, 2023: 2-5pm 

You can also submit comments in writing to the following email address:  

• 23DCP065X_DL@planning.nyc.gov. 

Spanish language and ASL interpretation will be available. 

Planning work 

Please visit the Bronx Metro-North webpage to see a summary of recommendations and past planning work. . 

Planning conversations for Co-op City and Hunts Point will continue into the spring of 2023. 

Stay up to date: 

• Mailing List: To make sure you’re up-to-date on planning work, please sign up for our mailing list at bmns@planning.nyc.gov.

• Remote Office Hours: Have additional questions or thoughts you’d like to share with us? We’d love to hear from you. Sign up for one-on-one remote office hours with the study team here: Sign up!  

EDITOR'S NOTE:

Why is the city purposely keeping these meeting online?

If there is a threat due to COVID or anything else, then close the city down again Mayor Adams. Otherwise don't hide these very important meeting to online only. 

Nos Quedamos - Three Kings Day Celebration January 6, 2023 at Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture

 

Join Nos Quedamos and Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture on January 6, 2023 at 7PM (450 Grand Concourse, Bronx) as we celebrate the magical tradition of the Adoration of The Magi (Epiphany) and welcome Los Tres Reyes Magos to the South Bronx, with a special musical journey directly from Puerto Rico in honor of the diaspora! Download Flier General, children/student, and senior tickets available. Special group rates also available. SPECIAL DISCOUNT to Nos Quedamos’ residents: $5 tickets when purchased via phone (718-518-4455) or at box-office by saying “Nos Quedamos.” Click or Scan below for tickets. View / Purchase Tickets Click Map for directions.

Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to a Felony For Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

 

Defendant Used a Bike Rack to Intentionally Trip Officer

 A Pennsylvania man pled guilty today to the felony charge of assaulting a law enforcement officer during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

Mikhail Edward Slye, 32, of Meadville, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to the charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers, a felony which carries a statutory maximum sentence of up to eight years in prison. U.S. District Court Judge James E. Boasberg scheduled sentencing for April 4, 2023.

Slye was arrested on September 30, 2022, in Meadville, PA.

According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Slye used a bike rack barricade to intentionally trip an officer with the U.S. Capitol Police. The officer and his team were attempting to rescue another officer caught in the crowd on the North Side of the Capitol. As a result of being tripped, the officer fell down the stairs and suffered injuries to his hand, wrist, and lower body.

Additionally, Slye illegally entered the Capitol twice – once, at 2:56 p.m., remaining for three minutes, and again at 3:05, exiting at 3:35. While in the Capitol, he moved throughout the Crypt area and other locations.

This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office and its Erie Resident Agency, and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

In the nearly 24 months since Jan. 6, 2021, close to 900 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 275 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing. 

Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation Opens Investigation into Civilian Death in Queens

 

 The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI) has opened an investigation into the death of Quayshawn Samuel, who died on December 29, 2022, following an encounter with members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD).

On the evening of December 29, as NYPD officers were approaching an apartment building on Beach Channel Drive in Far Rockaway, three individuals, including Mr. Samuel, fled the building. Two officers pursued Mr. Samuel on foot, and one of the officers fired his weapon during the ensuing encounter. Mr. Samuel was taken to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. NYPD recovered a gun at the scene.

Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person, by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident.

These are preliminary facts and subject to change. 

Governor Hochul Announces Start of $9.3 Million Upgrade at Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park

 

Upgrades Include New Visitor Center, Improved Parking, and Enhanced Exhibits

Site is One of Last remaining 19th Century Great Estates on the South Shore of Long Island

View Project Renderings Here

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the start of a $9.3 million construction project for a new Visitor Center, improved parking, and enhanced exhibits at Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park in Suffolk County.

"Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park has been attracting visitors for decades and is a shining example of the great estates on the South Shore of Long Island during the 19th century," Governor Hochul said. "These improvements will make a visit to this historic site an even more enriching and enjoyable experience, and will ensure it is enjoyed by generations of New Yorkers."

Plans call for the multi-phase construction project to be completed by the fall of 2024. Work will include a new 1,600 square-foot Visitor Center to educate visitors about the Cutting family and their historic 60-room, Tudor-style mansion, the landscaped grounds with wide variety of trees, shrubs and plants, and the impact of ongoing climate change on Long Island.

Also to be built are 248 new, paved and standard-width parking spaces to replace the current array of undersized parking spaces. Electrical service at the mansion will also be upgraded.

The $9.3 million dollar project has been funded by several partners including a $1.5 million donation from the Bayard Cutting Board of Trustees through the Natural Heritage Trust, as well as grants from New York Works ($4.8 million), federal Land and Water Conservation Fund ($2.3 million) and state Environmental Protection Fund ($750,000). 

Sustainability efforts include a photo-voltaic solar power array on the Visitor Center's roof, LED parking lot lighting, electric vehicle charging stations and pervious asphalt paving in the parking lots that will improve storm water drainage and water quality.

The park will remain open during construction. An interactive app/website is also being developed to orient visitors to the arboretum and learn about specific trees and gardens located there.

Designed by MBB Architects, the new Visitor Center will be a glass pavilion to house exhibits at the entrance to the 19,000 square-foot mansion and grounds. Exhibits will highlight the trees and plants that make up the arboretum, the science of tree growth, the history of the property, and steps being taken there currently to respond to human-induced climate change. General contractor on the project will be G&M Earth Movers, with Central Air Corp as the Mechanical contractor, Roland's Electric Inc. as electric contractor and KG Mechanical Inc. as plumbing contractor. Construction management will be performed by The LiRo Group.

More than 471,000 people visited the arboretum in 2021, an annual record and an increase of nearly 90 percent since 2015. Since 2003, more than 4.4 million people have visited the 691-acre park situated on the picturesque Connetquot River.

The estate mansion is maintained in its original style with furnishings typical of the estate era. Guided tours of the mansion, which was recently used during filming of HBO Max's The Gilded Age, are available seasonally. The park also features an array of hiking trails that are open year-round. The arboretum grounds were designed for original owner William Bayard Cutting, a wealthy attorney, financier, real estate developer, sugar beet refiner, and philanthropist, by Frederick Law Olmsted, who had earlier designed Central Park in New York City and what was to become Niagara Falls State Park.

The park has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973 as a historic district.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, which are visited by a record 78 million people annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.parks.ny.gov, connect with us on Facebook, or follow on Instagram and Twitter.

The Natural Heritage Trust is a non-profit, public-benefit corporation with the mission to receive and administer gifts, grants and contributions to further public programs for parks, recreation, cultural, land and water conservation and historic preservation purposes of the State of New York. The NHT accomplishes its mission by accepting donations, raising funds, and through cooperative programs and projects with its agency partners: New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Department of State (DOS). For more information visit www.naturalheritagetrust.org

Jacksonville Postal Employee Pleads Guilty To Stealing Parcels Of Mail

 

United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jonisha M. Williams (36, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to stealing deposits from the mail. Williams faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

According to the plea agreement, from February 5 to March 4, 2021, Williams worked as a Mail Handler Assistant at the National Distribution Center in Jacksonville. During this time, the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General received a complaint that Williams was stealing narcotics from the mail and taking them out of the facility. After investigating the complaint, agents captured Williams on video surveillance placing vacuumed sealed bags—similar to how narcotics are packaged—and other mail parcels into her backpack. During an interview with agents, Williams admitted her involvement and that she used her backpack to remove marijuana from the mailing facility.  

This case was investigated by United States Postal Service.