Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating Covid-19 - NOVEMBER 2, 2022

 

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

26 Statewide Deaths Reported on November 1

 Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combatting COVID-19 and plan to protect against the spread of viral respiratory infections that become more common in the fall and winter seasons.  

"As the weather gets colder, I urge New Yorkers to remain vigilant and to use all available tools to keep themselves, their loved ones and their communities safe and healthy," Governor Hochul said. "Be sure to stay up to date on vaccine doses, and test before gatherings or travel. If you test positive, talk to your doctor about potential treatment options."  

Governor Hochul also reminds New Yorkers that children ages 5 and older may now receive the bivalent booster shots that are recommended to increase protection against COVID-19. 

The Governor continues to urge New Yorkers to get their bivalent COVID-19 vaccine boosters. To schedule an appointment for a booster, New Yorkers should contact their local pharmacy, county health department, or healthcare provider; visit vaccines.gov; text their ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find nearby locations.  

In addition, Governor Hochul is encouraging New Yorkers to get their annual flu vaccine as flu season is widespread across New York State. The flu virus and the virus that causes COVID-19 are both circulating, so getting vaccinated against both is the best way to stay healthy and to avoid added stress to the health care system.     

The State Department of Health is continuing its annual public education campaign, reminding adults and parents to get both flu and COVID-19 shots for themselves and children 6 months and older. Advertisements in both English and Spanish language began running last month.   

For information about flu vaccine clinics, contact the local health department or visit vaccines.gov/find-vaccines/.

Today's data is summarized briefly below:    

• Cases Per 100k - 21.13
• 7-Day Average Cases Per 100k - 19.88
• Test Results Reported - 74,545
• Total Positive - 4,130
• Percent Positive - 4.87%**     
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 5.92%**      
• Patient Hospitalization - 2,846 (+51)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 499
• Patients in ICU - 307 (+25)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 114 (+6)
• Total Discharges - 357,440 (+392)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 26
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 58,853 

** 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 - 75,079

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	Sunday,   October   30, 2022	Monday,   October   31, 2022	Tuesday,   November   1, 2022
Bronx	5.94%	6.01%	6.28%
Kings	4.07%	4.12%	3.83%
New York	5.94%	5.86%	5.84%
Queens	6.38%	6.47%	6.57%
Richmond	5.41%	5.33%	5.53%

 

Comptroller Unveils First Public Report Detailing Share of Minority and Women-Owned Businesses in NYC’s Asset Management and Public...

 

First-time Report Released During Annual Diverse and Emerging Manager Asset Managers Investment Conference

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander released a report detailing the Comptroller’s Office’s work with minority- and women-owned investment firms and emerging managers and with MWBE professionals in municipal finance.

The report details allocations to MWBE asset management firms managing assets for the New York City Retirement Systems, the participation of asset management firms within the Systems’ Emerging Managers Program and MWBE Brokerage Program, and the efforts of the Bureau of Public Finance to expand their work with diverse firms.

 This marks the first time a report provides this level of granular detail on the Office of the New York City Comptroller’s work with MWBE firms in asset management and public finance.
 
“This report provides the first public accounting of our allocations to MWBE and emerging investment firms and our work with diverse firms on the financing of our capital program. While there are many things to be proud of in this report, it is clear that we still have a long way to go. People of color – especially Blacks and Latinos – and women remain deeply underrepresented among our asset managers, even as we know that diversity drives strong returns. We cannot manage what we do not measure, it is our hope that this transparency and our work together helps move the needle forward on creating the opportunities that MWBE managers and firms need and deserve,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander.
 
“Diversity, equity and inclusion are an important component of our fiduciary duty to generate sustainable and superior returns to benefit the nearly 800,000 City employees, retirees and their families who participate in the City’s pension funds. I look forward to working closely with our Trustees and investment and industry partners to achieve our goals of creating more diversity, equity and inclusiveness in our investments and the asset management industry in the interest of our beneficiaries,” said Steven Meier, Chief Investment Officer and Deputy Comptroller for Asset Management.
 
This report comes as the Comptroller’s Office’s Bureau of Asset Management’s hosts the 2022 Annual Diverse and Emerging Managers Conference. For more on the conference, please visit www.comptroller.nyc.gov/bamconference.
 
The New York City Retirement Systems, comprised of the City’s five public pension funds (the New York City Employees’ Retirement System, Teachers’ Retirement System, Police Pension Fund, Fire Pension Fund and Board of Education Retirement System), have approximately $240 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2022.
 
The five Systems have a total of $16.82 billion in investments with or committed to MWBE managers as of June 30, 2022. Those investments amount to 11.65% of U.S.-based actively managed assets, or approximately 7% of the total assets under management. The Systems have a total of $8.59 billion in investments with or committed to Emerging Manager firms as of June 30, 2022. The report details investments across each of the pension funds’ asset classes.
 
The report also highlights the work that the Comptroller’s Bureau of Public Finance, which manages all aspects of City capital borrowing for the Comptroller in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget, is doing to expand the business the City is doing with MWBE vendors on municipal finance matters including bond underwriting and sales. In Fiscal Year 2022, the City of New York contracted with MWBE firms for 30.4% of bond underwriting, 41.5% of financial and swap advising, and 22.3% of bond counsel.
 
To read the full report, visit here.

NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE'S STATEMENT ON THE DELAYED PENN STATION REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT

 

"The announced delays to Vornado’s Penn Station redevelopment are welcome news on a project that, as designed, has always been wrong for the neighborhood and wrong for the needs of our city, which must accept responsible development to succeed in growth.

"The transit infrastructure at Penn Station is in dire need of an upgrade, and the city is in dire need of income-targeted, deeply affordable housing. The current plan, however, centers neither – instead focusing on luxury office development in a time when we face an affordable housing crisis that should shape our priorities more than underused office space.

"I hope that this delay allows the state time to reassess this plan and demand revisions. New Yorkers need projects that meet the actual needs of our city and community, not the profit targets of giant corporations."

Instagram Personality Known as “Jay Mazini” Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud, Wire Fraud Conspiracy and Money Laundering

 

Defendant Admits Perpetrating Fraudulent Schemes, Including Investment Scheme that Bilked Muslim-American Community Out of Over $8 Million

 Jebara Igbara, also known as “Jay Mazini,” pleaded guilty in federal court in Brooklyn to a three count information charging him with wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering.  As set forth in the information, up until March 2021, Igbara maintained a popular Instagram account under the name “Jay Mazini,” where he would post videos depicting, among other things, occasions during which he would hand out large amounts of cash to various individuals as gifts.  In reality, Igbara was perpetrating overlapping fraud schemes, scamming investors out of at least $8 million. 

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI) announced the guilty plea. 

“With today’s plea, the defendant has admitted to leveraging his Instagram popularity to prey upon innocent investors and steal at least $8 million of their hard-earned money,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “Together with our agency partners, this Office is committed to bringing scammers to justice.”

“As he admitted today, Igbara deliberately operated multiple scams to cheat a multitude of investors out of their money.  The FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to stopping fraudsters of all types and holding them accountable in the criminal justice system,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.  

“All the victims in this case were promised something that was too good to be true.  Those in the Ponzi scheme were all assured a high rate of return in a short amount of time, while the victims of the Bitcoin advance fee scheme were guaranteed above current market value for their Bitcoin.  This multi-million dollar case is a reminder for anyone thinking of investing: Be skeptical of any investments with larger than life promises, because if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” stated IRS-CI Special Agent-in-Charge Fattorusso.

As detailed in the information, Igbara is charged with perpetrating a scheme to defraud members of the Muslim-American community in New York by soliciting their money for purported investments in stock, electronics resale, and purchases of COVID-19 related personal protective equipment (PPE).  In reality, Igbara was operating a Ponzi scheme, and misappropriated nearly all of the money for his personal expenses and gambling. 

To raise money in order to pay his investors “returns,” and keep them on the hook, Igbara also perpetrated a second fraudulent scheme, wherein he posted on his Instagram and other social media accounts that he was willing to pay above-market prices for various cryptocurrencies.  He would then send his victims doctored images of wire transfer confirmations that purported to show he had sent money for the cryptocurrency as promised, when in reality, the payment was never sent, and Igbara was merely stealing the cryptocurrency sent by his victim.                       

When sentenced, Igbara faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment.