MAYOR DE BLASIO APPEARS LIVE ON CNN WITH MICHAEL SMERCONISH THURSDAY DECEMBER 16, 2021

 

Michael Smerconish: With all of that, we welcome Mayor Bill de Blasio to the program. Mayor, what the heck just happened here?

 

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Omicron happened. This is a whole new animal and we got to be honest about the fact that it's moving very fast and we have to move faster. And honestly, Michael, I really appreciate the humanity and the sort of openness of what you said about what you're thinking. But I'm only going to differ with you on one thing, which is –

 

Smerconish: Tell me.

 

Mayor: You know, the folks who aren't getting vaccinated, if we apply mandates forcefully, it actually moves a lot of people. The number of people who are just 100 percent ideologically, dyed in the wool, anti-vax is still very, very small. This city right now, 90 percent of adults, 90 percent of adults have had at least one dose of the vaccine. And there are plenty of people with strong opinions here. There are plenty of people who like Donald Trump here. You know, there's plenty of people who don't want the government to tell them want to do, but the mandates made a difference because people are not going to lose a paycheck over it. You know, they're not going to not be able to go to a restaurant. If you say, here are some clear rules you want to fully participate in society? All you got to do is get vaccinated. The vast majority of people say, okay, I'm in.

 

Smerconish: You're 11 days away, right? From the most stringent employer mandate in the country.

 

Mayor: Yes.

 

Smerconish: Which is you've just made the case as to why you're advocating for that. But to play devil's advocate, I could say City employees, teachers, restaurants, gyms were already subject to a mandate of yours. Were they unsuccessful?

 

Mayor: No, they were. And now we're taking it to the next level because there are hundreds of thousands of businesses that were not part of those previous mandates. A lot of retail, for example, was not covered by that. Barber shops were not covered by that. So, we're going to now reach across the spectrum in the business community, office workers. And we found with restaurants in this city, theaters, it worked, it actually was good for business. The customers knew they were safe. The employees knew they were safe. Business has been booming. We found with our public employees, we're now at 94 percent with our public employees. A lot of drama. There were a lot of people who said, no way I'll do it. Except when we said, Hey, here's your choice. Get vaccinated or you can go on leave without pay. Well, most people don't like to be on leave without pay. And they said, okay, I'll do it. And their families wanted them to do it. And that has made all the difference.

 

Smerconish: You know that some business groups, I guess I'd cite the Wall Street Journal. Their editorial says you're kicking small business when they can least afford it?

 

Mayor: COVID is bad for business. The mandates are good for business. COVID is bad for business. I've heard from so many business people, first of all, bluntly have said, please do it for us. If the government does it, then we don't have to be –

 

Smerconish: The bad guy.

 

Mayor: Right. We don't have to say to our employees, oh, let me explain this to you. We can just point at that sign on the wall and say, Hey guys, everyone has to do it. A lot of business people said, please make it as universal as possible. So, folks won't go from one industry or another if they're trying to shop for a place with no mandate. I actually think this is what's going to save business. And also what's the worst thing in the world for business? What's going on now in England, Germany, Austria – shutdowns, restrictions. That's what kills business. That's what kills jobs. Mandates are actually going to save us from having a shutdown.

 

Smerconish: Tom Friedman says the world is flat. That applies to COVID, right? We're like a chain that is as strong only as our weakest link. No matter what Bill de Blasio does in New York City, if middle America isn't doing something different. And what does it matter? It comes here eventually?

 

Mayor: It does. But what you said before was profoundly true. If someone's vaccinated, particularly if they gotten that booster, they're a hell a lot safer. You're right. They still might get COVID. I might get COVID. You might get COVID. But we're going to live through it. We probably don't end up in a hospital. Which is not only good for you and me, it's good for the whole society. It's good so that our hospital system can treat people in greater need. I believe the more mandates, the more impact. And we've got to be bold about this. Mayors, governors, CEOs bite the bullet. Just do it. Yeah, you're going to have protests. Guess what? It's a global pandemic. Suck it up. You know, go and do it, get it done.

 

Smerconish: Should there be an exception in your mandate for people who've had it? I know that if they've had monoclonal treatment or if they've had the plasma, they're given a 90-day exception? But should you be more allowing for somebody who says, Hey, I've got the antibodies because I've already fought and won against COVID?

 

Mayor: Not if you listen to all our doctors. I mean, it's an honest question. I've had this dialogue with a lot of people from the heart. And I know they see some real safety in having had it. There's some truth, but it's not the same as being vaccinated. Our doctors will tell you clearly, if you want the maximum protection, the maximum likelihood you won't get it and you won't transmit it, you got to be vaccinated. And by the way, COVID for God sakes, COVID has taught us a lesson. It changes all the time. So, the reason you want to be extra careful is because you don't know what the next curve ball's going to be. We've got to be honest, mandates work. We've proven it here. United Airlines proved it. You know, a lot of people, public and private sector have proven it. Let's just go do it. And I think it's going to take bluntly, political courage amongst elected officials. And even among CEOs,

 

Smerconish: There's no testing exception either. I mean, you're hardcore, right?

 

Mayor: Yes.

 

Smerconish: You don't recognize if someone's had it, nor is there a testing exception to your mandate? How come?

 

Mayor: Because testing only allows you to find out if someone's got it, it doesn't help you stop it. We looked at the models in Europe, they were much looser. I said, if there's only one thing that we know works, it is vaccination. Let's go all the way. Now, right now, 90 percent, as I said, 90 percent of New Yorkers have had at least one dose. And even though we've seen a big increase lately, our hospitals are doing very, very well. That's not true in the rest of a lot of this country and the rest, even the state, it's not true. Our hospital system is strong. We thank God, at very few deaths because the more people who are vaccinated, the more people are going to make it through. It's as simple as that. Now I can tell you something, if we didn't put these mandates in place, I'll give you sheer, simple math. It’s 60 percent of our adults were vaccinated in the middle of August when we started the mandates. It's 90 percent now. United States of America is about 60 percent fully vaccinated. New York City's over 70 percent fully vaccinated. All residents.

 

Smerconish: You're doing all of this on your way out the door. How many days left? 16?

 

Mayor: 16.

 

Smerconish: Eric Adams, he can undo all of this if he chooses to?

 

Mayor: Well, Eric Adams has said something really clear. He's going to follow the leadership and the advice of the health care leaders. And they are clear as a bell. You know, every tool, distancing is good. Masks are good, but there's something that rises above all the other tools. It is vaccination.

 

Smerconish: And you're off to run for governor?

 

Mayor: I am going be continuing in public service, for sure. And I am going to be going around the State of New York, talking about the things we need to change in this state.

 

Smerconish: Should you be doing better in the first of the surveys, given that everybody knows who you are? You've got the name ID.

 

Mayor: I do have name ID, and I've governed through an incredibly tough period. And I hope whatever the political future, I hope people ultimately say that a lot of these decisions like the mandates, were the right thing to do. But I understand we're all going through a lot right now. I'm not going to judge anything about public opinion or politics in the middle of what is once again, a live pandemic. My job is to keep New Yorkers safe. The politics will take care of itself later.

 

Smerconish: Mayor, I like to respond to social media in real time.

 

Mayor: Yes.

 

Smerconish: All right. Will you join me?

 

Mayor: Of course.

 

Smerconish: Let's see what's come in. I think this is to you. Smerconish, if what you were saying and the New York City Mayor, why is there going to be a New Year's celebration in as many days, even as you have said that you are expecting to get COVID, even though you're fully vaccinated? Why is there going to be a big celebration if this is the state of affairs?

 

Mayor: Well, we made the decision a few weeks back when things were much better. But we said vaccinated people only.

 

Smerconish: Right.

 

Mayor: And outdoors.

 

Smerconish: How do you enforce that?

 

Mayor: We're – literally every ID is going to be checked.

 

Smerconish: A million people?

 

Mayor: Sure. We're working with our partner, the Times Square Alliance. And everyone's been told for weeks and weeks, don't even show up in Times Square unless you're vaccinated. Now we're going to reassess constantly with the new information. We're going to follow the data and the science. Right now, it's on. You know, we'll make a decision as we go, get closer as to what should finally happen.

 

Smerconish: One more. Let's see what it is. The virus won. It's over, the virus won. No longer makes sense to think we'll beat the virus with more transmissible, but less lethal strains. It's endemic. We should start to treat it like the flu, or we could continue to freak out with every news release. But into any of that?

 

Mayor: I agree, don't freak out. I agree one day it can and should be like the flu. And the flu, you know, the flu takes some lives. The flu's not nothing. But the flu can be controlled. We all get our flu shots and life goes on. I do believe that's ultimately what's going to happen with COVID. That's what our doctors say, our leadership here. But I'll tell you something. I would disagree on one level. Focus on the way to get to that point. Endemic does not need to mean paralyzing. Endemic does not need to mean it dominates our lives. Right now, COVID is dominating our lives. I want to put COVID in the background. The flu, you didn't wake up two years ago and say, oh my God, I'm so worried about the flu. Right? You went down to the pharmacy, you got a flu shot.

 

Smerconish: People want to lead their lives.

 

Mayor: And they can again.

 

Smerconish: You know, I feel it here in New York City. By the way, I'm from Philadelphia. So, it's not like I live in a rural area. But I feel it in every block that I walk in New York City. But if I were in the middle part of the country with you, I don't think we'd see masks. I don't think we'd be showing our vax cards anywhere. So, I come back to that point where, unless everybody's on the same page in the country, we're kind of screwed.

 

Mayor: You know how you get on the same page? People have to lead. So look, I believe with enough leadership, enough mandates, we're going to get a hell of a lot more people vaccinated. The more people vaccinated, the more we actually make the transition to a time when COVID is in the background, not the foreground. And we know these mandates work. And we know people respond -- look, human beings are pretty predictable. If you say your paycheck depends on it, or your ability to enjoy life and go do the things you want to do, people will make the practical decision overwhelmingly. And they'll go get vaccinated. But we aren't pushing hard enough. We got to go farther.

 

Smerconish: Mayor, thanks for being here. Really appreciate it. Thanks for responding to the social media as well.

 

Mayor: Absolutely.

 

Smerconish: Quickly for you, should the definition of fully vaccinated include a booster?

Mayor: We are looking at that right now.

 

Smerconish: Because yours doesn't, right?

 

Mayor: Not yet. But I think that will be the way of the future. We're discussing it right now with our health care team. And I can tell you this much, we have 1.5 million people boosted already in New York City. We need everyone to get there. And if this is part of how we get there, then that might be a good piece of the strategy.

 

Smerconish: I'm taking that as a yes.

 

Mayor: We're getting there.

TESTING FOR ALL: NYC TEST & TRACE CORPS AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCE DISTRIBUTION OF 500,000 RAPID SELF-TESTING KITS AND 1 MILLION KN95 MASKS TO 150 CBOs ACROSS NEW YORK CITY

 

NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
AND MENTAL HYGIENE

Dave A. Chokshi, MD MSc

Commissioner      

Community-delivered rapid self-testing resources will further expand New York City’s COVID-19 response to communities who are hardest to reach and most in need  

 The NYC Test & Trace Corps announced today that, in partnership with the NYC Health Department and NYC Care, 500,000 rapid antigen self-testing kits and 1 million KN95 masks will be distributed through community-based organizations (CBOs) across New York City. Community partners who enroll in the At-Home Test Kit & Mask Distribution Program will receive a regular allocation of self-test kits and KN95 masks to distribute at no-charge to the communities they serve. The program has begun to engage 150 organizations, and will continue to add partners in the coming weeks.

"Community-based organizations continue to be a key part of our approach in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic, and we must remain steadfast in centering equity in all that we do," said Health Department First Deputy Commissioner and Chief Equity Officer Dr. Torian Easterling. "Equipping our partners with rapid test kits and masks will help in our effort to keep communities safe."

“In the face of Omicron and rising cases, it is essential that every single New Yorker has access to COVID-19 testing regardless of their ability to pay or health insurance status,” said Medical NYC Test & Trace Corps Director of Community Testing & Vaccination Dr. Jonathan Jiménez “Empowering community-based organizations to distribute rapid tests to their communities enables trusted messengers to bring testing to all New Yorkers when and where testing is needed most.”

Initial program partners have been selected based on their demonstrated ability to reach thousands of New Yorkers in every borough and diverse communities across the City, including many communities that have higher rates of transmission and less access to other means of testing, including costly at-home tests available in the private market. Among the program partners are CBOs who operate in communities with specific language or cultural barriers or deliver resources to high-need groups, including seniors, people with disabilities, laborers, service workers and the street homeless population. The program will continue to engage partners to ensure accessibility to as many New Yorkers as possible.

Partners will apply for an initial monthly allocation of 50, 100 or more Abbott BinaxNOW Self-Testing kits and receive regular allocations of test kits and KN95 masks through distribution events to be scheduled in each borough. Program partners will distribute test kits and masks through a wide array of activities, including regular client/member programming, food pantry distributions, afterschool programs or religious services and special events. In addition, partners may also conduct door-to-door canvassing to reach community members who may be homebound, lack transportation options, or otherwise cannot access existing testing options or masks.

After participating in an orientation, program partners will receive their initial allocation December 20. Staff from the NYC Test & Trace Corps, the Health Department and NYC Care will work closely with their program partners to plan distribution events, outreach activities and coordinate reporting and replenishment requests.

Each kit contains two Rapid Antigen tests and a flyer with instructions in 13 languages for what you should do if you test positive:

• Call your healthcare provider
• Isolate for the recommended 10-day quarantine period
• Inform your household and anyone whom you have been within 6 ft. of for 10 minutes or more in the past two days
• Contact the NYC Test & Trace Corps Hotline at 212-COVID19 to report your positive test and get information on free resources to help you stay safe, such as free food delivery or a free hotel room

Abbott BinaxNOW Self-Testing kits can be used by anyone age 15 and older and administered by an adult to children ages 2 to 14. Self-tests can be used by people with or without symptoms of COVID-19. Please watch this video for more information on how to use BinaxNOW Self-tests. 

By empowering program partners to provide self-testing kits and utilizing nontraditional models of resource delivery, the City will continue to address inequities in the neighborhoods hardest hit by the pandemic. The NYC Test & Trace Corps, which recently doubled the size of its mobile testing fleet and has directed hundreds of thousands of tests to communities in need, will continue to pursue community-guided testing to enhance its capacity to reach communities with unmet needs and individuals who have been historically neglected or not felt comfortable engaging with government institutions. Additionally, high-volume brick & mortar City-run testing sites will be able to distribute rapid at-home tests to people experiencing long wait times. 

“With Omicron and Delta variants on the rise, we have seen an increase in positive cases even among the vaccinated community,” said Mon Yuck Yu, Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff, Academy of Medical & Public Health Services. “Community-based organizations have been critical players in resource dissemination throughout the pandemic, from distributing PPE to supporting COVID-19 vaccines, because of the cultural competency we offer and trust that we have built among community members. NYC Test & Trace Corps' initiative to create an expansive network of the CBO rapid testing and PPE distribution sites ensures that testing is accessible to all. We are excited to partner with NYC Test & Trace on this initiative so that we can continue to keep our families protected as we tackle the uncertainty of COVID-19.”

Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - DECEMBER 16, 2021

 

237,596 Vaccine Doses Administered Over Last 24 Hours     

53 COVID-19 Deaths Statewide Yesterday  

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

“This is a public health crisis. We must not make light of the winter surge that we are facing, and we should continue to encourage everyone we know to get vaccinated, get the booster and wear a mask,” Governor Hochul said. “Let’s all get through this holiday season safely. There are testing sites and boosters widely available across the state in order to keep ourselves and our loved ones from getting seriously ill due to COVID- 19.” 

Today's data is summarized briefly below:  

• Test Results Reported – 277,956
• Total Positive – 18,276
• Percent Positive – 6.58%
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive – 5.11%
• Patient Hospitalization – 3,765 (-19)
• Patients Newly Admitted – 526
• Patients in ICU – 762 (+35)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation – 433 (+10)
• Total Discharges – 221,831 (+532)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS – 53
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS – 47,370

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 – 60,152

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 – 31,971,609
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours – 237,596
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days – 1,067,323
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose – 87.7%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series – 79.8%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) – 93.8%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) – 82.1%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose – 76.3%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series – 68.7%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) – 81.4%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) – 70.7%

Office of New York State Comptroller DiNapoli - COVID-19 Pandemic Leads to Record Medicaid Enrollment in 2021

 

COVID-19 Pandemic Leads to
Record Medicaid Enrollment in 2021

The Medicaid program ensures health care access for millions of New Yorkers and has become even more important during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a record number of State residents relying on the program. This increased enrollment has contributed to a steep decline in the number of New York residents without health coverage.

According to a report released by my Office, the number of New York residents without health care coverage declined from 2.2 million (11.4% of the population) in 2008 to 1.0 million (5.2%) in 2019. The expansion of the Medicaid program played a large role in the sharp drop in the number of uninsured New Yorkers.

While the drop in New Yorkers without health coverage is positive news, State budget projections rely on expectations for significant enrollment declines that may not materialize, which could drive significant unbudgeted costs.

To protect the long-term viability of the Medicaid program, State policymakers should closely monitor Medicaid enrollment and spending trends, and engage stakeholders in developing strategies to protect the quality of care for program participants while effectively containing costs

MAYOR DE BLASIO CELEBRATES APPROVAL OF CITY ZONING INITIATIVES TO ADVANCE HEALTH EQUITY

 

FRESH program updated to incentivize fresh grocers toward low-income neighborhoods

 

Health and Fitness amendment will ease regulatory burdens on gyms, spas, and licensed massage therapists

 Mayor de Blasio celebrated the City Council’s approval yesterday of two zoning measures to improve health equity throughout New York City. First, an update to the Food Retail Expansion to Support Health (FRESH) program now provides a zoning incentive for high-quality grocery stores to more lower-income neighborhoods than ever before, increasing accessibility for healthy foods for New Yorkers. The second, the Health and Fitness Text Amendment, removes outdated zoning barriers to opening gyms, spas and licensed massage therapy, helping these industries recover more quickly from the impacts of the pandemic.

 

“New Yorkers deserve better access to all the essentials and amenities that make our neighborhoods great places to live, work and play. That means making fresh foods and fitness facilities more available than ever,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “These zoning changes will make our city more livable, and they will make a major impact as we fight for a recovery for all of us.”

 

“Using our zoning and land use tools to create a healthier New York City is a critical part of a fair recovery. I’m delighted to see the passage of these two zoning actions that incentivize new grocery stores and remove barriers for health-related small businesses,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Vicki Been. “Thank you to the City Council and the partnership across City agencies that made these proposals a reality.”

 

“The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the necessity of health equity in New York City. Whether it’s improving access to high-quality foods, especially in underserved neighborhoods, or making it easier for health-related small businesses to open and thrive in our commercial corridors, the health of New Yorkers should be at the forefront of our work. Thanks to the City Council for approving these two zoning measures and setting us on the path to a healthier, happier city for all,” said Department of City Planning Director Anita Laremont.

 

The FRESH program began in 2009 to create zoning incentives for property owners in underserved communities to build slightly larger buildings in mixed residential and commercial districts if they included a FRESH supermarket. Today’s expansion brings the zoning incentive to 11 additional lower-income Community Districts throughout the city, including Staten Island for the first time, on top of the 19 districts where it already applies. Each new FRESH store is also expected to create 30 to 100 local jobs.

 

With this approval, the FRESH program now applies to:

Bronx Community Districts 1 through 9
Brooklyn Community Districts 1 through 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16, 17
Manhattan Community Districts 9 through 12
Queens Community Districts 1, 3, 4, 12, 14
Staten Island Community District 1

 

The FRESH update also tweaks zoning rules to prevent counterproductive clustering of supermarket sites, as well as changes to renovation and parking requirements in lower-density districts to make it easier than ever for the stores to open.

 

The Health and Fitness Text Amendment has removed the need for special approval from the City’s Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) that is currently required to open a gym, spa, or licensed massage therapy studio – an expensive, time-consuming process that serves as a barrier for small and independent businesses. In a typical year, around 40 to 60 businesses had to go through the special permit process, which often took more than six months to be granted and cost businesses $30,000 to $50,000.

 

The text amendment also provides more flexibility for health-related businesses to locate in more areas across the city. Small gyms, like martial arts and boxing studios, and spas would be permitted along many commercial streets across the city where they are not currently allowed. Similarly, licensed massage therapy would be able to open in locations where other outpatient health care facilities are allowed, providing more options for these businesses.

 

These changes will help fitness facilities thrive again after being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, while also giving them more options to open in underserved communities outside of Manhattan.

 

NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE UNVEILS 2021 WORST LANDLORD WATCHLIST

 

Williams calls on incoming Mayor to address NYCHA crisis, empower oversight agencies and support legislation to hold bad landlords accountable

 New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams today released the annual Worst Landlord Watchlist, which spotlights the most egregiously negligent landlords in the city as determined by their number of average open violations across watchlist buildings. In the announcement, the Public Advocate highlighted the city’s past failures to hold bad landlords accountable under Mayor de Blasio – and history as the worst landlord itself through NYCHA – and called on the incoming Mayor and City Council to prioritize landlord accountability as they prepare to take office next month.

The number one worst individual landlord for 2021 is David Schorr, who amassed an average 1,442 open violations across 17 buildings featured on the watchlist. Schorr ranked #75 on the 2020 list. Schorr’s buildings featured on the list, which are primarily located in Harlem and Morningside Heights, have severe open violations including rat and roach infestation, mold, leaks, and lead paint, among other issues. He is listed as receiving J-51 tax exemptions for several of his buildings.

The New York City Housing Authority, which continues to rank as the overall worst landlord in the city for the fourth year in a row, saw a dramatic increase in the number of deteriorating or dangerous conditions. As of November 2021, there were 600,480 open work orders in NYCHA buildings across the city, an increase of over 121,600 from the previous year. The de Blasio administration will end with a significantly greater number of open orders than when it began in January of 2013, when NYCHA reported a backlog of over 420,000 work orders citywide.

"While the top name on our list is new, the patterns of neglect and abuse by bad landlords are all too familiar,” said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams. “With a new administration about to take office, it’s critical that we take expanded, expedited action to hold the worst actors in our city accountable. The city needs to invest the resources needed to stop landlords from treating violations as negligible, fines as the cost of doing business, and profits as more valuable than the people living in their buildings. At the same time, the city itself is truly the worst landlord through NYCHA — with more open work orders now than eight years ago — and must take urgent action to address years of failing to adequately invest in or support the nearly half a million New Yorkers living there.”

The top five worst individual landlords in New York City for 2021 are:

1. David Schorr, with an average of 1,442 HPD open violations
2. Abdul Khan, with an average of 1,302 HPD open violations
3. Nathaniel Montgomery, with an average of 1,192 HPD open violations
4. Michael Niamonitakis, with an average of 1,060 HPD open violations
5. David Blau, with an average of 1,050 HPD open violations

The 2021 Worst Landlord Watchlist indicates that throughout the last year of the pandemic, many landlords have further neglected building repairs, as evidenced by an overall rise in violations across landlords on the list, as well as an increase in violations reported to the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) across the city. At the same time, several landlords previously at the top of the list have dropped to lower positions, in part after finally addressing violations in many of their buildings which led to their high rankings. However, while the situation for some tenants has improved, conditions for New York City tenants at large are still deteriorating, as there are more HPD violations recorded citywide this year than last year.

At a press conference to announce the list, the Public Advocate emphasized the need for the incoming administration to allocate the resources needed to crack down on the city’s worst landlords, including NYCHA. This includes providing expanded funding to HPD for enforcement purposes.

Public Advocate Williams also called on the incoming City Council to move swiftly to pass the Worst Landlord Accountability Act, a package of bills aimed at correcting and preventing disingenuous tactics used by some of those landlords in order to attempt to remove themselves from the list. The first would prevent the city’s worst landlords from falsely self-certifying repairs, and the second would mandate that HPD respond more rapidly to severe violations. The Public Advocate emphasized that the measures must be prioritized in the upcoming legislative agenda for the Council. Passage of these bills, he noted, should be accompanied by additional resources for HPD, which has been underfunded relative to the overwhelming need presented by bad actors. 

Private landlords on the Worst Landlord Watchlist are ranked objectively according to data obtained by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). Landlords are ranked based on the average number of housing code violations open per month on their buildings on the watchlist, using data from December 2020 to November 2021. More on the methodology is available here.

View the full Worst Landlord Watchlist, and check to see if your address is owned by a 2021 worst landlord, by visiting LandlordWatchlist.com.

Attorney General James Files Lawsuit Against Pet Store That Unlawfully and Deceptively Sold Sick Puppies to Consumers

 

Investigation Finds Shake A Paw Locations on Long Island Violated State Laws by Fabricating Health Certificates and Lying to Consumers About Health, Breed, and Origin of Puppies 

On Multiple Occasions, Shake A Paw Sold Consumers Critically

Sick Puppies That Died Within Days or Weeks of Purchase

AG James Obtains Testimony From Vet Who Formerly Worked for Shake A Paw, Details Unethical Behavior and Inhumane Conditions of Dogs

 New York Attorney General Letitia James today filed a lawsuit against pet store Shake A Paw for unlawfully selling numerous sick or injured puppies to unaware consumers at both of its Long Island locations. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that both Shake A Paw locations on Long Island — in Hicksville and in Lynbrook, which serve the broader tri-state area — falsely advertised sick pets as healthy, fabricated health certificates, failed to disclose the animals’ legitimate medical conditions, misrepresented puppies’ breeds, and refused to reimburse consumers for veterinarian bills when they lodged complaints with Shake A Paw. Attorney General James also filed a motion for a temporary restraining order against Shake A Paw in an effort to protect the puppies in danger at the two Long Island locations, as well as to freeze funds that are in bank accounts managed by Shake A Paw for restitution.

“Shake A Paw’s actions of deceiving consumers into purchasing sick or injured dogs is unconscionable and illegal,” said Attorney General James. “My office’s thorough investigation uncovered a series of violations by Shake A Paw that defrauded consumers and found sick puppies that came from dangerous puppy mills. When New Yorkers purchased puppies from Shake A Paw, they did not expect to bring home dogs in such heartbreaking and horrifying conditions. Today, we are holding Shake A Paw accountable for their unlawful and inhumane actions by filing a lawsuit to permanently ban the company from selling puppies any longer, as well as to recoup what consumers paid. Animal mistreatment is despicable and will not be tolerated.”

After receiving numerous consumer complaints, the OAG opened an investigation into both Shake A Paw locations on Long Island. Shake A Paw advertises their puppies as healthy and of the highest quality. After reviewing hundreds of veterinary records and consumer complaints, the OAG’s investigation found that Shake A Paw sold puppies with serious illnesses — with some puppies passing away within days or weeks of purchase. Several puppies were suffering from serious illness and congenital defects, displaying visible signs of illness at the time of sale, despite receiving health certifications signed off by Shake A Paw’s contracted veterinarians, oftentimes mere days before sale.

The OAG analyzed 408 veterinary records of puppies sold at the Shake A Paw locations, out of which:

• 52 percent of the puppies presented coughing, sneezing, an upper respiratory infection, and/or breathing problems;
• Roughly 54 percent were infected with parasites; and
• Almost 10 percent were diagnosed with pneumonia.

In addition, the OAG received 113 Shake A Paw records, out of which 67 — or almost 60 percent of the health certificates — were issued between zero and 19 days prior to sale.

The illnesses and congenital defects in these animals were found to be consistent with puppies that are purchased from puppy mills. The OAG investigation found thousands of puppies from known puppy mills that were shipped to both Shake A Paw locations on Long Island. Through financial records, the OAG found payments being made to known puppy mills by Shake A Paw. In fact, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) notified the OAG that the U.S. Department of Justice indicted a puppy mill breeder that supplied puppies to Shake A Paw. The information provided by the ASPCA directly linked Shake A Paw to obtaining puppies from puppy mills and not reputable breeders as advertised.

The OAG also obtained sworn testimony from a veterinarian that had a prior relationship with Shake A Paw, but ended this relationship due to their concern over the number of sick animals that were being sold by Shake A Paw, as well as other ethical concerns.

After purchasing puppies, many consumers were left with hefty veterinarian bills shortly thereafter. Shake A Paw would often give consumers the run around when they called to ask for reimbursement, were hung up on, and/or told that they were not entitled to their money back. Shake A Paw representatives also directed consumers to the company’s own veterinarians, who often failed to diagnose illnesses; telling consumers that they would not be reimbursed if they visited their own veterinarians — a violation of the Pet Lemon Law. Additionally, Shake A Paw refused to reimburse consumers who purchased sick animals or animals that passed away, another violation of the Pet Lemon Law.

Through her lawsuit — filed in Nassau County State Supreme Court — Attorney General James is seeking restitution for the victims over Shake A Paw’s unfair and deceptive conduct; civil penalties for such conduct; a permanent injunction preventing Shake A Paw from selling, importing, exporting, bartering, exchanging, or gifting any animals in the future; and an end to the company’s further violation of consumer protection laws.

“I’m so grateful that Attorney General James is taking action to hold Shake A Paw accountable for what all of the puppies and families have had to go through,” said Erin Laxton, who purchased a dog at the Lynbrook Shake A Paw that passed away within weeks of purchase. “I just hope that in the future other families don’t have to suffer the same grief that we did. I’m proud that I could be involved in this because it feels like I’m getting justice for my dog Merlin.”

“I would like to thank Attorney General James and her team for advocating for these sick dogs and holding Shake A Paw accountable for their negligence,” said Danielle Fasano, who purchased her dog Shaq from the Hicksville Shake A Paw and immediately had to take the dog to a veterinary hospital to be treated for pneumonia. “Shake A Paw’s actions are heartless. They put profits over treating puppies humanely. We hope this lawsuit brings an end to Shake A Paw’s terrible treatment of puppies.”

Governor Hochul: “We're Asking People to Follow Common Sense. Get Vaccinated, get Boosted. Please Don't Take a Chance.”

 

 Hello, everyone. It's great to see you again. And I thank you for coming in person. Just for the record, everyone here is vaxxed, everyone here is boosted, we’re six feet apart. We'll keep our masks on when we're not speaking. In the interest of making sure that you can hear me, I'm going to invoke the rule we have in place for people who are using microphones. So just so you know, all the rules have been followed here. 

We just wrapped up my very first cabinet meeting and it was such a privilege for me to see the individuals, the very diverse individuals from all walks of life and gender diversity, racial diversity, cultural diversity, who have become part of our team. And I'm really energized by what they bring to the experience of reshaping state government. And as I said on the first day in this very room, it is my highest priority to restore people's faith in state government. And they are the dream team that are helping me execute that every single day. 

We had a chance to hear from Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin on all the initiatives he's working on, whether it's a public safety, eradicating gun violence, dealing with the housing insecurity crisis we have. And I want to thank him and also economic development initiatives. He has a lot on his plate. I've challenged him to beat my record in miles around the states. So he's on track to do that, he's been everywhere. And I thank him for his, his friendship and his partnership, our Lieutenant Governor, Brian Benjamin.

Also, we heard from Robert Mujica on our budget priorities as everyone knows our budget is due in a matter of weeks, we will keep to that proper schedule as well as giving an analysis of our fiscal condition right now and how we're heading into an uncertain time, particularly with the variant spiking again, and creating more havoc than we’d anticipated, but we now will have the reserves in place to be able to deal with whatever comes our way. And that was an important priority of mine to make sure we have the resources to deal with the future challenges.

I also had a chance for my administration to hear directly from Dr. Mary Bassett, who is an extraordinary individual leader who has tremendous service in the city of New York. And we were able to pull her out of a very nice position at Harvard to join our team. And when she said, yes, I knew that we would have someone who was a very confident leader, but also an inspiring leader. And I want to thank her for her work. And I asked her to give an update then, and because it's so important in light of the Omicron variant and what is happening all across our state. No state is untouched by what we anticipate will be a very serious situation.

It's not something we haven't spoken about. It's not something we haven't warned about. It's not something we haven't prepared for. However, it is upon us. That winter surge is in full force, and I believe it's going to get even stronger and more virulent. And we are in for a rough ride this winter season.

So I asked Dr. Bassett to speak then, but I wanted to have her present to you a synopsis of what she shared with us. Just so you have the data in real time with when I was briefed and Dr. Bassett, if you could share some of the highlights of your presentation, I’d appreciate it.

Dr. Bassett: Thank you very much governor. So I'm going to start out with this graph, which really shows where we've been in the last couple of months.

I hope that you can read it, some of the print is a little bit small. 

But in the summer, after having sort of had a lull in transmission and beginning to open up, which we've continued, we began to see what we now call the Delta surge, a new variant that was first described in India. It was the fourth variant of concern, according to the World Health Organization.  And now we're at the winter surge, something that was anticipated because as the weather gets colder, more people go inside and also more people were mixing in ways that they didn't do a year ago. So the winter surge has been substantial. 

We have seen levels, if you compare the level of hospitalizations, that's what the red line is, on December 14th, compared to where it was back in July, or even at the peak of the Delta surge, you can see that hospitalizations are the highest that we've seen in months and are still going up.

At the same time, that line at the bottom shows the rate of increase of vaccination. Just to give you an idea of the numbers. As this winter surge began, we went from 65 to 68% of the population fully vaccinated. And that line just shows that we've had a flattening out of the rate of uptake of the vaccinations and I hope that all of you are vaccinated. I recommend that everyone be vaccinated and boosted.

And we’ve seen a little uptick recently that I think reflects the efforts of the governor, my department and the occurrence of the concern about new variants. Let me show you this, at the risk of acting like a math teacher, for the press, this shows you what happens with exponential spread, in the green or something equivalent to the Delta variant, that we think each person can infect a one and a half to two people. If you look at the bottom there in 10 cycles, that means 10 cycles of transmission. You get up to 2000 cases. With a more contagious variant, the difference in the total number of people infected becomes really huge. Say each case, infects four people at the end of 10 cycles, you have nearly 1.4 million infections.

Now think about how serious this virus is: say that 10% of people infected end up hospitalized, that’s at the bottom of the new admissions line there, you get about 200 cases. But in contrast, if you have so many more people infected, this goes up to about 14,000. I was inspired to show you these data because these type of data, and to show the cabinet these data, because these types of data were shared by the president of Cornell University.

So this sets me up to talk about Omicron and we are keeping an eye on what's going on of the world. Here we have data from Norway and Denmark, highly vaccinated populations with an age distribution more like the United States than South Africa. Look at the peak there. These are new cases. So this is infections, not hospitalizations. But we know that even if it's much less likely to cause severe disease, which seems to be the case, if you have a lot of people infected, even a small proportion will lead to big numbers.

And of course we're also in flu season and I have to always use the chance to remind people that they need to get both vaccinated for COVID and for flu when everybody was sort of living very constrained lives. We hardly saw any flu last season. But this year we're already ahead of where we were in the last big flu season two years ago. So we're concerned also about flu and the fact that we have both of these in our midst. So that's where we are.

We are in the midst of a Delta surge. We have Omicron in the wings. It's been identified here in New York State. And we also can't forget that with winter comes seasonal influenza. Thank you, Governor.

Governor Hochul: Thank you, Dr. Bassett for sharing that. And just as far as our regular update goes, we lost 71 New Yorkers yesterday, heartbreaking experience for families, particularly heading into this holiday season and our hearts go out to them and the numbers statewide continue to rise. The hospitalizations continue to escalate. 

And our vaccinations not quite plateaued, but I want to make sure everyone knows that particularly individuals who received their first vaccination early on, and these are the people who lived in assisted living and nursing homes and who were immunocompromised, they may have been vaccinated back in December, January, February. You need to get that booster shot because otherwise you are not nearly as protected as you need to be against this new variant. 

And why I thought the point that Dr. Bassett made was really important, people are underestimating the power of Omicron because they're saying, well, people aren't getting really sick, they're not in hospitals. Look at the percentages she just showed us based on that graph. You may only have 1% of people infected hospitalized versus 10% from Delta, but if you have a million more people infected because it's spread so much more quickly, that means you'll have overflowing hospitals at this rate.

That was not the reality, she showed you what could happen, but she wanted you to see clearly what an exponential transmission looks like. So that is why, people are saying it's not that big a deal. It's going to spread to some people who have not been fully vaccinated or they didn't get the booster, or they may have just received their vaccine this fall, which is still effective, but at some point it'll wane. And that is why we are taking very common sense, simple measures, like wearing a mask, which I know I'm going to get questions about. And go ahead because I know it's coming, but this has to be the least intrusive thing that we can do. 

We're asking people to follow common sense. Get vaccinated, get boosted. Please don't take a chance. Please don't take a chance. You know, we've lost members of our extended family for people who just refuse to get vaccinated on principle because they thought there was some sort of affecting their personal liberties and freedoms. People have a right to stay alive and people that you affect have a right to live as well. And that's something we all should remember. 

So I want to thank the press for reminding everyone how important this is. Your intense coverage of this is critically important. So people know what we're heading into. And I thank you for that again. 

Lastly, yes, it's 20 days from now, I'll be delivering the State of the State address. It will be my first. I'm very excited to do it in the legislature. I've heard from countless members of the legislature who remind me that it's technically not a State of the State, it’s called a Message to the Legislature. So returning it to the home of the legislature is the right thing to do. And also, it will be much more scaled back because of this pandemic. We hope it'll be a different dynamic, but just as I was disappointed not to be able to have my cabinet meeting in person, to have everybody get to know each other better, we’ll also have to suspend the normal activities around the State of the State, the Message to the Legislature. We’ll announce what that's going to look like as well as making sure we have policies in place for people coming into this building.

I had a meeting with the leaders of the Assembly and the Senate just recently to talk about making sure we have a policy in place, certainly before we invite people back at the beginning of next year. So stay tuned for the details on what that will look like. Again, we have a very evolving situation here. Not that we're surprised. Not that it was unexpected. But it continues to be as bad as we had expected. And that's what we're dealing with right now.