Council Votes to Provide Relief to Small Businesses and Restaurants Impacted by COVID-19 Pandemic

  The New York City Council on Wednesday voted on legislation to protect small businesses impacted by the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. This package of five bills is designed to help small businesses survive the fiscal impacts of the loss of business and limited food service due to efforts to stop the spread of the virus.

“Small businesses and restaurants are the heart and soul of New York City and right now, they are hurting. They are paying high fees, getting harassed and are worried about losing their homes. They need help and this small business package is designed to protect them during this pandemic,” said City Council Speaker Corey Johnson.

Restaurants have seen a decline in patronage and have been forced to alter operations and stop dine-in orders, which poses additional costs. Today, the Council is voting on legislation that will lessen this burden for them during the pandemic.

The first bill would cap the amount of commission a third-party delivery service is allowed to charge at 15% per order for delivery and 5% per order for all other types of charges. The second bill would prevent third-party delivery platforms from charging restaurants for telephone orders that did not result in a transaction. Members will also vote on a bill to suspend sidewalk cafe fees throughout New York City during the pandemic. 

The Council will also vote to protect commercial tenants against harassment as a result of being a COVID-19 impacted business. This legislation will make this harassment punishable by a civil penalty of $10,000 to $50,000. Another bill will temporarily suspend personal liability provisions in leases of COVID-19 impacted businesses. This will prevent commercial landlords from going after business owners’ homes. 

The Council will also vote on legislation to protect residential tenants from harassment as a result of being impacted by COVID-19.

Finally, the Council will vote on legislation to require the City to publish a list of licenses, permits, consents or registrations not covered by the renewal extension in Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Executive Order no. 107.

COVID RELIEF PACKAGE FOR RESTAURANTS AND SMALL BUSINESSES

Caps fees that third-party food delivery platforms may charge

Proposed Introduction No. 1908-B, sponsored by Council Member Francisco P. Moya, would restrict the fees that third-party food delivery services may charge restaurants during states of emergency when restaurants are prohibited from offering food for consumption on-premises. These third-party delivery services would be prohibited from charging more than a 15% fee per order for providing delivery services to a restaurant, and more than a 5% fee per order for all other types of charges. (Voted out of Small Business Committee)

Violations of the prohibitions in this bill would be subject to civil penalties of up to $1,000 per restaurant per day. This bill would remain in effect for the duration of any state of emergency and an additional 90 days thereafter.

Prevents third-party delivery platforms from charging restaurants for telephone orders that did not result in a transaction

Proposed Introduction No. 1898-A, sponsored by Council Member Mark Gjonaj, would prohibit third-party delivery platforms for charging for telephone orders in which a transaction did not take place. This bill would remain in effect for the duration of any state of emergency and an additional 90 days thereafter. (Voted out of Small Business Committee)

Violations of the prohibitions in this bill would be subject to civil penalties of up to $500 per day per restaurant unlawfully charged.

Suspends sidewalk cafe fees

Proposed Introduction No. 1916-A, sponsored by Council Member Andrew Cohen, would require the City of New York to waive and/or refund all revocable consent fees for unenclosed sidewalk cafes due between March 1, 2020 and February 28, 2021. Enclosed sidewalk café consent fees would be waived for the duration of the Mayor’s Emergency Executive Order No. 105 published on April 4, 2020. (Voted out of Consumer Affairs Committee)

Provides additional protections against commercial tenant harassment

Proposed Introduction No. 1914-A, sponsored by Council Member Adrienne E. Adams and Speaker Corey Johnson, would make threatening a commercial tenant based on their status as a COVID-19 impacted business or person a form of harassment punishable by a civil penalty of $10,000 to $50,000. This bill would not impact a tenant’s obligation to pay rent or a landlord’s ability to enforce the terms of the lease, including lawful termination. (Voted out of Small Business Committee)

Protects COVID-impacted businesses by suspending personal liability provisions in leases

Proposed Introduction No. 1932-A, sponsored by Council Member Carlina Rivera and Speaker Corey Johnson, would suspend personal liability provisions for certain businesses. These provisions, which are common in small business leases, allow a landlord to hold a business owner personally liable if they are unable to pay rent. To avoid the seizure of an owner’s personal assets or property, they must turn in the keys to the property, effectively ending their lease.

The bill would suspend these provisions for businesses that were impacted by mandated closures or service limitations, including: (1) businesses that were required to stop serving food or beverages on-premises (restaurants and bars); (2) businesses that were required to cease operations altogether (gyms, fitness centers, movie theaters); (3) retail businesses that were required to close and/or subject to in-person restrictions; and (4) businesses that were required to close to the public (barbershops, hair salons, tattoo or piercing parlors and related personal care services). (Voted out of Small Business Committee)

HOUSING & BUILDINGS

Amends the definition of harassment to include threats based on a person having been impacted by COVID-19

Proposed Introduction No. 1936-A, sponsored by Council Member Ritchie J. Torres and Speaker Corey Johnson, would expand the definition of harassment to include threats against an individual based on their status as a COVID-19 impacted person, their status as an essential employee, or their receipt of a rental concession or forbearance. Violations of this legislation would be punishable by a civil penalty of $2,000 to $10,000.

CONSUMER AFFAIRS

Requires city agencies to publish a list of licenses, permits, consents or registrations not covered by the renewal extension in Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Executive Order no. 107

Preconsidered Introduction No. ___, sponsored by Council Member Steven Matteo, would require city agencies to publish a list of any licenses, permits, consents or registrations that are not covered by the renewal extension provided for by the Mayor’s Emergency Executive Order Number 107 issued on April 14, 2020. Renewal deadlines would be required to be no earlier than 45 days after the lapsing of Executive Order Number 107. This bill would require city agencies to make this list publicly available on their websites within 14 days of the enactment of this bill. 

AG James Wins Suit Against AAUCONNECT for Misleading Consumers

AAUCONNECT.COM Ordered to Refund Former

Customers; Owners Forced to Shut Down Program 

  Attorney General Letitia James today delivered justice for families who were misled and deceived by the owners of an Endicott-based high school and post-graduate basketball program. AAUCONNECT advertised itself as a premier basketball training program, but actually took money from families and did not provide promised training, housing, and education. Attorney General James sued, and this week the court ordered that AAUCONNECT owners issue refunds to former customers and banned them from owning or operating any high school program and post-graduate high school basketball business now and into the future.

“Justice has been served for these students who were hoping for a shot at their dreams,” said Attorney General James. “My office will not tolerate these deceptive practices that cheat students and parents out of their future and their wallets. I am pleased that we were able to shut this fraudulent operation down and secure refunds for all those impacted.”

The Attorney General’s Office filed a lawsuit in September 2018 alleging that AAUCONNECT.COM, Chris Bevin, and Hazel Ward advertised unverified claims that their program is the #1 post-graduate boys and girls basketball program in the northeast, “the best in New York,” and has “the very best coaching, training & educational facilities and college placement service.” AAUCONNECT.COM offers athletes from around the world the opportunity to participate in a ten-month New York International Academy High School or six-month post-graduate program. Consumers also complained that Bevin and Ward, who held the roles of CEO and Admissions Counselor for the company, were absentee owners that lived outside of the United States and were never present to supervise the program or address problems that arose. 

AAUCONNECT failed to clearly disclose to consumers that any payments are non-refundable or that they charged significant fees for late payments. Additionally, they failed to pay refunds after consumers left the program due to Bevin and Ward not providing the advertised services and accommodations.

Going forward, the Attorney General’s Office will provide the court with information regarding which participants are entitled to the refunds, the calculation of the total amount for each refund, and the basis for those calculations. The office has until August 31, 2020 to fulfill these obligations. Attorney General James encourages any additional consumers who believe that they may have been damaged by Mr. Bevin, Ms. Ward, and AAUCONNECT to file a complaint, along with proof of loss, with the Attorney General’s Binghamton Regional Office by August 15, 2020.

Comptroller Stringer Report Finds Widespread Mismanagement in New York City’s Election Operations

The New York City Board of Elections (BOE) failed to properly account for poll site materials including scanned and affidavit ballots critical to ensuring a fair and accurate count

BOE did not document receipt of election materials from more than three-quarters of polling locations citywide and did not appropriately staff polling sites

Comptroller Stringer recommended BOE immediately recover any missing election records, ensure borough office staff account for all required election night materials, test equipment prior to deployment, and verify poll workers receive adequate training

  New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer released a new report of his office’s review of the New York City Board of Elections’ (BOE’s) Election Day operations, revealing widespread mismanagement and lax recordkeeping within the agency charged with conducting fair, accessible, and accurate elections in New York City. The Comptroller found that, for the 2019 General Election, the BOE did not account for one or more required items from a majority of poll sites, did not staff and equip sampled poll sites properly, did not provide required bilingual interpreters in some locations, and failed to provide access to records to show that sampled poll workers were properly trained and qualified under State law. The Comptroller’s review also found that 21 of 30 sampled poll sites were not accessible to New Yorkers with disabilities or compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or other applicable law and BOE policies.

To guarantee a fair and accurate vote count, Comptroller Stringer called on the BOE to ensure that each of its borough offices reviews receipts from the 2019 election to find and recover any missing records. The Comptroller also called on the agency to expand its outreach efforts to recruit poll workers and interpreters; ensure polling locations are appropriate and accessible to all New Yorkers, and test equipment including poll books, cradlepoints, and ballot scanners to guarantee functionality during elections.

“There’s nothing more sacred in our democracy than the right to vote. To protect the franchise, New York City must be a beacon for clean and fair elections,” said New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “Our investigation found concerning evidence of mismanagement at the New York City Board of Elections, including lax recordkeeping, broken machines, staff shortages, a lack of bilingual interpreters, and inaccessible polling locations for those with limited mobility. These failures are unacceptable — they chip away at the safeguards that should encourage New Yorkers to vote and assure them that their ballots will be secured and counted. My message to the BOE is simple: do your job. The BOE must immediately review its procedures and stop the negligence we uncovered from undermining our democratic process.”

Comptroller Stringer’s review of the BOE uncovered the following findings:

• The agency did not comply with federal and New York State Election Law and its own guidelines for Election Day procedures.
• BOE failed to document receipt of election materials including scanned ballots and affidavit ballots from 989 of the 1,247 poll sites (79.3 percent) operated on Election Day 2019.
• Bipartisan staff did not review delivery receipts for accuracy and sign verification forms in 94 cases.
• Staffing shortages across 19 of 25 sampled poll sites (76 percent).
• BOE did not assign interpreters to poll sites in accordance with the Federal Voting Rights Act and an applicable court order and Memorandum of Understanding.
• BOE did not equally distribute poll workers between the two major political parties at poll sites for 46 of 81 sampled election districts (56.8 percent).
• BOE failed to provide access to records to show that 50 sampled poll workers received required training.
• A small number of poll workers in 14 of 30 sampled poll sites failed to follow BOE procedures or were cited by BOE officials for other performance issues, including lateness and failing or refusing to assist voters.
• BOE failed to provide sufficient supplies or properly functioning equipment, ranging from electronic poll books and ballot scanners to envelopes, bags, seals to secure election materials, pens and markers, at 23 of 30 sampled poll sites (76.7 percent).
• A majority of 30 sampled poll sites — 21 sites (70 percent) — were not accessible to New Yorkers with disabilities and did not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), State law, and BOE policies and procedures.
• Polling locations were located in unsuitable or unsafe areas including one poll site within a business that was licensed to sell alcohol and was not the ground floor.

Comptroller Stringer’s review included a series of recommendations to the BOE to ensure elections are conducted with accuracy, accountability, and transparency. The recommendations included:

• Ensure that BOE borough office Chief Clerks and Deputy Chief Clerks review election night police and peace officer delivery receipts from the 2019 election to determine whether any election records are missing and, if so, immediately attempt to recover any missing vote records
• Ensure that BOE borough office staff comply with the agency’s canvass and recanvass procedures
• Expand outreach efforts for additional poll workers and interpreters
• Guarantee bipartisan representation of poll workers
• Verify that poll workers and coordinators receive appropriate training and pass exams annually
• Test electoral equipment to ensure functional integrity including poll books, cradlepoints, and ballot scanners
• Take all necessary steps to fully comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure access to polling sites for all New Yorkers

To read Comptroller Stringer’s report on the BOE, click here.

Governor Cuomo Announces Fourth Region Hits Benchmark to Begin Reopening May 15th

North Country Joins Finger Lakes, Southern Tier and Mohawk Valley Regions, Which Have Met the Seven Metrics Required to Begin Reopening After NYS on Pause Orders Expire on May 15th

Regional Monitoring Dashboard Showing How Many Metrics Each Region Has Met to Reopen is Available Here

Results of Antibody Testing Survey of 2,750 Members of the NYS Police Show 3.1 Percent Have COVID-19 Antibodies

Results of Antibody Testing Survey of Approximately 3,000 Members of the NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Show 7.5 Percent Have COVID-19 Antibodies

Confirms 2,176 Additional Coronavirus Cases in New York State - Bringing Statewide Total to 340,661; New Cases in 47 Counties

Governor Cuomo: "We are doing the most transparent discussion and reopening operation of any state. Why? Because it only works if people understand it and if people are part of it. This is not a government exercise that we're doing here. This is a social exercise. The 19 million people of New York State are doing this and the best I can do is give them the information. ... This is a function of the actions of every individual and every family."

Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, earlier today Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that as of today, the North Country has met all seven metrics required to begin phase one of the state's regional phased reopening plan when NYS on PAUSE orders expire on May 15th, joining the Finger Lakes, Southern Tier and Mohawk Valley Regions. If the trend continues, these four regions can begin opening businesses for phase one, which includes construction; manufacturing and wholesale supply chain; retail for curbside pickup and drop-off or in-store pickup; and agriculture, forestry and fishing. The Central New York region has met six of the seven metrics and could potentially be ready at the end of the week. A guide to the state's "NY Forward Reopening" Plan is available here. The state's regional monitoring dashboard is available here.

The Governor also announced the results of the state's antibody testing survey of 2,750 members of the New York State Police Show 3.1 percent of the members have COVID-19 antibodies. Additionally, results of the state's antibody testing survey of approximately 3,000 members of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision show 7.5 percent of members have COVID-19 antibodies. These results are compared to 12.3 percent of the general population in Upstate New York that tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies.

Finally, the Governor confirmed 2,176 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 340,661 confirmed cases in New York State. 

AG James Calls on the NYPD to Ensure Equal Social Distancing Enforcement in NYC Communities

 Call Follows Reports and Videos of Aggressive Enforcement

Procedures by the NYPD Towards Communities of Color

  Attorney General Letitia James today called on the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to better address the department’s apparent unequal enforcement of social distancing rules throughout the City of New York. The request follows recent reports and videos of aggressive enforcement tactics by the NYPD in black and Hispanic neighborhoods, which provides a stark contrast to reports of police response to social distancing rules in predominantly white neighborhoods. Attorney General James is looking into the matter, and has requested enforcement data from the NYPD.

  

“The apparent unequal enforcement of social distancing policies is deeply troubling, and deepens the divide between law enforcement and the people they are tasked to protect,” said Attorney General James. “It is inherently wrong to aggressively police one group of people, yet ignore another group that commits the same infraction. The NYPD must better ensure that a New Yorker’s race, color, and neighborhood does not determine how they are patrolled.”  

Recent reports, as well as accompanying photos and video, show the NYPD’s forceful and often hostile tactics while enforcing social distancing procedures in communities of color. A video taken on May 2nd in the East Village captures plainclothes NYPD officers — who themselves are not wearing protective masks — arresting a black man and his girlfriend for allegedly ignoring a verbal request to disperse. The video later shows one of the officers approaching a black bystander with his taser drawn, tackling and repeatedly punching him, dragging him onto the sidewalk, and then kneeling on his neck as he is handcuffed. Another video from May 3rd shows NYPD officers arresting black individuals who had congregated in front of their Brownsville homes, in one instance forcefully body-slamming a man to the ground.

In majority white communities, it is alleged that the NYPD reacted differently. Rather than arresting individuals, the NYPD issued summonses and gave out free facemasks to the thousands of social distance violators in public parks across the city. 

Attorney General James has requested the following information from the NYPD: 

• All documents regarding NYPD policies or directives for enforcing social distancing laws and regulations, including any materials used to train officers on social distancing enforcement;  
  
  
• All data reflecting 311 complaints of alleged violations of social distancing rules;  
                                              
• All data on live arrests by NYPD officers related to a failure to comply with social distancing rules, including the total number of arrests in the relevant period per race and age group of the arrestee and per precinct;                            
  
  
• All data on criminal summonses issued by NYPD officers related to a failure to comply with social distancing rules, including the total number of arrests in the relevant period per race and age group of the arrestee and per precinct; and  
  
  
• All data on civil summonses issued by NYPD officers related to a failure to comply with social distancing rules, including the total number of arrests in the relevant period per race and age group of the arrestee and per precinct.  

The Civil Rights Bureau of the Office of the New York State Attorney General enforces laws that protect all New Yorkers from discrimination based on race, color, or national origin, among other protected classes. If an individual believes they have been a victim of discrimination or have other information relevant to this inquiry, they can contact the Civil Rights Bureau by calling 212-416-8250 or emailing civil.rights@ag.ny.gov.  

PAROLEE INDICTED FOR FATALLY SHOOTING MAN AND TEEN IN ALLERTON AREA OF BRONX IN SUMMER 2019

Defendant Was on the Run for Months 

  Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a man has been indicted for Murder and additional charges in the August 2019 shooting deaths of a young man and a teenager outside the Parkside Houses. 

  District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant allegedly shot and killed a 21-year-old man and a 17-year-old youth on a Bronx street last summer. He then went on the run for eight months and was finally arrested in Ohio. This goes to show that no matter how much time has passed, we will always seek justice for victims.” 

 District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Harry Behlin, 47, last of 515 West 143 rd Street, Manhattan, was arraigned today on two charges of second-degree Murder, two charges of seconddegree Manslaughter and two charges of second-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Ralph Fabrizio via video. The defendant was remanded and is due back in court on July 13, 2020. 

 According to the investigation, on August 11, 2019 outside the Parkside Houses at Adee Avenue and White Plains Road, the defendant allegedly argued with Kevin Dillard, 21, and Arnelle Branch, 17. The defendant allegedly shot Dillard in the neck, and then shot Branch as he ran into the Parkside Houses. The victims were taken to Jacobi Medical Center where they were pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

 The defendant, who was on parole for a 2014 drug sale conviction, fled after the incident and was apprehended on April 17, 2020 in Ohio. He had been indicted on September 30, 2019.

 District Attorney Clark thanked NYPD Detective Robinson Martinez of the 49 th Precinct, Detective Patrick Sullivan of the Bronx Homicide Task Force and Detective Pedro Gomez of the Violent Felony Squad.

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

MAYOR DE BLASIO on COVID-19 - May 13, 2020

  Mayor Bill de Blasio: I've had an opportunity to really look closely at what's happened all over the city to feel what you're feeling and understand what New Yorkers are going through in all five boroughs. And it's been tough for all of us. But I have to also tell you, for me it's been an honor and a privilege to see the strength and the resiliency that all of you have shown in this crisis to look into your lives and see what's so good about this city. And, as New Yorkers, we are legendary for being tough and we're legendary for being self-reliant. No matter what else is happening around us, New Yorkers make things happen. We always find a way. This crisis has brought that out so deeply. The strength that people have shown, the creativity, the ingenuity. That self-reliance is part of what makes this city so great. And I think we have shown the whole world yet again why New York City is a very special place. So, I commend all of you for everything you've done. 

So, let's talk about this proposal coming out of the House of Representatives, because it really will be the game changer we need. First of all, in terms of the impact on New York City, and this is over two years and it really defines clearly what we need to be strong again. $17 billion in aid directly to New York City over two years, $34 billion in direct aid to the state of New York. Now, I think everyone knows this, but I want to put a point on it. The city, we've already taken a massive hit in every way. The human toll, first and foremost, what families have gone through the pain, the suffering of this continuing right now, the economic impact, the number of people that don't have a livelihood, the number of people don't know where the next meal's coming from. We've taken a huge financial hit, and it only gets worse all the time. So, to stabilize this city government to make sure that we can pay the bills and keep our public servants at the front line doing the great work they do and build for a future when our economy actually comes back strong. We need to think about the year, this year, the next year, we have to think several years ahead and this plan by providing $17 billion actually gives us the ability to move forward. But then there's the state piece, because remember the city depends on the state for so much support. Many, many areas, education's a great example, but there's many others where State funding directly State funding that comes via the state, but from the federal government. We need that State funding to be consistent, to be able to do everything that people expect us to do every single day in this city. The State's been going through a horrible economic crisis too. The State's been taking a huge hit on its budget. If the State of New York isn't whole, then the City of New York can't be whole, so that $34 billion for the state of New York, a huge step to making the state whole, so that we can be protected as well so that everyone gets served. The overall package, $500 billion in aid to States, $375 billion indirect aid to localities. This is exactly the kind of assistance that we need to get evil to move forward again.

Now, there are also specialized elements of funding of this, and it's so important. For the entire country, $10 billion increase in food stamps, the SNAP program, and we see already how many people are going hungry because of this economic crisis. I want to remind you our estimate was before COVID-19 a million or more New Yorkers were food insecure. That means they were hungry some part of the year. Now, we think that number is 2 million or more, so it's doubled in the course of 10 weeks. That's the magnitude of this crisis that direct food aid from the federal government through the Snap benefits is crucial and more will be available to New Yorkers because of this new national allotment. Housing, I've said that we have four pillars of everything we're doing right now. Protecting your health, protecting your safety, making sure you have a roof over your head and food on the table. 

Let's talk about those who have served us so well. The health care heroes, the first responders, the essential workers who have sustained us during this crisis. The bill includes federal benefits for first responders, for those we've lost in the line of duty related to COVID-19. We of course want to make sure that every public servant lost in the line of duty is covered and not just first responders, but we're very, very appreciative that this action would take us a big step in the right direction starting with our first responders. And then the heroes fund, this is a crucial piece of this package to recognize those who have given so much on the frontline who worked through this crisis no matter what. Listen to this because this is again something that actually speaks to the moment in a meaningful way, $200 billion nationally to establish hazard pay for essential workers and their survivors. 

Okay. So, that fight will proceed in the days and weeks ahead. But right now, we're engaged in a fight, an urgent, urgent fight this very minute. And this involves our children and protecting our children. And we all remember that the whole trajectory of this horrible disease that we've faced, coronavirus, when it first hit here, we saw the horrible toll it took on the oldest New Yorkers. Horrible toll it took on people with preexisting conditions for a long time, thank God we saw very little impact on our children. Now, we see something different that we did not see in the beginning and the entire medical community is coming together to answer this challenge and we take it very, very seriously and I want everyone to take it seriously. And I keep saying to parents and family members, I need you to be vigilant to protect your children, all our children, because your vigilance will make all the difference in this crisis. Pediatric Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome. Again, Pediatric Multi-system Inflammatory Syndrome, PMIS we're going to keep updating you on it as we get more information. So first, the number of children affected in New York City, we now have 82 confirmed cases. This number has gone up consistently in recent days from a point where we had literally no acknowledgment of this problem because health care professionals weren't seeing it even just a few weeks ago to now 82 confirmed cases. 53 of these cases have either tested positive for COVID-19 or had COVID-19 antibodies. Now, a few days ago we lost a child, that's the first time we saw a child die from this horrible syndrome and we all have to work together hoping and praying that there will not be another child lost and that we can every child going forward. But again, that that vigilance is crucial, it's crucial in the whole health care system, which is why our health commissioner issued an alert to all health care providers to immediately both look for these symptoms in children and act on them, but also report any and all activity to the Health Department so we could understand better how to fight back this problem. But again, it comes down to all of us because the sooner anybody identifies in a child in their life, this problem, the sooner they get to health care, the more chance that a child can be saved. And I keep saying it, early detection matters here, we know this in health care, we know there are certain challenges and diseases where early detection can lead to full resolution. We need early detection in this case because we know can make a huge, huge difference. Now, our health care professionals are learning about this syndrome as quickly as they can and there's still unanswered questions. There's things we don't know – we don't know what makes kids specifically susceptible, why some kids and not others. It's still, even though it's a striking number, it's a small number compared to the number of kids in the City or even the number of kids who have been exposed to COVID. Why are some kids susceptible? How long does it take for this syndrome to manifest in a child? What's the timeframe so that we know what we're dealing with, how much time we have to save a child? What is the likelihood of a child developing it going forward as we learn more about it? Again, that's what we don't know. What we do know is early detection, early treatment makes all the difference.

So, to aid in that effort, we're launching a citywide effort to inform parents to alert parents. We need public awareness to grow rapidly. This is something, remember it parallels the reality of COVID-19, the coronavirus, we had never heard of it. It didn't exist to human beings six or seven months ago and then it suddenly was something happening far away and then one day it was happening here, and everyone had to learn about it and we still don't have all the answers. Well here is P.M.I.S. Something that it was not evident in the beginning of this crisis now is we have to rapidly inform families all over the City. 

Well, it all comes back to when it comes to protecting people, protecting our health. It all comes back to deepening our efforts to reduce this disease with the things that are working. Social distancing is working, shelter in places working face coverings are working. We see it every day, we see the facts, we see the evidence. We want to make it easier for people to socially distance, particularly as the warmer weather comes on and the open streets initiative is helping us to do that. We've been working with the city council and NYPD, DOT a real joint effort to keep building out the open streets vision. So, today we announced several waves of open streets opening up total of over nine miles by tomorrow we will double that total 12 miles more of open streets. We'll be opening tomorrow, Thursday. And this will be different types of open streets. There'll be streets managed by local partners like business improvement districts, streets supported by local precincts where the precincts will figure out a plan with community members to make sure the open streets are protected and that there's presence to make sure people are safe and then protected bike lanes. So, we've got a lot of partners in this and we're going to be showing you on the screen different places that they'll be and different people who have been partners and organizations. 

I mentioned police precincts are getting involved working with community members, making sure that open streets are available to people, but are also safe. Precincts are working together with community partners to add 7.6 miles of open streets and that will be in the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan – all opening tomorrow and then, again that mile, that mileage, 7.6 miles. Then streets adjacent to parks; this is something that's very important, particularly as the weather gets warmer, people are gravitating to parks. We want to make sure there's ample space so there isn't crowding. We'll be adding 2.8 miles of streets around parks. This'll be in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island all opening tomorrow. And then protected bike lanes; this is important, obviously many, many New Yorkers are choosing to use bicycles to get around more than ever as part of their everyday life. Many are using bicycles of course for exercise at this moment where people are looking for the right way to get exercise and the safe way to get exercise. We're adding 9.2 miles of protected bike lanes in Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan. The timing will be starting tomorrow; the bike lane on Broadway in Manhattan. The rest will be phased-in, in the remaining days of this month. And that's what we're announcing today; more will be added as we go along.

I can't wait for the day when school resumes and our kids can go back into all their classrooms. And I have a particular joy when you go into a pre-K classroom and you see those four-year-olds full of life, full of hope – well, that day is coming again soon. So, the good news is that pre-K offers have been sent out to families of kids who will go into pre-K starting in September. We are preparing for the launch of the new school year. We’re preparing to make it the strongest and best school year we've ever had in the history of this city and it begins with our youngest kids in early childhood education. So, the update for you – 61,790 students offered pre-K seats. And very good news, we have a record number of families that received an offer that was their top choice – 77 percent of families got their top choice in these pre-K admissions. And then another record, 90 percent received an offer from one of their top three choices. So, the pre-K program has been getting better and better each year and I want to thank everyone who's a part of the pre-K initiative. It's a labor of love for everyone involved, but this is a great example of progress- getting more and more families their top choice or one of their top choices. Now, that's good news. One thing that's not as good news, it's not surprising though, is the number of applications were lower this year than in recent years and that is not shocking given that there's been an overlap with the exact timing of this horrible crisis – with the coronavirus, that has thrown off the normal admissions process. So, I want to remind all parents, all family members, it is not too late to apply. In fact, you still can apply for pre-K for your child. So, if your child was born in 2016, all you have to do is go online, myschools.nyc or call 3-1-1 and you can put an application in right away. There are still seats available, every child – I guarantee it – every child benefits from pre-K. So, if you haven't applied yet, please do for your child.

I cannot praise enough the faith leaders of this city – of all faiths – who came together. This is a kind of consensus, a kind of unanimity that you could rarely find anywhere in the world, but here in this beautiful city, people of all faiths came together and their leaders did something extraordinary and said in common - it won't be easy - it will be painful in many ways for people not to have their normal faith services. It was particularly painful around the holidays, the major, major moments each year that have occurred in so many faiths just in the time of the Coronavirus, but our faith leaders did it. I had the real honor last night of calling together faith leaders of every tradition as part of our Advisory Council from faith communities; hearing their concerns, hearing their ideas, hearing their commitment to the city. And it was a fantastic exchange and a very life affirming exchange and a reminder of the extraordinary role our faith communities play in this city and particularly the strength that these leaders have shown in this crisis. So, I just want to thank and commend all the faith leaders of New York City; special thanks to those who are serving our advisory council to help us figure out how we restart the city, how we create a fair recovery, how we address the material and spiritual needs of the people in this city, how we do things at the right time to keep people safe; a very, very powerful discussion and a very tangible discussion. So many of the faith leaders are concerned to make sure members of their congregations get the food they need and they're partnering with us and they've always partnered with us in so many things including helping homeless New Yorkers and so many other people in need. So, it was a great indicator of another strength in New York City, that our faith communities are present and accounted for in this fight and we are all working closely together to fight back this disease and get to a better place.

Now, I mentioned homeless New Yorkers. I want to keep updating you on the efforts to reach homeless New Yorkers related to this new plan to clean the subways each night and amplify the opportunities for our homeless outreach workers to reach homeless people and get them to safety and get them to a better life. Here [inaudible] the results from last night – 370 homeless individuals were engaged, 213 accepted help, 178 went to shelter, 35 to hospitals. Again, I've said it enough times and not going to repeat it; unprecedented results and the trend continues now for over a week very, very consistently. And this, if we can sustain this, it’s going to have a very long-term and positive impact reducing homelessness in New York City.

So first of all, so many organizations have focused on getting us the protection that our heroes need, the PPEs, the Personal Protective Equipment. So, I want to thank them today. That's what I'm going to focus on with my thanks today; the folks who have done so much to provide PPEs. So, AmeriCares has provided 550,000 N95 masks, 13,000 surgical masks, almost a thousand packages of disinfectant wipes. The China General Chamber of Commerce has provided 100,000 surgical masks. Ford and Troy Design Manufacturing has provided 30,000 nonsurgical face shields. A great, great New York City institution, Century 21 – Century 21 stores are providing 20,000 square feet of PPE storage space and help with delivery of PPEs to the residents of public housing. A special thank you to our own Century 21. Anheuser-Busch – well, when I first saw this, it said Anheuser-Busch and it said bottles so I was wondering where we were going with this, but it's actually not beer, its hand sanitizer – 23,000 bottles of hand sanitizer donated by Anheuser-Busch. Thank you very much. The Urban Assembly Maker Academy has provided 24,000 nonsurgical masks. Tivuna, construction company in Brooklyn has provided 14,000 coveralls to protect our health care heroes. The American Chinese United Care Alliance has provided 20,000 disposable masks, 3,000 pairs of gloves, and 500 KN95 masks. Finally, Public Health Solutions has provided $14,000 to help us acquire PPEs. All of these organizations, businesses, institutions, doing something so great to protect people in New York City, particularly to protect those who serve all of us and protect all of us.

Now, for the daily indicators – well, we got a mixed bag today. Again, I want to see us get to consistent progress and this is another reminder, we still have a ways to go. So, indicator one, daily number of people admitted to hospitals for suspected COVID-19, that is up from 51 to 78. And again, 78 is a hell of a lot better number than where we were just a few weeks ago, but we need to see that number go down and stay down. Daily number of people in ICU use in our public hospitals for suspected COVID-19, that is up. It's up by a small amount – 550 to 561 – but still up. And, again, that base number is higher than we want it to be, that means actual people fighting for their lives in ICU. So, again, an area where we have to keep doing better. The good news today is to percentage of people who tested positive for COVID-19 citywide, that is down from 14 percent to 13 percent. So, again, a sea change from where we were a few weeks ago. That's the good news today. Overall trends continue good. Today's results not what we're looking for. Let's double down on the things that are working so we can have more of the good days and start to string them together and move towards the first steps in our restart.

News from Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez