Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - JANUARY 23, 2023

 

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

22 Statewide Deaths Reported on January 20

 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.

"I urge all New Yorkers 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. "Be sure to 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 reiterated these basic steps when she updated New Yorkers on the state's winter health preparedness efforts last month.

Recently, the New York State Department of Health announced that the XBB.1.5. variant is now the most dominant strain in New York, accounting for more than 50 percent of COVID-19 infections statewide. Emerging at a time when both COVID-19 and flu cases remain high, early data indicates that XBB.1.5. is more transmissible than other circulating variants, though there is not yet clear evidence of significant changes to virulence or severity of disease.

The New York State Department of Health's weekly flu surveillance report for the week ending January 14, shows influenza remaining widespread throughout the state for a fifteenth consecutive week, with a total of 300,907 positive cases across all 62 counties reported to date. The report found that confirmed cases statewide dropped 50 percent, while overall hospitalizations were down 52 percent from the previous week, with the week, at 798 hospitalizations across the state.

Additionally, there were 13 outbreaks in acute care and long-term care facilities, the report determined. There were two additional pediatric deaths, leaving the total at eight 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.

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

Governor Hochul also continues to urge New Yorkers to get their bivalent COVID-19 vaccine boosters. 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. 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.

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

• Cases Per 100k - 11.61
• 7-Day Average Cases Per 100k - 17.69
• Test Results Reported - 32,445
• Total Positive - 2,268
• Percent Positive - 6.23%**
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 6.43%**
• Patient Hospitalization - 3,173 (-87)*
• Patients Newly Admitted - 468*
• Patients in ICU - 337 (-17)*
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 130 (-3)*
• Total Discharges - 391,949 (+514)*
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 22*
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 61,057*

** 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 - 77,664

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	Friday,   January   20, 2023	Saturday,   January   21, 2023	Sunday,   January   22, 2023
Bronx	7.32%	7.12%	6.99%
Kings	5.15%	5.08%	4.97%
New York	5.98%	6.01%	5.89%
Queens	7.23%	7.08%	6.92%
Richmond	6.20%	5.98%	5.70%

MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES NEW INITIATIVE TO COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH NEW YORKERS

 

 

New Yorkers Can Sign up to Hear From Mayor Adams Online

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced a new initiative to communicate directly with New Yorkers about updates from the administration and services the administration has unlocked for New Yorkers. Those who sign up will receive digital communications directly from Mayor Adams with information about new initiatives and policies, local events, and more.

 

“If we’re launching a new program that New Yorkers care about, that can put money in pockets or improve quality of life, I’m going to make sure New Yorkers hear about it directly,” said Mayor Adams. “We’ve accomplished so much in our first year — from expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit to making quality childcare affordable for all New Yorkers and more. But none of those accomplishments mean anything if New Yorkers don’t know about them and aren’t using them. That changes now.”

 

One of Mayor Adams’ key priorities for 2023 is ensuring that New Yorkers can access the services that the administration secured for them in 2022. A select list of some of the administration’s 2022 wins for New Yorkers is available online. Notably, Mayor Adams secured $4 billion in funding for child care and significantly increased benefits that single parents and married couples will receive from the Earned Income Tax Credit. The initiative announced today will send information about those initiatives and more directly in New Yorkers’ inboxes, making sure that all of the city’s eligible residents can take advantage of them.

“Today’s announcement is yet another example of Mayor Adams embracing the power of technology to make the city work better for New Yorkers,” said Jonathan Salomons, executive director, Mayor’s Office of Innovation and Emerging Markets. “We’ll use every tool at our disposal to get New Yorkers the information they need about the services they deserve.”

 

“This administration continues to redefine how city government interacts with New Yorkers,” said Chief Technology Officer Matthew Fraser. “The Office of Technology and Innovation is proud to support this new channel for Mayor Adams to share critical information, and to continue advancing better ways for New Yorkers to connect with government services and each other.”

 

As part of this initiative, the administration will facilitate a new series of email communications to New Yorkers, specific to their locations and interests.

 

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Coop-City Town Hall Meeting

 

Saturday Afternoon Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez held her first Town Hall meeting in auditorium C of 177 Dreiser Loop in Coop-City near where her new Coop-City office is located in Room 3 of 177 Dreiser Loop. Hundreds of people were in attendance to see and hear their new congresswoman that redistricting had given them. Many in the audience were familiar with their new representative in congress, and most of them approved of the job she is doing.   

Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez's Town Hall meeting opened with a short welcoming by Assemblyman Michael Benedetto, and then the Congresswoman spoke about the SUV Crime Intervention unit at Jacobi Hospital where she was able to obtain $1.2 million dollars,  She continued saying that one million dollars was obtained for the overhaul of the Westchester Square area to make it safer for pedestrians, and while she was talking several people stood up in protest of the United States support of the war in the Ukraine. The protesters were escorted out of the auditorium.

As Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez continued she  spoke abut the Debt Ceiling, fighting cuts to programs such as Social Security and Medicare, new energy credits, and the removal of former President Trump's tax credits for the rich. When she got into the Question and Answer part of the Town Hall, she was interrupted  on the first question when a voice shouted out why she voted against the Infrastructure Bill in Congress, where she explained there was the promise of including much needed support for public housing such as NYCHA that was cut out from the bill.

To a question on the budget, the congresswoman answered that her opposition to the defense budget is because there i no accounting of how the money allocated is spent. As for the problems at Rikers Island she is in favor of federal receivership of the jail which she stressed is only a jail and not a prison. She mentioned a queens hospital where a new maternal health center was created with her getting federal funding with additional city funding to open the maternal health center, and when this reporter was able to ask the congresswoman if she would do the same thing at the empty building #2 at Jacobi Hospital in her district, her answer was a resounding yes because she knows of the problem that women in the Bronx have during pregnancy. After the Town Hall ended Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez met those who wanted to speak to her one on one. 

Congresswoman opened up her Town Hall meeting with ideas of how to deal with the Republican Majority in Congress now.

Shortly after she began several protesters of the U.S. support of Ukraine stood up with signs protesting, and were shortly escorted out of the crowded room.

The congresswoman then moved on to Key Facts on Immigration.

After speaking on some other subjects the congresswoman informed the audience where her new Coop-City office is, right in the same building where the Town Hall meeting was being held.

The Congresswoman then went into a Question and Answer period taking questions from the audience.

Before the first question could be asked there was another heckler from the back of the packed auditorium, who was quickly ejected by security. 

The congresswoman is asked a question about Social Security and Medicare, that was answered that she will not vote for any cuts to those programs.

Here the congresswoman is interviewed by News 12, and after the interview I was able to ask if she would support placing a Woman's Health, Birthing, and Wellness center in Building #2 at Jacobi Hospital in place of a potential parole home for detainees and inmates of Rikers Island. Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez said she would love to support a Woman's Health, Birthing, and Wellness Center in Building #2 at Jacobi Hospital which is in her district.

After the Town Hall and interviews Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez then answered individual questions members of the audience may of had. You can see one of the government agents watching to make sure there was no threats to the congresswoman.