Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - Albany, NY

 New Hospital Admissions (7-Day Average) Down 18.4% From Prior 7 days

New Cases (7-Day Average) Down 43.6% From Prior 7 Days

Cases Per 100k (7-Day Average) Declining in All Regions

165 COVID-19 Deaths Statewide Yesterday 

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

"We are continuing to turn the corner against the winter surge thanks to New Yorkers getting vaccinated, boosted and masking up,” Governor Hochul said. "But we can't let our guard down and undo all of the progress we've made. Please keep wearing your masks and make sure you get your vaccination or booster as soon as possible.”

Today's data is summarized briefly below: 

• Test Results Reported – 203,423
• Total Positive – 23,375
• Percent Positive – 11.49%
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive – 14.27%
• Patient Hospitalization – 12,027 (+99)
• Patients Newly Admitted – 1,409
• Patients in ICU – 1,617 (+48)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation – 920 (+30)
• Total Discharges – 257,739 (+1,109)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 165
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS – 51,184

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 – 63,980

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 – 35,159,893
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours – 75,031
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days – 548,652
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose – 90.3%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series – 81.4%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) – 95.0%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) – 83.8%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose – 79.5%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series – 71.0%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) – 86.4%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) – 73.1%

Defendant Charged In $1.9 Million Covid-19 Fraud Scheme

 

Yohauris Rodriguez Hernandez Arrested for Participating in Scheme to Fraudulently Obtain COVID-19 Unemployment Benefits

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (“DOL-OIG”), Daniel B. Brubaker, Inspector in Charge, New York Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service  (“USPIS”), and Sharon MacDermott, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (“SSA-OIG”), announced today the unsealing of a complaint charging YOHAURIS RODRIGUEZ HERNANDEZ with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit theft of government benefits, and aggravated identity theft in connection with a COVID-19 unemployment benefit scheme that attempted to steal more than $1.9 million from the New York State Department of Labor (“NYS DOL”) and various other states’ agencies tasked with the administration of unemployment benefits.  YOHAURIS RODRIGUEZ HERNANDEZ was arrested this morning in Goshen, New York, and will be presented later today before United States Magistrate Judge Paul E. Davison.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, the defendant participated in a scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 unemployment benefits under the names and social security numbers of at least 100 other people, which attempted to steal more than $1.9 million and resulted in the fraudulent disbursement of more than $500,000.  The defendant is now in custody and facing serious federal charges.”

DOL-OIG Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone said: “The Unemployment Insurance Program exists to provide needed assistance to qualified individuals who are unemployed due to no fault of their own.  Fraud against the Unemployment Insurance Program distracts state workforce agencies from ensuring benefits go to individuals who are eligible to receive them. The Office of Inspector General will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate those who exploit the Unemployment Insurance Program.”

USPIS Inspector in Charge Daniel B. Brubaker said: “This defendant allegedly took advantage of the urgent need to assist those struggling financially during the coronavirus pandemic; allegedly stealing identities and using those identities to file for unemployment benefits in a scheme to enrich their own lifestyle while others suffered. Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners are committed to bring those to justice who break the law, and in this case justice has been served.”

SSA-OIG Special Agent in Charge Sharon MacDermott said: “Today’s arrest demonstrates that pursuing and prosecuting those who allegedly abuse the identities of innocent people and damage the integrity of the Social Security number for their own selfish gain remains a priority for us. We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners, and I thank New York Department of Labor, Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General, United States Postal Inspectors, Homeland Security Investigations, the New York Police Department, and the Yonkers Police Department for their efforts in this major investigation. I also thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for pursuing justice in this case.”

As alleged in the Complaint:[1]

From February 2020 through December 2020, YOHAURIS RODRIGUEZ HERNANDEZ and a co-conspirator (“CC-1”) engaged in a scheme to obtain COVID-19 unemployment benefits through the fraudulent filing and verification of applications using the names and social security numbers of at least 100 other people.  Law enforcement agencies were first alerted to the scheme after YOHAURIS RODIRGUEZ HERNANDEZ and CC-1 fled a Yonkers hotel in December 2020 leaving behind in their previously occupied room over 500 pieces of NYS DOL mail containing information and NYS DOL-issued debit cards for approximately 76 individuals.  Over the course of the relevant time period, YOHAURIS RODRIGUEZ HERNANDEZ and CC-1 exchanged text messages, images, and other communications that included, among other things, personal identifying information—such as names, social security numbers, and dates of birth—that were used in connection with the filing and verification of fraudulent applications for unemployment benefits.  The scheme resulted in fraudulent claims for approximately $1.9 million and the fraudulent disbursement of over $500,000 in COVID-19 unemployment benefits.

YOHAURIS RODRIGUEZ HERNANDEZ, 40, is charged with (1) conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, (2) conspiracy to commit theft of government benefits, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and (3) aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory two-year consecuThe charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.tive sentence.  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 a judge.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the DOL-OIG, the USPIS, the SSA-OIG, the NYS DOL, the City of Yonkers Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the New York City Police Department.  Mr. Williams noted that the investigation is ongoing.

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 herein, constitutes only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation.

MAYOR ADAMS APPOINTS DAN GARODNICK AS CITY PLANNING COMMISSION CHAIR AND DEPARTMENT OF CITY PLANNING DIRECTOR, EDITH HSU-CHEN AS DEPARTMENT OF CITY PLANNING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

 

Today, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced the appointment of Dan Garodnick as chair of the City Planning Commission (CPC) and director of the Department of City Planning (DCP) and Edith Hsu-Chen as executive director of DCP. Garodnick most recently served as president and CEO of the Riverside Park Conservancy. Hsu-Chen was most recently the Manhattan Borough Director for DCP. In their new roles, both will oversee and implement the mayor’s development agenda, promoting inclusive, equitable growth throughout the five boroughs and putting the city on a path toward robust recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Both will report to Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development Maria Torres-Springer.

 

“Dan Garodnick and Edith Hsu-Chen are tremendously talented public servants with a proven track record of advocating for working people,” said Mayor Adams. “I am proud to have them join our administration and look forward to working with them to create an economy that works for all New Yorkers.”

 

“I am honored to join Mayor Adams as we plan for a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable future at this critical moment for New York City. Together, we will work with communities to foster inclusive growth, while welcoming innovation to create meaningful economic opportunities across the five boroughs,” said incoming City Planning Commission Chair and Department of City Planning Director Dan Garodnick.

“I am incredibly honored to be named Executive Director for the Department of City Planning. I have spent my career at DCP – a community where extraordinary professionals work side by side with the public to help build New York City’s brightest future.  I am thrilled to work alongside incoming City Planning Commissioner Dan Garodnick, and I thank him, Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer, and Mayor Adams for the faith they have placed in me and for the service to this city we will forge in the coming years,” said incoming Department of City Planning Executive Director Edith Hsu Chen.

 

“Dan Garodnick and Edith Hsu Chen are quintessential New Yorkers who bring a deep understanding of and love for neighborhoods across the city. We have an enormous responsibility to put people to work in family-sustaining jobs, build affordable homes, and create more resilient communities and that demands the type of visionary and empathetic leadership that both Dan and Edith embody.  I look forward to working with them to ensure we drive truly equitable growth and tackle our city’s toughest challenges head-on,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development Maria Torres-Springer.

 

 

STATEN ISLAND MAN FAKES COVID POSITIVE TESTS TO GET WORKERS’ COMP BENEFITS

New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang announced the arrest and indictment of a Staten Island man who allegedly falsified multiple COVID-19 test results over five consecutive months in 2020 to obtain workers’ compensation benefits.

Ajani Shaw, 23, of Staten Island was arraigned yesterday afternoon in Richmond County Supreme Court before Hon. Alexander B. Jeong on one count of Grand Larceny in the 4^th Degree (Felony), one count of Insurance Fraud in the 4^th Degree (Felony), seven counts of Forgery in the 3^rd Degree (A Misdemeanor), seven counts of Falsifying Business Records in the 1^st Degree (Felony) and seven counts of Workers’ Compensation Fraudulent Practices (Felony).

 

“Workers’ Compensation insurance is essential to the success of our state’s workforce and businesses, and all the more so during times of crisis,” said Inspector General Lang. “Thanks to our partners at the Staten Island District Attorney’s Office for helping ensure the integrity of this vital safety net.”

 In March 2020, Shaw was working as a part-time kitchen service employee at Staten Island’s Seaview Nursing Home. He filed a workers’ compensation claim for exposure to COVID-19, including an April 3, 2020 “out-of-work” note signed by a physician from Staten Island’s Advantage Care Physicians and an April 8, 2020-dated positive COVID-19 test to the insurance carrier. The insurer then began paying Shaw $150/week in workers’ compensation benefits.

 

Shaw later emailed additional documents to the carrier purporting to be in support of extending his claim and benefit. Specifically, Shaw submitted a COVID-19 positive test result dated April 19, 2020 and an “out-of-work” note dated April 22, 2020. Further, he submitted six additional COVID-19 positive test results spanning May 8 through August 8, 2020 and an “out-of-work” note prescribing four more weeks of quarantine. The carrier continued to pay benefits to Shaw through July 24, 2020, when the carrier noticed that many of the positive test results used the same specimen ID.

 

The investigation determined that Shaw submitted two legitimate COVID-19 positive test results in April 2020. Shaw had two appointments with a physician at Advantage Care in April 2020 but was not seen again until August 2020. While the April 2020 notes were legitimate submissions, a June 2020 note prescribing four additional weeks of quarantine was fraudulent. In total, the investigation found that Shaw submitted six fabricated positive test reports to the insurance carrier in addition to the June 2020 false medical note.

 

The investigation determined that Shaw submitted two legitimate COVID-19 positive test results in April 2020. Shaw had two appointments with a physician at Advantage Care in April 2020 but was not seen again until August 2020. While the April 2020 notes were legitimate submissions, a June 2020 note prescribing four additional weeks of quarantine was fraudulent. In total, the investigation found that Shaw submitted six fabricated positive test reports to the insurance carrier in addition to the June 2020 false medical note.   Because of these submissions, Shaw continued to receive $150/week in benefits, totaling $1,761 in indemnity payments.   Inspector General Lang thanked Richmond County District Attorney Michael McMahon and his office's Economic Crimes Bureau for prosecuting the case and conducting the arrest. The investigation was handled by Attorney-in-Charge for Workers’ Compensation Fraud Bryan Richmond and Investigator Jaclyn Desautels.   The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

 

BRONX MAN INDICTED FOR FATAL HIT AND RUN

 

Defendant Reported Vehicle Stolen After Crash

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has been indicted for Criminally Negligent Homicide and other charges after a deadly crash on East Fordham Road last summer. 

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant’s alleged reckless actions led to the death of a woman and injuring of a second woman. Instead of staying on scene to help and take responsibility for his actions the defendant allegedly fled and then falsely claimed his car was stolen to obtain financial compensation.” 

 District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Demoy Adams, 35, of Spencer Avenue in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, was arraigned today on Leaving the Scene of an Incident without Reporting, third-degree Insurance Fraud, Criminally Negligent Homicide, fourth-degree Insurance Fraud, third degree Grand Larceny, two charges of first-degree Offering a False Instrument for Filing, two counts of second-degree Offering a False Instrument for Filing, Leaving the Scene without Reporting, third-degree Assault, Reckless Driving, and fifth-degree Insurance Fraud before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Marsha Michael. The defendant is due back in court on March 8, 2022.

 According to the investigation, on August 28, 2021, at approximately 8:42 p.m. Adams was driving his BMW 5 Series on East Fordham Road near Morris Avenue. Video surveillance showed his vehicle weaving through traffic recklessly and overtaking the curb before striking Murielle Gousse, who was standing on a sidewalk. She was killed in the crash. A pedestrian who was standing near Gousse was struck by debris and injured.

 Adams was captured on surveillance video near his home hours after the crash. His car was tracked to New Jersey auto repair shop and recovered. The investigation then found the defendant reported his vehicle stolen to the NYPD and his insurance company, despite it being recovered and in NYPD custody.

 District Attorney Clark also thanked NYPD Office Gregory Gianacopulos from Highway District Collision Investigation Squad.

An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt. 

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

 

7-Day Average New Hospital Admissions Down 13.6% Since Last Week  

7-Day Average New Cases Down 38.9% Over Last 7 Days  

168 COVID-19 Deaths Statewide Yesterday 

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

"We hope to close the books on this winter surge soon, so we can turn the page and open the book on our 2023 budget outlook and focus on the post pandemic future," Governor Hochul said. "As numbers continue to move in the right direction, we need to remain vigilant against the winter surge by getting the vaccine and boosters, continuing to use masks, and staying home if you feel sick, so we can keep our fellow New Yorkers safe. Let's not undo all of the progress we've made."  

Today's data is summarized briefly below:     

• Test Results Reported – 178,771   
• Total Positive – 22,312   
• Percent Positive – 12.48%   
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive – 15.04%   
• Patient Hospitalization – 11,928 (+177)   
• Patients Newly Admitted – 1,160   
• Patients in ICU – 1,569 (-33)   
• Patients in ICU with Intubation – 890 (-10)   
• Total Discharges – 256,630 (882)   
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 168   
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS – 51,013

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 – 63,553   

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 – 35,084,862  
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours – 51,258   
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days – 570,756   
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose – 90.3%   
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series – 81.3%   
•  Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) – 95.0%   
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) – 83.7%   
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose – 79.4%   
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series – 70.9%   
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) – 86.1%   
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) – 73.0%     

Fire and Seventeen Deaths at 333 East 181st Street Leads to Push For Heat Sensors at the Federal Level

Congressman Ritchie Torres said he pushed for a HUD certified Heat Sensor Pilot Program between July 2020 and July 2021 in twenty-six federally funded buildings during a press conference Monday at the site of the fire resulting in seventeen deaths. He said that when a resident complains to 311 for a lack of heat, due to the low number of inspectors it could take days for an inspector to show up, and by then the building has heat. Torres also said while the mandatory 68 degrees during the day may suffice, the city mandated 62 degrees at night was not warm enough, so many families supplement the lack of building heat with space heaters.

Congressman Torres said a Heat Sensor monitors the temperature of an apartment making sure that the minimum temperature requirement is maintained. Should the apartment temperature fall below the minimum requirement it sends a signal by WiFi to a central office where an inspector is directed where to go to check the temperature level within a few hours, twenty-four hours a day. Torres stated in buildings where Heat Sensors were placed there was a 56% decline in heat complaints, 66% of the buildings had no violation, and no building had more than two violations during the trial period. He added that these Heat Sensors would go into every federally funded building such as 333 East 188th Street, and all NYCHA buildings. There would have to be a tax credit to pay for the installation of heat sensors in every apartment in eligible buildings.

When it was time for U.S. Senator Kristen Gillibrand to speak, she said after touring the devastation of the fire and smoke damage to the third floor she said that she would work in the U.S. Senate, while Congressman Torres will work in the Congress to get the mandate of Heat Sensors passed into law. Mayor Eric Adams took time out of his busy Martin Luther King event filled day citywide to also speak in favor of placement of heat sensors in federally funded buildings to monitor the amount of heat being given to tenants. Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, Assemblywoman Yudelka Tapia, and Councilman Oswald Feliz all said they support the federal mandate of Heat Sensors. 

Before the press conference, Bronx Borough President Gibson speaks to fire marshals about the fire and smoke that happened at 333 East 188th Street resulting in killing seventeen people.

U.S. Senator Gillibrand speaks of the devastation she saw during her tour of the fire area. She vowed to work on getting the Heat Sensors mandate passed in the senate. The sign to the right explains the pilot program of then Councilman Torres.

Mayor Eric Adams stressed the importance of landlords giving proper heat to tenants so the tenants do not have to buy unsafe space heaters to get the heat that is not being provided.

Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson shows the pain in her face as she once again has to speak about one of the deadliest fires in the current century which is now twenty-two years old. She endorsed the idea of Heat Sensors.

Hazel Dukes of the NAACP spoke on this MLK Day about the seventeen lives lost. 

Assemblywoman Yudelka Tapia speaks of the tragic fire, endorsing the idea of Heat Sensors

Councilman Oswald Feliz was the last speaker, and like those before him he also endorsed the idea of Heat Sensors to monitor the level of heat in buildings.

MAYOR ADAMS HOLDS MEDIA AVAILABILITY - January 18, 2022

 

Mayor Eric Adams: Good to see you back in the room again, you know. These in person briefings were not in place and I'm happy to be back here in front of you and have an opportunity to just give you an update on some good news. And, again, we want to apologize that we have to depart soon, Stephen McDonald’s event is today. I remember when he was shot when I was a police officer. I'm happy to be with the family today.  

 

But before we get on our COVID briefing, which I believe is going to be some great news, just want to really touch on the horrific incident that took place over the weekend. Former transit cop, I know the safety and how safety matters in our transportation system. It was extremely impactful for New Yorkers, and I spoke with various communities, did a Zoom here from the office. Losing a New Yorker in that fashion, and just really doubled down on our concerns that our system must be safe, must be safe from actual crime, which we are going to do. And it must be safe from those who feel as though there's a total level of disorder in our subway system. Day one, January 1, when I took the train, I saw the homelessness, the yelling, the screaming early in the morning, crimes right outside of the platform, we know we have a job to do, we're going to do both, we're going to drive down crime and we're going to make sure New Yorkers feel safe in our subway system. And they don't feel that way now, I don't feel that way when I take the train every day, or when I'm moving throughout our transportation system. That is our battle and that is what I'm going to do as the Mayor of the City of New York.  

 

I also want to acknowledge Dr. King's weekend, and important weekend for all of us. And it really personifies that we have so much work to do as New Yorkers to deal with the battle of ending in inequality in our city. And we are committed to do that, with the team we put together. And New Yorkers noticed that I have not said this at all. I didn't point to the previous generation, previous administration, and talk about what they did or didn't do. We hit the ground running in this city. And we stated it is our responsibility and we want the ball in our hand right now to turn our city around, not what happened under previous administrations, but right now, in this city is the Adams administration and I have an obligation to make you safe, and to deal with the inequalities that we're facing every day.  

 

As we mourn the deaths of those in the Bronx fire, bringing in the resources, I'm proud of everyday New Yorkers, we brought in millions of dollars to help the residents. We're going to look at what went wrong there and make sure that our agencies come up with a real plan, just as we did after the Happy Land fire that also took place in the Bronx. We can't have these tragic incidents happen in our city and we got to do everything possible to prevent that. And our hearts goes out to the families as we attended the funeral services, and really stood by the members of the Bronx as they went through this horrific period. Announced the potential new legislation with the Senator. Yesterday, Senator Gillibrand and Richard Torres, the Congressperson to look at the legislation that we also introduced here in the city when he was a City Council person. And we were thankful for the response from our entire city as we move forward in this difficult time. 

 

We want to just give you some good news on the COVID front, that it is imperative that we show New Yorkers, that we are coming back and we're coming back stronger. Our schools are open. And I want to thank you Chancellor Banks. We were clear from the beginning, and I don't want anyone to get this mixed up. Our schools are going to remain open. We are not going to do anything that is going to stop our children from coming into schools. We say this over and over again. So please hear me New Yorkers, our schools are going to remain open. This city is moving in the right direction. New Yorkers could be-should be proud of themselves. One of our success and moving our city back to a positive place is that we have the highest vax rates in the nation. And it's because of our work, we listened to the call you told neighbors and friends, you sent a clear message that vaccinations and booster shots are successful. And this work, we just crossed the 16 million doses administered in New York City, including 2.5 million booster shots, we need to really commend everyday New Yorkers, but we have work to do. We're nowhere near where we ought to be and we want to move even further, to make sure that we get everyone boosted and vaccinated in the city. And this is going to help us get our lives back, it's going to help us open our city and do the things that we want to do get boosted and get vaccinated. And this is going to include our kids 12 and older. Let's take full advantage of modern science coming together to solve this pandemic.  

 

But there's also more good news, thanks to the actions of New Yorkers, Omicron wave is seriously- we're managing it in a real way and Dr. Chokshi, would talk about it a little later. The level of cases in New York City, they are declining, they are declining, we know that there’s work to do and that they still remained at very high level, but we're seeing a leveling off, and we're seeing a decline because of what you did. You responded accordingly to this thread. But New Yorkers, we have not won yet. We have more to do as I want to continue to say that over and over again. But let's be clear on this. We are winning. We are winning. And we are going to win because we're resilient. As I say over and over again, because we are New Yorkers. We’re going to continue to monitor this closely. And now remember that hospitalization and death rates lag behind cases. So, these indicators may peak later than actual cases are being shown, but we are winning, and we're moving in the right direction, and we will continue to do the trending in the right direction. But as New Yorkers we must remain vigilant. And those are the simple things that empower us, we have to wear our masks, social distancing, washing our hands, avoiding crowded spaces without ensuring those who are there went through the proper protocol of being vaccinated, and in many cases of boosters. And we go to continue to encourage everyday New Yorkers, I'm going to say it over and over again, to be vaccinated and boosted. Because when you're getting vaccinated, it will allow us to keep our city moving forward, it will allow us to do the things we want to do. During the next few days, I'm going head to the theater and head to a restaurant just to really show the energy that let's get back out in a safe way to make sure we visit our restaurants and bring the tourism back to our city. This is how we support our small businesses and get our economy up and operating. Your actions are making a difference New Yorkers. And these numbers have proven. 

 

So, thanks to your hard work, we have been able to keep our schools open so far, my administration determined at day one, we were not closing our schools, while other cities closed around us. We were clear in our message we did not give parents the uncertainty that we have viewed previously. We were very clear our schools were going to remain open. And we pushed through the thoughts that the schools were going to close, and parents had a foundational understanding that their children had a place to go into morning. And I'm really proud of what the Chancellor and his team did. We made two big changes during the school year that brought about the success we believe we're witnessing now. Number one, we distributed a 4.5 million at home rapid COVID tests, and in unbelievable distribution coordination between school administrators, law enforcement, government agencies, our team here to get those tests in the hands of children. These rapid tests, which is very important, identified 25,000 additional people reported cases. This allowed us to isolate these cases, so we would not have to spread based on the data that because the child was infected in school or at school or had COVID. It did not rapidly spread throughout the classroom. So, we were able to use the science, the facts and not fear to properly deploy resources where they were needed and I'm really proud of that. And those are thousands of cases that we were able to isolate. And it prevented thousands of more people from being infected with COVID. They were allowed to protect themselves and protect the school community, while in person learning continue, while in person learning continue. Second thing, we doubled down on PCR surveillance testing. Going from 10 percent to 20 percent, doubling the CDC and New York state standards, we led the way. We did not allow the standards of the CDC and New York state to get in the way of what we thought we had to do in our school system to protect our children, we doubled them, and the success showed that we were capable of doing so. The numbers that this program showed increase in a testing works. That was what we started out with. That is what we stated, and we were successful in doing so. We're going to continue to ensure that home test kits will go to every child that needs it to make sure that they can take the proper precaution as we move forward.  

 

And so, I'm excited about what we have accomplished. And you should be excited New Yorkers, on what we were able to accomplish. As we're watching our response to this strand, we responded. And we understood the complexity of this. I stated from the beginning, on January 1st, we had to learn to live with COVID. But to learn to be smarter, and outsmart this virus, by using modern day science, and what we can do to empower New Yorkers. We have to get our city up and operating again. Our economy depends on it and the safety of our families depends on it. We're going to make smart decisions, to make sure that we're not harmful to the future of our children and we're not harmful to the future of this city. And we're doing that. And we're prepared for this moment. This is a time when we can come together as New Yorkers and make the right choices to keep us moving and trending in the right direction.  

 

And so, I'm going to bring on an amazing public servant who has been here with us throughout this entire journey with our team. Dr. Chokshi. 

 

Commissioner Dave Chokshi, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: Thank you so much, Mr. Mayor. And thank you again, because Omicron has proven to be the most formidable variant yet. But thanks to your leadership, New York City has risen to the challenge. We brought to bear every single tool at our disposal, vaccines, testing, high quality masks, distancing and ventilation. And Mayor Adams his six-point winter pandemic plan prioritized our most important settings, such as hospitals and schools. Massively expanding testing in schools this month, thanks to Dr. Long and Dr. Katz, helped over 25,000 students and staff isolate more quickly, breaking chains of transmission. Meanwhile, testing and our other layered safety measures supported in person learning. Last semester, we had almost four times as many student days in person as the 2020-2021 school year, and this semester with our adjusted quarantine policies, we are on track for even more. New York City has been able to safely reopen schools, thanks to our educators and our Chancellor, even when many other large school districts could not. We did it in September despite the Delta wave and with Mayor Adams’ Stay Safe Stay Open plan, we did it again this month even with Omicron.  

 

And beyond schools, since January 1st, we've distributed nearly 1 million masks to high-risk settings such as adult care facilities, and to neighborhoods hardest hit by the pandemic, through our community partners and through our Health Department Action Centers. With these steps, we are on the downslope from the Omicron Summit, but we still have more work to do to reach the base. Our seven-day average of daily new cases is under 20,000. That's less than half the peak of nearly 43,000 average new cases a day earlier in January. Similarly, we are starting to see a decrease in COVID-19 hospitalizations from a total of about 6,500 patients hospitalized citywide on January 11 to about 5,800 as of Sunday according to state data.  

 

Now let me be clear, these numbers are still very high meaning community transmitted sent remains widespread, and we will need to follow these trends closely over the coming days and weeks. I know that the Omicron wave has already affected so many families, neighbors, friends and colleagues, including some vaccinated New Yorkers who got COVID. Let's make sure this isn't a cause for confusion. If you are vaccinated, you've taken the most important step to protect yourself from severe disease. And for that, I thank you, because you also helped protect our hospitals and our health workers. Our most recent data show that unvaccinated people are over eight times more likely to be hospitalized compared to those who are vaccinated. Thankfully, our overall data show a real decline in both cases and hospitalizations and that is because New Yorkers have stepped up once again, to protect themselves and their city.  

 

Now it's time to stay up to date. If you haven't already gotten your booster dose, please join the over 2.5 million New Yorkers who've taken that important step. I'd like to see cases and hospitalizations, plunging rather than plateauing. With vaccines, high quality masks, tests, and a little more fortitude in the face of fatigue will continue to shape our curve, beat back Omicron and save lives. Thank you, sir.