MAYOR DE BLASIO, GOVERNOR HOCHUL UPDATE NEW YORKERS ON THE OMICRON VARIANT

 

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Good evening, everyone. A very important moment as we're getting information about the first Omicron variant case here in New York City. Governor Kathy Hochul has joined me here at City Hall, and I'd like to welcome her to offer the first remarks on this development. Governor?

 

Governor Kathy Hochul: Thank you, Mayor de Blasio for first of all, hosting us here as we make sure that we share information real time with the constituents of our city and our state. Also, I want to make sure everyone understands this is about unity. There's a reason we're here together to signal that this is a challenge that we're going to tackle together. And ensure that everyone knows that we are focused on transparency, which means we will provide information as we get it, as well as a coordinated response from the City and the State to deal with whatever lies ahead.

 

As I mentioned this morning in my briefing, we still don't have specific information on how the vaccines are holding up, how the boosters are holding up to this variant, but it is real. We said it would be coming here shortly. We announced this morning that a case from Minnesota was directly tied to the City of New York for individuals who participated in a convention at the Javits Center between November 18th and the 22nd. That individual has already recovered from their symptoms. They tested positive but are already feeling well. And it was a very minor case. So, that's something I want to put an exclamation point on. While this may be highly transmissible, at least from the early evidence, and again, more information is still forthcoming. We want people to know that the early cases that have arisen are not life-threatening. They seem to be minor cases. And that is a source of good news for us right now.

 

But in terms of the information we received, literally, there are five cases identified today in the State of New York. The first one was in Suffolk County. I've been in communication with the County Executive Steve Bellone to alert him. This came out of a lab that is in Suffolk, and it was a 67-year-old female who had symptoms, mild symptoms of a headache and a cough. There is some vaccination history. We don't know if it's one vaccination, two, or a booster shot. And that information will be shared with the public as soon as we receive it. But there's at least one vaccination involved. This is an individual who traveled from South Africa, who tested negative upon returning to the U.S. on 11-25. And on November 30th, they took a point of care test and they did test positive. and Northwell sent the results to the – the individual, to a lab. And that person did test positive. Again, a traveler from South Africa who arrived here and is a Suffolk County resident, a 67-year-old woman. Our second case is Queens based. The vaccination status is unknown to know whether or not this person had been vaccinated or not. Third case, similar situation, no other for further personal details, but the vaccination status is unknown, Queens based. And another case is from Brooklyn, unknown vaccination status. And we just received word of another suspected traveler case here in the city that was identified in the city and in one of the five boroughs.

 

So, we knew this was coming, Mayor. We talked about this. You and I have been in communication already. No cause for alarm. We just want to make sure that the public is aware of information when we receive it. We don't have more information at this time, but we suspect there'll be more cases emerging. And the best thing that everyone can do is realize we're not defenseless against this variant at all. That vaccine we know is going to ensure that there's less severe symptoms. The booster is something I would highly recommend. If you're not vaccinated, get vaccinated. If you have vaccinations, both series, get the third dose, which is your booster. Ensure that our children are masked up as well as making sure that they get their vaccinations if anyone above five years old. And also recommend that people continue to wear their masks indoors. And when you can avoid large gatherings at this time.

 

This is not a cause for major alarm. I need to say that because we do not have enough information. We're not having shutdowns. We're not changing our protocols. We are continuing where we are, but making sure that we work in concert together and encourage people to get tested. Get tested often. Get the vaccination. And that again is our best defense. Again, Mayor, I thank you for the continued relationship that we've had since the beginning of my term. Short time, but a lot's been happening and I appreciate your leadership as we work through these issues together.

 

Mayor: Thank you so much, Governor. And thank you for there's been tremendous communication, you and I directly, but also your team and my team. I want to thank you for that. A very cooperative, collegial atmosphere, a lot of unity of purpose. And I want to say that to all New Yorkers, we are working together to protect you. We have a new situation, but we also know there's a lot of information we do not yet have about Omicron. We know we now have cases here in New York City. We have to assume that means there's community spread. We have to assume that means we're going to see a lot more cases. But we also have tremendous tools as the Governor said. We have a massive vaccination apparatus. And that is by far our best capacity to protect everyone against this variant or any other form of COVID.

 

So, the message today is let's do the thing we know works with COVID. Let's get vaccinated. To all the parents out there of the youngest New Yorkers who have not yet gotten your kids vaccinated, the five to 11-year-olds, we need you to get your kids vaccinated right away. To everyone who qualifies for a booster and has not yet gotten it, we need you to do that, to protect yourself and your family and everyone in this city. We know vaccination works. It limits the impact. We know this. It limits the impact of COVID. It helps reduce the spread of COVID. We need that more than ever. We are going to keep the public informed. Governor's made a commitment. I make the same commitment to transparency. We'll be constantly updating the public, but as the Governor said right now, the good news is there's a very strong health care team for the City and the State working to protect you. And that will be every single hour of every single day.

 

As for what we learned about this conference at the Javits Center and these additional cases, our Test and Trace team is out there immediately working with each individual who was affected to figure out who else they came in contact with. That contact tracing is absolutely crucial. We have the strongest test and trace team in America. Thousands of extraordinary, extraordinary committed individuals out there protecting you. They're going to make sure we identify who needs any support, anything in the way of medical support, quarantining, et cetera. Also, we're going to use every tool at our disposal. Earlier in the week, we announced a vaccine mandate for childcare employees, about 102,000 childcare employees. Earlier today, a vaccine mandate for employees of non-public schools. That's about 56,000 additional employees. Both of those go into effect December 20. There will be more new initiatives coming to protect people.

 

NYS Office of the Comptroller DiNapoli: MTA Needs to Refocus Attention on Overdue Upgrades and Preparations for Extreme Weather

 

Vital Subway Car and Signal Upgrades Lagging Behind Schedule

 The MTA should publish a new assessment of its long-term capital needs that pays particular attention to the growing threat climate change poses to transit, and its most recent 20-year needs assessment shows many capital needs are overdue for attention, according to Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli’s latest report.

“The MTA is getting a large infusion of federal infrastructure funds, but its long-term finances are still in trouble as it wrestles with an overdue list of repairs and upgrades and growing debt,” DiNapoli said. “It needs to reassess and focus its priorities to get money where it is most needed to restore the system and bring riders back. Protecting against the growing threat of climate change must also be among its top priorities because climate change threatens all aspects of our regional transit system.”

To prepare for the release of its five-year capital programs, the MTA creates a 20-year capital needs assessment detailing long-term infrastructure priorities for maintaining and improving its system. The last assessment, covering 2015-2034, was published in 2013 and is overdue for an update. The MTA is now required by state law to produce a needs assessment every five years starting in 2023.

The MTA’s 2013 assessment did not include any recovery and resiliency work beyond what was already planned to recover from Superstorm Sandy and mitigate against similar storms. Climate change impacts are intensifying and the increased risk of flooding, storm surges and other damage to transit need to be incorporated into the plan as soon as possible before the October 2023 deadline to inform public debate and ensure targeted investment.

Although the 2013 assessment is out of date, it serves as a measuring stick for the MTA’s capital investments and its progress in maintaining the safety and reliability of its assets. DiNapoli’s report notes that in some areas — such as important upgrades to stations, tracks and switches — the MTA either has gone beyond its 2013 assessed needs or is near meeting its targets, but in many others, the MTA has barely addressed important goals:

• Subway flooding is increasingly disruptive and destructive, yet since 2015 the MTA has only spent $56 million on pump rooms and other line equipment with another $189 million committed, out of the $1.7 billion called for in the needs assessment for 2015 through 2024.
• The MTA said it needed to invest $4.9 billion in new subway cars from 2015 through 2024, but it only spent $700,000 on subway car projects since 2015. It did order 460 subway cars during its 2015-2019 capital program — to replace those over 40 years old and prone to break downs — but the new cars are not expected until 2025.
• The MTA has spent just half of the $3.4 billion it said it needed to replace buses and keep fleets in good working order.
• Upgrading antiquated subway signals was the top priority for long-term capital needs in the last assessment. The signals overhaul — budgeted at $8.7 billion through 2024 — was needed to resolve signal malfunctions that regularly disrupted service and to address overcrowding by allowing trains to run closer together. MTA has completed only $900 million in signals work through Sept. 2021. A recent presentation by the MTA showed that communication-based train control projects are continuing to suffer delays and budget overruns. Signals, along with critical track and switches, are areas vulnerable to flood damage from extreme weather or storm surges brought on by climate change.
• Metro-North train cars have needed replacement going back to 2013, but just $7 million has been spent to date on completed projects to bring in new cars. Another $741 million was committed but that’s still only 41% of what it assessed was needed through 2024. All projected work needed through 2024 on Metro-North’s tracks and structures, however, was completed.
• The MTA put nearly $1.3 billion toward LIRR track projects since 2015, but that’s just 66% of the amount it said was needed by 2024.
• Replacing aging LIRR train cars that have been in use since the mid-1980s was a need identified in 2013, but remains behind schedule, although some new cars are starting to be delivered now.

DiNapoli recommended improvements to the MTA’s online capital program dashboard, which tracks spending. The report suggests tracking spending on projects as they progress and can demonstrate benefits to the system, not just when they’re completed; tracking how completed projects change the MTA’s state of good repair measurements for various system assets; and showing how spending on capital projects affects riders’ experience such as safety and reliability of service.

DiNapoli also urged the MTA to improve reporting on capital spending to better align its public data with the Governor’s recent transparency initiative. The transparency plan that the MTA submitted to the Governor did not address capital spending as it should. Improved reporting will help riders, and all stakeholders in the transit system, better understand how the MTA is progressing in its efforts to make transit safer and more resilient.

Report

A Review of Capital Needs and Resilience at the MTA

Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - DECEMBER 2, 2021

 

127,089 Vaccine Doses Administered Over Last 24 Hours

49 COVID-19 Deaths Statewide Yesterday

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

"We are carefully monitoring the spread of COVID-19 and the emergence of the Omicron variant, which was detected in a visitor to New York City. Let me be clear: this is not cause for alarm," Governor Hochul said. "I want all New Yorkers to know that their state government is prepared for this. Thanks to the life-saving tools at our disposal, like vaccines and boosters, we have the tools in our arsenal to fight this pandemic. I urge every New Yorker to take the necessary steps to keep themselves and their communities safe: get vaccinated, get boosted and wear a mask."

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

• Test Results Reported - 233,784
• Total Positive - 11,300
• Percent Positive - 4.83%
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 4.61%
• Patient Hospitalization - 3,093 (+71)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 471
• Patients in ICU - 591 (+5)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 314 (+1)
• Total Discharges - 216,218 (+371)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 49
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 46,623

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 - 59,280

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 - 30,005,074
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 127,089
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 565,319
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 86.0%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 78.4%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 91.0%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 80.8%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 74.3%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 66.7%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 78.4%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 68.6%

Defendant Sentenced To 24 Years In Prison For 2015 Murder

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that BRYANT BROWN, a/k/a “Trigga,” was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer yesterday to 24 years in prison for the December 2015 murder of Albendris Nunez and a 2017 armed robbery.  

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “On a Sunday morning in 2015, Bryant Brown shot and killed Albendris Nunez in Devoe Park in the Bronx over $600 of marijuana.  For this senseless killing, Brown will serve a substantial sentence in federal prison.”

According to the allegations in the Indictment and other filings and statements made in court:

On or about December 20, 2015, BROWN attempted to rob Nunez of approximately $600 worth of marijuana in Devoe Park in the Bronx, New York.  BROWN set up the purported drug deal with Nunez over Facebook and instructed Nunez to meet him in Devoe Park.  BROWN brought a gun and planned to rob Nunez during this meeting and, during the planned robbery, shot Nunez in the back, killing him.   

On or about November 18, 2017, BROWN and a co-conspirator robbed a victim of liquid promethazine with codeine, also known as “wock” or “lean,” inside a residential apartment building in the Bronx, New York.  BROWN brought a gun to this robbery and struck the victim in the face with it.   

In addition to his prison sentence, BROWN, 26, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. 

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department in this case. 

Attorney General James Announces Arrest and Indictment of Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin for Stealing Campaign Funds

 

County Executive Allegedly Used Campaign Funds to Pay Personal Debts  

 New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the arrest and indictment of Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin, 58, for stealing thousands of dollars in campaign contributions. McLaughlin, following his election to County Executive but while still serving in the New York State Assembly, allegedly withdrew $5,000 from his campaign fund and directed that $3,500 of it be given to one of his staffers to pay the candidate’s personal debts.  

McLaughlin is charged with Grand Larceny in the Third Degree for the $3,500 campaign fund theft and Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree for the related filing of a financial disclosure report with the New York State Board of Elections on December 4, 2017, claiming that the campaign expenditure was for “consulting,” though it was being diverted for his personal use. If convicted of the felony charges, McLaughlin will be removed from office pursuant to Public Officers Law Section 30(1)(e). 

“Elected officials are entrusted to protect and serve, but Mr. McLaughlin allegedly violated that trust by using his campaign funds as a personal piggybank,” said Attorney General James. “New Yorkers should have every confidence that the money they donate to their preferred candidates will fund that candidate’s campaign, not personal debts or expenses. My office will continue to root out corruption at every level of government and go after those who abuse public trust for private benefit.”

On November 7, 2017, McLaughlin won the race for Rensselaer County Executive and resigned his Assembly seat in January 2018. It is alleged that also in November 2017, a personal dispute erupted between McLaughlin and a staffer over a $3,500 personal debt owed to the staffer, as well as his possession of the staffer’s laptop computer and iPad. In response to the staffer’s payment demand, McLaughlin directed a $5,000 check to be drawn from the “Steve McLaughlin for County Executive” campaign fund, payable to Hudson Valley Strategies, a political consulting firm used by McLaughlin. On November 21, 2017, the $5,000 check was deposited into the consulting firm’s bank account. Later that day, a Hudson Valley Strategies principal drafted a $3,500 bank check from the account and delivered it, the laptop, and the iPad to the staffer. 

McLaughlin was arraigned today before Judge Jennifer Sober of Rensselaer County Court and was released on his own recognizance. Grand Larceny in the Third Degree carries a maximum sentence of 2 and 1/3 to 7 years in prison. 

Criminal charges are accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until found guilty at trial or by plea. 

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) wishes to thank the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York, the New York State Police and the NYS Board of Elections for their valuable assistance in this investigation. 

Statement by New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer on November 2021 Financial Plan for Fiscal Years 2022 to 2025

 

“The first quarter update to the FY 2022 budget and financial plan reduces the expected outyear gaps while beginning to reduce the risks associated with the unspecified billion dollar labor savings in the financial plan baseline. This progress is in no small measure thanks to the stellar returns on our pension fund assets in FY 2021, which yielded savings of $800 million next year, $1.6 billion in FY 2024, and $2.4 billion in FY 2025. In addition, refunding of outstanding City bonds will yield savings of nearly $1.8 billion over the plan period.

“This financial plan improves the fiscal outlook—but with federal aid eventually depleting, there are economic uncertainties and substantial challenges ahead.”

Office of Mental Health Receives Grant to Expand Access to Fresh Healthy Produce to People with Mental Illness

 

Program will bring farmers' markets to congregate housing sites, expand the FreshConnect Checks program

 The NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH) has received a $200,000 award to help people with mental illness gain access to healthy, fresh produce. The grant, from the NYS Health Foundation, will be used to expand the FreshConnect Checks Program and bring mobile farmers markets to congregate housing sites for residents with serious mental illness. OMH will also develop a curriculum for residents focused on purchasing, preparing, and consuming healthy foods.

OMH Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said, “People with mental illness often have significantly shorter lifespans than the general population, in large part because of chronic diseases related to an unhealthy diet.  This new pilot program will allow us to not only teach people with mental illness about purchasing and preparing fresh healthy foods, it will also increase their access to farm-fresh foods. By partnering with local service providers and the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, we can make a significant difference in the lives of New Yorkers living with mental illness.”

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “We are proud of our FreshConnect Checks program, which helps ensure that New Yorkers have access to healthy, fresh produce while providing a boost to our farmers.  By bringing farmers markets that accept FreshConnect Checks directly to congregate housing sites, and providing the necessary support services, we can now better serve our populations living with mental illness. I want to thank OMH for leading this important initiative.”

In New York State, 45,000 people with serious mental illness live in congregate homes. These individuals often face challenges in accessing and using fresh, healthy foods. By bringing mobile farmers markets to these congregate settings and engaging residents and residential staff to learn about purchasing, preparing, and consuming healthy foods, OMH will help them build these important skills.

And by expanding the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets’ successful mobile markets and FreshConnect Checks Program, residents will have the physical access and purchasing power necessary to enjoy healthy foods.

The partners for the first phase of this pilot program will be the Buffalo Federation of Neighborhood Centers (BFNC) and Rehabilitation Support Services (RSS) in the Capital District. BFNC and RSS operate community residences and supportive housing programs, both of which offer opportunities to support food access, as well as hands-on food education and preparation.

OMH will work with these agencies to develop a range of workshops including healthy meal planning, shopping for fresh produce at the mobile market, making healthy snack choices, and using healthier preparation techniques.  OMH will also develop a training module for housing agency staff, who are key to ensuring residents’ access to and consumption of healthy foods. Lessons learned from this pilot will inform future possible expansion of OMH’s mobile market program across New York State.

OMH plans to expand the pilot program to additional OMH-licensed housing sites in the future.

Governor Hochul Launches "Boost Up, New York" Campaign Urging New Yorkers to Get Their Booster Shot for Better Protection Against COVID-19

 

Amidst Holiday Season and Threat of New Variant, Campaign Is Targeted at Adults across the State Who Qualify for Vaccine Booster Dose

Advertising Effort Includes Out-Of-Home and Digital Programming with Easy-To-Access QR Codes and Hyperlinks

All New Yorkers Can Help Family and Friends Get Vaccinated, Boosted, and Practice Good Public Health Behaviors for a Healthy Holiday

New Yorkers Can Schedule Their Free COVID-19 Vaccine Here or Booster Dose Here

 Governor Hochul today launched the statewide "Boost Up, New York" campaign to urge New York adults to get their booster dose for better protection against COVID-19. As the state monitors for the Omicron variant, the new education and advertising effort reminds New Yorkers that a boost against COVID-19 is needed to maximize protection, prolong the vaccine's durability, and help safeguard communities and loved ones against the virus.

"With this campaign, we are getting the message out with banners and displays to get people excited about booster shots as they get ready to celebrate the holidays," Governor Hochul said. "If you are over 18, you can get the free booster dose immediately. It will give you that extra protection, and it also helps to protect your loved ones. This is the ultimate act of kindness that you can exercise this holiday season."

The "Boost Up, New York" campaign will be featured at popular grocery stores, malls, and transit stations statewide including on bulletins, posters, and multimedia screens. The program will also span online advertising to reach adults on search engines and social media channels. All campaign activations will include a QR code or hyperlink so New Yorkers have easy-to-access scheduling information, as well as resources for those looking to learn more about the importance of getting a booster. With increased urgency and a timely message, the program will kick-off December 6 and run for four weeks.

In addition to getting a booster, Governor Hochul and the State's Department of Health encourage all New Yorkers to follow and share with others this important information for healthy holiday gatherings:

• All New Yorkers 5 and older should get fully vaccinated.
• All New Yorkers 18 and older who are two months past the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or 6 months past the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna initial vaccine series should get their booster dose.
• All New Yorkers 6 and older should also get their flu shot.
• New Yorkers should get tested after traveling and before seeing family.
• All travelers, domestic and international, should continue to follow all CDC travel requirements.
• New Yorkers who don't feel well should stay home
• Wear masks in public indoor spaces and wash hands regularly.

To date, over 2.5 million New Yorkers have already received their booster or additional dose, out of approximately 6.5 eligible. In addition to the new "Boost Up, New York" campaign, the State launched a dedicated website with information about booster doses, additional doses, eligibility, frequently asked questions, and resources for providers on-the-ground. The State continues direct-messaging outreach to eligible New Yorkers through SMS-based messages and local notifications to fully vaccinated New Yorkers through the State's Excelsior Pass platform.

The COVID-19 vaccine and booster doses are free and widely available statewide at pharmacies, local health departments, clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, state-run mass vaccination sites, and other locations across New York State.

New Yorkers can boost up or get vaccinated by visiting vaccines.gov, texting their ZIP code to 438829, or calling 1-800-232-0233 to find nearby locations. New Yorkers can also visit the Am I Eligible page or call 1-833-NYS-4-VAX to schedule a booster or vaccine appointment at a state-run mass vaccination site.

Eligible New Yorkers can receive any of the FDA-approved or authorized COVID-19 vaccines for their booster dose, including Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Janssen/Johnson & Johnson. If New Yorkers have questions, they should consult their health care provider or vaccine administrator.