Monday, December 7, 2020

Attorney General James Helps Secure $86.3 Million in Multistate Agreement with Mortgage Servicer Nationstar

 

More Than 2,300 New Yorkers Will Receive More Than $4.5 Million in Restitution

 New York Attorney General Letitia James has joined 50 other attorneys general and other federal and state agencies to deliver an $86.3 million agreement — including $79.2 million in restitution for homeowners — with Nationstar Mortgage LLC for its multiple servicing errors since 2011. These errors have caused financial harm to tens of thousands of Americans and resulted in some being locked out of their homes, robbing them of their dignity. Nationstar — which does business as “Mr. Cooper” — is the country’s fourth-largest mortgage servicer. This agreement, inclusive of the new servicing standards Nationstar must follow, will protect hundreds of thousands of homeowners across the United States. 

The agreement provides $79.2 million in restitution to 55,814 borrowers for a variety of harms that were identified in the attorneys general’s six-year investigation. In particular, thousands of borrowers had problems when their loans were transferred to Nationstar, leading to foreclosure in some circumstances. In New York, 2,363 borrowers will receive more than $4.5 million, either as a credit to their account if Nationstar is still their servicer, or as a check. 

“Far too often, corporate greed has been a barrier to millions of families trying to attain the American Dream of homeownership,” said Attorney General James. “Our work on this case will directly help thousands of New York homeowners and hold Nationstar mortgages servicer accountable for putting profits over people.” 

The agreement also requires Nationstar to follow a detailed set of rules, or “servicing standards,” in how it handles certain mortgage loans. These servicing standards are more comprehensive than existing federal law and will be in place for three years starting on January 1, 2021. In particular, the agreement affords greater protection to borrowers with limited English proficiency, including using state and federal government Spanish language mortgage-related forms, capturing and tracking borrowers’ language preferences, and communicating with borrowers who are engaged in loss mitigation in the language of their loss mitigation application.  

In 2012, Nationstar began purchasing mortgage servicing portfolios from competitors and grew quickly into the nation’s largest non-bank servicer. As loan data was transferred to Nationstar, borrowers who had sought assistance with payments and loan modifications sometimes fell through the cracks, the lawsuit alleged. Borrowers in this category will receive a guaranteed minimum payment of $840 as part of the agreement.

The lawsuit alleged that other borrowers suffered damages when Nationstar failed to oversee third-party vendors hired to inspect and maintain properties owned by delinquent borrowers and improperly changed locks on their homes. These borrowers will receive a guaranteed minimum payment of $250.

A settlement administrator will send a claim form to eligible borrowers in 2021. Nationstar has already provided some of the relief outlined in the agreement.

The agreement also requires Nationstar to conduct audits and provide audit results to a committee of states to ensure compliance with the settlement.

 The lawsuit alleged other unlawful acts and practices by Nationstar, including: 

  • Failing to properly oversee and implement the transfer of mortgage loans;
  • Failing to appropriately identify loans with pending loan modification applications when a loan was being transferred to Nationstar for servicing;
  • Failing to timely and accurately apply payments made by certain borrowers;
  • Threatening foreclosure and conveying conflicting messages to certain borrowers engaged in loss mitigation;
  • Failing to properly process borrowers’ applications for loan modifications;
  • Failing to properly review and respond to borrower complaints;
  • Failing to make timely escrow disbursements, including the failure to timely remit property tax payments;
  • Failing to timely terminate borrowers’ private mortgage insurance; and
  • Collecting monthly modified payment amounts on certain loans where the amounts charged for principal and interest exceed the principal and interest amount contained in the trial plan agreement.

The settlement was signed by attorneys general from all 50 states and the District of Columbia and covers conduct by Nationstar occurring from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2017. The state attorneys general negotiated the settlement with the state mortgage regulators and the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which filed separate settlement documents. 

The coalition also collaborated with the U.S. Trustee Program (USTP), a component within the U.S. Department of Justice that seeks to promote the efficiency and protect the integrity of the bankruptcy system. The USTP is finalizing a separate agreement with Nationstar to address historical servicing issues impacting borrowers in bankruptcy.

Governor Cuomo Directs State Department of Health to Begin Implementing 'Surge & Flex' Hospital Protocol

 

Hospitals Mandated to Expand Capacity by 25% 

Regions to Be Designated as Red Zones if Hospital Capacity Is Projected to Become Critical 

NY Asking Retired Doctors and Nurses to Return to Service; Registration to be Automatically Renewed, Fees Waived 

Indoor Dining to be Closed in NYC & Reduced to 25% in Rest of State if a Region's Hospitalizations Do Not Stabilize in Next 5 Days 

4,602 Patient Hospitalizations Statewide 

872 Patients in the ICU; 477 Intubated 

Statewide Positivity Rate is 4.79% 

80 COVID-19 Deaths in NY State Yesterday 

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today directed the New York State Department of Health to begin implementing the state's "surge and flex" protocol and mandate all hospitals begin expanding their bed capacity by 25 percent to further prepare hospitals for a future COVID-19 surge. Hospitals had previously been preparing plans for this action as part of New York's Winter COVID Plan. Additionally, the Governor issued a call to all retired doctors and nurses urging them to return to service if they are able to do so. A registration will be renewed at no cost for an individual who completes the questionnaire through the volunteer portal, set up by the state Department of Health.

The Governor also announced that regions that reach critical hospital capacity will be designated as a Red Zone under New York's micro-cluster strategy. Specifically, following the implementation of the state's "surge and flex" program, if a region's 7-day average hospitalization growth rate shows that the region will reach 90 percent within the next three weeks, the region will become a Red Zone.

Finally, following updated guidance from the CDC, the Governor announced that if a region's hospitalization rate does not stabilize in the next five days, additional restrictions will be applied to indoor dining. If the hospitalization rate does not stabilize in New York City in the next five days, indoor dining will be suspended; if the rate does not stabilize in regions outside New York City, capacity restrictions will be reduced to 25 percent.

"Here in New York, we have followed the data and the science. We do more testing than any state in the United States by far, have more data points by far, and we rely on the data. It's not anecdotal, it's not political, it's not an opinion. Right now, the data is showing us that the highest percent of hospitalization is actually upstate - Finger Lakes, that's Monroe, Rochester area. Buffalo, Western New York, Central New York. You come down to New York City, Long Island, we actually have a lower rate hospitalized than upstate, which is an exact flip of where we were in the spring. In the spring, we had a largely downstate situation and upstate the situation was much better," Governor Cuomo said. "We've done a couple of things that are different than other states. In New York, the state sets all the policies and keeps numbers that are determinative of the policies. Now, we close down if you hit critical hospital capacity. We're implementing the surge and flex. We're going to add 25 percent additional hospital beds. We'll renew the registration for nurses and doctors to get us a backup staff pool, continue to caution on the small spread and at the same time, we are gearing up to have the most efficient, most effective, most fair vaccination program in the country, reaching out to the black community, Latinos, undocumented, to make sure that it's fair. The good news is New York still has one of the lowest positivity rates in the nation. Only Maine, Vermont, Hawaii are lower than we are and Maine, Vermont, Hawaii — beautiful states — but different than New York. They don't have the cities, they don't have the density, so, for us to be down that low, is really good news."

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

  • Patient Hospitalization - 4,602 (+160)
  • Patients Newly Admitted - 530
  • Hospital Counties - 55
  • Number ICU - 872 (+22)
  • Number ICU with Intubation - 477 (+13)
  • Total Discharges - 88,263 (+314)
  • Deaths - 80
  • Total Deaths - 27,232

Attorney General James Secures $4.7 Million After Supermarket Chain Engaged in Three Schemes to Evade Taxes

 

NYC Supermarket Chain and Owner Evaded Employee
Withholding Tax, Income Tax, and Sales Tax

 New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced that her office has secured $4.7 million from a chain of supermarkets operating throughout New York City after they were caught committing three schemes to evade paying taxes. Today's agreement resolves claims that the chain — Food World — and its owner — Hi Jong “Howard” Lee — engaged in a series of fraudulent tax avoidance schemes by underreporting cash sales and paying workers off the books.

“My office has no tolerance for tax cheats who evade paying their fair share and leave others to foot the bill,” said Attorney General James. “Food World and its owner engaged in flagrant, multimillion-dollar schemes to defraud taxpayers and the state. This case should serve as a clear warning to all tax fraudsters that their attempts to cheat fellow citizens will be brought to light and will not go unpunished.”

The investigation commenced when a whistleblower filed a lawsuit under the qui tam provisions of the New York False Claims Act, which allows individuals to file civil actions on behalf of the government and receive a percentage of any recovery.

The investigation found that, from 2012 until 2018, Food World entities — including Pine Tree Meat & Produce Inc., Food Jungle, Inc., Sonamoo, Inc., and CNI Meat & Produce, Inc. — engaged in three separate schemes to underreport sales and income taxes and evade employee withholding tax obligations — all at the direction of Food World’s owner.

The first scheme involved the use of standalone cash registers attached to New York state lottery machines to record cash sales of non-lottery supermarket items. These lottery cash registers were used to conduct cash sales of groceries and other taxable goods without being recorded in the stores’ online sales system, and without being declared for income tax or sales tax purposes.

The second scheme involved underreporting sales by issuing fake merchandise returns. The owner, Lee, forced store managers at two Food World locations to generate fake return receipts, purportedly documenting the return of multiple items that were never actually returned. Food World employees then provided the withdrawn cash for the allegedly returned items to Lee, along with the fake return receipts.

The third scheme involved paying the majority of Food World employees in cash and off the books, in an effort to avoid thousands of dollars in withholding tax deductions every week. Food World and Lee paid less than half of their employees by payroll check — which would have included appropriate withholdings. Instead, Food World and Lee paid the majority of their employees in cash and off the books — allowing Food World to underreport thousands of dollars in wages each pay period and evade employer withholding taxes.

The New Way to Fundraise - Join Me, and When You Click on the Link You Must Donate to My Campaign to Join Me

 

We received this from the Scott Stringer campaign, and when we clicked on the RSVP it led us to a donation portal if we wanted to join him to give him some free publicity. Well Scott we would have to give each and everyone of your opponents the same donation, which we are not, so there will be no free publicity for you or any other candidate who tries this trick. 

Be careful of invites to be with a candidate virtually, because it will lead you to a donation portal if you want to join said candidate. 


Tonight, members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies will have a virtual conversation in support of Scott’s campaign for mayor -- and you're invited!

Make a contribution to Stringer for Mayor today to reserve your spot:

LGBTQ+ And Allies for Scott Stringer
Monday, December 7th
7:30 PM
Zoom info provided upon RSVP

RSVP

We'll be joined by City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer and over a dozen special guests for a conversation about what Scott will do to uplift LGBTQ+ New Yorkers as mayor -- so you won't want to miss it.

If you're in, make a contribution right now to RSVP.

See you tonight,

Team Stringer for Mayor

RSVP

Over Three Weeks Now and Mayor de Blasio Won't Take a Question From This Reporter

 

EDITOR"S NOTE:

This is the daily press conference by the mayor where the host chooses which eight reporters will ask the mayor not one, but two questions. In the past three weeks I have been trying to ask the mayor, since COVID-19 indicators have risen two weeks after election day where people were on long lines outside and inside poll sites, where I observed over forty people in different poll sites not socially distanced if he will advocate to postpone the special elections he has called, and the special elections he will be calling when City Council members Ritchie Torres and Andrew Cohen resign from the City Council in January to the June Primary as was done in March 2020 by the governor. Today the mayor was at PS/MS 5 in the Bronx, and I also wanted to ask why Bronx public schools continue to lag far behind public schools in the four other boroughs, as I questioned Chancellor Carranza last year when he visited the Bronx Charter School for Excellence in Parkchester, where the chancellor said the mayor and I know that Bronx public schools are not performing to where they should be. 

Why does the moderator call on the same reporters and not give others like myself a chance to ask a question of the mayor like I did when mayoral press conferences were live in person, where the mayor fielded all questions? What is Mayor de Blasio afraid of getting a question that he can not answer from me like when the Press conferences were live in person?

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Good morning, everybody. Well, I'll tell you something – I had a great start to my week and my Monday morning out at P.S./M.S. 5 in Port Morris in the Bronx. What a beautiful scene this morning of kids coming back to school filled with energy, filled with hope, ready to learn again. I’ve got to say to everyone at P.S./M.S. 5, great, great energy in that school. The school community was so welcoming to the kids. The parents were so happy and so relieved to have their kids going back to school. And Chancellor Carranza and I took time to speak with a lot of the kids and the parents and we just heard such simple, powerful messages about why kids want to be back in schools, why parents wanted them back in school, how important it was to all of them that this day had come. And a young second grader named Ethan, I asked him how he felt, and he said the simplest idea – he said, I like school. And I talked to a fourth grader named Martha, and I said, are you happy back in school? And she said, yeah. I said, why? And she said, I learn more. I learn more when I'm back in school. And this is why it's so important, our kids need to be back in the classroom. And I want to thank everyone who has worked so hard over these last weeks to get our kids back, to make sure that gold standard of health and safety we have is even stronger with the weekly testing. I want to thank all the parents who got their consent forms in, everyone – and at P.S./M.S. 5, the principal, Danielle Keane, the District Superintendent, Rafael Alvarez, who were with us today, thank you to both of you and your teams for the great work you did bringing back this great school. And it's just one example of what's happening all over the city today – 850 school buildings reopening today in New York City – 850 places where there's joy and there's hope again because kids are back in school.  
 
Now, I want to say – parents, we need you. We need your help continuing to fill out those consent forms at P.S./M.S. 5 today, vast, vast majority of parents that filled out consent forms. Any parent who hasn't had the opportunity to do it – right there as they arrive and they were doing it, they were ready to see their kids get tested. They wanted to keep everyone safe. And at this school, they will be transitioning next week to five-day a week learning. And that's what's happening at schools all over the city in the coming weeks as more and more of them will be able to reach five days a week, some for every child, some for most kids. We're going to keep pushing to get that to be the maximum number of kids possible, getting that five-day a week learning.  
 
So, this was the opportunity today to follow through on the commitment that we made when school began and the commitment we made when we had the temporarily closed school, that we would keep everyone safe. And, in fact, we would add even more health and safety measures to keep the school community safe. I have absolute confidence that our school communities are doing an amazing job, really looking out for each other. And with the face coverings, the ventilation, the social distancing, everything coming together to keep people safe, it's remarkable. The Chancellor and I went and visited a 3-K classroom, we visited a kindergarten classroom. The kids – it's so amazing, they immediately got back into the rhythm of being in school. They are adaptable. They are resilient. They love being in school. And everyone in the school community is keeping them safe and each other safe. So, this is a very good day for New York City. Now, again, 850 school buildings reopening this week. You've got a 3-K, pre-K, and K-to-five grades opening today. You've got District 75 special education programs, opening Thursday. Another announcement today, in Staten Island, the area of Staten Island with the orange zone, those schools will be reopening based on the new State guidance. Those schools will be reopening for, again, the levels we've talked about so far – 3-K, pre-K, K-to-five will be reopening Wednesday – this Wednesday, December 9th, in the orange zone. And then, District 75 programs right after on Thursday in that area. So, we're going to keep moving forward. We’re to keep everyone safe, that's the key. But, to everyone in the school community, you've done an amazing job. And the schools of this city are among the safest places to be. So, with the additional testing weekly, again, parents get that consent form in. Go to mystudent.nyc, get your consent form in. Every single student either needs a testing consent form in or needs a proper medical exemption. This is what's going to keep us off safe.  

And speaking of keeping us all safe, let's talk about our indicators. I said a few days back that we are in a new reality here. First of all, the good news, we're in a new reality because the vaccine will be arriving in New York City in a matter of days and every week we're going to get more and more, and that's going to be making more and more impact. But we also have real challenges over these next few months with the colder weather, with the challenges we've seen with the numbers going up with the coronavirus. So, our indicators needed to be retooled to reflect what we're seeing now and to make sure we're giving people the fullest picture of what we're facing and clarity about where we need to be, going forward. So, we're going to go over these indicators. I'll go over them first and then I'll turn to Dr. Chokshi, who will go into a little more detail.  
 
So, first of all, as we've done in the past, the first is current hospital admissions. And what we're doing now is flipping the equation a little. Today's report is 144 patients that are going into the hospital. Where we need to be is under 200. We still are. Now, this number has obviously been going up in recent days. We need to keep emphasizing 200 is what we want to stay below. But a new indicator we're adding is the hospitalization rate per 100,000 citizens – per 100,000 residents, I should say, of New York City. New York State uses this approach as well, so we want to track with it. Today's number is 2.28 per 100,000. We want to get that under two per 100,000, going forward. Okay. Now, on current new cases, we're now going to be including probable cases, and this is important to give the fullest picture. So, we, in terms of the seven-day average of daily new cases, that number is 2,180 confirmed cases. And we want, of course – we're well past the number we want to be at, which is 550, but the new indicator is the probable cases. And that number today is 616 additional probable cases. Again, Dr. Chokshi will give you more of an insight into why we think it's important to note those probable cases as well. Number three, the positivity levels in the city – we're eliminating the single-day positivity number, because it's become less and less pertinent with the amount of testing we're doing now and the lag time of getting all the results. The much more appropriate number, the one we're getting the most information from is the seven-day rolling average. So, today's report on the seven-day rolling average is 4.98 percent. Obviously, where we want to be is under five percent. So, the idea is to constantly update these indicators so they can help you understand what's going on and what you need to do and how you can be part of fighting back this second wave. And here to explain why we're using this new approach, some of those been leading the way in the fight against the coronavirus, our Health Commissioner, Dr. Dave Chokshi. 
 
Commissioner Dave Chokshi, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. You've heard me say before that data is the lifeblood of our COVID response, but data is also at the center of New Yorkers response. In order to act on that data, people must know the data for months. We've presented indicators that alert New Yorkers to COVID-19 trends, and shared more data on our public website than just about any other jurisdiction. And those numbers have driven necessary changes to our lives, both individually and collectively. We will continue to present daily indicators, but, as the Mayor said, we are going to make a few updates so that what we present every day is, number one, comprehensive; number two, stable; and number three, consistent. Today, we reported cases that were based on molecular, or PCR tests, which are the most dependable for a diagnosis of COVID-19. However, antigen tests, which check for a virus protein and can often return a result quickly are growingly used as a screening test for COVID-19.  
 
I have to point out that there are some limitations to antigen tests compared to molecular tests. And if you have any questions about which one is right for you, please speak with your doctor about it. But because antigen tests have become more common and have improved over the last few weeks and months, we are adding antigen test results to our Health Department website. Positive antigen test results will be reported as probable cases, according to scientific standards, while PCR positives will continue to be reported as confirmed cases. The daily indicator will combine both of these – both confirmed and probable cases in a seven-day rolling average. These counts will ensure that we're keeping up with the science and making our data more complete. The second change, as the Mayor said, is the elimination of single-day percent positivity. We've all seen how weekends, weather, or holidays can alter testing patterns, which can result in fluctuations in daily percent positivity. So, moving forward, we'll focus on the seven-day average indicator, ensuring we get more stability. Our third change is to add per capita hospitalization rates to our current daily admissions indicator. New York State has a system for tracking total hospitalizations and we share the goal of returning hospitalization rates to below two per 100,000 residents on a seven-day average. And so, we're aligning those figures to ensure consistency.  
 
Now, independent of the details of the methods, I want to make sure we don't miss the forest for the trees. The trends we are seeing across all indicators are worrisome. Our shared goal is to get back below the thresholds that we have set. And the actions we take are will get us closer. And last week, the CDC released a summary of 10 effective public health strategies for COVID-19 resurgence. These are steps that communities should focus on to address high levels of COVID-19 spread. These include universal use of masks, both indoors and outdoors, physical distancing and limiting contact, avoiding nonessential indoor spaces and crowded outdoor settings, increased testing diagnosis and isolation, prompt case investigation and contact tracing, safeguarding persons most at risk for severe illness or death, protecting essential workers, postponing travel, hand hygiene, increased ventilation, and cleaning and disinfection. And, finally, safe and effective vaccines. These are very consistent with the City's guidance over the last weeks and months, but now is the time to redouble our efforts and to turn science into the actions that we know can save lives. Thank you. 
 
Mayor: Thank you so much, Dr. Choksi. And look, I want to bring these pieces together really simply. This morning, I watched kids – little kids with a mask on, getting hand sanitizer for their hands, knowing that they had to follow rules, getting a temperature check. Look, if our children can do all these things, we all can do it right too. So, it's so important to listen to what Dr. Chokshi is saying, what the CDC is saying. For example, we all, again, love to see our families, our loved ones, our friends at the holidays, but this is not a time to travel. So, I'm going to keep saying it throughout the remainder of the holiday season, please do not make plans to travel. If you have plans, canceled them – stay local, stay in very small, careful, safe gatherings. Also, for anyone over 65, anyone with those preexisting health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and other serious conditions, or someone who has both change your ways and your habits – stay in, stay in a safe situation, only go out for the most essential needs. We've got to all take this really helpful guidance and live it for a few months as we fight back this second wave once and for all, and as the vaccine comes into the city more and more. So, this is our last big push we can get through soon to the point where more and more New Yorkers will be vaccinated and we turn the corner.

Annual Allerton Avenue Christmas Tree Lighting Tuesday December 8th 6 PM.

 

Reminder Tomorrow!!!
SANTA is coming to town.


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Nos Quedamos - Stage Garden Rumba #3 at Rinc贸n Criollo Community Garden- Streaming TONIGHT

 

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Stage Garden Rumba is back!
Episode #3 Streaming Digitally TONIGHT!

Rinc贸n Criollo - La Casita de Chema
South Bronx favorite outdoors series STAGE GARDEN RUMBA (now digital) continues to kick off the holidays in Boogie Down style! Live performances by more than 30 theater, music, dance, literary, and social change champs edited into 3 must-see 30-minute programs to be broadcast on Pregones/PRTT social platforms and cable television:
 
SGR Digital Episode 3 on Monday, December 7th
STAGE GARDEN RUMBA —Where Art meets Green in the South Bronx— goes digital for three unseasonably warm Monday nights in November-December!
Presented by We Stay/Nos Quedamos in partnership witPregones/PRTT, SGR is an open invitation for all New Yorkers to experience the cultural riches, green spaces, and vibrant Casitas of the South Bronx! Our 2020 digital series documents four pop-up performances featuring some of our favorite ARTISTS, ACTIVISTS, and COMMUNITY LEADERS. Hyperlocal and universal, their shared message for days of pandemic is one of rootedness, celebration, and collective uplift!
E3 Rinc贸n Criollo / Casita de Chema — DEC 7th @7:30pm — Hosted by spoken word poet, actor, singer-songwriter, and community activist Caridad de La Luz. Featuring poet, scholar, and teacher Afua Ansong; community leader, youth mentor, and founder of El Maestro Sports and Cultural Center, Fernando "Ponce" Laspina; Mazarte Dance Company, led by folklorist and choreographer Martha Zarate; Mariachi Real de M茅xico, led by genre maestros Ram贸n Ponce and Ram贸n Ponce Jr; and garden steward Desiree Soto, daughter of the late great Jos茅 "Chema" Soto, a South Bronx community icon.
Here's how to watch the stream:
Pregones/PRTT
—Facebook Live: www.facebook.com/pregonesprtt
—Vimeo: www.vimeo.com/pregonesprtt
—YouTube: www.youtube.com/pregonesprtt

BronxNET TV
Cable: 69 Optimum
Cable: 2135 FIOS
—Web: www.bronxnet.org/watch/Ch4
Special thanks to our media broadcast partners at BronxNet Community Television and our filming partners at DominiRican Productions. Series Producers: Jorge B. Merced and Jessica Moya. Guest Curators: Urayo谩n Noel and Edwin Pag谩n. Graphic Designer: Jeison Rivera.

Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress During COVID-19 Pandemic - DECEMBER 6, 2020

 

Positive Testing Rate in All Focus Zone Areas is 6.22 Percent; New York State Positivity Outside All Focus Zone Areas is 4.24 Percent 

Statewide Positivity Rate is 4.71 Percent 

56 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday 

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

"COVID-19 is spreading, and it affects all New Yorkers, Upstate and downstate. This is a war and we continue to adapt to the enemy by making decisions based on data and science — not opinion and fear,” Governor Cuomo said. “We’re closely monitoring hospital capacity and have implemented triggers to ensure hospitals have what they need. The light at the end of the tunnel is the vaccine, and one is coming, but until then we must be disciplined. Public health experts agree households and private gatherings are a major driver of transmission right now, demonstrating once again that it is our actions that determine the infection rate. We know what works: wear a mask, avoid indoor gatherings, and socially distance, and the local governments must do enforcement. We will win this war but it will take vigilance and everyone working together.”  ​

The Governor noted that the positive testing rate in all focus areas under the state's Micro-Cluster strategy is 6.22 percent, and outside the focus zone areas is 4.24 percent. Within the focus areas, 49,392 test results were reported yesterday, yielding 3073 positives. In the remainder of the state, not counting these focus areas, 156,440 test results were reported, yielding 6,629 positives.

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

  • Patient Hospitalization -- 4,442 (+124)
  • Patients Newly Admitted -- 648
  • Hospital Counties -- 55
  • Number ICU -- 850 (+25)
  • Number ICU with Intubation -- 464 (+29)
  • Total Discharges -- 87,949 (+476)
  • Deaths -- 56
  • Total Deaths -- 27,149