No. 202.25: Continuing Temporary Suspension and Modification of Laws Relating to the Disaster Emergency

No. 202.25

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 29, 2020 the following:

• Subdivisions (a) and (e) of section 401.3 and section 710.1 of Title 10 of the NYCRR, and Part 709 and 710 of Title of the NYCRR, and any other applicable regulation, to the extent necessary to allow for the approval and certification by the Commissioner of Health of temporary dedicated birthing sites operated by currently-licensed birthing hospitals and currently-licensed birthing centers;

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 29, 2020:

• The directive related to support persons for birthing patients contained in Executive Order 202.13 and 202.12 is hereby modified to require any article twenty-eight facility, shall, as a condition of licensure, allow any patient giving birth to have present with them: a support person, who does not have symptoms of COVID-19, for the labor, delivery and also the remaining duration of the patient’s stay; and/or a doula, who does not have symptoms of COVID-19 for the labor, delivery, and the remaining duration of the patient’s stay. The presence of a support person and/or doula will be subject to exceptions for medical necessity determined by the Commissioner.  
  
  

• The directive contained in Executive Order 202.10 authorizing the Commissioner of Health to direct all general hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, office-based surgery practices and diagnostic and treatment centers to increase the number of beds available to patients, including by canceling all elective surgeries and procedures, is hereby modified only to the extent necessary to authorize general hospitals to perform elective surgeries and procedures so long as the following criteria are met:  within a county, the total available hospital inpatient capacity is over thirty percent and the total available hospital ICU capacity is over thirty percent and the total change, from April 17, 2020 to April 27, 2020, in the number of hospitalized patients who are positive for COVID-19 is fewer than ten; for each hospital within county that has met the eligibility criteria, the available hospital inpatient capacity is over thirty percent and the available hospital ICU capacity is over thirty percent and the change, from April 17, 2020 to April 27, 2020,  in the number of hospitalized patients who are positive for COVID-19 is fewer than ten.  The Commissioner of Health is authorized to issue guidance with respect to the implementation of these criteria.  General hospitals that are authorized to perform elective surgeries and procedures must report, at a minimum, the number and types of surgeries and procedures performed to the Department of Health, in a manner prescribed by the Commissioner.  General hospitals that do not meet the criteria to perform elective surgeries and procedures contained in this directive may seek a waiver from the prohibition, by submitting a plan that includes, at a minimum, their facility capacity, physical configuration, infectious disease protocols, and staffing capacity, including any applicable employment hardship information that includes any reductions in workforce, including furloughs, that have occurred due to the inability of such facility to perform elective surgeries or procedures, or any reductions in workforce, including furloughs, that may imminently occur due to the inability of such facility to perform elective surgeries or procedures, to the Department of Health, in a manner prescribed by the Commissioner.  General hospitals shall not perform any elective surgery or procedure for patients until each such patient has tested negative for COVID-19 through an approved diagnostic test, and the hospital and patient have complied with the pre-operative and pre-procedure guidelines in a manner prescribed by the Commissioner.

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

BY THE GOVERNOR  

       

Secretary to the Governor

Governor Cuomo Announces 35 Counties Approved to Resume Elective Outpatient Treatments

  Hospitalization rate ticks down, good news. Net change, down, that's good news. Intubations down, that's good news. COVID hospitalizations, new ones per day, just about flat, that's not great news. Actually up a tick. So that is not good news. What we're watching now is how fast the decline, how low does it go? We don't want to see 1,000 new cases every day. We'd like to see that in the low hundreds, ideally, of new cases every day. Death rate, terrible news. 330. You see the decline has been slow at best and still disgustingly high. So we're making progress, that's for sure, but we're not out of the woods yet. And we're proceeding with caution.

And there are caution signs out there that we should pay attention to. Singapore is talking about a second wave with 900 new cases. This is after they controlled the beast, they're on the decline. They're now looking at new cases. Germany is a situation that we should also watch and learn f from. They relaxed and started to reopen. they're now seeing an increase. These are interesting, the rate of infection, which is what we watch, was at .7. One person infecting .7 percent, obviously less than one person. 1 percent infection rate is one person infecting one person. They were at .7. They started to reopen. In 10 days they went up to a one on the infection rate. That's troubling. Shows you how fast the infection rate can increase if you don't do it right on the reopening. So proceed with caution.

Our reopening is different. We don't have a conceptual plan. We don't have an abstract plan because there is no conceptual plan, there is no abstract plan. You have to have a plan that is based on facts, based on specifics. This is not about politics, this is not about spin, this is not about emotion. There are no conspiracy theories at work here. We outlined a 12-step plan that is factual, that is based on numbers, based on data and then it has a numerical circuit breaker that is not subject to personal emotion or desire, but just checks and monitors that infection rate that we just saw in Germany and is watching for those increases. And if there's an increase, circuit breaker stops the reopening at that point. Some of the specifics we're looking at, you must have 30 percent of your hospital beds available.

We can't go back to where we were where we overwhelmed the hospital system. We have to have a 30 percent buffer. We have to have 30 percent of ICU beds. We have to have that buffer before we start bumping up against total capacity, and we have to watch the hospitalization rate and the diagnostic testing rate, how many are positive, how many are negative, which we'll take on a continuous basis. You see that number start going up, worry. But it's all based on the data and the numbers. I'm sorry, and the rate of transmission, RT, rate of transmission, our road and track, rate of transmission has to be 1.1 or less. We just said Germany is at .1. The 1.1, that is textbook outbreak. So watch the numbers and watch the transmission rate.

Where we are now, you should know, is New York State is doing more than most countries are doing so we have been very aggressive in testing and we have made great progress. New Yorkers should feel good about that but we have more to do.

We've been worried about front line workers because they are the heroes who are out there every day so everybody else can stay home. Somebody asked me yesterday on a radio interview, well, you're out there every day. Are you taking care of yourself? I'm out there every day. Forget me. I'll tell you who is out there every day. The nurses who are in the emergency room, the doctors in the emergency room, the police officer who is going into homes and apartments because there's a domestic disturbance, the EMTs, the Fire Department, the delivery worker who goes to 50 doors a day and gets paid. Those people are out there every day. They're the ones who are really doing the work. Compared to them, what I do is de minimis. They're doing it not because they get paid a lot of money, not because people say thank you, God bless you. They're doing it because it's their value, their honor, their pride, their dignity, and they show up. Even when it's hard, they show up. My hat is off to them.

I want to make sure we do what we need to do to protect them, that they have the equipment, they have the PPE, they have our respect, they have our gratitude. I also want to make sure we're testing so we get them the results of tests so they can be taking care of themselves.

I also want to see if we have a significant problem in any of those front line workforces. So we're doing testing. We started with the New York City Fire Department and New York City Police Department. What we found so far, the Fire Department which also has the EMTs, tested 17% positive, NYPD 10% positive. Number much higher in the FDNY, EMTs. We believe that's because the EMT number is driving it up, but we have to do more numbers and more research to determine that. Remember, the EMTSs, they are the front line. They're the ones who are there assisting the person in the closest contact in many ways. FDNY, also. But we want to find out exactly what's going on. They compare to a downstate average of the general population of about 18%. Again, we'll do further research, further surveys to look at it by race and gender, also.

We're also going to do the same thing with the transit workers, the people who drive the buses, the subways, who clean the buses and the subways. Without those buses and subways, the essential workers couldn't get to work. Why didn't we just close down subways and buses? Because you close down the subways and the buses in New York City, don't expect the nurses and the doctors to be able to get to the hospital. Don't expect the delivery worker to be able to deliver food when you ring on your telephone. We need that public transportation to transport the essential workers. Those front line workers are at risk, so we're going to do additional testing for the transport workers.

Letting them endanger their own life and endanger the lives of others is not helping anyone. I told the MTA yesterday, in two days, which means tomorrow, I want a full plan. How do we disinfect every train every night, period. Any essential worker who shows up and gets on a train should know that that train was disinfected the night before. We want them to show up. We don't want them to stay home. We owe it to them to be able to say, the train you ride, the bus you ride has been disinfected and is clean.

He went so far as to say, well he'd be in favor of the states going bankrupt. First, states have never gone bankrupt. States can't go bankrupt. There are serious Constitutional questions about whether or not a state can declare bankruptcy and you need a federal law that would allow the states to declare bankruptcy even if you got around the Constitutional question on bankruptcy. If he believes that, if it wasn't just political rhetoric and personal vitriol, then pass a law that allows states to declare bankruptcy. He would have to do that. I dare him to do that and get that bill signed by the President.

America was when I said we need help in our emergency rooms and hospitals and 95,000 nurses and doctors from across the nation said we will come to New York to help. We'll come into the emergency room. We'll come into the hospital. I understand it's COVID I will leave my family, and I will come to help yours. That's America. That's who we are and that's who we have shown ourselves to be in the middle of this crisis. The crisis brings out the best and the worst, yes. And the best of America is beautiful and that's what we've seen. Because, yes, we are tough. Yes, we are smart. Yes, we are disciplined. Yes, we are united. Yes, we're loving, loving, because we are Americans. And that's who we are and how we are as Americans. And I just hope the political leadership of this nation understands how good we are as a people.

And the textbook says politicians lead, elected officials lead. No, sometimes the people lead and the politicians follow, and that's where we are today. Follow the American people. Look at what they're doing. Look at how they're reacting. And politicians, try to be half as good as the American people. I want to show you a self-portrait that was done by American people. This is a self-portrait of America, okay? That's a self-portrait of America. You know what it spells? It spells love. That's what it spells. You have to look carefully, but that's what the American people are saying. We received thousands of masks from all across America, unsolicited, in the mail, homemade, creative, personal, with beautiful notes from all across the country, literally. Just saying, thinking about you, "We care, we love you, we want to help." And this is just people's way of saying we care. And we want to help. This is what this country is about. And this is what Americans are about. A little bit more of this and a little bit less of the partisanship and the ugliness, and this country will be a better place. Thank you. Thank you, guys.

MAYOR DE BLASIO HOLDS COVID-19 AVAILABILITY - APRIL 29, 2020

  Mayor Bill de Blasio: Well, good morning, everybody. All of you should be very proud of how this city has handled this horrible crisis, and you should be proud of the heroism of so many in this city. I've said before, it's those who we honor so deeply, are health care workers and our first responders. It's also everyday people, who have found ways to get through, to be there for each other, to deal with these new tough rules, but find a way to make them work for the good of everyone, for the good of their own families and the good of everyone. New Yorkers have been absolutely remarkable in this crisis, and I think one of the ways that people have excelled is in a very quiet way that needs to be talked about more, and needs to be understood better, which is the way people have just been there for each other. The way people have remembered that the person they're with, a loved one, friend, a neighbor, a coworker, someone from the neighborhood that everyone's going through so much, and sometimes what's so important is just to be there for someone, just to listen to them, just to see how they're doing.

New Yorkers have always been incredibly social people. And it's true, we have tough exterior's, but behind those exteriors beat hearts of gold. That's what I've seen for decades and decades. How good, and compassionate, and kind New Yorkers are. And New Yorkers look out for each other, and we know it from our buildings where we live or our neighborhoods. So many ways New Yorkers have each other's backs, and in a crisis, it really comes through. So, just those little things, when you say someone, how are you doing? Are you okay? How are you feeling? People need that, they need that moment of empathy. They need to hear that someone's concerned. Sometimes they just need a chance to unburden themselves, all the stress they're going through. Just ask a simple question, how are you holding up? Can mean so much to someone, and I see it all the time, and I appreciate it. I appreciate all of you for having that spirit. For understanding people need that chance to be heard, and just to express what they're going through. And that compassion matters, especially when it comes to people's feelings, when it comes to their mental health, because it's still an area as a, as a society, we're still grappling with how to talk about mental health, how to act mental health. It's still an area where there's so much stigma. It shouldn't be, it's part of human life, mental health’s no different than physical health. It's part of who we are as human beings, and yet that stigma still pervades in so many ways. And so just that act to asking someone how they are and inviting them to speak openly is powerful.

Now, the idea of providing access to mental health services, it's been a core notion for this administration for the last six years. That's why Thrive NYC exists, to break down the barriers and open up access to mental health. And that initiative was for all New Yorkers of all kinds, but we've also had specialized initiatives for our heroes, because we've known they've dealt with challenges before. No one could have imagined this pandemic, but they were already dealing with challenges. There's two programs I want to mention that are particularly good examples, the Health and Hospitals, the Helping Healers Heal program. And a lot of our health care workers are leaning on this right now. It's a 24/7 helpline for doctors, nurses, staff, any Health and Hospital staff can call it 646-815-4150. And the FDNY has had a counseling services unit. It's renowned, it's gold standard for the whole nation. In fact, other cities have sought out the FDNY’s guidance in how to set up a similar approach. A very poignant example and a painful one was after the Parkland shootings in Florida. Folks in Florida turned to the FDNY to know how to provide that ongoing support to first responders. And our paramedics and our EMT’s have been right there at the frontline of this crisis. They need that help. And so, I want to make sure FDNY members know you can call 212-570-1693. So, these initiatives are up and running, but we need something even more in this moment of crisis, and that's where our military come in. And what they have been doing these last weeks, the military has been helping us in so many ways. I want to thank all those who have come in to help in our hospitals. The extraordinary contribution they've made to fighting back the coronavirus. Now they're going to play a crucial role in addressing the mental health challenges as well.

Now, to tell you about this extraordinary partnership with the department of defense with our armed forces, I'm going to turn to the first lady. And I'm going to say it this simply, she is devoted her time as first lady to breaking down the stigma that stands in the way of people getting the mental health services they need. She's really helped this whole city to have the right open conversation about what's going on inside all of us, and how we have to bring it out in the open and ask for help, and how help needs to be there for everyone with no stigma, no barriers. In this pandemic, she's taking that same impulse, those same lessons, and working to make sure we reach more and more New Yorkers who have gone through so much. And I want to thank her for that, and particularly for the work she is doing to bring these extraordinary military professionals in to help us further.

So, antibody testing brings a lot to the table and our goal is to reach a lot of people who would like to take advantage of on a voluntary basis, of course. But I'm talking about our health care workers, I'm talking about our police officers, our firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, Correction officers, so many who would like to have this opportunity and now it will be provided for all who want it. So, thinking about our health care workers, thinking about our first responders; we are initiating a plan to reach 150,000 of our heroes and give them this antibody testing to give them that knowledge and that peace of mind and to ensure that they are also helping us take the next step in fighting this disease. We have agreed to a partnership with the federal government, with the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Centers for Disease Control and more details will be announced in the next few days, but the plan is to begin as early as next week to offer the tests in hospitals, at fire houses, at police precincts, at correction facilities, wherever our health care workers and our first responders are to make the tests readily available. Again, this will be provided for free. The federal government is covering the cost and it will be provided to all who want to take advantage of this test. Now I mentioned that I'm going to say the antibody tests - no one is claiming it is perfect. It does not tell you the best of I understand from all of our health care leadership and from listening to Dr. Fauci and others, it does not tell you if you're entirely immune in the sense we all think of that word. When we hear the word immune, we think you just can't possibly get something again. There is not yet confidence that having been exposed to the coronavirus once means you can never get it again. Now, common sense tells us if you’re exposed once and you made it through, you're in very good stead; you're in a very good situation to make it through again if you ever were exposed again, but we don't know for sure if anyone can contract this disease the second time. The good news is honestly, there's not a lot of evidence that people have, but we don't know for sure. So that's a limitation that we have to be clear about and it's also important that even folks who get a positive result do not think that means that they can let down their guard. I'm not saying people would think they're invincible, but they have to be really clear that they still are dangerous because we're dealing with an unknown disease. We're dealing with so many questions. So, for health care workers and first responders, they would still continue in their work to wear the PPEs just as they were previously. And we still need to practice the same concepts of social distancing and we still have to be watchful for symptoms even if someone has tested positive. But again, it's not a perfect test, but it does give real information. It is helpful, tells you something very important and its part of solving this bigger puzzle of the Coronavirus and fighting it back. So, this again, more details to be announced, but a wonderful step forward and a huge initiative. The goal is to reach 150,000 of our heroes.

Now, let me talk about another effort to protect people and this is now about how we protect some of the very most vulnerable in New York City – homeless New Yorkers. And again, the compassion I talked about earlier; New Yorkers feel tremendous compassion for folks whose lives in some way came unraveled and they ended up on the street or they ended up in shelter. So, a few weeks ago I told you we had a goal of having 6,000 homeless in hotels rather than congregate shelters to make sure that people were safe and that goal has been reached and now we are going to go farther. This week we will move an additional 1,000 homeless individuals from congregate shelters to hotel facilities. The priority will be on folks in those larger congregate shelters that are having more trouble with social distancing. There's going to be a constant effort to evaluate all shelters and wherever there are social distancing problems continue to take people out of the shelters into hotels. One thousand this week, we are prepared to do a thousand more each week going forward as the need indicates, because we want to make sure people are safe and again, there are real reasons for people to be in shelters who need the services and shelter. So, for some people that actually can be much, much better to stay in the shelter setting, but we've got to make sure there's enough space. We've got to make sure that we strike that balance. We're also going to provide additional medical oversight; our Health + Hospitals team is going to work with the Department of Homeless Services to bring additional medical oversight to all homeless services sites. The goal is to constantly be vigilant for anything that might pose a danger to homeless New Yorkers and starting this week we will begin a program of testing homeless individuals at homeless services sites. Of course, anyone who tests positive will be isolated. This initiative will begin this week and expand over the next couple of weeks. The goal is to reach across the entire shelter system by the middle of May.

Okay, let's now talk about what we talk about every single day, which is the daily indicators. So, as I go into them, I can say we've had a good day, not a perfect day, but a good day and we got to keep pushing and we got to keep doing better. So, the first indicator unfortunately is up. The daily number of people admitted to hospitals for suspected COVID-19 went up from 112 to 136, but the other indicators going in the right direction. Daily number of people in ICUs in our public hospitals for suspected COVID-19 - down from 745 to 734. Percentage of people testing positive for COVID-19 citywide – down from 27 percent to 23 percent. Public health lab tests – down from 56 percent to 29 percent. That's great. So, progress like most days we've seen progress, but not what we still need fully to get everything going down in the same direction. Now, we’re going to talk I am certain about the challenges of maintaining social distance. I can tell you we have to stick to it and yes, we're about to have warmer weather and yes, everyone's going a little stir crazy, but we have to stick to it because every time you see these indicators going the right direction, that's because of the work you've been doing. But if we loosen up these indicators, we'll start to go in the wrong direction. Now unless there's someone out there that wants to delay the restart and wants to see this horrible crisis continue, I think we can all agree we got to buckle down and beat this disease. And every time you're socially distanced, every time you stay home, you're helping to fight back the disease and save lives. We got to stick with it.

I'll just close before saying a few words in Spanish and then we'll open to our colleagues in the media; that you know, we're going to be spending a long time trying to figure out everything that happened here in terms of the human impact over these last months and certainly the months ahead and the mental health piece of this is in some ways probably going to be the hardest to make sense of. As we always say, it's different than the physical reality or the physical scars; the mental scars take longer to uncover and process and make sense of. But so many people are dealing with these challenges in one way or another. The bottom line, as you heard from the announcement today, whether you're one of our heroes, whether you're an everyday New Yorker, practicing social distancing, whether you're a parent trying to support your kids, whoever you are, you're not alone and we're going to be there for you and 24 hours a day, seven days a week, multiple languages, and for free. Anyone who needs help can call 888-NYCWELL and get a trained counselor and get that support. Lots of people are doing that and it's helping them through. I want to invite anyone who needs that help to take advantage of it. 

MAYOR DE BLASIO AND CHANCELLOR CARRANZA ANNOUNCE ADJUSTED K-12 CITYWIDE GRADING POLICY FOR 2019-20 SCHOOL YEAR

  Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza today announced an adjusted K-12 citywide grading policy. The policy maintains a high bar for student achievement, gives flexibility to families and students grappling with the COVID-19 crisis, and provides targeted support to students who have fallen behind.

“Our students, educators, and families are going through a lot right now. I know our students are capable of excellence, and we will continue to hold them to that high standard while adjusting our grading to reflect the unprecedented challenges created by this crisis. We will give every student the support they need to bounce back and continue on their path to success,” said Mayor de Blasio. 

“We recognize that parents and students alike are experiencing anxiety and trauma in the midst of the pandemic, and we have continually evolved our policies to meet this moment. Our adjustments to grading maintain clear expectations that acknowledge each individual student’s experience, while creating a consistent, equitable system across all schools,” said Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza. “Our priority is to minimize stress on families and students, while still providing next year’s teachers with the information they need about an individual student’s progress toward achieving standards.”

"We needed a grading policy that captures the work students have done this year, both in the classroom and during distance learning, while not punishing students for things outside of their control.  We think this policy strikes that balance by incorporating the concerns of parents, teachers and stakeholders," said Michael Mulgrew, President of the United Federation of Teachers.

This new grading policy still requires students to meet the DOE’s high standards, but also provides flexibility, where needed, given the extraordinary circumstances families are in because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This policy reflects the input of teachers, students, and parents from across the City. The new grading policy for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year is effective immediately:

·    Grades 3-K and Pre-K: There is no impact as these students do not receive report cards or grades.

·    Grades K-5: Schools will award grades using a binary “Meets Standards” and “Needs Improvement” scale to ensure students are demonstrating mastery of the learning outcomes for their required courses.

·    Grades 6-8: Schools will award grades using three values: Meets Standards, Needs Improvement, and Course in Progress. 

·    Grades 9-12: Schools will continue with the same grading scales they had before remote learning with the addition of a “Course in Progress” rating for students who cannot submit work or demonstrate mastery. Failing grades will be considered “Course in Progress.” Students will be given the time and support they need to complete coursework and earn credit through January 2021. In alignment with CUNY’s COVID-19 flexible grading policy for their 2020 Spring Semester, high school students who have successfully completed and earned credit for a course will have the option to convert a passing grade to a “Pass” rating that preserves their existing GPA, but will still count as credit toward graduation.

All students who do not demonstrate mastery or complete required work will be given the support they need over the summer and fall to get back on track. All students receiving “Course In Progress” who have not yet completed required course work will be enrolled in summer programming. High School seniors and current 8th graders who receive “Course in Progress” will be prioritized for support to keep them on track for August graduation and promotion. When students complete the course, their grade will be changed from “Course in Progress” to the appropriate passing grade. 

Schools are expected to take into account the full year of work and current circumstances when making assessments for grading. Assignments and evaluations are intended to measure a student’s mastery of coursework and understanding of the core concepts and standards needed to succeed in the following grade. We are asking our teachers to make adjustments that acknowledge the impact of remote learning on the ways in which students complete their assigned work, such as expectations for due dates.

The DOE is supporting every high school senior on the path towards graduation through one on one counseling support and opportunities for schools and families to get students on track. In accordance with the State, students are still required to meet their credit requirements for graduation, and must earn a passing grade to receive credit for their courses. Students who receive a “Course in Progress” in a class they need to graduate will have the opportunity for an August graduation after completing coursework over the summer.

Attendance for the 2019-20 school year may not be used as a factor in screened admissions during next year’s admissions cycle, and we are in the process of developing additional guidance on admissions processes for the fall given the change to grading. Guidance will be issued after further community engagement.

CITY OPENS MORE BEDS, EXPANDS OUTREACH TO UNSHELTERED NEW YORKERS ON THE SUBWAYS AND STREETS

City calls on MTA to close select end-of-the-line stations during overnight hours for more enhanced cleaning and targeted subway outreach

  As the City continues to fight COVID-19, Mayor de Blasio announced today that 200 new Safe Haven beds will begin to open this week prioritizing vulnerable New Yorkers living on the streets and subways in high-need areas. The City is also focusing on offering help at up to10 end-of-the-line subway stations citywide, with the goal of bringing more unsheltered New Yorkers off the subways amid the COVID-19 crisis. Additionally, the City will call on the MTA to temporarily close these stations during the overnight hours from 12:00 AM to 5:00 AM to allow for more targeted outreach and enhanced sanitization. 

“Our COVID-19 response must prioritize the most vulnerable New Yorkers,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We are doing everything we can to strengthen our subway and street outreach to ensure that every New Yorker who needs a place to sleep will get one.”

More End-of-the-Line Assistance

To help as many unsheltered New Yorkers as possible come off the subways, the City will increase its focus on end-of-line stations, where outreach teams will engage unsheltered New Yorkers who are leaving the subways, connecting anyone who needs it to services and shelter.

 The City is calling on the MTA to temporarily close the following stations during the overnight hours from 12:00 AM to 5:00 AM for cleaning to allow for better cleaning and more targeted outreach.  To ensure minimal disruptions to service, the City will work with the MTA to provide bus service to riders to access a nearby station while the terminus station is closed. 

The following stations will be targeted for enhanced outreach:

·      Coney Island/Stillwell Avenue D,F

·      Flatbush Ave Brooklyn College 2,5

·      Jamaica – 179th St. F

·      Jamaica Center – Parsons/Archer E

·      WTC - E

·      96th St./2nd Ave (Q)

·      Pelham Bay Park 6

·      Van Cortlandt Park 242nd St. 1

·      Wakefield – 241st St. 2,5

·      Woodlawn 4

During these operations:

·      When the train is cleaned at the end of the line, the MTA requires all individuals to exit the train, and unsheltered New Yorkers will be offered service by NYPD Homeless Outreach and DHS 

·      Outreach teams and NYPD Homeless Outreach will be on hand to engage all unsheltered individuals who are utilizing or leaving the subways about accepting services, survey them for any symptoms, and connect them to care, to isolation, or to shelter as needed

200 New Safe Havens

200 Safe Haven beds will begin to open this week, building on the Mayor's commitment to supporting vulnerable New Yorkers through the COVID-19 crisis.  These Safe Haven and stabilization beds provide safe, secure spaces for unsheltered New Yorkers, and connect them with the resources and support they need to find a lasting path to stability. Beds will be prioritized for the most vulnerable unsheltered New Yorkers living on the streets and subways, with locations strategically placed in areas where outreach teams have experienced activity and determined need. 

COVID-19 Street Outreach 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, outreach teams have prioritized a health-protection and risk-prevention approach as part of their 24/7 operations, integrating the City’s latest guidance from Health experts and DOHMH screening protocol into their ongoing outreach practice: surveying clients about their health/wellbeing and any signs/symptoms they have experienced, and connecting anyone who needs it to hospitals for assessment and care or to isolation for monitoring and recovery. To date, outreach teams have conducted more than 17,000 engagements on the topic of COVID-19. In each of those engagements, they have surveyed unsheltered New Yorkers to identify whether they have experienced any symptoms. Through these engagements, 12 individuals expressed having had COVID-like symptoms and transported to care and assessment. At this time, these referrals have not resulted in any positive cases.

Speaker Corey Johnson and Mayor Bill de Blasio Announce “Project Cupid”

By the end of next week, New Yorkers will be able to obtain marriage licenses online from the City Clerk

  Speaker Corey Johnson and Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced “Project Cupid,” a joint effort between the Office of the City Clerk and the New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) to transition the marriage licensing process fully online. 

“Coronavirus has changed the world in so many ways but our ability to love and commit to each other hasn’t wavered. Now couples ready to marry don’t have to wait for the pandemic to end to say ‘I do.’ We deserve some good news and this is definitely wonderful news for all of New York City,” said Council Speaker Corey Johnson.

“We need moments of joy now more than ever, and we won’t let a pandemic get in the way of true love,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “To all of the couples looking forward to tying the knot, know that your city is right here with you, throwing rice from afar.”

“We are very excited about the launch of Project Cupid, which will integrate videoconferencing technology into the marriage license process. We appreciate the support of the Mayor’s Office, the Speaker’s Office and the Department of Finance to quickly marshal City resources for this project. A special thanks to DOITT Commissioner Jessica Tisch for her dedication and creativity in making Project Cupid possible. We look forward to bringing some happiness to New Yorkers during these difficult times,” said City Clerk Michael McSweeney.

“For the first time in our City’s history, New Yorkers will be able to obtain marriage licenses online, and it was our pleasure to build out the technology to enable that,” said Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications Commissioner and Citywide Chief Information Officer Jessica Tisch. 

All couples who want to get married in New York State must obtain a Marriage License. Prior to Executive Order No. 202.20, signed by Governor Cuomo, the law required that New Yorkers complete the process of obtaining a marriage license in person. With this requirement waived, the City has been working to expeditiously create new technology to ensure the licensing process can complete the final portion of the process online.

The new system will allow couples to virtually schedule and attend an appointment with the City Clerk’s office, securely upload required documents for the marriage license to the City Clerk’s office, and upload the signed license for submission to the City Clerk once the ceremony is complete. 

The site will be available in 11 languages and Language Line will be available to provide on-demand translation services to any couple in need of translation services. Couples will be able to electronically pay their fee using the City’s secure electronic payment service, CityPay.

The system is expected to go live in the first week of May. New Yorkers who would like to obtain a marriage license will soon be able to do so by visiting nyc.gov/Cupid or cityclerk.nyc.gov..

BRONX DISTRICT ATTORNEY DARCEL D. CLARK URGES COMMUNITY TO BE VIGILANT ABOUT CHILD ABUSE DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS

Reports of Abuse Have Dropped Significantly, Leading to Concerns That Staying at Home Decreases Contact with Mandated Reporters of Abuse 

  Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today urged the people of the Bronx to be vigilant about children at risk of abuse or neglect during the COVID-19 crisis, as social distancing and home schooling is isolating children from teachers, pediatricians, daycare staff and others who would normally be checking on their safety. 

  District Attorney Clark said, “As a direct result of this pandemic, we are seeing an enormous drop in reporting of abuse. We at the Bronx District Attorney’s Office continue to work with the Bronx Special Victims Squad of the NYPD and other partnering agencies to ensure that children in our community are kept safe. If you suspect a child is being abused, neglected or maltreated, please report it to the numbers below. If you have any questions, call the Bronx District Attorney’s Office Child Abuse Hotline at 718-838-7344. 

 “We must find ways to connect with families to make sure that they are supported, safe, and feel empowered. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, which reminds us that everyone has a role in preventing child abuse. Now more than ever we need to stand together to prevent physical and sexual abuse of children behind closed doors. The risk to children increases when contact with mandated reporters, such as teachers and health care providers, decreases.”

  The Instant Response Team (Administration for Children’s Services, NYPD and Bronx DA’s Child Abuse/Sex Crimes Bureau) jointly investigated 34 incidents of severe abuse or maltreatment in the Bronx in April, compared to 103 incidents during March (schools closed on March 16) and 152 incidents in January.

 To Report Abuse or Neglect 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, anonymously, call the New York State Central Registry Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-342-3720. Mandated Reporters: 1- 800-635-1522. Deaf/Hard of Hearing: 1-800-638-5163. If you believe that a child is in immediate danger, call 911.

 RESOURCES: 

COVID-19 Websites NYS Parent Portal: 

https://www.nysparenting.org/coronavirus-resourcesparents

NYS Department of Health COVID-19 Information: 

https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home

New York City-specific COVID-19 resources: 

http://www1.nyc.gov/site/acs/about/covidhelp.page

Free Mental Health Services are available at NYC Well. Speak to a counselor via phone, text, or chat and get access to mental health and substance use services, in more than 200 languages, 24/7/365. For more information, visit: https://nycwell.cityofnewyork.us/en/

NYS COVID-19 Emotional Support Hotline: Free mental health counseling can be reached at 1- 844-863-9314

MORE TESTING, MORE TRACING, MORE PROGRESS: MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES NEW SELF-COLLECTED COVID-19 TESTING AND CONTACT TRACING JOBS

Builds on Mayor’s commitment to expanding COVID-19 testing and tracing across the city

  As the City rapidly expands its testing capacity, Mayor de Blasio today announced new self-swab testing at NYC Health + Hospitals testing sites across the five boroughs. Self-swab testing will minimize contact between patients and healthcare workers, allowing the City to test more New Yorkers without putting healthcare workers and patients at further risk. To ensure all confirmed cases are promptly treated, the City will also hire 1,000 contact tracers immediately to help trace, isolate, and support these individuals.

“Defeating this virus begins and ends with our ability to test quickly and safely,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We are working to ensure that every New Yorker who needs a test will get one with speed and efficiency, beginning with those who are most vulnerable and at risk for serious illness.”

Self-Swab Testing

Self-collection will be available at NYC Health + Hospital testing sites by the end of this week. In addition to minimizing contact between patient and healthcare workers, self-swab collection will increase the capacity of existing test sites from the current rate of 15 per hour to up to 20 per hour. Over 5,000 New Yorkers have been tested across the 8 NYC Health + Hospitals testing sites that are currently operational citywide.

Contact Tracers

Jobs have been advertised for people with public health backgrounds to investigate and trace COVID-19 cases and contacts. The City is looking to hire 1,000 people by the end of May with an immediate start date. Details on the scope of work, job requirements, salary, benefits, and how to apply available at: https://fphnyc.org/about/careers/.

Daily Indicators

Admissions for suspected COVID-19 cases at hospitals citywide continue to decline. On April 24, there were only 122 admissions citywide.

The daily number of people in ICUs across NYC Health + Hospitals with suspected cases of COVID-19 continues to decline. Today, 766 people are in H+H ICU’s citywide.

The number of individuals testing positive for the virus at the City’s public health lab increased to 52 percent. The current number of individuals testing positive in private labs is 29 percent.

You can find these metrics here.