Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - APRIL 12, 2022

 

As New Yorkers Make Preparations to Travel and Gather with Loved Ones ForEaster and Passover Holidays, Remember to Use the Toolkit: Vaccines, Boosters, Testing, and Treatment

8 COVID-19 Deaths Statewide Yesterday   

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

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.

"As we approach the Easter and Passover holidays and we see more New Yorkers travel and gather together, let's continue to use the tools to keep each other safe and move forward through this pandemic safely," Governor Hochul said. "Make sure you get tested before you travel, and if you test positive, isolate from others and talk to your doctor about treatments. The number one way to protect yourself against COVID-19 is to get vaccinated. Second booster doses have been authorized for individuals 55 and up, so make sure to sign up for your booster today if you're eligible."

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

• Cases Per 100k - 18.76
• 7-Day Average Cases Per 100k - 25.62
• Test Results Reported - 85,815
• Total Positive - 3,666
• Percent Positive - 4.12% **
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 4.13% **
• Patient Hospitalization - 1,128 (+68)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 185
• Patients in ICU - 138 (+8)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 63 (-3)
• Total Discharges - 292,483 (+122)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 8
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 55,240

** 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.

• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 70,455

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 - 37,823,031
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 25,250
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 235,114
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 92.2%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 83.5%
• 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) - 86.4%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 82.7%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 72.8%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 81.7%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 73.9%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 89.8%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 76.5%

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, April 9, 2022	Sunday, April 10, 2022	Monday, April 11, 2022
Bronx	1.40%	1.41%	1.39%
Kings	2.75%	2.79%	2.60%
New York	4.16%	4.19%	4.25%
Queens	2.37%	2.36%	2.39%
Richmond	2.61%	2.64%	2.79%

Former NYPD Officer Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Trafficking Large Quantities Of Imported Date Rape Drug And Methamphetamine

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that former New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) officer and Bronxville, New York resident JOHN CICERO was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas to 10 years in prison for distributing large quantities of imported gamma-butyrolactone (known as “GBL”) and methamphetamine in Westchester County and New York City.  CICERO previously pled guilty on October 13, 2021 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause, to one count of conspiring to distribute GBL and 50 grams of methamphetamine.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “A former NYPD police officer once sworn to protect the public, John Cicero spent years betraying his former law enforcement partners, enriching himself, and endangering the community by importing GBL, a dangerous liquid date-rape drug, from China and methamphetamine from Mexico and trafficking massive amounts of both throughout Westchester and New York City, including in Hell’s Kitchen and midtown-Manhattan around Penn Station.  Thanks to the tireless efforts of law enforcement, Cicero will serve a substantial sentence in prison for his callous crimes.”      

According to the Indictment, public court filings, and statements made in court:

Beginning in at least 2017 and lasting until his arrest in February 2020, CICERO and his co-conspirators stockpiled and sold liters of GBL and kilograms of methamphetamine in apartments, hotel rooms, and storage units in the heart of midtown Manhattan, and a residence in Bronxville, New York.  CICERO played a prominent and leadership role in the conspiracy, as the conspiracy’s top importer of GBL from China, and as someone who had direct access to the Mexico-based source of supply and with whom he arranged the receipt of and payment for methamphetamine.  CICERO also created and used fake identity documents and stolen credit cards to pay for, among other things, the luxury Manhattan hotel rooms where drugs were trafficked and used.  CICERO repeatedly brokered large-scale narcotics transactions over recorded prison calls with an inmate then in New York State custody.  U.S. Customs and Border Protection has previously seized GBL sent from China to CICERO’s address in New York.  CICERO held a supervisory role in the criminal activity, which involved over three kilograms of methamphetamine and 750 liters of GBL.  The charged conduct began years after CICERO left the NYPD.

On February 19, 2020, CICERO was arrested in a Wall Street hotel, in a room he had rented under a false identity.  In addition to methamphetamine and GBL, law enforcement recovered from CICERO’s room a bank card and a fake ID, bearing CICERO’s photograph, all in the name of the false identity to whom the room was rented.  As part of CICERO’s arrest, law enforcement also recovered detailed drug ledgers, sophisticated credit card making equipment, and notebooks full of victims’ personally identifiable information.

In addition to the prison sentence, CICERO, 40, of Bronxville, New York, was sentenced to four years of supervised release and ordered to pay a forfeiture penalty of $216,262.50.

Earlier in the case, three of CICERO’s co-defendants pled guilty for their roles in the same conspiracy.  MARCO CASO, 50, of New York, New York and IRMA MATERASSO, 38, of New Rochelle, New York, previously pled guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute GBL and 50 grams of methamphetamine and MATTHEW MATEO, 25, of the Bronx, New York, previously pled guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute GBL and 500 grams of methamphetamine.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, which comprises agents and detectives from the FBI, Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, Westchester County Police Department, Yonkers Police Department, Peekskill Police Department, Mount Vernon Police Department, New York Police Department, and U.S. Probation.  He also thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the New York State Department of Corrections Office of Special Investigations for their assistance.

BPECA Meeting: Wednesday April 12 6:30 - 8:00 at PS 96 - with free Covid home test kits!

 

Dear Community Member:

Join us tomorrow evening to hear about all the new developments in the community - including 10 new apartment buildings underway, and the reopening of the renovated Waring Playground and Basketball Court, with a ribbon-cutting Thursday April 14 at 1 PM.  

Bring your questions, as we'll discuss how we're going to stay on top of all these changes and bring improvement to the neighborhood!

[Note that proof of vaccination is no longer required to enter the school.  Masks encouraged and will be provided.]

Join us / Unase a nosotros 
Community Discussion
Discusión de la Comunidad

 Pelham Parkway to Allerton, Bronx Park East to White Plains Rd:
*10 New Apartment Buildings*
Is This Too Many For Parking & Schools?
10 nuevos edificios de apartamentos
Demasiados para el estacionamiento y las escuelas?

**Waring Playground & Basketball Court**
Reopening/Reapertura!

Help us Decide on a 
$500 Community Improvement Grant
Ayudanos a decidir sobre una subvención de $500 para mejoras comunitarias

FREE At-Home Covid Test Kits
courtesy of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 
and NY Governor Hochul

at PS 96 Cafeteria   8 PM 
2385 Olinville Ave @ Waring Ave

*We meet every month on the 2^nd Wednesday*

*Nos reunimos todos los meses el 2º miércoles*   

Statement from Governor Kathy Hochul in Support of President Biden's Rule Cracking Down on Ghost Guns

"Today, President Biden and the Department of Justice announced additional steps to crack down on ghost guns, including making "buy, build, shoot" kits subject to the same federal laws that apply to other firearms. I applaud President Biden for closing this loophole that threatened the safety of our communities, and I want to thank the President for his ongoing partnership. No one should be able to circumvent the process to gain access to deadly weapons, especially those that take just 30 minutes to assemble and whose parts often cost less than $100. Just last week, three teens were shot and one was killed while walking home from school in the South Bronx with what police believe was a ghost gun.

"We are seeing a significant increase in the number of ghost guns used in deadly shootings across our state. That's why in October, I took action to criminalize the sale of ghost guns and require gunsmiths to register firearms they assemble. I also established a nation-leading Interstate Task Force on Illegal Guns, bringing together ten states, federal agencies, and local law enforcement agencies. The Task Force is having an immediate impact, taking hundreds of guns - including ghost guns - off the streets each month.

"We are treating gun violence as the public health and safety crisis that it is, devoting a historic $227 million in our FY2023 budget for gun violence prevention programs that aim to address the root causes of this epidemic. I pledge that we will continue to work with our partners at the local, state and federal levels to crack down on the distribution and possession of dangerous weapons, get guns off our streets, and save lives." 

Statement of United States Attorney Breon Peace Regarding New Federal Ghost Guns Rule

 

 In May 2021, the Justice Department’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) issued a proposed rule to curb the proliferation of ghost guns—privately made firearms that are increasingly being recovered at crime scenes across the United States.  Ghost guns generally do not have a serial number placed on the frame or receiver of the firearm.  As a result, law enforcement faces obstacles when trying to determine where, by whom, or when these deadly ghost guns were manufactured, and to whom they were sold or otherwise disposed. 

Yesterday, following a thorough and extensive public comment period, the Department announced the final rule.  We commend our law enforcement partners at ATF for this important, life-saving new rule.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York will use every tool at its disposal—both criminal and civil—to eliminate the scourge of illegal guns across New York City and across the country.

1 Bronx Pride Celebration - The Fight Continues.     TheThird Avenue Business Improvement District and Clearview Festivals are pleased to present the 2022 Bronx Pride calendar of events and programs.  The culmination of year-long planning based on a platform of equity for the LGBTQ community in the Bronx has resulted in a multi-faceted policy and program agenda that will be celebrated during the 1 Bronx Pride Festival on Sunday, June 19, 2022 in the heart of the downtown Bronx Civic Center at 149th Street and Third Avenue. The Festival promotes inclusion, community, and dialogue and works toward a future without discrimination where all people have equal rights under the law.  The Festival celebrates the movement started by Bronxites that laid the groundwork for equity, the next wave of creative thinkers prepared to score their own trails, and each individual in between. This year responds to the attacks the LGBTQ community has experienced and provides a path to organize and continue the movement forward for generations of LGBTQ individuals. For June 2022 1 Bronx Pride information, please click here 1 Bronx Pride Guide Sponsor Opportunities

List in formation The Third Avenue Business Improvement District promotes the growth, vitality and visibility of the Bronx’s oldest and most trafficked commercial corridor. We address barriers for district small business owners and build robust equitable economic development tools by demanding equitable City resources, safer & cleaner streets, and responsible, mission-driven development. Our organization is helping drive the systemic change needed to support equitable economic development in the Bronx. We organize and build coalitions, provide strategic community services, provide research and data analysis, and support targeted advocacy efforts that strengthen community voices, build community power, and help to win economic development policies that invest in people as much as they invest in places.

Remarks of DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber Press Conference at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York

DOI worked alongside the dedicated prosecutors of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the investigators of the Federal Bureau of Investigation on this significant investigation. In fact, this investigation reflects the power of partnership between law enforcement and our shared commitment to follow the facts, without fear or favor, wherever they lead. 

As today’s allegations underscore, public funds that support grants cannot be used as currency to boost a candidate’s fundraising, and candidates must provide accurate information regarding their contributions and how they are made. Honesty on these issues is not negotiable.  

The charges also illustrate the importance of compliance with City campaign fundraising rules and candor with the New York City Campaign Finance Board (“CFB”), which enforces those rules. The CFB is vital to maintaining integrity and transparency in campaign financing. The lies and deception alleged here frustrate its work and deprive New Yorkers of accurate information with respect to political contributions. 

I thank U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office Michael Driscoll and their outstanding teams for partnering with us on this matter. And at DOI, I want to thank Senior Investigative Auditor Jeffrey Freeman and Senior Inspector General Andrew Sein for their work on this investigation.

Thank you. 

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

JOCELYN E. STRAUBER COMMISSIONER

The City of New York Department of Investigation.

Statement from NYGOP Chairman Nick Langworthy on LG Brian Benjamin's Reported Arrest

“In her first major decision as governor, Kathy Hochul chose a dirty politician to serve as her partner in government and running mate. Brian Benjamin’s shady dealings and corruption were well-documented, but Hochul turned a blind eye and put him a heartbeat away from the governorship. This decision was not just dangerous incompetence, it is proof that her tolerance for corruption runs deep in her veins, which is no surprise given she dutifully served with Andrew Cuomo for seven years. Just days ago, she continued to say she had ‘full confidence in him.’ She does not possess the judgment nor the moral code to serve as governor. The only way to wipe clean the Cuomo-Hochul stench is to throw the entire corrupt cabal out of office this November.”