Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - June 24, 2022

 

17 Statewide Deaths Reported

 NOTE: Beginning June 24, 2022, the Vaccination Progress to Date, Regional Vaccination Data, Demographic Vaccination Data, and Zip Code Vaccination Data dashboards and the related datasets on Open Data NY will be updated weekly on Fridays to align with CDC's updated data refresh schedule. For additional information on COVID-19 Vaccination Data provided by CDC, see https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations_vacc-total-admin-rate-total

NOTE: Updates to the CDC's cumulative death data files have been paused since June 6, 2022 as the CDC upgrades its system. As of June 24, 2022, CDC reporting has not yet resumed. Any questions about this should be directed to the CDC. During this time, total deaths and new daily deaths reported through HERDS will continue as normal.

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

"It is critically important that we maintain our vigilance and make use of the tools we available to us to move forward safely through this pandemic," Governor Hochul said. "Getting vaccinated is still the most effective way to protect you and your loved ones from serious illness, so make sure you are up to date on your doses. The vaccine is safe and widely available - If you are a parent or caregiver to a child under five, talk to your pediatrician about vaccination options."

Today's data is summarized briefly below:    

• Cases Per 100k - 32.62
• 7-Day Average Cases Per 100k - 24.84
• Test Results Reported - 118,927
• Total Positive - 6,375
• Percent Positive - 5.00%**
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 4.68%**
• Patient Hospitalization - 1,824 (+11)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 336
• Patients in ICU - 183 (-15)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 70 (-9)
• Total Discharges - 314,229 (283)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 17
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 56,482

** Due to the test reporting policy change by the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and several other factors, the most reliable metric to measure virus impact on a community is the case per 100,000 data -- not percent positivity.   

The Health Electronic Response Data System is a NYS DOH data source that collects confirmed daily death data as reported by hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities only.     

Important Note: Effective Monday, April 4, the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is no longer requiring testing facilities that use COVID-19 rapid antigen tests to report negative results. As a result, New York State's percent positive metric will be computed using only lab-reported PCR results. Positive antigen tests will still be reported to New York State and reporting of new daily cases and cases per 100k will continue to include both PCR and antigen tests. Due to this change and other factors, including changes in testing practices, the most reliable metric to measure virus impact on a community is the case per 100,000 data -- not percent positivity.   

• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 71,670   

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.    

NOTE: Beginning June 24, 2022, the Vaccination Progress to Date, Regional Vaccination Data, Demographic Vaccination Data, and Zip Code Vaccination Data dashboards and the related datasets on Open Data NY will be updated weekly on Fridays to align with CDC's updated data refresh schedule. For additional information on COVID-19 Vaccination Data provided by CDC, see https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations_vacc-total-admin-rate-total

• Total vaccine doses administered - 39,272,805
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 14,939
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 85,621
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 92.8%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 84.2%
• 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) - 87.7%   
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 84.1%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 73.9%   
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 82.4%   
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 74.7%   
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 90.9%   
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 77.7%         

Each New York City borough's 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows **:   

Borough	Tuesday, June 21, 2022	Wednesday, June 22, 2022	Thursday, June 23, 2022
Bronx	3.98%	4.07%	4.12%
Kings	3.14%	2.58%	2.54%
New York	5.81%	6.21%	6.27%
Queens	5.75%	6.04%	6.04%
Richmond	5.17%	5.06%	5.07%

BRONX MAN INDICTED FOR RAPING WOMAN AT KNIFEPOINT AND ATTEMPTING TO KILL A MAN IN SEPARATE ATTACKS IN MOTT HAVEN

 

Defendant Charged with Predatory Sexual Assault, Rape, and Attempted Murder

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has been charged in two indictments with a brutal pair of attacks in Mott Haven within four days. The defendant first allegedly stabbed a man multiple times, and later raped a woman at knifepoint in Saint Mary’s Park.

 District Attorney Clark said, “This man has been menacing residents of the Mott Haven community. The defendant allegedly took a woman at knifepoint to the park after she dropped her son at school. He allegedly robbed and raped her. Four days earlier, he allegedly stabbed a man multiple times in the back after approaching the victim’s car. The community can rest assured that our efforts to ensure accountability will promote safety and security in Mott Haven."

 District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Christopher Martinez, 19, last of 620 East 137th Street, was arraigned June 22, 2022 before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Denis Boyle on an indictment for Attempted Murder in the second degree, Attempted Assault in the first-degree, second-degree Assault, Attempted Assault in the second degree, third-degree Assault, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the fourth degree; as well as on an indictment charging two counts of Predatory Sexual Assault, first-degree Rape, first-degree Criminal Sexual Act, first-degree Robbery, two counts of first-degree Sexual Abuse and fourth-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon. The defendant was remanded, and he is due back in court on September 13, 2022.

 According to the investigations, on May 27, 2022, the defendant walked up to a man who was removing items from his parked vehicle on East 139th Street, and said, “What’s up?” He then allegedly punched the victim in the head knocking him to the ground and then stabbed him multiple times in the back with a knife.

 On May 31, 2022, the defendant was waiting near the second victim’s home. After she dropped her youngest son off at school, Martinez allegedly approached her and robbed her at knifepoint. He then walked her to Saint Mary’s Park where he allegedly raped her. Her oldest son heard the victim scream when the defendant approached her outside her home and called the police. The victim was treated at a local Bronx hospital.

 District Attorney Clark also thanked NYPD Detective Adrian Zambrano of the 40th Precinct for his work on the case.

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

Governor Hochul Signs Legislation Expanding Use of New York City School Zone Speed Cameras

 

Legislation (S.5602B/A.10438) Renews Authorization Until July 1, 2025 and Expands Use of Cameras to 24/7 Hours of Operation

Governor Hochul: "Kids shouldn't risk getting hurt just going to school and traffic violence isn't just confined to school hours."

Hochul: "You can't ignore the statistics. Something bad is happening out there We are going to sign a bill that'll authorize New York City's school zone speed limit camera program."

 Good morning, everyone. I can't tell whether you're so excited because the governor and the mayor are here, or because you're almost done with school. You can be honest about it. Great to be here at the Clinton School. You have an incredible reputation, you know that. People know that you're getting a first-rate education, the international baccalaureate that is a very big deal.

And you are going to be well-positioned to be launched into the whole new world based on the educational experience you had right here. So why don't we take a second and give a round of applause to your great principal, our great leader, Jon Levin, who has been here for 11 years. Thank you. 

There you go. There you go, Principal. And to all the great teachers and the administrators who make this happen. So I'm so glad to be with you here today. 

Also, the Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams has done such an incredible job in such a short time and he is so focused on safety, as am I, whether it's safety from gun violence or it's safety in the streets. So when you're walking or riding your bike to school, you don't have to worry. So we are working together as true partners. Thank you, Mayor Adams, for all you do. 

We also have leaders in our legislature because if you want to get a bill passed, you remember this. Yes, you do remember all this. When I was a kid, there was a show called Schoolhouse Rock. Are they still watching that? Those are actually really old reruns, but I am a bill, right? Sitting here on Capitol Hill. Believe it or not, that was one of the inspirations of why I wanted to go work on Capitol Hill. I love that show.

So, as I mentioned, the Mayor and I, and others are laser-focused on safety public safety, doing it on many fronts. And as I mentioned about gun violence, we are taking strong, bold action to protect people from scourge of gun violence. Something you read about, you hear about all too often, not just in our cities, but throughout this country.

But also I just want to mention something that happened yesterday as you're students, you're paying attention to all the news. You're reading the papers. You're seeing social media accounts of what happened in Washington. Two things happened in Washington yesterday, one very positive that for the first time in 30 years, the United States Senate on the leadership of majority leader, Chuck Schumer, our very own Senator from the State of New York, took a step that has not been done in decades and made some progress toward gun safety legislation.

That is a good thing. That is a very good thing that happened yesterday, but across the street in the Supreme Court of the United States of America, something very bad happened where they struck down a law that we had in place, not just in the last couple of weeks, that law's been on the books for over 100 years, to say that the state has a right to decide whether or not you should be able to have a concealed carry permit. 

What does that mean? You can have a legal permit to leave the gun in your home. If you meet background checks, which are very rigorous or certain people are eligible to be able to carry a gun with them. Now, if you're a security guard, that's okay. Someone has a threat against you. That's probably okay.

But we didn't think that people should have a right to walk around like the Wild West and carry guns. Right. That makes sense. And we put that forward. Not, I, it happened long before my grandparents were little kids. So this is how long it's been on the books.

The Supreme Court yesterday, ignoring the fact that we have a nationwide gun violence epidemic, took away the state's right to be able to make that determination on who should have the ability to hide a gun on them. That's what it's considered, hide a gun on you.

You ride your bike to school. It's kind of fun. I ride my bike all the time. I always wear my helmet, but we've had students actually killed walking to school because they weren't protected. 24 in the last decade. And we have statistics that show that during the 8:00 AM hour when a lot of you are coming to school, when there are thousands of students going into their buildings, there are 57 percent more crashes and 25 percent more injuries in streets near schools. 

So you can't ignore the statistics. Something bad is happening out there. So then we say, well, what do we do? Kids shouldn't risk getting hurt just going to school and traffic violence isn't just confined to school hours. I mean, you come for after-school activities, evening activities. There are other people around the neighborhood. There's a playground in the other schools, kids want to play. And at night when it's hard to see. Weekends people drive a little more aggressively. So all this has actually gotten worse since COVID, I don't want to blame COVID for everything, but there is a root cause where people have just changed their character. It seems people are less patient with others. They're less kind. They're less respectful. We can get back to the way don't give up young people don't give up. That was just a temporary setback, but parents also deserve the peace of mind to know that their children will be safe.  

So Amy Cohen, I mentioned her, is a parent who knows. The sadness of this all too well, she lost her son Sammy back in 2013 when he was hit by a van in the neighborhood.

And she has channeled this grief, this horrible grief, and turned it into a force. A force to be reckoned with, a force for change. And she started something called Families for Safe Streets. And I want to say New York owes you a tremendous debt of gratitude, aiming to all your members. For all your members, please raise your hands. All of you've been the activists for such a long time. Thank you.

So what are we doing here today then? How do we take the energy behind the advocacy, the desire of the Mayor and I, and other elected officials, Councilmember Rivera, and others to make sure that we are safe as well as our partners in state government who I recognize? We are going to sign a bill that'll authorize New York City's school zone speed limit camera program.

Allow that to be operated all day, every day, 24 hours, 365 days a year. And this law will be in effect till 2025. 

So we're going to continue this protection all year round. That's for you and your fellow students. That's how you start protecting people in their schools, classrooms, but definitely on their way to school. So with that, I'd like to announce that we're going to be signing this. I'd like to invite our mayor up. Our mayor, who's doing an extraordinary job and you'll hear from him how important your safety is to him.

So thank you everyone for being here today and witnessing a bill signing and to all the leaders, the elected officials, the advocates, the champions of making our streets safe right here in New York. Thank you very much. And with that Mayor Adams.

Senator Luis Sepulveda - Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade

 

Statement From New York State Senator Luis R. Sepúlveda on SCOTUS Overturning Roe v. Wade

 Today is a catastrophic day for all Americans. A few hours ago, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned decades of support for the constitutional right to an abortion. Across the country, we are grappling with a dangerous reversal of several years of advocacy that not only ignores the basic constitutional rights of Americans but also insults years of progression. 

In the State of New York, our leadership has never strayed from being bold and courageous as it relates to progressive policy that sustains the right to choose and upholds women's reproductive rights. Currently, in New York, abortions are still legal for up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, and after that in special circumstances. In the New York State Senate, we have passed several pieces of legislation that protect, preserve, and expand on these basic human rights. 

I am extremely shattered to see the country that I love moving in a direction that counters these basic rights. I stand committed in this fight and promise to be vigilant to ways that we can uphold the basic necessity to safe and legal abortions. As our communities know too well, the highest price is always paid by low-income communities like the one I represent in the Bronx.

I stand firmly on protecting women's reproductive rights and stand my strenuous opposition to the U.S. Supreme Court decision.

Statement from State Senator Gustavo Rivera on the Supreme Court’s Decision to Overturn of Roe v. Wade

“I fully condemn the radical and reckless Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Today, after 50 years of constitutional precedent, the Supreme Court told women that they do not have autonomy over their bodies or medical choices. Today, women in this country have less rights than their mothers.

That should enrage all of us.  

This is the result of a decades-long plan orchestrated by the radical Republican party to erode access to reproductive healthcare, despite most Americans supporting a woman’s right to choose. Regardless, abortions will continue to happen. More women, especially low-income women and women of color, will be forced to risk their lives to seek healthcare services that should be a fundamental right. 

In New York, women’s choices and our healthcare providers remain protected. We will continue standing strong by implementing measures that will ensure New York is a safe haven for reproductive healthcare now and forever.”