Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - SEPTEMBER 16, 2022

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

15 Statewide Deaths Reported Yesterday

 Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combating COVID-19.    

"With the fall season almost upon us, I urge New Yorkers to remain vigilant and to use the tools that are available to keep themselves, their loved ones, and their communities safe and healthy," Governor Hochul said. "Take advantage of the vaccine by staying up to date on doses. Test before gatherings or travel and if you test positive, talk to your doctor about potential treatment options."

Last week, Governor Hochul announced the availability of bivalent COVID-19 vaccine boosters from Pfizer-BioNTech for anyone age 12 or older and from Moderna for those 18 or older. 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 - 22.41 
• 7-Day Average Cases Per 100k - 20.42  
• Test Results Reported - 59,068  
• Total Positive - 4,380  
• Percent Positive - 7.47%**   
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 6.72%**      
• Patient Hospitalization - 2,063 (-77) 
• Patients Newly Admitted - 338 
• Patients in ICU - 217 (-5)  
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 81 (-2) 
• Total Discharges - 341,702 (391) 
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 15  
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 57,906 

** Due to the test reporting policy change by the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 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 (HHS) 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 - 73,978  

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 - 40,164,502         
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 5,686
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 31,682
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 93.3%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 84.7%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 95.0%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 88.5%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 85.5%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 75.0%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 83.4%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 75.4%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 92.2%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 78.6%

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,   September   13, 2022	Wednesday,   September   14, 2022	Thursday,   September   15, 2022
Bronx	5.67%	5.58%	5.75%
Kings	4.47%	4.20%	4.29%
New York	5.07%	4.97%	5.08%
Queens	6.66%	6.52%	6.47%
Richmond	5.84%	5.56%	5.57%

MAYOR ADAMS RELEASES MAYOR’S MANAGEMENT REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022

 

First MMR of Adams Administration Includes New Metrics on Customer Service and Experience for First Time, with Emphasis on Promoting Interagency Collaboration

 

New Digital Format Includes Mapping Function to Provide Neighborhood-Level Data, Underscoring Administration’s Commitment to Data Transparency

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today released the Mayor’s Management Report (MMR) for Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22), a report assessing city agency performance between Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22), from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022. The report — which contains nearly 2,000 indicators covering 45 city agencies — is the first published under the Adams administration. The FY22 MMR reflects a unique period that spans two mayoral administrations amid broader societal challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, that impact service delivery across various sectors of civic life.

 

“The Mayor’s Management Report is a critical tool for public accountability on how agencies are serving people across the city,” said Mayor Adams. “Despite two years of pandemic disruptions and ongoing national economic challenges, this year’s report highlights many areas of success early in our administration, including emergency preparedness, street safety, use of public spaces, quality of life, and youth engagement. As we continue the reopening process, we will remain laser-focused on improving agency performance across city government, breaking down silos, and ‘Getting Stuff Done’ for all New Yorkers.”

 

“The Mayor’s Management Report is a triumph of public accountability and a pioneering example of data-driven performance management that remains a national model,” said Mayor’s Office of Operations Director Daniel Steinberg. “Mayor Adams ran on a platform of leveraging technology and data to improve performance across government. That’s why we are proud to deliver on his vision with the first MMR published in a digital format, a new mapping function, and new indicators relating to customer service, customer experience, and civic engagement. At this critical juncture for our city, having good data to inform decision-making is more important than ever.”

 

Available in a new, user-friendly digital format debuted earlier this year, this year’s MMR provides granular insight into agency performance indicators, and offers a new mapping function that allows users to view certain data by neighborhood. It also includes two dozen new metrics on customer service, customer experience, and civic engagement, underscoring the administration’s commitment to ensuring all agencies that interface with the public provide the best possible service to New Yorkers.

 

The MMR is required by Section 12 of the New York City Charter to be released twice a year to the City Council and the public reporting on agency performance. The Preliminary Mayor’s Management Report (PMMR) covers the first four months of the fiscal year, while the MMR covers the full fiscal year. It was first published in 1977 following the city’s fiscal crisis.

 

Highlights of the Fiscal Year 2022 MMR include:

 

Small Business Support

·                     The New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS) served 41.2 percent more unique customers and businesses over the previous fiscal year.

·                     The dollar value of financial awards to businesses, number of awards going to businesses, and number of unique businesses that received financial awards facilitated or disbursed by SBS went up by $177,790,000, 9,318, and 9,203 respectively.

·                     The New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection reduced the average processing time for a license application by roughly two days — a 24.8 percent reduction over Fiscal Year (FY21).

 

Housing

·                     For the first time ever, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development is tracking new metrics to measure how long the process takes for New Yorkers going through the Section 8 and housing lottery processes, helping the administration hold itself accountable to reducing administrative burdens and maintaining focus on customer service — as proposed in Mayor Adams’ “Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness.”

·                     The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) renovated a record number of units through the Permanent Affordability Coming Together (PACT) program, helping nearly 6,000 NYCHA households finally live in the high-quality, permanently-affordable housing they deserve.

 

Emergency Preparedness & Response

·                     Through its Ready New York campaign, New York City Emergency Management  educates city residents on preparedness. In FY22, the agency held emergency management and preparedness education sessions for 50,854 participants, through presentations, educational fairs, and preparedness in the workplace presentations — a 644.2 percent increase compared to FY21.

·                     The Fire Department of the City of New York provided 484.1 percent more fire and life-safety education presentations and completed 152 percent more risk-based inspections performed by uniformed personnel compared to FY21.

·                     In FY22, counterterrorism training hours increased 67 percent for uniformed members of the New York City Police Department, and 694 percent for non-members.

·                     The New York City Department of Buildings improved its average time to respond to Priority A (emergency) complaints by more than 25 percent.

·                     The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) reduced its average time to repair or replace high-priority broken or inoperative hydrants and its average time to close asbestos complaints by 13 percent and 21.5 percent, respectively.

 

Street Safety

·             The New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) installed 31.9 lane miles of protected bike lanes — the most miles ever installed in a single fiscal year.

·             Fatalities for bicyclists/pedestrians and motorists/passengers dropped by 12 and 6 percent, respectively, compared to FY21.

·             DOT increased installations of speed reducers by 152 percent and leading pedestrian intervals by 213 percent.

·             The city added 70 percent more bike parking spaces than it did in FY21.

·             The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission nearly doubled the number of summonses issued over the previous fiscal year.

 

Use of Public Spaces

·             All three library systems — the New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Public Library — saw increases in total library attendance by roughly 272 percent, 267 percent, and 152 percent, respectively.

·             New York City Parks & Recreation (NYC Parks) saw attendance at recreation centers reach 776,001 during FY22, following extended closures to the public.

·             Over 100,000 members were registered in NYC Parks’ new membership management system in less than 10 months.

·             Attendance also increased at historic house museums by 11 percent, skating rinks by 63 percent, and other NYC Parks programming by 225 percent.

·             Total trees planted increased by 47 percent. NYC Parks’ Capital Tree Planting Program planted its most street trees since Fiscal Year 2016, and planting in landscaped areas of parks and natural areas increased by 32 percent and 38 percent, respectively.

·             For the first time since Fiscal Year 2014, in-service rates met or exceed targets for NYC Parks comfort stations, spray showers, and drinking fountains.

·             NYC Parks pruned 43,463 street trees through its block pruning program — a 130 percent increase from last year.

·             NYC Parks conducted 184,449 total tree inspections, the most of any fiscal year since this metric was introduced in Fiscal Year 2018.

 

Quality of Life

·             The New York City Economic Development Corporation removed more than 9,400 sites — totaling 3.4 million square feet — of graffiti through its Graffiti Free NYC program in FY22, following the suspension of this program during the pandemic.

·             The New York City Department of Sanitation cleaned 34 percent more vacant lots and 96 percent more non-lot locations.

 

Youth and Civic Engagement

The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs served 144 percent more schools, non-profit organizations, and government agencies through its Materials for the Arts — New York City’s premier creative reuse center — than in FY21.

The New York City Department of Youth and Community Development served 155 percent more youth through their street outreach.

 

 

TRINITARIOS GANG LEADERS SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON IN FATAL STABBING OF LESANDRO “JUNIOR” GUZMAN-FELIZ

 

Defendants Convicted of Second-Degree Murder; Their Orders Led to Killing of Teen

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that two leaders of the “Los Sures” set of the Trinitarios gang have been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for their roles in the June 20, 2018 fatal stabbing of Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz.

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendants, leaders of a Trinitarios set, instructed their members to carry out violent acts, which resulted in the killing of Lesandro ‘Junior’ GuzmanFeliz. The cruel attack was caught on surveillance video and went viral. The shocking images of Junior’s last moments saddened and outraged all who saw them.

 “Today, the leaders whose order meant death for a 15-year-old boy were sentenced to 25 years to life years in prison. Junior’s family has suffered immensely and will forever miss him. We hope today’s sentence brings some peace to them and the Bronx community.”

 District Attorney Clark said the defendants, Diego Suero, 33, of Boston Road, and Frederick Then, 24, of Reading, PA, were sentenced today to 25 years to life in prison by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Martin Marcus. Suero and Then were found guilty of second-degree Murder by a jury after a four-week trial on July 29, 2022.

 According to trial testimony, on the night of June 20, 2018, Suero, the leader of the “Los Sures” set of the Trinitarios gang, and Then, second-in-command,summoned members to Suero’s home and ordered them to commit violence against another set of the Trinitarios called “Sunset.”

 The gang members came upon Junior and chased him to a bodega located on East 183rd Street and Bathgate Avenue, where he tried to hide. The teen was punched and dragged out of the store to the sidewalk where he was hacked with knives and a machete by five convicted codefendants. The victim received a fatal knife wound to his neck, among other injuries. He ran to St. Barnabas Hospital and collapsed. He was pronounced dead shortly after.

 According to trial testimony, Then watched the attack and later called Suero to tell him the members had carried out the orders. The killers, led by Then, returned to Suero’s home to hide weapons and provide aid to a defendant who cut his hand during the incident.

 According to trial testimony, in a message to Suero, a Trinitario said, “You are the one that gave the light for the kid…” to which Suero replied, “yes, for all of Sunset.”

 Five co-defendants were sentenced in 2019 for fatally stabbing the victim. The cases against the remaining co-defendants are pending.

 The case against Suero and Then was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Morgan Dolan, Counsel in the Homicide Bureau, with the assistance of Assistant District Attorney Devin Horzempa of Trial Bureau 60, under the supervision of Christine Scaccia, Chief of the Homicide Bureau, and under the overall supervision of James Brennan, Deputy Chief of the Trial Division, and Theresa Gottlieb, Chief of the Trial Division.

 District Attorney Clark thanked BXDA Detective Investigators, Principal Supervising Intelligence Analyst Theresa Ramos of the Crime Strategies Bureau, Video Technician Eric Newman of the Video Unit, Cell Site Analyst Oladimeji Gbolade of the Technical Investigations Bureau, and Francesca Castellanos of the Interpreters Unit for their hard work on the case.

 District Attorney Clark also thanked Advocates Laura Ramirez and Ana Pimentel of the Crime Victims Assistance Bureau.

 District Attorney Clark also thanked NYPD Detectives Frank Orlando of the Bronx Homicide Task Force and Joseph Flores of the 48th Precinct for their work on the investigation.

In Honor of Citizenship Day, New York State Secretary of State Launches Citizenshipworks Portal to Assist New Americans on their Path to Naturalization

 

The New York State Citizenshipworks Portal Provides Free Online Naturalization Application Assistance and Virtual Legal Support

The New York State Office for New Americans Offers Free & Comprehensive Support for All Stages of the Citizenship Process, From Application to Test Prep

September 17 is Citizenship Day, and in honor of this important occasion, New York State Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez announced the launch of the New York State Citizenshipworks Portal. Through Citizenshipworks, eligible immigrants can apply for citizenship for free through an online tool that is secure and simple to use. The New York State Citizenshipworks Portal, in partnership with the New York State Office for New Americans (ONA), also includes access to a virtual ONA Opportunity Center, to support clients of ONA community partners (e.g., English Language providers, workforce partners, and Community Action Agencies) in need of naturalization assistance services, such as completing the citizenship application. Training and technical assistance is also being provided to ONA Opportunity Centers that use Citizenshipworks to deliver naturalization services.

“Many immigrants come here in search of more opportunities and a better life for themselves and their families. As they go through this process, we hope that the new Citizenshipworks tool will be a helpful guide in their quest to achieve citizenship,” said Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez.

According to the Center for Migration Studies, over 800,000 individuals are currently eligible to naturalize throughout New York State. With the launch of this initiative, New Yorkers will now be able to access free and trustworthy assistance with their citizenship application online and from the comfort of their home.

The advantages of citizenship are often life-changing, including economic mobility, the ability to vote and participate fully in the democratic process, decreased vulnerability to immigration enforcement, and the ability to receive certain government benefits. Many of these benefits lead to increased social and economic security for immigrant families and communities. Naturalized citizens are more likely to invest in their future and in their communities and are able to participate more fully in society.

Technology-based interventions like Citizenshipworks are particularly well-suited to address many of the barriers to naturalization, including improving access to in-language resources, bridging geographic gaps for applicants who live in rural areas or without adequate access to public transportation, and increasing the availability of legal assistance through virtual interventions.

“We are honored to partner with the New York State Office for New Americans to help bring naturalization services directly to New Yorkers. New York is pioneering the delivery of legal services that bridge the digital divide and ensure that every New Yorker has access to benefits that come with citizenship," said Director of the Immigration Advocates Network Rodrigo Camarena.

In addition to the New York State Citizenshipworks Portal, ONA provides other free support for immigrants going through the naturalization process. Through its statewide network of Opportunity Centers – Civics, immigrants can access free naturalization application assistance and free citizenship prep classes, to prepare them for the naturalization interview. ONA’s Cell-Ed program also provides virtual citizenship test prep modules, that can be accessed through any type of mobile device.

Citizenshipworks is a project of the Immigration Advocates Network, a program of Pro Bono Net, a collaborative effort of leading immigrant rights organizations dedicated to increasing access to justice. The Network partners with selected top immigrant advocacy groups to identify challenges and potential for tech solutions, as well as to develop industrial-strength, immigrant legal tech that is secure, easy to use, and designed for scale. Pro Bono Net is also partnering with the Legal Services division of GMHC, which will provide application review services and virtual consultations for applicants who require assistance from a lawyer or DOJ-accredited representative to complete their applications to file for a fee waiver.  

The New York State Office for New Americans, founded in 2012, is the nation’s first statutorily created immigrant services office. ONA assists all new Americans with accessing and navigating a variety of free services and support through its statewide network of community-based providers.

For any immigrant in need of assistance, or to connect with ONA’s programs, call the New Americans Hotline at 1-800-566-7636, 9 AM to 8 PM, Monday through Friday. All calls are confidential. Assistance is available in over 200 languages. For more information, visit dos.ny.gov/office-new-americans or follow ONA on Twitter at @NYSNewAmericans or Facebook at facebook.com/NYSNewAmericans.

Governor Hochul Urges New Yorkers to Be Aware of Scams Tied to Federal Student Debt Relief

 

Recent Announcement to Provide Financial Relief in Student Loans Triggers Uptick in Scams

Student Loan Borrowers are Reminded to Only Use Trusted Government Websites and Not Respond to Unsolicited Offers of Student Loan Relief

 Governor Kathy Hochul today issued a warning to consumers about scammers taking advantage of the recent student debt relief plan to steal borrowers' money and personal information. Scammers are creating a sense of urgency by impersonating government agencies and promising immediate student loan relief. Borrowers are reminded that it's important to stay vigilant, well-informed and prepared for any fraud related to this new relief plan. Yesterday, Governor Hochul signed legislation to expand and simplify access to the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program statewide. This new legislation establishes what qualifies as full-time employment for the purposes of accessing PSLF, and allows public service employers to certify employment on behalf of workers, eliminating substantial barriers to applying for and accessing the program.

"New Yorkers work hard for every dollar they earn and the student loan forgiveness plan will be critical to helping reduce the pressures of mounting debt," Governor Hochul said. "Unfortunately, unscrupulous individuals and scammers are using this as an opportunity to take advantage of others. Today, we're putting scammers on notice: we will not let you take advantage of hard-working New Yorkers. I urge everyone to remain vigilant and stay informed to stop these bad actors in their tracks."

What You Need to Know About the Federal Student Relief Plan:

On August 24, 2022, the Biden Administration announced a three-part plan to help working and middle-class federal student loan borrowers. The plan includes:

1. A final extension of the student loan repayment pause through December 31, 2022, and loan forgiveness of up to $20,000 for qualified individuals
2. Improving the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and creating a new income-driven repayment plan to reduce future monthly payments for lower- and middle-income borrowers.
3. Reducing the cost of college to protect future students.

The U.S. Department of Education is working quickly to implement the improvements to student loans, but many details will be forthcoming. The Department of Education recommends logging in to your StudentAid.gov account to ensure your contact information is up to date and to sign up for alerts for when new information becomes available.

How to Avoid a Student Loan Forgiveness Scams:

1. Seek trusted information and sources. Only go to ".gov" websites when seeking assistance. The U.S. Department of Education recently launched a webpage to provide borrowers with a one-stop location for accurate and up to date information about the program. Upon accessing the site, borrowers will find not only general information but also a detailed Frequently Asked Questions section that provides facts about the student debt relief plan.
2. Don't trust any person or program who promises you early or special access, or guaranteed eligibility. You might be contacted by a company saying they will help you get loan discharge, forgiveness, cancellation, or debt relief for a fee. They may also offer to help you apply early. The loan forgiveness application will launch in early October and early access is not possible, and you never have to pay for help with your federal student aid. If you receive any of these offers, it's a scam.
3. Don't give your personal information, Federal Student Aid ID or social security number to anyone who contacts you. Nobody from the Department of Education will be calling you or texting you about this initiative. Make sure you work only with the U.S. Department of Education, and never reveal your personal information or account password to anyone. Genuine emails to borrowers will only come from noreply@studentaid.gov.
4. If you encounter a scam, report it. Contact the official Federal Student Aid website to file a complaint, or contact the Federal Trade Commission. The U.S. Department of Education offers additional tips and resources here.

The New York State Division of Consumer Protection provides voluntary mediation between a consumer and a business when a consumer has been unsuccessful at reaching a resolution on their own. The Consumer Assistance Helpline 1-800-697-1220 is available Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm, excluding State Holidays, and consumer complaints can be filed at any time at https://dos.ny.gov/consumer-protection.

For more consumer protection tips, follow the Division on social media at Twitter: @NYSConsumer and Facebook: www.facebook.com/nysconsumer.