Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating Covid-19 - JANUARY 13, 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 Yesterday

 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. 

Last week, the 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 state Department of Health's weekly flu surveillance report shows influenza remaining widespread throughout the state for a fourteenth consecutive week, with a total of 293,541 positive cases across all 62 counties reported to date. The report found that confirmed cases statewide dropped 36 percent, while overall hospitalizations were down 34 percent from the previous week, with the week ending January 7 at 1,621 hospitalizations across the state.

Additionally, there were 37 outbreaks in acute care and long-term care facilities, the report determined. There were no additional pediatric deaths, leaving the total at six 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 - 21.94
• 7-Day Average Cases Per 100k - 22.03
• Test Results Reported - 62,582
• Total Positive - 4,287
• Percent Positive - 6.32%** 
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 6.75%**
• Patient Hospitalization - 3,518 (-170)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 503
• Patients in ICU - 358 (-17)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 147 (+3)
• Total Discharges - 388,519 (+601)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 30
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 60,841 

** 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 - 77,325

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. 

• Total vaccine doses administered - 43,544,732
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 13,245
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 90,390
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 85.4%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) -  90.5%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older who are up to date - 15.1%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with completed vaccine series - 74.4%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 76.1%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 who are up to date - 5.7%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 5-11 with completed vaccine series - 39.8%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 5-11 with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 40.7%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 5-11 who are up to date - 3.1%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 0-4 with completed vaccine series - 7.1%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 0-4 who are up to date - 7.1%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 76.3%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 80.6%
• Percent of all New Yorkers who are up to date - 13.0%

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

Borough	Tuesday,   January   10, 2023	Wed.   January   11, 2023	Thursday,   January 12,   2023
Bronx	8.27%	8.63%	8.41%
Kings	5.30%	4.84%	4.29%
New York	6.39%	6.71%	6.47%
Queens	9.24%	9.06%	8.81%
Richmond	7.19%	6.96%	6.73%

Former Chief Financial Officer Of Email Security Company Pleads Guilty To $50 Million Scheme To Defraud Investors And Lenders

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that NIHAT CARDAK, the former Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) of the Virginia-based email security company GigaMedia Access Corporation, d/b/a GigaTrust (“GigaTrust”), pled guilty today in Manhattan federal court in connection with a scheme to defraud investors and lenders of millions of dollars through false and misleading misrepresentations, including fabricated bank statements and audit reports, and by impersonating a purported customer, auditor, and GigaTrust lawyer.  U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe accepted the defendant’s guilty plea.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Nihat Cardak, along with his co-defendants Robert Bernardi and Sunhil Chandra, chose to lie and mislead investors and lenders in order to keep GigaTrust afloat instead of owning up to the company’s financial reality.  Their scheme came crashing down in 2019 as GigaTrust filed for bankruptcy, and Cardak and Bernardi have now accepted responsibility for their criminal actions.”

According to the allegations in the Indictment and other filings and statements made in court:[1]

From in or about 2016 through at least in or about 2019, GigaTrust was a private company headquartered in Virginia that purported to be a market-leading provider of cloud-based content security solutions.  Robert Bernardi founded GigaTrust and served as its Chief Executive Officer, while CARDAK and Sunil Chandra were GigaTrust’s CFO and Vice President of Business Development, respectively.  The defendants devised a scheme to defraud investors and lenders by (i) fabricating and disseminating false and misleading bank account statements that overstated GigaTrust’s cash deposits; (ii) fabricating and disseminating false and misleading audit materials that purported to have been issued by GigaTrust’s auditors and overstated GigaTrust’s performance; (iii) forging and disseminating a false and misleading letter purporting to be from GigaTrust’s New York-based counsel; and (iv) impersonating or causing others to impersonate a purported customer and auditor of GigaTrust on telephone calls with a prospective lender. 

Specifically, Bernardi sent fabricated audit materials to a New York-based investment firm, and Bernardi and CARDAK used fabricated bank statements to obtain multiple rounds of loans and investments for GigaTrust worth millions of dollars.  After a New York-based bank (“Bank-1”), which had loaned GigaTrust $25 million, declared that GigaTrust had defaulted on the terms of its loan agreement, Bernardi and CARDAK induced additional investments in GigaTrust through, among other things, forging a letter purporting to be from GigaTrust’s New-York based counsel.  Shortly thereafter, while negotiating another $25 million deal with a lender (“Lender-1”), Bernardi and CARDAK devised a scheme to impersonate a GigaTrust customer and auditor on requested diligence calls, which induced Lender-1 to make a $25 million loan to GigaTrust.  Bernardi recruited Chandra to pose as one of GigaTrust’s alleged customers on a call with Lender-1.  Bernardi and CARDAK also fabricated bank statements and sent them to Lender-1 right before closing the $25 million deal. 

GigaTrust filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in the District of Delaware on or about November 27, 2019.

On August 17, 2022, Bernardi pled guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud, bank fraud, and wire fraud before Judge Paul G. Gardephe. 

CARDAK, 52, of Clifton, Virginia, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. 

The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.  Sentencing for CARDAK is scheduled for May 16, 2023.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in this case.  Mr. Williams further thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission, which has filed a civil enforcement action against the defendants, for its cooperation and assistance in this investigation. 

The charges contained in the Indictment against Sunil Chandra are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment constitutes only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.

MAYOR ADAMS MAKES EMERGENCY MUTUAL AID REQUEST OF NEW YORK STATE IN RESPONSE TO MASSIVE INFLUX OF ASYLUM SEEKERS

 

NYC Received More Than 3,100 Asylum Seekers in Past Week

 

835 Asylum Seekers Arrived Last Thursday Alone, Largest Single Day Arrival Since Influx of Migrants Began

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today released the following statement after New York City submitted an emergency mutual aid request to New York State for immediate help this weekend to shelter arriving asylum seekers:

 

“Three months ago, I spoke directly to New Yorkers about the crisis of asylum seekers that has driven our shelter system to record levels and strained our city. On that day, I said we would surpass the highest number of people in recorded history in our city’s shelter system and that every day after we would set a new record. We are now seeing more people arrive than we have ever seen — averaging over 400 people each day this last week, with 835 asylum seekers arriving on one single day alone, the largest single day arrival we’ve seen to date. All this is pushing New York City to the brink.

 

“Since last spring, the city has stepped up to welcome approximately 40,000 asylum seekers, providing them with shelter, food, and connections to a host of resources. We have opened 74 emergency shelters and four humanitarian relief centers at breakneck speed, and done this almost entirely on our own.

 

“We are at our breaking point. Based off our projections, we anticipate being unable to continue sheltering arriving asylum seekers on our own and have submitted an emergency mutual aid request to the State of New York beginning this weekend. This type of request, reserved only for dire emergencies, asks the state for support to shelter arriving asylum seekers as the city faces an immediate need for additional capacity. Our initial request is for shelter to accommodate 500 asylum seekers, but, as New York City continues to see numbers balloon, this estimate will increase as well.

 

“The absence of sorely needed federal immigration reform should not mean that this humanitarian crisis falls only on the shoulders of cities. We need support and aid from our federal and state partners and look forward to working together to meet this crisis head-on.”

Council Member James F. Gennaro Calls on Gov. Kathy Hochul to Remove DA Alvin Bragg After He Offered Sweetheart Plea Deal to Perpetuator of Brutal Antisemitic Attack

 

“I am outraged that Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg is offering the perpetrator of a horrific beating of a Jewish man in Midtown a mere six-month sentence in a plea bargain for this despicable hate-based attack, for which he could be released in 60 days after serving a third of the sentence. This is an indefensible slap on the wrist for an assailant who pledged he would ‘do it again’ after his arrest. This deal sends the worst possible message that a prosecutor can send – that it’s open season for antisemitic assaults in New York City. Antisemitic hate crimes have increased by a whopping 41 percent over the past year – and it’s no wonder why. We have a district attorney who essentially condones violence against Jewish New Yorkers. This is an abomination. I call on Gov. Kathy Hochul to remove Alvin Bragg immediately. One year ago, Gov. Hochul publicly called upon New Yorkers calling for the removal of the shockingly soft-on-crime Bragg to ‘cut him some slack,’ and that Bragg ‘deserves a chance.’ Gov. Hochul – Alvin Bragg has had his chance and he has failed to do his job to render justice time and time again. The need for him to be removed is apparent. He is coddling the vicious assailant of a Jewish New Yorker for being Jewish and he has pledged to do it again. You now need to do your job by removing him.” 

Governor Hochul Announces Mobile Sports Wagering Generated $909 Million for New York State in First Year of Operation

 

Tax Revenue Funds Education, Youth Sports Programming and Problem Gambling Prevention Treatment and Recovery Services

More Than $16 Billion Wagered on Sports in New York State in First Year of Operation

 Upon the one-year anniversary of mobile sports wagering in New York State, Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the State has collected more than $709.2 million in taxes on such bets, a figure that leads the nation. An additional $200 million in licensing fees has also been collected, generating a total of more than $909 million in revenue, most of it to be used for education.

"In just one year, New York has become a national leader in providing responsible entertainment for millions while bringing in record-shattering revenue for education, youth sports, and problem gambling prevention," Governor Hochul said. "I look forward to another year of delivering top tier mobile sports wagering experiences that generate revenue to enrich the lives of New Yorkers across the state."

New York State Gaming Commission Chairman Brian O'Dwyer said, "Thanks to Governor Hochul's leadership and the enactment of smart and responsible gaming policies, New York continues to break revenue and wagering records. As we enter the second year of mobile sports wagering in New York State, the Gaming Commission will continue to ensure that such betting is conducted in a safe and responsible manner."

New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports Commissioner Chinazo Cunningham said, "OASAS appreciates the ongoing partnership with the Gaming Commission to educate the public about responsible gambling and to provide resources for those who need them. The additional revenue generated will help to ensure that we have a robust system of programs and services to address the needs of individuals, families, and communities across the state."

According to GeoComply, a software firm used by sports books to ensure geolocation requirements, more than 3.8 million unique player accounts have been created since launch in January of 2022, conducting over 1.2 billion transactions.

The one-year anniversary of mobile sports wagering in New York State was last Sunday, January 8, 2023. Through January 7, the total mobile sports wagering handle reached $16,595,732,482 and generated a total net revenue to education of $709,247,358.

For Fiscal Year 2023 (April 1, 2022 through March 31, 2023) and annually thereafter, revenues from mobile sports wagering are distributed as follows: $5 million to fund sports programs for underserved youths, $6 million to fund problem gambling education and treatment, with the remaining majority to fund education aid.

Every Friday, the NYS Gaming Commission publishes weekly mobile sports wagering reports from all of its operators online here.

The Commission's regulations require operators to prevent underage gaming, provide bettors the availability to impose spending limits, and share information on gambling risks and signs of problem gambling. New Yorkers who are struggling with a gambling problem or know someone with a gambling problem can call the state's toll-free, confidential HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or text HOPENY (467369). New Yorkers can also contact the Regional Problem Gambling Resource Center at: https://nyproblemgamblinghelp.org/.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

So all 909 million did not go to education, 200 million for licensing fees, 5 million for sports programs, and 6 million for problem gamblers. 

We wonder how much money is being taken out of the education budget and is being replaced by this gambling money as was done with the  lottery money that went to education.