SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND, MALONEY ANNOUNCE OVER $204 THOUSAND IN FEDERAL EMERGENCY TRANSIT FUNDING FOR PUTNAM COUNTY

 

During Negotiations For Cares Act, Leader Schumer Prioritized & Secured $$$ For Upstate New York Transit; Gillibrand, Maloney Shepherded Legislation To Final Passage 

Putnam County Will Receive $204K To Support Transit Operations As County Responds To & Recovers From COVID-19 Pandemic 

Reps: Federal Funding Will Keep Putnam County Moving Forward

  U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and U.S. Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney today announced $204,195 in CARES Act, emergency federal funding for Putnam County’s transit systems. This federal funding was secured in the CARES Act, allocated by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and will allow transit services to continue in the Putnam County area during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic by mitigating the devastating financial impact of the crisis on local transit systems.

“As the Hudson Valley reopens, it’s imperative that it gets all the federal tools it needs to support the recovery process, including help for our vital public transportation systems in Putnam County” said Senator Schumer. “This federal funding will offset the devastating financial impacts of COVID-19 on transit operations throughout the region and allow the Putnam County Area to keep the bus systems clean, safe, timely and efficient for Hudson Valley riders. I’m proud to have fought for this imperative funding to be included in the CARES Act and will continue to fight to make sure that New York has every dollar it needs to recover.”

“New York State’s transportation systems are at the center of our economy,” said Senator Gillibrand. “As Putnam County reopens and returns to daily life, we must ensure that New Yorkers can rely on safe and sanitary transit to get to their jobs, the grocery store, and schools. This funding is great news for the Hudson Valley and I will keep working to secure the resources our communities need to recover.”

“Folks in Putnam County rely on public transit every day — before, during and long after this pandemic. This investment will help keep our public transit clean and running as we continue to reopen our communities. I’m proud the transportation funding I fought for as a proud member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee was included in the CARES Act, and will continue to advocate for more emergency relief and transit funding for Hudson Valley communities,” said Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney.

Putnam County’s transit system includes the Putnam Area Rapid Transit (PART), which serves the Putnam County region, and operates four fixed routes year round in addition to a seasonal trolley in Cold Spring and a commuter shuttle to the Metro North Station at Croton Falls. Additionally, PART Paratransit offers a transportation system for those Putnam residents who are unable to use the PART public transportation due to a physical or mental disability.

The FTA funding for Putnam County is a 100% federal fund grant and no local match is required. Funding announced today is in addition to the $2.8M in CARES Act funding awarded to Putnam County earlier this month.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

Keep up the good work Chuck, but what about New York City and the MTA?

MAYOR DE BLASIO AND SHERIFF FUCITO VISIT COVID-19 TRAVEL CHECKPOINT

 

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Everybody, we are here at the Bayonne Bridge. You can see this operation by the Sheriff's Office and you can see immediately the impact it’s making. I want to thank – you are going to hear from Sheriff Joe Fucito in a moment. But I want to thank you Sheriff and your whole team. You know a lot of New Yorkers before the pandemic didn’t know a lot about the Sheriff's Office but they have been heroes throughout these last six months. They have been there for New York City in so many ways, helping us to address this pandemic, saving lives, protecting people, dealing with all sorts of problems in neighborhoods. And really making a lot of problems stop because of the dedication of the team at the Sheriff’s Office. So I really want to thank them for their great work.

 

And now with this important work, with these checkpoints, making sure they people visiting New York City understand, if they come from one of the states that requires a quarantine, if you come here from one of the states that’s had a big problem recently with the coronavirus, you need to quarantine when you get to New York City, if you are staying here. It doesn’t matter if you are from the other state or you are from New York City, if you’ve spent time in one of those states that’s in the middle of this crisis, when you get back here you have got to quarantine. And these checkpoints are making the point very clear. They are helping everyone to realize their responsibility to their fellow New Yorkers. They are helping everyone to understand what the law is. And a lot of information is being spread in this process and I really want to thank you Sheriff. Because I think the word – this has been one of the best ways we’ve helped to educate people about the quarantine law. And everybody, I want you to understand about 20 percent of the cases we are seeing now in New York City are from people who have traveled out of state to one of the areas experiencing a problem with the coronavirus. So this is a driving force in the level of infections we have right now. And we have seen in other parts of the world, that if the travel situation is not addressed dramatically and aggressively it becomes one of the biggest causes of spread. So we can’t let that happen in New York City. So we are doing this work with the Sheriff’s Office, with the travel companies, the hotels, a lot of participation to help us get this done.

 

Everybody, the other thing I want to say is the Sheriff’s Office, they are going wherever the need is. We are here in Staten Island because obviously this is where people are coming in from I-95, from a lot of different states in the country. So this is one of the most sensitive entry points in the whole of the five boroughs. But the Sheriff’s Office will be out all over the city in the weeks to come. And the important thing is for people to realize they got to take this seriously. New York City has had a lot of success keeping the infection level low. We've done that with a lot of vigilance and with making sure we are educating people all the time. And what the Sheriff is doing is a key part of that for sure. So now my pleasure to introduce one of the – he used to unsung. He’s getting more sung now. And well deserved, one of the heroes fighting back the coronavirus, Sheriff Joe Fucito.

 

New York City Sheriff Joseph Fucito: Thank you Mr. Mayor. It’s always a hard follow up because I got to pull the mic down when the Mayor speaks. But very quickly, as the Mayor indicated, we are very proud of the Sheriff’s Office, the deputy sheriffs and detectives of the Sheriff’s Office that have been doing this work today. They do a tireless job every day. One of the most important things to remember is, the Sheriff’s Office is 394 years old. I think the second oldest office is the Mayor. So there is a long time partnership between the Sheriff and the Mayor. And I think it’s also important to note, you see more of the Sheriff when there are problems. When there are emergencies the laws of the state say the Sheriff has to step up and take action. And that’s what we are doing over the pandemic. And that’s what we are going to be doing in the future days. Stepping up to help New Yorkers. It’s very, very important.

 

So, some quick tips – obviously avoid travel to quarantine states if you can. If you must travel then complete the travelers form and follow the quarantine guidelines. Failure to comply with these provisions of law can result in criminal charges and civil penalties. The Sheriff’s Office and the Taxi and Limousine Commission police, we want to give them a very big thank you. They have been helping us with this project, have conducted over 3,000 vehicle stops and issued over 12,000 masks to motorists. Compliance at vehicle checkpoints is very high with only two individuals receiving summonses for failure to comply. And in a few days vehicle checkpoint compliance will include bus traffic arriving in New York City that originated from other quarantine states. And we will be moving and looking at how we can reduce the numbers of travelers coming into the city who are not filling out the form. Education is the biggest part of it. So if you see this message, please fill out the form and follow the quarantine.

 

Mayor: Excellent. Thank you, everybody.

 

MAYOR DE BLASIO AND CHANCELLOR CARRANZA ANNOUNCE COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL AIR SAFETY MEASURES

 

 Mayor de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Carranza today announced a multi-pronged approach to addressing, monitoring, and reporting air quality and ventilation in every building by the first day of school. Beginning today, every space occupied by students, teachers and staff in a school building will be inspected by a citywide team of independent professional engineers to assess each space and determine adequate ventilation. Inspection criteria and standards were developed based on a thorough review of guidance from the CDC and WHO, as well as expert review by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Building inspection results will be publicly shared on a rolling basis beginning this week through Friday, September 4^th. 

 

“With our record-low infection rates, New York City is the safest city in America,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “The verdict is clear: our plan to reopen schools is the strongest in the country and among the most rigorous in the world. I want all students and staff to enter our school buildings this fall with full reassurance that they will be safe.”

 

“We're leaving no stone unturned when it comes to our school buildings, and a robust approach to ventilation is a critical piece of our health and safety plan,” said Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza. “The science is clear: well-ventilated buildings are safer buildings--and we're going to make sure that's true for every school by the first day." 

 

For the last several weeks, custodial engineers have been inspecting school buildings to identify repairs that will ensure proper ventilation.  Now, every school building in New York City will also be inspected by teams of independent, certified professional engineers contracted by the School Construction Authority (SCA) to ensure that mechanical and natural air circulation and ventilation systems are in place prior to reopening. These School Ventilation Action Team inspections will provide a highly-qualified, third-party determination and documentation of how the building is providing air circulation and ventilation and the current status of those mechanisms. SCA will be joined by sister agencies, like the Department of Buildings and FDNY, as well as DOE custodial engineers to make sure every space inside a building is ready for occupancy. 

 

The DOE will use the assessments to ensure sufficient ventilation by the first day of school. In instances where that is not possible, the room or building will not be used until repairs can be made. 

 

The DOE has also purchased 10,000 portable air purifiers to be placed in schools by the first day. These devices are designed to remove particles from the air and reduce the risk of viruses being transmitted through the use of high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. Schools will be allocated portable air purifiers first for their isolation rooms and nurses’ offices, and then based on need identified during building inspections as an added layer of defense against airborne particles. More will be purchased if needed. 

 

Every building will also be provided a CO₂ testing device for custodial engineers to measure the level of fresh air. When a room is occupied, elevated levels of CO₂ in an enclosed space are evidence of poor air circulation and ventilation. Every Custodial Engineer is being provided with a CO₂ testing device to provide quick, on-the-spot information regarding indoor air quality. School leaders and staff can request a CO₂ reading to ensure that air circulation is being maintained in a room. If a room falls outside of the parameters for what is safe, the issue will be elevated to the Division of School Facilities, and the room will not be used until air circulation is remedied and improved.

 

Proper air ventilation is a key component of stopping the spread of COVID-19. Per CDC guidance, it is highly recommended that schools:

 

·         Increase the amount of fresh air in classrooms – whether by natural or mechanical means, 

·         Inspect, repair, and increase air filtration, 

·         Inspect and repair supply and exhaust fans, 

·         Deploy portable High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters.

·         Ensure ventilation systems operate properly and provide acceptable indoor air quality for the current occupancy level for each space.

 

With its blended learning model, socially distanced classrooms, mandatory masks, widely available testing, and contact tracing program, the City's plan for reopening schools is the strongest in the country and among the most rigorous in the world. The City will only open schools if transmission stays below 3%, exceeding the 5% standard set by the World Health Organization and New York State.

 

EDITOR'S NOTE:

We wonder who is making how many millions of dollars off this idea?

State Labor Department Releases Preliminary July 2020 Area Unemployment Rates

 

 The New York State Department of Labor today released preliminary local area unemployment rates for July 2020. Rates are calculated using methods prescribed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The State’s area unemployment rates rely in part on the results of the Current Population Survey, which contacts approximately 3,100 households in New York State each month.

From July 2019 to July 2020, the State’s private sector employment count decreased by 1,184,500. The State’s seasonally adjusted private sector job count increased over the month by 244,200, or 3.6%, to 7,116,200 in July 2020.The State’s private sector job count is based on a payroll survey of 18,000 New York employers, which is conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition, the State’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased from 15.6% to 15.9% in July 2020.  

Local Area Unemployment Rates* (%) 

July  2019 and July 2020

(not seasonally adjusted)

*Data are preliminary and subject to change. The data in the preceding table are not seasonally adjusted, which means they reflect seasonal influences (e.g., holiday and summer hires). Therefore, the most valid comparisons with this type of data are year-to-year comparisons of the same month, for example, July 2019 versus July 2020.   See County Unemployment Rates (opens in new window) for current unemployment rates for all 62 counties in New York State. Labor force data for the current month are preliminary and subject to revision as more information becomes available the following month. Revised estimates for prior months are available at: labor.ny.gov/stats/LSLAUS.shtm Labor force statistics, including the unemployment rate, for New York and every other state are based on statistical regression models specified by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. These are the most up-to-date estimates of persons employed and unemployed by place of residence. Estimates are available for New York State, labor market regions, metropolitan areas, counties and municipalities with population of at least 25,000. See State and Area Unemployment Rates (opens in new window) See Unemployment Rate Map (opens in new window) See Jobs and Unemployment Fact Sheet (opens in new window)
July         July                                                                           2020        2019
Metro Areas                                             16.3        4.2
Albany-Schenectady-Troy                   11.5         3.8
Binghamton                                         12.5         4.8
Buffalo-Niagara Falls                           14.1        4.6
Dutchess-Putnam                                12.5        3.8
Elmira                                                   12.5       4.4
Glens Falls                                           11.1       3.6
Ithaca                                                     9.9       4.2
Kingston                                              12.4        4.0
Nassau-Suffolk                                    13.8       3.8
New York City                                      20.0       4.3
Orange-Rockland-Westchester           14.0       4.0
Rochester                                            13.9       4.3
Syracuse                                             13.0       4.3
Utica-Rome                                         12.2       4.4
Watertown-Fort Drum                         12.3       4.9
Non-metro counties                              11.7        4.4

No. 202.58: Continuing Temporary Suspension and Modification of Laws Relating to the Disaster Emergency

 

No. 202.58

E X E C U T I V E  O R D E R

Continuing Temporary Suspension and Modification of Laws Relating to the Disaster Emergency

WHEREAS, on March 7, 2020, I issued Executive Order Number 202, declaring a State disaster emergency for the entire State of New York; and

WHEREAS, both travel-related cases and community contact transmission of COVID-19 have been documented in New York State and are expected to continue; and

WHEREAS, the expectation is that community contact transmission could increase this fall; and

WHEREAS, the need to ensure the safety and security of the electoral process is paramount, and voters must have confidence that they can cast their ballot and have it be counted in a manner of their choosing based on the relevant state laws; and

WHEREAS, these suspensions and modifications are intended to ensure that all voters have the opportunity to vote statewide;

NOW THEREFORE, I, Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New York, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Section 29-a of Article 2-B of the Executive Law to temporarily suspend or modify any statute, local law, ordinance, order, rule, or regulation, or parts thereof, of any agency during a State disaster emergency, if compliance with such statute, local law, ordinance, order, rule, or regulation would prevent, hinder, or delay action necessary to cope with the disaster emergency or if necessary to assist or aid in coping with such disaster, do hereby suspend or modify the following through September 23, 2020:

· Sections 15-120 and 15-122 of the Election Law, Sections 2018-a and 2018-b of the Education Law, and Section 84-a of the Town Law, as well as any provision of law related to a special district election taking place prior to November 3, 2020, and not administered by the County Board of Elections to the extent necessary to include the potential for contraction of the COVID-19 virus as an illness for purposes of request or receipt of an absentee ballot;

· Section 8-400 and any provision of Article 9 of the Election Law, in order to provide that every voter that is in active and inactive status and is eligible to vote in any election on or before November 3, 2020, may be able to request an absentee ballot via phone or internet or electronically; and if such voter requests an absentee ballot, such voter shall be sent an absentee ballot, provided however each voter shall not be sent more than one ballot pursuant to a phone request, and shall not be required to complete an application either prior to or simultaneously to receiving the ballot. Further, the board of elections receiving the telephone request shall maintain a record of such telephone request for an absentee ballot, and may complete the absentee ballot application as such record on behalf of the voter requesting the absentee ballot, provided that no ballot shall be deemed invalid for lack of a complete absentee ballot application for any reason;

· Section 9-209(3) of the Election Law related to curing deficiencies in absentee ballots is modified to the extent necessary to require that a board of elections shall provide a five day cure period for any eligible deficiency instead of seven if such absentee ballot is received after November 3, 2020; and further modified to require that a board of election shall first notify any voter of any eligible deficiency within 24 hours of identifying the deficiency by phone or email, if available and shall only mail such notification to the voter if notice to the voter by phone or email is not possible; and

· Article 16 of the Election Law is modified to the extent necessary to provide that no cause of action shall be maintained against a board of elections if, for the general election taking place on November 3, 2020, notice is not able to be made within the time period set forth in section 9-209(3) after a good faith effort, and through no fault of the board of elections.

· Sections 103 and 104-b of the General Municipal Law, to the extent necessary to allow a board of elections to procure and provide absentee ballot applications, absentee ballots, envelopes, mail notification cards pursuant to this executive order, or any other means of transmitting an absentee ballot application or absentee ballot to voters in accordance with the timeframes set forth in Executive Order 202 or any subsequent Executive Order;

IN ADDITION, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Section 29-a of Article 2-B of the Executive Law to issue any directive during a disaster emergency necessary to cope with the disaster, I do hereby issue the following directives through September 23, 2020:

· All county Boards of Elections and the City of New York Board of Elections shall send an informational mailing to every registered voter by September 8, 2020, containing the following information:

o The dates, hours, and locations for early voting in such voter’s county, including the early voting location for which the voter is assigned, if applicable.

o Information regarding how to apply for an absentee ballot, including the opportunity to apply online or by phone, and including the deadline for requesting an absentee ballot.

o Information regarding the date and hours for the November 3, 2020 general election, and the voter’s election day polling place location.

o Information regarding how the voter can look up their registration status.

o An explicit reminder or communication of the opportunities to vote prior to Election Day, including application for an absentee ballot and early voting options.

o Expected mail times, if a voter chooses to request an absentee ballot.

· All county Boards of Elections and the City of New York Board of Elections must submit staffing plans and any staffing needs for early voting and election day poll site operations, as well as post-election canvass of results, to the state Board of Elections no later than September 20, 2020, to provide adequate time for the state Board of Elections to assist as feasible.

· All county Boards of Elections and the City of New York Board of Elections shall take all steps possible to count ballots as soon as possible, including reviewing absentee or military ballot envelopes prior to Election Day to ensure efficient and timely canvassing of ballots, including establishing objections by the Board to ballot envelopes prior to Election Day, any reporting of affidavit ballots by counties to the state board to compare against absentee ballots must be completed 48 hours after the election.

· The State Board of Elections must develop a uniform envelope for absentee ballots for use by local Boards of Elections by September 8, 2020. Such envelope shall establish where a voter must sign to be valid. All local county Boards of Elections and the City of New York Board of Elections must use such uniform envelope for absentee ballots developed by the State Board of Elections.

G I V E N under my hand and the Privy Seal of the State in the City of Albany this twenty-fourth of August in the year two thousand twenty.

BY THE GOVERNOR

Secretary to the Governor

Governor Cuomo Announces Lower-Risk School Sports in All Regions May Begin September 21

 

No Travel Practice or Play Will Be Permitted Outside School's Region or Contiguous Regions or Counties Until October 19

Higher-Risk Sports May Practice but Are Not Permitted to Play at this time

  Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced lower-risk, school-sponsored sports in all regions may begin to practice and play beginning September 21st. However, travel for practice or play will be prohibited outside of the school's region or contiguous regions or counties until October 19th. For the fall sports season, lower- and moderate-risk sports include tennis, soccer, cross country, field hockey and swimming.

Higher-risk sports, including those with full physical contact, may begin to practice on September 21st but cannot play until a later date or December 31st. In accordance with the Department of Health's guidance for sports and recreation during the COVID-19 public health emergency, practices for higher-risk sports are limited to individual or group, no- to low-contact training. Higher-risk sports include football, wrestling, rugby, hockey and volleyball.

"The State has done a lot of research on how we can safely have our students participate in school sports and get the exercise they need, and the guidance we developed will allow lower-risk sports to begin practicing and playing next month," Governor Cuomo said. "We are approaching youth sports as we have approached everything else in our phased reopening - teams are not allowed to compete outside a school's region or contiguous region for the time being until we can gauge the effects."

Schools must follow the Department's guidance for the conduct of their school sports. Schools will have to limit capacity of indoor facilities to no more than 50 percent occupancy and limit spectators to no more than two spectators per player, in addition to implementing social distancing and face coverings.

Governor Cuomo Announces New Record-Low COVID-19 Test Positivity Rate

 

17th Straight Day with Positivity Rate Below 1 Percent; 0.66 Percent of Yesterday's COVID-19 Tests were Positive

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and New York City Health + Hospitals Will Set up New Testing Sites at JFK and LaGuardia Airports

7 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday

SLA and State Police Task Force Observes Violations of State Requirements at 34 Establishments This Weekend

Confirms 408 Additional Coronavirus Cases in New York State - Bringing Statewide Total to 430,145; New Cases in 27 Counties

  Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced a new record-low COVID-19 test positivity rate of 0.66 percent. The number of new cases, percentage of tests that were positive and many other helpful data points are always available at forward.ny.gov. 

The Governor also announced the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and New York City Health + Hospitals will set up new testing sites at JFK and LaGuardia Airports to limit the spread of COVID-19 from visitors coming from out of state.

"Over the past couple of weeks, our infection rate has stayed below one percent. Congratulations to New Yorkers for their hard work in getting us to this point, but we must keep up that work and continue wearing our masks and socially distancing," Governor Cuomo said. "Our progress shows that this virus responds to science, not politics. It's a function of medicine and science and biology and should be treated that way."

This weekend, the State Liquor Authority and State Police Task Force visited 3,964 establishments in New York City and Long Island and observed 34 establishments that were not in compliance with state requirements. A county breakdown of this weekend's observed violations is below: 

• Bronx - 6
• Brooklyn - 10
• Manhattan - 8
• Queens - 5
• Nassau - 4
• Suffolk - 1

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

• Patient Hospitalization - 482 (+10)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 56
• Hospital Counties - 32
• Number ICU - 120 (+10)
• Number ICU with Intubation - 54 (+4)
• Total Discharges - 74,684 (+44)
• Deaths - 7
• Total Deaths - 25,295

Statement by Speaker Corey Johnson - Re: Fake Budget Letter

 

 A letter is being circulated that purports to be from my office and signed by me, Finance Chair Danny Dromm and Subcommittee on Capital Budget Chair Vanessa Gibson identifying city agency cuts through layoffs. This letter is fake. We support the workers who have kept our city running through COVID, and want to work with them to help NYC rebuild even stronger.