The Court’s decision is a victory and a vindication of New York State’s efforts to end the scourge of single-use plastic bags and a direct rebuke to the plastic bag manufacturers who tried to stop our law. DEC encourages New Yorkers to transition to reusable bags whenever and wherever they shop and to use common-sense precautions to keep reusable bags clean.
518 Hospitalizations Yesterday
13th Straight Day with Infection Rate Below 1 Percent—0.74 Percent of Yesterday's COVID-19 Tests were Positive
ICU Patients Match Previous Low of 120—Lowest Since March 16
5 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday
SLA and State Police Task Force Observes Violations of State Requirements at 3 Establishments
Confirms 601 Additional Coronavirus Cases in New York State - Bringing Statewide Total to 427,803; New Cases in 44 Counties
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that New York State's COVID-19 hospitalizations dropped to 518—the lowest number since March 18. Yesterday's infection rate of 0.74 percent marked the 13th straight day with an infection rate below 1 percent. The number of COVID-19 patients in ICUs dropped to 120, matching the state's previous low since March 16. The governor also updated New Yorkers on the state's progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The number of new cases, percentage of tests that were positive and many other helpful data points are always available at forward.ny.gov.
"Our state's continuing fight against COVID-19 has taken tremendous hard work and discipline from all New Yorkers, and we're seeing results—a new low for hospitalizations, 13 straight days of an infection rate below 1 percent and a match of a previous low for patients in ICUs," Governor Cuomo said. "I want to commend New Yorkers for practicing the basic daily behaviors—social distancing, washing hands and wearing masks—that make an enormous difference in our capacity to slow the spread, save lives and bring the state's infection rate from one of the nation's highest to one of its lowest. But now isn't the time to get complacent, and local governments must continue to enforce state guidance and New Yorkers must stay vigilant in the face of a continuing crisis throughout this country and around the world."
Yesterday, the State Liquor Authority and State Police Task Force visited 1,230 establishments in New York City and Long Island and observed 3 establishments that were not in compliance with state requirements. A county breakdown of yesterday's observed violations is below:
Today's data is summarized briefly below:
Builds on Governor's Actions to Protect Both Residential and Commercial Tenants from Eviction and Late Rent Fees amid COVID-19 Pandemic
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed an executive order extending the state's moratorium on COVID-related commercial evictions and foreclosures an additional month, until September 20th. This measure extends protections already in place for commercial tenants and mortgagors in recognition of the financial toll the pandemic has taken on business owners, including retail establishments and restaurants. The extension of this protection gives commercial tenants and mortgagors additional time to get back on their feet and catch up on rent or renegotiate their leasing terms to avoid eviction proceedings and foreclosures moving forward.
"While we have made great progress in keeping New York's infection rate low, this pandemic is not over and as we continue to fight the virus, we are continuing to protect New York businesses and residential tenants who face financial hardship due to COVID," Governor Cuomo said. "I am extending the State's moratorium on commercial evictions to ensure business owners across New York will not be forced to close as a result of the pandemic."
Governor Cuomo first announced a State moratorium on residential and commercial evictions on March 20 to ensure no tenant was evicted during the height of the public health emergency. The commercial eviction and foreclosure moratorium was extended through August 20 by Executive Order, and the Governor signed the Tenant Safe Harbor Act and additional legislation to protect residential renters and homeowners from foreclosure or eviction due to a COVID-19 financial hardship. Governor Cuomo also ordered additional protection for residential renters from charges for late payment of rent and allowing tenants to use security deposits to pay rent for residential tenants.
The legislation will build on existing customer protections with a focus on rights during service outages and increased transparency.
With parts of New York State, including the Bronx, still in the process of recovering from widespread power outages after Tropical Storm Isaias on August 4, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz announced plans to introduce legislation modernizing consumer protections for utility consumers. It supplements existing legislation from Assemblyman Dinowitz to create a statewide, independent Office of the Utility Consumer Advocate (A9572) as well as legislation to reform complaint procedures against utility providers by the Public Service Commission (A10682).
The modernized Utility Consumer Bill of Rights will propose reforms to utility provider procedure during service outages, such as what has frequently occurred in New York City during recent storms and heat waves. The legislation is intended to be part of a broader discussion about how to better regulate power companies to serve the interests of consumers, and proposed reforms will include:
1. CLAIM REIMBURSEMENTS: Establish minimum standards for utility providers statewide with respect to length or scope of an outage triggering automatic financial compensation, limiting the length of processing time before a claim is paid to the consumer, acceptable forms of documentation when filing a claim for spoiled food or medication, and more.
2. EMERGENCY SUPPORT LOCATIONS: Strengthen requirements for utility providers to offer cold storage alternatives, battery charging capability, and other necessary support services by increasing the minimum quantity and geographic distribution of emergency support locations during a major outage.
3. LIFE-SUSTAINING EQUIPMENT: Codify core temporary services that utility providers must offer to people with medical equipment that relies on electricity, such as alternate living accommodations or use of a backup generator.
4. COMMERCIAL LOSSES: Expand an outdated definition of commercial services that are eligible for claim reimbursement by codifying language that addresses people who work from home and commercial activities beyond those involving perishable merchandise.
5. TRANSPARENCY: Ensure all utility consumers are aware of their rights and what their obligations as a consumer are, such as reminding consumers on a regular basis to register any life-sustaining equipment and promptly report any outages to their utility provider.
The proposed legislation is still being drafted and will incorporate feedback received at the August 20 state legislative joint hearing on “Power and communication failures from Tropical Storm Isaias.” The scope of the proposal is expected to grow as the bill is discussed among legislators in coming weeks.
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said: “New Yorkers should not feel powerless even if their power is out. Utility providers have gotten more than their fair share of rate increases over the years, but consumers have only gotten worse and worse service in return. It’s time we demand more from the utility providers who hold exclusive rights to profit from the provision of essential services to our communities. I look forward to discussing my proposal for a modernized Utility Consumer Bill of Rights with my colleagues and am optimistic that we will be able to make tangible and impactful change that benefits working people in New York State.”
EDITOR'S NOTE:
We would like to know why this was not done after Hurricane Sandy, and why did it take another major storm causing such widespread damage for this to happen?
This September, One Book One Bronx returns with a diverse selection of amazing books. We’re open to the public and free to join. REGISTER TODAY! One Book One Bronx is a free adult book club that hosts weekly Zoom-based discussions and builds community around a diverse selection of books.
During the quarantine, the 2021 discussion schedule is subject to change.
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