Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - DECEMBER 20, 2022

 

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

94 Statewide Deaths Reported from December 17 to December 19

 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 gather to celebrate this holiday season, 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. 

Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and CDC also cleared the way for children six months of age and older to receive the bivalent booster shot to increase protection against COVID-19. Previously, these shots were only available to children ages 5 and older.   

As flu cases continue to climb across the State, the New York State Department of Health recently reminded New Yorkers to take preventive action, including getting a flu shot. A new report shows a 19 percent week-over-week jump in lab-confirmed cases across New York and a six percent increase in flu-related hospitalizations. The weekly flu report also confirmed a total of four influenza-associated pediatric deaths in the state.

Emergency department visits for patients with flu-like symptoms are also continuing to rise. The Department's most recent influenza surveillance report also found 79 lab-confirmed outbreaks in long-term and acute care facilities in the State for the same week.  

Governor Hochul previously launched a public awareness campaign featuring New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett speaking directly to New Yorkers about the three viruses now circulating in the state with similar symptoms and the potential to cause serious illness. Produced by the New York State Department of Health, the videos include a short clip and a longer version geared toward parents; and a version aimed specifically at health care providers. 

The Governor also asked 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. 

In addition, Governor Hochul encourages New Yorkers to get their annual flu vaccine as flu season is widespread across New York State. 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 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 - 22.71
• 7-Day Average Cases Per 100k - 28.28
• Test Results Reported - 48,349
• Total Positive - 4,438
• Percent Positive - 8.01%
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 7.35%
• Patient Hospitalization - 3,792 (+294)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 1,423*
• Patients in ICU - 364 (+11)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 153 (+2)
• Total Discharges - 376,299 (1,035)*
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 94*
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 60,054*

 

** 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 - 76,452

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,   December   17, 2022	Sunday,   December   18, 2022	Monday,   Dec.   19, 2022
Bronx	8.45%	8.57%	8.40%
Kings	4.82%	4.83%	5.62%
New York	7.49%	7.64%	7.40%
Queens	8.98%	8.99%	8.77%
Richmond	6.64%	6.70%	7.23%

  

MAYOR ADAMS, COMMISSIONER VASAN ISSUE HEALTH GUIDANCE AHEAD OF HOLIDAYS, ANNOUNCE ADDITIONAL TOOLS TO KEEP NEW YORKERS SAFE FROM TRIDEMIC

 

With Increasing COVID-19, Flu, and RSV Cases, Officials Remind New Yorkers to Get Vaccinated, Mask Up, Test, and Get Treated if Sick

 

50 Test to Treat Units Now Offering Flu, RSV Testing, Tamiflu Prescriptions

 

Kids Six Months Through Four Years Old Can Now Receive Updated COVID-19 Pfizer Vaccine at All NYC H+H Hospitals

With cases of COVID-19, flu, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) rising, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan today reminded New Yorkers to stay safe heading into the holidays by staying up to date with vaccinations, masking in indoor public settings when possible, testing regularly, and staying home if sick. The city also announced that flu and RSV testing, as well as Tamiflu prescriptions, are now available at 50 NYC Health + Hospitals’ Test to Treat units. Finally, beginning this week, updated COVID-19 Pfizer vaccines will be available to children from six months to four years old at all of the city’s 11 public hospitals. Data shows that this year, flu cases in New York City are already higher than they were during the peak of the last four flu seasons. Additionally, over the past month, the seven-day average of confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 increased, as did cases of RSV.

 

“When COVID-19 hit New York City almost three years ago, New Yorkers looked out for each other and followed the advice of our health experts,” said Mayor Adams. “With the holiday season in full swing and cases of COVID-19, flu, and RSV rising, we are asking New Yorkers to protect themselves and their loved ones once again. Mask up, get tested, get treated if you’re eligible, and, if you haven’t gotten your flu shot or your COVID-19 booster, we encourage you to roll up your sleeve. We are stepping up our efforts to get the tools to stay safe into as many New Yorkers’ hands as possible, and, together, we will have a happy and healthy holiday season.”

 

“As we enter our third holiday season with COVID-19, we need to keep taking the precautions that keep us and our loved ones healthy,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “I encourage all eligible New Yorkers to keep up with their vaccinations, to utilize free testing resources available citywide, to wear masks as advised, to stay home if sick, and to maintain good hand hygiene. The holiday season is a wonderful time of year to gather with friends and family, and we want to embrace our loved ones this year knowing we have taken all the steps possible to keep us all safe and healthy.”

 

“We want everyone to have a happy and healthy holiday,” said DOHMH Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “While we’re asking New Yorkers to do their part by masking, staying home if sick, testing, and getting treated, the city stands ready to help all of us through this winter. The Health Department will be closely tracking transmission, variants, and health system capacity, and is making resources easily available, so you know where to turn to protect yourself and each other.”

 

“The last few years have been really tough, and the city has your back with the resources and guidance to safely enjoy the company of your loved ones this year,” said Dr. Ted Long, executive director, NYC Test & Treat Corps. “We have 75 first-in-the-country mobile Test to Treat units and, overall, more than 330 sites where you can get tested or take away free home tests. Get tested before you gather so that you have a healthy and happy holiday — you deserve it!”

 

“We are very pleased to make available to our youngest patients the updated, bivalent COVID-19 vaccine,” said Andrew B. Wallach, ambulatory care chief medical officer, NYC Health + Hospitals, MD, FACP. “These updated, bivalent vaccines offer the best protection against the current variants of the COVID-19 virus circulating in our communities. Further, they are safe and effective and prevent hospitalization and death from COVID-19.”

 

New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan recently issued a issued a Health Advisory that urges New York City residents to use high-quality masks when indoors and in crowded outdoor settings. This is especially important for people who are — or are meeting — those who are at increased risk for complications from COVID-19, RSV, or the flu, such as those age 65 and older and people who are immunocompromised.

 

In addition to wearing masks and getting vaccinated, officials urged New Yorkers to take other precautions, including getting tested before gatherings and if symptoms of illness present. To ensure resources are available throughout the city, New York City officials are providing:

• At-home rapid antigen tests for COVID-19 available at over 250 walk-up distribution locations in every borough, including at city libraries, parks facilities, and cultural institutions, among other locations. New Yorkers can visit NYC.gov/COVIDTest to find the at-home test distribution location most convenient to them. At-home tests are available for public school students and staff who have symptoms and are also being distributed ahead of the winter break.
• COVID-19 testing with immediate access to Paxlovid anti-viral medication for eligible patients at 75 mobile Test to Treat units. Fifty mobile Test to Treat units now offer flu and RSV testing for symptomatic patients and prescriptions for Tamiflu for those found eligible. New Yorkers may present proof of a positive test — including at-home test results and test results from any external testing provider — at all mobile Test to Treat units to be evaluated for and immediately connected to Paxlovid. New Yorkers can visit NYC.gov/COVIDTest to find the mobile Test to Treat unit most convenient to them; and
• New Yorkers can call their doctor or 212-COVID19 to ask about treatment for COVID-19. Calling 212-COVID19 provides an immediate connection to a clinician who can refer patients to monoclonal antibody treatment or prescribe antiviral medications, like Paxlovid, and arrange to have it delivered to their home that same day for free.

Flu and RSV patients can also visit NYC Health + Hospitals’ ExpressCare or call 631-EXP-CARE to talk to a provider who can provide high-quality urgent care and prescribe medications to the pharmacy of their choice.

 

As part of its winter planning, the city is monitoring case, hospitalization, and death data on COVID-19, flu, and RSV. This includes looking at emergency room admissions and available space in hospitals and intensive care units.

 

The city is paying particular attention to New Yorkers who are 65 years and older, who are at the highest risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses, as well as people with underlying medical conditions who are also at higher risk from these viruses. The city is taking the following steps to help keep New Yorkers at highest risk safe:

• Making calls to people 65 years or older with positive tests to get Paxlovid,
• Sending text messages to remind people to get their bivalent booster vaccine, and
• Calling on all health care providers to reach out to their patients who are at increased risk for severe illness.

New Yorker who are sick are encouraged to stay home, avoid close contact with others, and talk to a provider about what testing, care, and treatment options are available to them. Calling a provider is recommended or 212-COVID19 (212-268-4319) to ask about treatment.

 

New Yorkers can find a nearby COVID-19 and flu vaccination provider by visiting NYC Vaccine Finder or by calling 877-VAX-4NYC (877-829-4692) to schedule an appointment at certain sites, as well as to obtain other vaccination assistance.

NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE UNVEILS WORST LANDLORD WATCHLIST WITH MOST VIOLATIONS IN ITS HISTORY

 

2022 List Shows Housing Conditions Worsening as Rents Skyrocket Citywide

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams unveiled the 2022 Worst Landlord Watchlist today, naming the 100 most egregiously negligent landlords in the city as determined by conditions at their buildings. This year’s list found that housing violations at the worst owner’s properties are at the highest levels in the history of the list, with conditions continuing to deteriorate even as the median rent in the city has massively increased in recent years. Across the 2022 list, there were a staggering 69,018 violations, nearly a 30% increase from the previous year. At the same time, New York City has risen to become the most expensive city in the world.

The number one worst landlord for 2022 is Johnathan Santana, who averaged 2,980 open violations across 15 buildings on the watchlist – the most violations of any landlord in the history of the list, and more than double the average number from last year’s worst offender. The list was unveiled this morning outside two of Santana’s Washington Heights properties averaging over 300 violations each, where tenants spoke about heat and hot water outages, rodent infestation issues, and collapsing infrastructure. Without a superintendent to maintain the property, tenants are forced to pay for and perform repairs. 

Johnathan Santana is also listed as the primary officer for watchlist buildings in neighborhoods throughout Manhattan as well as Queens. While Santana is designated as primary officer for all of these buildings, they are registered under a number of different LLCs, a common tactic for owners to attempt to evade accountability.

“Across the city, housing costs are up and housing quality is down. Rents are becoming unaffordable and conditions are becoming unlivable,” said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams in releasing the list. “The only explanation for this is that landlords are putting profits over people, and prioritizing circumventing or repealing housing laws rather than following them. To combat both the specific conditions that threaten the well-being of tenants in these buildings and the overall trends that deepen this citywide crisis, we need to meet this crisis with strong regulations and real consequences. That means the city needs to dismiss disingenuous arguments from bad actors, and invest more resources for enforcement, not cut what we have.”

This year, rents have skyrocketed citywide, with median Manhattan rent topping $5000 and median rent across the five boroughs increasing by 20% for one bedroom units in the last three years and 30% since 2021, according to a recent study. The same study found a 27% increase for two bedroom apartments since 2019 and nearly a 36% increase since last year. Even among rent-regulated units, the Rent Guidelines Board approved its largest increase in nearly a decade.

At the same time as rents were rising, so were the average number of housing violations recorded with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). As noted above, there was nearly a 30% rise in the total number of average violations on the list this year. Among the Top 10, that increase was 44%. And the worst landlord on this year’s list, Jonathan Santana, had 106% move average violations on average than the 2021 Worst Landlord. 

The increase in violations was not only among private landlords. Yet again, the New York City Housing Authority has demonstrated an inability to improve conditions, or even keep pace with the deterioration of complexes. This year, there are 673,990 open work orders, an increase of 73,510 over last year’s number. In a year which saw an arsenic poisoning scare and the CEO of the Authority step down, the city itself remains the overall worst landlord in our city.

“It’s no surprise that NYCHA, the city itself, continues to be the worst landlord in New York – and that conditions have actually worsened,” said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams about the Authority. “As my office showed in our report earlier this year, the city has failed its obligation to provide safe, quality housing. It’s true that NYCHA needs more funding from the state and federal government, but it’s also true that its management failures this year and for many years before have led to a bankruptcy of tenant trust. Taking ownership of NYCHA’s past and present failures, rather than passing the buck, is essential to improving its future and the dangerous conditions for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers paying to live there. Across all levels of government, we need real, urgent reforms to keep people in their homes, and keep those homes safe.”

The top five worst individual landlords in New York City for 2022 are:

•   Johnathan Santana, with an average of 2980 HPD open violations
•   Brian Ritter, with an average of 1816 HPD open violations
•   David Tennenbaum, with an average of 1647 HPD open violations
•   Sima Abdavies, with an average of 1444 HPD open violations
•   Jacob Bistricer, with an average of 1404 HPD open violations

While many landlords attempt to circumvent tenant protections and artificially inflate vacancy rates in an effort to further increase their profits, buildings are falling into greater disrepair.

The Public Advocate is pursuing legislative solutions to the issues present by the list. This week, the City Council heard the first of two bills in the Worst Landlord Accountability Act, Intro 583, legislation that would require a certification of correction list at HPD, and prohibit any listed landlord from certifying correction of violations in multiple dwellings without an inspection. This would prevent landlords already identified as bad actors from falsely claiming repairs have been made – the bill also increases penalties for failure to correctly certify. Tomorrow at the City Council Stated meeting, the Public Advocate will reintroduce the second bill in the package, which would require the city's department of Housing Preservation and Development to more quickly respond to and perform inspections of hazardous violations.

At the launch, the Public Advocate also directed New Yorkers to LandlordWatchlist.com, as well his office’s Text Line, 833-933-1692, to learn about whether their landlords are featured on the list, how to report violations, and access resources for tenants to organize and seek relief.

Private landlords on the Worst Landlord Watchlist are ranked objectively according to data obtained by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). Landlords are ranked based on the average number of housing code violations open per month on their buildings on the watchlist, using data from December 2021 to November 2022. More on the methodology is available here.

View the full Worst Landlord Watchlist, and check to see if your address is owned by a 2022 worst landlord, by visiting LandlordWatchlist.com.

PPNA and Pelham Parkway Vision Center Toy Giveaway

 

Saturday December 17th the Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association with the Pelham Parkway Vision Center held their Annual Neighborhood Toy Giveaway. Santa greeted some children outside the store as the line of children and their parents stretched for almost three blocks on Lydig Avenue. 

One by one the families entered the Pelham Parkway Vision Center to see Santa. They received a gender specific toy, had their picture taken with Santa, and received socks and glove on the way out by some of Santa's helpers. Councilwoman Marjorie Velazquez and Assemblyman elect John Zaccaro Jr. joined the event after it started. 

Santa says hello to the children waiting for him to arrive outside the Pelham Parkway Vision Center on Lydig Avenue.

Inside the store there was a section where a Christmas tree wa set up with over one hundred wrapped presents to be given out as the two boys are holding as they get their picture taken with Santa.

As you see in the photo, Councilwoman Marjorie Velazquez and Assemblyman elect John Zaccaro Jr. would join Santa in giving out the gifts.

A family of three children enjoy the presents they received from Santa.

All of Santa's helpers from the PPNA, Pelham Parkway Vision Center, and the elected officials gather for a group photo.