MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES FAIR RECOVERY TASKFORCE

  Mayor Bill de Blasio announced steps the City is taking to re-start the economy and rebuild a fairer New York. The goal is not to go back to the status quo, but to spur a recovery that confronts deep inequities, reaches into every neighborhood, and leaves New York stronger than ever. 

“This crisis is not only about a virus; it’s about the fallout from hundreds of thousands of our neighbors losing their jobs and struggling to provide for their families. It’s about the outsized devastation communities of color are facing across the country. I am not only calling on New Yorkers from all walks of life to help us get our city back on its feet – I am calling on them to join me in the fight ahead for a fair recovery, ” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

The City’s decisions in the coming weeks will be determined by the health indicators tracked every day. The City will evaluate gradual changes to restrictions as daily health metrics indicate that the virus has reached the low-level transmission phase. Last week, the Mayor announced the City’s plan to expand testing, tracing and isolation to continue to beat back COVID-19. To successfully re-open and rebuild a fairer City, the Mayor is establishing a series of advisory groups.

SECTOR ADVISORY COUNCILS

Re-opening the city will be a gradual process, and different strategies informed by on the ground experience will be used to do so as seamlessly as possible. The City will form a series of Sector Advisory Councils that will guide the Administration's efforts to reopen the economy and city life. The Councils will serve as critical links to disseminate information about re-opening and provide guidance to shape the City’s response to the pandemic. These councils will start in the first week of May and meet weekly thereafter. Sector Advisory Councils will include: 

• Large Businesses
• Small Businesses
• Public Health and Health Care
• Arts, Culture, and Tourism
• Labor
• Nonprofits and Social Services
• Faith-Based
• Education and Vocational Training

ADMINISTRATION TASKFORCE ON RACIAL INCLUSION AND EQUITY

The COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed the fatal consequences of racial disparities in America. This taskforce will be comprised of officials from across the Administration to engage hardest-hit communities, monitor response and recovery efforts in those neighborhoods, identify unique needs associated with Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) and community health care providers, and work with City officials and agencies to narrow long-standing racial and economic disparities. This taskforce will focus both on the immediate needs of these communities and shape a longer term strategy to close the gaps that have been exacerbated during this crisis. The task force will be led by First Lady Chirlane McCray and Deputy Mayor J. Phillip Thompson.

FAIR RECOVERY TASKFORCE

Civic leaders from diverse backgrounds will help the City formulate a broader post-crisis recovery effort that builds a stronger, safer, and fairer economy and society. In the beginning of June, the task force will put forward a recovery road map that will inform the City’s recovery efforts. They will continue to support the City over the course of the recovery and adjust the road map to meet new challenges.

Members of the Fair Recovery Task Force include:     

                     

• Patrick Gaspard, President, Open Society Foundation
• Jennifer Jones Austin, CEO, Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies
• Richard Ravitch, Former Lieutenant Governor of New York State
• Carl Weisbrod, Senior Advisor, HR&A Advisors
• Henry Garrido, Executive Director, DC37
• Maria Torres Springer, Vice President for US Programs, Ford Foundation
• Liz Neumark, CEO, Great Performances
• Fred Wilson, Partner, Union Square Ventures

CHARTER REVISION COMMISSION

The Mayor intends to call a Charter Revision Commission. The Fair Recovery Task Force will also consider questions to be treated by that commission. 

No. 202.24: Continuing Temporary Suspension and Modification of Laws Relating to the Disaster Emergency

No. 202.24

E X E C U T I V E  O R D E R

Continuing Temporary Suspension and Modification of Laws Relating to the Disaster Emergency

WHEREAS, on March 7, 2020, I issued Executive Order Number 202, declaring a State disaster emergency for the entire State of New York; and

WHEREAS, both travel-related cases and community contact transmission of COVID-19 have been documented in New York State and are expected to be continue;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New York, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Section 29-a of Article 2-B of the Executive Law to temporarily suspend or modify any statute, local law, ordinance, order, rule, or regulation, or parts thereof, of any agency during a State disaster emergency, if compliance with such statute, local law, ordinance, order, rule, or regulation would prevent, hinder, or delay action necessary to cope with the disaster emergency or if necessary to assist or aid in coping with such disaster, I hereby temporarily suspend or modify, for the period from the date of this Executive Order through May 25, 2020 the following:

• Section 6801 of the Education Law, to the extent necessary to authorize licensed pharmacists to order COVID-19 tests, approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to detect SARS-CoV-2 or its antibodies, and to administer COVID-19 tests subject to certificate of waiver requirements pursuant to the federal clinical laboratory improvement act of nineteen hundred eighty-eight, in patients suspected of a COVID-19 infection, or suspected of having recovered from COVID-19 infection, subject to completion of appropriate training developed by the Department of Health;
  
  
• Subdivision (6) of section 571 of the Public Health Law, to the extent necessary to permit licensed pharmacists to be designated as a qualified healthcare professional for the purpose of directing a limited service laboratory, pursuant to subdivision 579(3) of the Public Health Law, to test patients suspected of a COVID-19 infection or its antibodies provided that such test is FDA-approved and waived for use in a limited service laboratory; and

IN ADDITION, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Section 29-a of Article 2-B of the Executive Law to issue any directive during a disaster emergency necessary to cope with the disaster, I hereby issue the following directives for the period from the date of this Executive Order through May 25, 2020:

• The special election to be held for the office of City Council in the 37th district is hereby cancelled, and such office shall be filled at the general election.

G I V E N   under my hand and the Privy Seal of the State in the City of Albany this twenty fifth day of April in the year two thousand twenty.

BY THE GOVERNOR  

Secretary to the Governor

Governor Cuomo Announces Expansion of Diagnostic Testing Criteria to Include All First Responders, Health Care Workers and Essential Employees

  Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the state is expanding diagnostic testing criteria to include more frontline New York workers - a direct result of rapidly increasing diagnostic testing capacity. The expanded criteria will now allow all first responders, health care workers and essential employees to be tested for COVID-19 even if they aren't symptomatic. The state will continue to expand testing criteria as testing capacity increases.

Governor Cuomo also announced he will issue an Executive Order allowing pharmacists to conduct diagnostic testing for COVID-19. This action will unlock a network of over 5,000 pharmacies as COVID-19 testing locations and help the state build a collection network to meet laboratory capacity and increase overall testing capacity.

The Governor also announced the state is continuing to conduct antibody testing for frontline health care workers, including at four hospitals and health care systems in New York City today. The antibody testing will be conducted at Bellevue Hospital, Elmhurst Hospital Center, Montefiore Medical Center and SUNY Downstate Medical Center which is currently being used only for COVID-19 patients. Additionally, the state will begin conducting NG antibody testing for first responders and transit workers starting next week, including MTA employees and transit workers, New York State Police and the New York City Police Department.

No. 202.23: Continuing Temporary Suspension and Modification of Laws Relating to the Disaster Emergency

No. 202.23

E X E C U T I V E  O R D E R

Continuing Temporary Suspension and Modification of Laws Relating to the Disaster Emergency 

WHEREAS, on March 7, 2020, I issued Executive Order Number 202, declaring a State disaster emergency for the entire State of New York; and 

WHEREAS, both travel-related cases and community contact transmission of COVID-19 have been documented in New York State and are expected to be continue; 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New York, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Section 29-a of Article 2-B of the Executive Law to temporarily suspend or modify any statute, local law, ordinance, order, rule, or regulation, or parts thereof, of any agency during a State disaster emergency, if compliance with such statute, local law, ordinance, order, rule, or regulation would prevent, hinder, or delay action necessary to cope with the disaster emergency or if necessary to assist or aid in coping with such disaster, I hereby temporarily suspend or modify, for the period from the date of this Executive Order through May 24, 2020 the following: 

• Section 8-400 and any provision of Article 9 of the Election Law in order to provide that every voter that is in active and inactive status and is eligible to vote in a primary or special election to be held on June 23, 2020 shall be sent an absentee ballot application form with a postage paid return option for such application.  This shall be in addition to any other means of requesting an absentee ballot available, and any voter shall continue to be able to request such a ballot via phone or internet or electronically. Any ballot which was requested or received for any previously re-scheduled election, or for the primary election to be held on June 23, 2020 shall continue to be valid and shall be counted by the Board of Elections if it shall be returned to them.

IN ADDITION, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Section 29-a of Article 2-B of the Executive Law to issue any directive during a disaster emergency necessary to cope with the disaster, I hereby issue the following directives for the period from the date of this Executive Order through May 24, 2020:

• The Commissioner of Health is authorized to suspend or revoke the operating certificate of any skilled nursing facility or adult care facility if it is determined that such facility has not adhered to any regulations or directives issued by the Commissioner of Health, and if determined to not be in compliance notwithstanding any law to the contrary the Commissioner may appoint a receiver to continue the operations on 24 hours’ notice to the current operator, in order to preserve the life, health and safety of the people of the State of New York. 

• The state assembly and state senate special elections, which are otherwise scheduled to be held on June 23, 2020 are hereby cancelled and such offices shall be filled at the general election. The special election to be held for the office of Queens Borough President is hereby cancelled, and such office shall be filled at the general election. 

G I V E N   under my hand and the Privy Seal of the State in the City of Albany this twenty-fourth day of April in the year two thousand twenty. 

BY THE GOVERNOR          

Secretary to the Governor

Attorney General James Demands Fast Food Restaurants Protect Workers

   Attorney General Letitia James released the following statement demanding that fast food restaurants provide employees with personal protective equipment (PPE) in accordance with New York law:

“It is critical to public safety and required under the law that fast food restaurants provide adequate PPE to their workers. These workers are risking their lives to serve New Yorkers during this crisis, and they must have the proper resources to protect themselves and those around them. My office will not hesitate to take action if we determine that these companies are in violation of executive orders that were implemented to protect our communities and stop the spread of COVID-19.” 

If you believe your employer is violating labor laws or your rights during this public health crisis, please report it to the Attorney General’s Office by emailing labor.bureau@ag.ny.gov or calling 1-800-771-7755.

State Senator Biaggi Hands Out 300 Meals, Masks, Gloves, and Hand Sanitizer to Pelham Parkway NYCHA Residents

  Saturday at 11 AM State Senator Alessandra Biaggi with Kyle Munoz, and others who donated money for Masks, Gloves, and Hand Sanitizer along with three hundred meals prepared by Posto 22 Restaurant of New Rochelle provided the much needed items to residents of the Pelham Parkway Houses.  

 The orderly line of people began forming at 7:30 AM from Astor Avenue down Wallace Avenue. By the time the distribution began at 11 AM the line went around the corner onto the Pelham Parkway North Service Road. Three stations were set up, a meal table, a mask and glove table, and a table to fill small bottles from gallon sized bottles of hand sanitizer. 

 Senator Biaggi gave out each of the three hundred meals that were placed in a paper bag. Police officers from the 49th precinct were on hand to keep order, but only had to help give out the supplies since the people were very well mannered.

Above - The line went from Astor Avenue, down Wallace Avenue, and around the corner onto  the Pelham Parkway North Service Road. 

Below - Station one, pick up a delicious prepared meal from Senator Biaggi who was smiling under her mask. 

Above - Station Two, Gloves and Masks.

Below - Station Three fill up your bottle with hand sanitizer. 

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz - COVID-19 UPDATE: Absentee Ballot Applications to be Sent to All Registered Voters

Absentee Ballot Applications Will Be Sent to All Eligible Registered Voters for June 23 Primary and Special Elections  Application will include postage-paid return option Will be sent to all active and inactive eligible voters in New York State Previously requested absentee ballots for April 28 or June 23 elections will still be honored Applications must be returned to receive absentee ballot  ‌  ‌  ‌ New Absentee Ballot Regulations from Governor Cuomo I am very pleased with the language included in the new Executive Order (202.23) issued by Governor Cuomo to ensure that all eligible voters in New York State will receive an absentee ballot application for the upcoming June 23 election. This is an important step towards ensuring that our democracy can continue operating amidst a global pandemic, and builds on the progress made after New York enacted several other election proposals that I had advocated for (such as moving the April 28 primary to June 23 and allowing all registered voters to apply for an absentee ballot). Please note that the Board of Elections will only automatically send you the application, not the ballot itself. You must complete this application (or one that you download and print from online) and return it to the Board of Elections by June 16, 2020. If you do not receive the absentee ballot application by mail, you can contact the Board of Elections by telephone (1-866-VOTE-NYC a.k.a. 1-866-868-3692) or by visiting their office in person (although I highly recommend avoiding an in-person visit if you can due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic). It is not decided yet when the applications will be mailed out to all active and inactive eligible voters. If you have already applied for an absentee ballot for either the April 28 election or the June 23 election, that request will be honored for the June 23 election. DO NOT FORGET: You must sign your absentee ballot application or it may not be processed and you may not receive your absentee ballot. The application will be sent with a postage-paid return option, but just in case the address where Bronx voters should send their application is 1780 Grand Concourse, 5 Fl, Bronx, NY 10457. The Bronx Board of Elections can be contacted by telephone at 718-299-9017. The citywide Board of Elections can be reached by their voting hotline (1-866-VOTE-NYC) or by email (Electioninfo@boe.nyc.ny.us). The Board of Elections will send the absentee ballot itself at least 32 days in advance of the election (May 22), or soon after they receive and process your application if it is submitted after that date. Once the absentee ballot is received, you must complete it and it must be postmarked no later than the day before the election (June 22). It must be received by the Board of Elections no later than 7 days after the election (June 30) to be counted. To complete an absentee ballot, here are instructions from the NYC Board of Elections: "Fold the ballot and put it in a smaller envelope. Sign and date the back of the envelope. Seal the envelope and put it in the larger envelope that is addressed to the Board of Elections. Mail or deliver your ballot to your borough Board of Elections office." A few notes from me on this process: If you are not currently staying at the location where you are registered to vote, you will have to request an absentee ballot application separately from this automatic mailing. Theoretically, if you have arranged with USPS to forward your mail it should arrive at your temporary address, however I would not personally trust USPS right now to ensure that you receive this application in a timely manner. I highly encourage eligible voters to complete their absentee ballot application and the ballot itself as soon as possible. Given the difficulties we have had with USPS mail service in recent weeks, I anticipate that delays are highly likely and I do not want anyone's vote to be discarded because paperwork was not received on time. As of now, in-person and early voting have not been cancelled. I anticipate there will be discussion about how to safely operate in-person voting, but it is possible that the Board of Elections will reduce the number of polling sites due to insufficient staffing. In my opinion, everyone should plan to vote by mail for the June 23 election. There are no special election in our district for June 23., only Democratic primaries. If there are any questions or concerns about the absentee ballot voting process, please contact my office at DinowitzJ@nyassembly.gov or by leaving a voicemail at 718-796-5345. You can also visit the NYC Board of Elections website at vote.nyc. Thank You to Election Workers! It is important to remember that many members of our community are not able to work from home because their jobs are essential to helping people stay alive during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you want to share your gratitude for essential workers, please send me your photos, videos, links, or whatever you have and I will try to include it in a future newsletter. Election workers are the unsung heroes of our democracy, from citizen pollworkers to Board of Elections technicians and administrative staff. These essential workers are being asked to step up and dramatically expand New York's absentee voting apparatus so that our elections can continue unimpeded by pandemic. Thank you! EDITOR'S NOTE: This comes from the state legislator who says his constituents are getting mail weeks late if they get any mail. The absentee ballots will probably arrive after the election. By the way Mr. Steven Richmond Senior Law Advisor to the Board of Elections told me Friday that the Board of Elections is not responsible if the USPS can't deliver mail on time. The Absentee Balot then has to be mailed back to the BOE. Why not just push the primary back to its old September date this year. What are you state legislators trying to do, haven't you sickened or killed enough Board of Elections employees?

Governor Cuomo Remarks on Federal Funding for New York State

  Governor Cuomo: We're looking at that now. We don't have a decision now, but I'll tell you the truth. I said to the federal government, I've been talking about this for how long, two months. Two months. I said how can you have a federal government in a position where they're not going to provide funding to state governments and local governments? Small business, airlines, business program, now some of these large corporations now apparently have been taking money from the government programs and they're not funding state and local.

When you don't fund state and local, you know who you don't fund? Police, fire, school teachers, school officials. What was the possible theory of funding large corporations but not firefighters and not police? And not health care workers. It boggles the mind. All they said was "don't worry." Don't worry, we're going to do it in the next bill. We're going to do it in the next bill. I said to our Congressional delegation, I said to our Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, don't pass this past bill that they just did, unless you have state and local funding because they're not going to do it. "Don't worry, don't worry," They're not going to do it.

As soon as the Senate acts, McConnell turns around and says, "Oh I'm not going to do it, the state should declare bankruptcy." Bail out to the blue states. Bail out to the blue states. Again, the most un-American, uncharitable, ugly statement of all time. Yes, New York had more coronavirus cases than Kentucky. You know why? The flights from Europe land in New York. The flights were not landing in Kentucky. That's why we have the coronavirus cases. That's what the researchers now found two months later. That the virus went from China, to Europe, got on a plane and came here. And, by the way, the virus probably got on a plane in China and came here, but China maybe landed in California. The European flights landed here. That's why New York has the coronavirus cases.

Bail out New York. You're not bailing out New York, New York has bailed you out every year it's bailed you out. Mitch McConnell is a taker, not a giver. New York is a state of givers. We put more money into the federal pot every year. We're the number one state in donating to the federal pot. Number one. Kentucky is the number three state in taking from the federal pot. They take out more from the federal pot than they put in. Every year. Every year.

This is America. States, one federal pot, you put in what you can and the states that need it, take it. Okay, so for every year, New York was the number one donor state putting in more money than it took out. Putting in more money than anyone else and taking out less. Number one donor state. Kentucky, every year, was the number three state that took out more than they put in. So we were putting money into the pot, they were taking our dollars out of the pot.

Now, he wants to look at New York and say, "We're bailing you out." You're bailing us out. Just give me my money back, Senator. Just give me my money back. It's just ridiculous. "They should declare bankruptcy." Okay, Senator, pass the bill that authorizes state to declare bankruptcy. Sign the bill, Mr. President.

Economy is coming back, we're doing great. Pent up demand. Stock market wants to take off. Good. Pass a bill allowing states to be bankrupt and then let's watch how the stock market takes off at that great news about our economic resilience.