Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - AUGUST 18, 2022

 

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

21 Statewide Deaths Reported Yesterday

 NOTE: Beginning June 24, 2022, the Vaccine data will be updated weekly on Fridays to align with CDC's updated data refresh schedule. For additional information on COVID-19 Vaccination Data provided by CDC, see https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations_vacc-total-admin-rate-total.   

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

"As we look toward the fall, it is vital that New Yorkers remain vigilant in keeping themselves and their loved ones 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."

Earlier this week, Governor Hochul announced the first phase of this year's of #VaxtoSchool initiative, the multi-faceted statewide campaign aimed at increasing COVID-19 vaccination rates among school-aged New Yorkers. The campaign includes more than three dozen pop-up vaccination sites throughout the state in the coming weeks, with more being added in the near future.

Today's data is summarized briefly below:   

• Cases Per 100k - 27.60
• 7-Day Average Cases Per 100k - 23.96 
• Test Results Reported - 69,526
• Total Positive - 5,394
• Percent Positive - 7.38%**
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 5.81%**   
• Patient Hospitalization - 2,455 (-54)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 430
• Patients in ICU - 241 (-8)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 94 (-2)
• Total Discharges - 332,712 (+449)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 21
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 57,420

** 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 - 73,350

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	Monday, Aug. 15, 2022	Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022	Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022
Bronx	7.63%	7.53%	7.27%
Kings	2.74%	2.97%	3.01%
New York	5.95%	5.77%	5.83%
Queens	7.63%	7.79%	7.69%
Richmond	6.54%	6.34%	6.67%

Senator Rivera’s Dakota’s Law Is Signed into Law

 

Senate Health Chair’s Signature Legislation to Prevent Childhood Lead Poisoning Signed by Governor Hochul

Today, Dakota’s Law (S5024D Rivera /A7325C Peoples-Stokes), a bill to prevent and address instances of elevated blood lead levels in children has been signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul.   

This bill requires lead screenings for children at every routine primary health care visit or annually until the age of six years old. Healthcare practitioners will be required to provide parents or guardians with guidance on lead poisoning prevention, including information on their right to an inspection if the child lives in an area of high risk. In addition, this bill will require pre-kindergarten and kindergarten institutions to check if their enrolling students have been screened for lead exposure and provide them with educational materials on lead poisoning. 

This is the first bill of Dakota’s Law, a multi-bill effort to enhance New York’s childhood lead poisoning prevention measures. 

"By signing this bill into law, Governor Hochul is taking decisive action to ensure that lead exposure is being detected in children before reaching levels that cause irreparable harm. This new law will help reduce lead poisoning in New York State and ensure our children live in safe and healthy environments,” said State Senator Gustavo Rivera, Chair of the Senate Health Committee and sponsor of the bill. “I want to thank Ms. Tiesha Jones for her tenacious work to protect her daughter Dakota and to help children and families across New York to prevent the harmful effects of lead poisoning.” 

Dakota’s Law was written with Ms. Tiesha Jones, Senator Rivera’s constituent, based on her and her child’s experience with elevated blood lead levels. Ms. Jones was living in a public housing apartment in the Bronx with her family and took her daughter Dakota to the doctor for appropriate testing at the required ages of 12- and 24-months-old. Upon changing doctors at age 4, Dakota was offered a lead screening and in just two years, Dakota’s blood lead levels increased from 5 micrograms to 45. This left Dakota with permanent developmental challenges that affect her education.  

“I want to thank Governor Hochul for signing this bill into law. When I drafted this legislation with the guidance of Senator Rivera’s team, my end goal was to help my daughter Dakota and ultimately, help prevent children in New York from suffering the devastating effects of lead poisoning," said Tiesha Jones, Dakota's Mother and Bronx Community Leader. "Dakota’s Law will provide parents with the tools they need to protect their children and require stakeholders to take proactive action in a timely manner.”

This law builds on the successful effort by Senator Rivera to lower New York’s State’s action level from 10 micrograms to 5, in accordance with recommendations from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Children under six years old whose blood lead levels reach 10 micrograms face developmental toxicity, or permanent damage, due to lead exposure. By taking action when a child has a blood lead level of 5 micrograms, we prevent permanent damage by addressing the source of lead exposure and preventing the lasting damage of lead poisoning. 

Senator Rivera is currently working on the two other bills that make up Dakota’s Law, including bills relating to housing code enforcement and insurance coverage to eliminate cost barriers to care.

Long Island Woman Charged With Embezzling $4 Million From Manhattan Company And Its Clients

Carmen Miranda, a/k/a “Millie Miranda,” Stole Money from Her Employer and Its Clients to Pay For, Among Other Things, Her Wedding, Travel, and to Make Payments to a Cosmetic Surgeon 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Daniel B. Brubaker, Inspector-in-Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”),  announced today that CARMEN MIRANDA, a/k/a “Millie Miranda,” was charged with wire fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft, in connection with her scheme to embezzle over $4 million from her employer and its clients in Manhattan, New York.  MIRANDA was arrested today and will be presented today before Magistrate Judge Barbara Moses in Manhattan federal court.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “For years, Carmen Miranda allegedly pilfered funds from her employer and clients for her own benefit.  She used the stolen funds to live a lifestyle she could not afford, purchasing expensive trips, luxury items, and throwing lavish parties.  Her dishonesty led to serious disruptions in her employer’s and its clients’ businesses.  Miranda’s arrest and prosecution should send a message to anyone engaging in fraudulent conduct that they will be found and prosecuted.”

Inspector-in-Charge Daniel B. Brubaker said:  “Carmen Miranda was placed in a position of trust to help people manage their finances.  She allegedly abused that trust by misappropriating approximately $4 million dollars and in stealing their money, sought only to enrich herself through personal gain.   Miranda used the alleged stolen funds to pay for a lavish lifestyle full of vacations, parties, cosmetic procedures, high-end luxury goods, and even her own wedding. Her greed was her downfall, and in the end, the Postal Inspectors were there to put a stop to her ill-gotten spending spree.”

According to the allegations contained in the Complaint unsealed today:[1]

CARMEN MIRANDA, a/k/a “Millie Miranda,” the defendant, was an account manager at a small business management firm that primarily serviced clients in the entertainment industry (the “Company”).  From at least in or about December 2014, up to and including at least January 2022, while serving as an account manager for the Company, MIRANDA embezzled funds from the Company and some of the Company’s clients (the “Clients” or individually “Client”).  She added herself as an authorized user on two credit cards belonging to a Client, used two other credit cards issued to a Client’s employees, and wrote checks and sent electronic funds transfers out of the Clients’ accounts.  MIRANDA used the credit cards, the checks, and electronic funds transfers to make payments to a cosmetic surgeon, her children, and others, and to pay for expenses such as tuition, travel, her wedding, an anniversary party, and luxury items from Jimmy Choo.  To conceal the Client funds that she had stolen and spent, MIRANDA transferred funds between accounts belonging to different Clients.

As a part of this scheme, MIRANDA misappropriated approximately $4 million.  

MIRANDA, 50, of Massapequa, New York, is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison, and one count of bank fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of thirty years in prison, and one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory penalty of two years in prison to be served consecutive to any other term of imprisonment. 

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the USPIS in this investigation.

The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth in this release constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

Friday, August 19th: Catholic Charities of New York to Host Pop-Up Food Pantry at St. Benedict's Church in the Bronx

 

This Friday, August 19th at 10:00 AM ET, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York will distribute 200 boxes of dry goods, dairy, and produce to local families in need at St. Benedict's Church in the Bronx. This event is the latest in a series of pop-up food pantries hosted by Catholic Charities to support New Yorkers experiencing food insecurity – a persistent citywide challenge that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the rising costs of living. Since the start of the pandemic, Catholic Charities of New York has distributed nearly 11 million meals to individuals and families in need with the help of donors and partners.

St. Benedict's Church -  2969 Otis Ave Bronx, NY 10465

About Catholic Charities of New York

Catholic Charities is a federation of approximately 90 agencies and programs located throughout the 10 counties of the Archdiocese of New York, helping to solve the problems of New Yorkers in need – non-Catholics and Catholics alike – with services that protect and nurture children, strengthen families and resolve crises, assist the hungry and homeless, support the physically and emotionally challenged, and integrate immigrants and refugees.

 

In 2017, Catholic Charities marked a 100-year legacy of service and launched the next century of providing help and creating hope for New Yorkers in need. Catholic Charities has recommitted to providing basic human services that are efficient, effective, accountable, and caring – and to being a valued partner in building the fabric of a caring New York.