Phase One Reopening: Safely Restarting Construction Activity in NYC

DOB will inspect every work site across the city for social distancing compliance, proper hygiene, and to make sure construction safety requirements are met

  The New York City Department of Buildings released new COVID-19 safety guidelines for property owners and contractors as 33,556 non-essential construction sites get back to work as part of New York City’s entrance into Phase One of New York State’s reopening plan, currently scheduled for Monday, June 8th, 2020. These new required safety measures for construction sites were developed in partnership with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and are being implemented to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus to workers and the public during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Read the guidelines.

“The pandemic is slowly receding because New Yorkers did what we do best – we came together and made the necessary sacrifices to protect our families and neighbors,” said Department of Buildings Commissioner Melanie E. La Rocca. “As we restart the economic engine that is our construction industry, there is no excuse to abandon the social distancing and health measures that we know save lives. Our health and safety guidelines are crystal clear, and we will be out in force, sweeping every work site in the city, to ensure compliance.”

“As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and rebuild as a city, we need all New Yorkers to continue taking public health measures to protect each other’s health,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot. “The precautions are in place to keep workers safe, and the health of our city depends on them being followed.”

The newly released guidelines will apply to all construction activity in New York City during the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency, until the State rescinds or amends its Executive Order and related guidance. Stop Work Orders previously issued by the Department for noncompliance with the State’s non-essential construction ban will be lifted. The Department will not be lifting Stop Work Orders at sites that illegally continued work even after they were issued a Stop Work Order for violating the ban, and have outstanding civil penalties.

In addition to following our guidelines, employers are also required to develop a site-specific health plan that is prominently visible on the worksite. They will also be required to submit and display an affirmation to the State that they have read and understood the additional reopening requirements as required in the NYS Interim Guidelines.

To ensure compliance with these new health requirements, DOB inspectors will be conducting a safety inspection sweep of every permitted construction site in New York City, and following up with additional periodic checks of active work sites. Members of the public can also call 311 to report a work site where proper COVID-19 safety measures are not being followed. During these sweeps, our inspectors will be looking for the following:

• Compliance with social distancing protocols. Six feet of distance should be observed between all personnel, unless safety or work functions require shorter distance.

• Anyone on site, including workers, other construction professionals, and approved visitors, who are less than six feet apart must wear face coverings. Maintaining this practice at all times is highly encouraged.

• Readily available hygiene and hand washing stations.

• COVID-19 safety measures signage visible to workers, reminding everyone to adhere to all safety protocols while on site, including proper hand hygiene, physical distancing rules, appropriate use of personal protective equipment, and cleaning and disinfecting protocols.

• Tightly confined spaces (e.g., elevators, hoists) occupied by only one individual at a time, unless all occupants are wearing a face covering and the space is kept under 50% maximum capacity.

• For elevators and hoists, 50% capacity signage must be posted within the cab and at each landing.

• A site safety monitor must be designated. The role’s responsibilities include continuous compliance with all aspects of the site safety plan.

• Safety plan(s) are conspicuously posted on site and include a copy of the submitted State affirmation.

• Properly completed and updated cleaning and disinfection logs.

• A communication plan for employees, visitors, and clients is on site.

• Correctly completed and updated logs of every person who may have had close contact with others on site to ensure effective contact tracing.

During the first 30 days after construction activity resumes on Monday, June 8th, the Department will focus on educating and helping the industry learn how to implement these new procedures, while providing on-site guidance on best practices to contractors and site safety professionals. Initial DOB violations for noncompliance with these regulations, issued during these first 30 days, will carry no financial penalty. Following this 30-day period, subsequent violations will result in financial penalties, and continued noncompliance may result in Stop Worker Orders and additional summonses with accompanying civil penalties of up to $5,000 for each offense.

These COVID-19 guidelines are the minimum requirements for construction work sites to operate safely in New York City. Owners and contractors are welcome to implement enhanced safety measures as they see fit to protect their workers. To protect our teams out in the field, all DOB personnel will continue to wear gloves and masks while in public and our offices will be reconfigured to promote social distancing.

To keep workers, the public and our employees safe and informed during the COVID-19 pandemic, DOB enforced the Governor’s order banning nonessential construction and proactively transitioned many of our customer service transactions to be available online. These steps included:

• Greatly expanding the number of filings that can be submitted through our online portals DOB NOW and eFiling.

• Launching a daily updated online map identifying the location of essential work sites around the city.

• Offering online training and license renewal options for construction professionals.

Additionally during the citywide halt to non-essential construction, the agency’s frontline teams regularly conducted multiple inspections of work sites citywide to ensure only approved essential construction activity was allowed to proceed. Non-essential work sites that were halted due to the Governor’s Executive Order were checked to make sure they were properly secured and maintained at all times in order to safeguard the public throughout the duration of the ban. During this time, calls from New Yorkers concerning potentially illegal construction in their neighborhood were responded to within 24 hours, and often on the same day.

Customers who want to learn more about our expanded virtual services can find more information here.

MAYOR DE BLASIO AND TASKFORCE ON RACIAL INCLUSION AND EQUITY ANNOUNCE NEW COVID-19 CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE

Three new Gotham Health sites will provide comprehensive care to support recovering COVID-19 patients, including pulmonary care, radiologic and diagnostic services, mental health services, and on-site access to medication

  Mayor de Blasio announced that three “COVID-19 Centers of Excellence” will open in communities of color that have been hardest-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Located in Bushwick, Jackson Heights, and Tremont, the new Gotham Health sites will provide comprehensive outpatient services for recovering COVID-19 patients.

“Our city will not recover until we address the painful disparities laid bare by the COVID-19 crisis,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “The Centers of Excellence will move us forward in our fight for a fair recovery and deliver care to the communities that need it most.”

"The coronavirus pandemic has exposed deeply-rooted health disparities for people of color, and the City must do everything possible to close these gaps,” said First Lady Chirlane McCray. “These new COVID-19 Centers of Excellence will ensure that New Yorkers in the hardest-hit neighborhoods, many of whom have sacrificed their health to keep the City running during this crisis, have access to high-quality health care.”   

COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on communities of color, with Black and Latino New Yorkers dying around twice the rate of their white counterparts when adjusted for age. According to the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, in sections of Jackson Heights, Queens, approximately 37 percent of people who have been tested for COVID-19 have been positive for the virus. This is also true for approximately 30 percent of people in the Tremont section of the Bronx, and 25 percent of people in Bushwick, Brooklyn. 

To support patients recovering from COVID-19, these new Gotham Health Centers will specifically provide pulmonary care, radiologic and diagnostic services, as well as mental health services to help address anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and psychological distress. The sites are projected to open this fall, and will also house retail pharmacies. Patients can be referred to the one of the centers after a hospital visit or through their primary care provider. Positive COVID-19 test results, antibody or not, are not required.

"As the de Blasio administration prepares to reopen New York City, the COVID-19 Centers of Excellence provide the foundation for long-term health recovery in our hardest hit communities,” said Dr. Raul Perea-Henze, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services and Co-Chair of the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity. “This visionary project represents the commitment of the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity to address the unacceptable disparities that have been amplified by the pandemic. I thank my co-chairs First Lady Chirlane McCray and Deputy Mayor Phil Thompson and our colleagues for championing this forward-looking approach.”

“One critical way to ensure an equitable recovery from COVID-19 is by providing free  or low-cost healthcare and mental health support to communities that are in most need of, but can least afford, these life-saving services, ” said J. Phillip Thompson, Deputy Mayor for  Strategic Policy Initiatives and Co-Chair of the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity. “These centers will give those living in historically underserved areas the resources they need to physically recover from their illnesses so that they can begin rebuilding their lives once this pandemic is over, not left behind.”

“The global public health community anticipates uncovering the long-term impacts of COVID-19 for generations to come. However, NYC Health + Hospitals is proactively establishing COVID Centers of Excellence to begin caring for those who have already been impacted by this vicious virus,” said NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Mitchell Katz, MD. “When it comes to the novel Coronavirus, the global medical community is at an unprecedented disadvantage of not knowing all of the facts and what to expect, but New York City won’t wait around to start seeing the long-term health impacts of this pandemic.”

“It is important to address the potential long-term health implications of COVID-19 head on and locally in the communities hardest-hit by this global pandemic,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health CEO Michelle Lewis. “Following our system’s emphasis on preventative medicine, the new COVID Center of Excellence will proactively track patients’ health and respond medically to ensure every New Yorker under our care is able to live a full and healthy life.”

“At NYC Health + Hospitals, we will continue our commitment to the well-being of every New Yorker, especially in communities that have been hardest hit by COVID-19,” said NYC Health + Hospitals Senior Vice President of Ambulatory Care Ted Long, MD. “Our three new COVID Centers of Excellence emphasizes our investment in these communities and all New Yorkers. Our priority is to care for people, where it’s convenient for them and in a personalized manner.”

  

Councilman Mark Gjonaj - COVID-19 Protective Supplies & Food Distributions in District 13

MAYOR DE BLASIO on Protests and COVID-19 - June 4, 2020

  Mayor Bill de Blasio: Good morning, everybody. There’s over 8 million people in this city – over 8 million people who just want to live in peace – over 8 million people who want things to get better, who want to see this city brought together, who want to see us fight back against the disease that's afflicted us all, held us back, disrupted our lives. Done so much damage to our families, and our neighborhoods. Done so much damage to our families and our neighborhoods. People want peace, and they want us to move forward. Now, there always going to be people trying to disrupt the peace and unity of this place. The single most diverse place on earth, a beacon of hope to the world. That's what New York City is, because New York City offers the possibility and the promise that people could come together from all faiths, from all backgrounds in one place, people of all nations building together something better, and that's what we do all the time. And sometimes we meet crisis, because that is part of humanity. Sometimes we meet challenges, but New Yorkers historically time, and again, overcome these challenges, and actually find more unity, more strength, and we will do that again now. These have been tough, tough days, painful days, confusing days, not just the last few days, the three months that we've been dealing with the greatest healthcare crisis in generations, but we will fight our way through together. And the only way we get there is together. Last night in New York City, there were some specific, horrible moments, but there was overwhelmingly, overwhelmingly peace. Last night in New York City, the NYPD was out there protecting us. Men and women of the NYPD, we ask so much of them. We asked so much strength, so much restraint. They were out there protecting us as they do every day. There were people out there, very few who were protesting overwhelmingly peacefully. We did not see, thank God anybody, very few acts of vandalism. We saw overwhelmingly it was peaceful protest. The vast, vast, vast majority of New Yorkers honored the curfew. The curfew helped to move us towards peace and a better place. We're going to keep at this work day after day, it will not be easy, but we will keep at it and we will achieve the progress we need.

Had a horrible, painful incident late last night in Brooklyn, three of our officers wounded in an absolutely unprovoked attack and we are piecing together the details. Commissioner Shea will speak to it, but there's still a lot more to know. But I've seen the video of myself, and I can say here were two of our officers simply trying to protect the community, and they came under unprovoked attack, and that is absolutely unacceptable attack on any one of our officers is an attack on all of us. I need you to know that the officers who were wounded represented all that is great about New York City. Represented the fact that people come here from all over this country, all over this world to find a better life. And they represent this entire world, and then some choose to serve all of us. The officer who was attacked with a knife, police officer Jean Pierre, born in Haiti, came here, an exemplary young man giving back to the country that welcomed him and embraced him. He was the one attacked with a knife last night. And two of his colleagues, Officer Ramnarine, his parents immigrated in this country. Officer Chu, as well his parents immigrated to this country. A painful, horrible moment at the same time, a picture of the greatness of the New York City, that these three individuals brought all of themselves to all of us to protect all of us. Thank God they will all recover, but it is unacceptable. I'm going to say it so clearly, it's absolutely unacceptable to attack a police officer in any way, shape or form. We will not tolerate. There will always be consequences.

Now, let's move forward. Let's move forward. Today in Minnesota will be the funeral for George Floyd. There will be a Memorial here in New York City. That marks a moment to recognize the pain that caused so much concern. So much of an outpouring, of a deep, deep, deep desire for change. But there's also an inflection point. I ask everyone to remember if we're going to make changes, we have to do it together, and we need peace. So, this is a good moment to reflect and a good moment to turn the page, and start moving forward.

Now, we saw some horrible events a few days ago. And as I keep saying, it had nothing to do with the actions of peaceful protesters. We saw attacks on communities in the Bronx, and in Manhattan, just pure vandalism criminality, only for personal gain, not for any cause. And in the community in the Bronx that I visited a few days ago, Burnside Avenue, Fordham Road, the places that were hit so hard. We have small business owners fighting back. We have community residents cleaning up the streets, not accepting anyone who would try to destroy their community, standing up, reclaiming their streets, their neighborhood, their city. We will help them. Those small business owners who scratched, and saved, and built a small business. So many of them immigrants living the American dream, today we announce support for them. The New York City Mayor's Fund will start with a half a million dollars to help those businesses recover. Individual grants, direct cash assistance. I want to thank everyone who is supporting this effort. We turn to community members who care, and they stepped up to help the people of the Bronx, to help those small businesses. Special thanks to SOMOS Community Care, to Dr. Ramon Tallaj, and Dr. Henry Chen. New Yorkers, immigrants, people who believe in helping others. They will work with us to help those small businesses back on their feet. I met those small business owners. They're not going anywhere. They believe in the Bronx. They believe in New York City. They will be back. We'll provide a variety of help to all those small businesses that were affected legal help, help get insurance, whatever it takes to get them back on their feet.

Now, let's go back to the moment in history we're in much more broadly. We're dealing with some very, very real issues these last days, but remember for almost a hundred days now we have been dealing with the coronavirus. This pandemic has created such pain, such frustration. That's laid bare such clear disparities that must be addressed, and taking such a human toll. And then on top of it, created a crisis that stole people's livelihood that forced people, especially our young people to have to be indoors without schools, without the things that they depended on, the community centers, all the things that mattered. This disruption has been vast, but we will not let it stop us, and we will rebuild, and we will restart. And so Monday, June 8th phase one begins, and we are resolute that we will continue this restart process. We're going to do all we can to support the businesses in phase one. We're going to do all we can to support working people who are part of phase one. Today, we launch a dedicated hotline to help small businesses. Today we will put out guides to help small businesses know exactly what they need to be able to do the work of restart. Any small business that needs help, as they prepare for Monday can call 888-SBS-4NYC. We're going to be providing 2 million free face coverings to small businesses to help them get started. We're going to help workers as well. Any worker who has a return to work and is concerned about their health and safety, needs guidance, needs support, can call 311 or they can go to nyc.gov/coronavirus to get the facts about all we will do to help working people. We must have health and safety as the priorities in this restart. So, we're going to go forward with a vigorous, energetic approach that we must restart. Phase one must begin Monday. It will begin Monday. If we all work together, phase one can move on to phase two. And at this moment, phase two can start as early as the beginning of July. So, we want to keep moving forward, but it's going to take an intensive focus on health and safety at every moment in every business in everything we do. But we're not just saying to businesses, go out there and figure it out. We will be with them every step of the way to help them protect themselves, to protect the workers, make sure that everything is done the right way. We want these businesses to succeed as they come back. We want this city to succeed. We want people to get their livelihoods back, and that's going to help create progress and peace when people can make ends meet again. So, we will be there with the business of New York City as they restart Monday.

Now, I mentioned that phase two could begin as early as the beginning of July. And in phase two, we will be able to move onto many other types of businesses. And as we heard from the state, that can also include reopening a number of our restaurants with a focus on outdoors. And that's the way we want to go. We have a new initiative, open restaurants that will focus on what it takes to make outdoor seating work. We will provide a plan to help restaurants set up that outdoor seating, to help them bring their employees back. We will provide a massive expansion of curbside seating, a big expansion of open streets. We'll do what it takes to help this key part of life in New York City, key part of our economy, the wellspring of the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers to come back, come back strong, starting in phase two in July. This is going to be another important step. But again, health and safety first. Everything we're doing is to make sure that we do it safely, that this disease does not spread, that we beat it back. And as our test and trace program comes into high gear this week, we fight back to disease with more and more testing for New Yorkers, more and more tracing of those who have been infected and all their contacts to get them the help they need. To get them if they need to be safely separated, the support, they need more testing, more tracing, more support at the same time as we help businesses restart safely, bring back people's livelihood, bringing back all that people love about this place, fight this disease back every day. And that leads me to our indicators and thresholds.

Once again, we see that because of what you have done. You, everyone I'm looking at out there over 8 million people, you have achieved this success. Indicator one, daily number of people admitted to hospitals for suspected COVID-19. Again, that threshold has to stay under 200 patients a day, 48 is our latest report only 48, and that is great. Indicator two, daily number of people in our Health and Hospitals, ICU that threshold is 375 and today only 354 in our ICU. And this is the most important and best news, percentage of people tested positive citywide for COVID-19, that threshold is 15 percent today we have the lowest number we have seen since this crisis began only three percent testing, positive with more and more testing, happening more and more people being reached only three percent testing positive. That is very good news, whatever else we're fighting, whatever else we have to overcome, this is what is going to allow us to move forward. And it's because of all of you, everyone has stayed indoors, no matter it's tough, everyone is socially distance, everyone who wears a face cover. You are changing things so that we can restart this city and make sure we move forward. Thank you.

MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES SMALL BUSINESS EMERGENCY GRANT PROGRAM

 Mayor de Blasio announced a Small Business Emergency Grant Program for small businesses who were impacted by looting and experienced damage to their storefronts. Thanks to $500,000 in initial funds from SOMOS Community Care, the City will begin providing grants to small businesses of up to $10,000 per business, starting in the Bronx. These grants will help with recovery, including repairs, security systems, locks, and more. The Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City will work with Small Business Services to assess the level of need throughout the city, with the intent to raise funds for repairs of businesses in other boroughs. 

“The only way we will move forward and get small businesses back on their feet is by coming together as a community,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Our small businesses are not going anywhere. They are strong and resilient and they will be back, and we are here to help them do that.”

New York City’s Small Business Service’s Emergency response team is on the ground in affected communities, surveying damage and providing applications to apply for the grant to small business owners. The City is also providing emergency legal support, incident report support, and insurance claim support.

“SBS has been in the Bronx, speaking to small business owners impacted by looting and actively working to get them the resources and support they need to recover,” said Jonnel Doris, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services. “Our small businesses are tough and resilient.  This resource will ensure that these Bronx businesses will receive direct support and equip them with the tools necessary to come back."

“If our community is to heal, we must do all we can to help our local business prepare to reopen. Unfortunately, hundreds of small businesses in diverse, immigrant communities were doubly impacted, first from the COVID-19 shutdown and now by the looting and damages,” said Dr. Ramon Tallaj, Chairman and Founder of SOMOS Community Care. “Through this grant, we can help essential business owners, including community practices, pharmacies, bodegas, and others, access the funding they need so that they can continue to rebuild our communities and provide for their families.”

“Small business owners are already concerned about their financial future because of lost income from several months of lockdown. We are hopeful that this grant will provide the necessary relief for essential businesses in NYC’s hardest-hit communities,” said Dr. Henry Chen, President of SOMOS Community Care. “Now more than ever, the city’s immigrant communities need all the support we can offer, especially for the essential businesses that are the city’s lifeblood.”

Drs. Chen and Tallaj continued: “We both came to this country and built practices to pursue the American dream. Now it’s time to help others trying to do the same under the hardest circumstances imaginable.” 

"Small businesses are the backbone of this city--they are vital community hubs that bond us in times of celebration and of grief. Our neighborhoods are unrecognizable without them," said Toya Williford, Executive Director of the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City. "We stand in solidarity with these small business owners--our neighbors, friends, and family members--as they rebuild and as our city presses on toward a transformed future."

“Between the COVID-19 pandemic and the looting that occurred in our borough earlier this week, we must do all that we can to give our borough’s small businesses a chance to survive in these difficult times,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “Our Bronx small businesses and entrepreneurs are a key component of our economy, and aiding vulnerable local job-creators, such as the business owners on Fordham Road, is important as we look to help our small business community rebound.”

“I'm extremely pleased that Mayor de Blasio has made available $10,000 per store for communities hardest hit by this week's vandalism and looting.  This is an unprecedented move in a most difficult time for the city.  I thank and highly commend the Mayor for his timely action.  This will go a long way in helping my district, which sustained extensive damage and theft, including Fordham Road, the largest and most diverse commercial district in the Bronx," said Council Member Fernando Cabrera.

OPEN RESTAURANTS: MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES PLAN TO EXPAND RESTAURANT OUTDOOR SEATING ONCE CITY ENTERS PHASE 2

  As New York City prepares to reopen, Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced plans to temporarily use open space to support the city's restaurants while maintaining social distancing. Once the City enters Phase 2 of reopening, restaurants will be able to serve customers in outdoor seating areas without enduring a cumbersome application and approval process.

“New York’s restaurants are part of what make us the greatest city in the world. They’ve taken a hit in our fight against COVID-19 – and there’s no recovery without them,” said Mayor de Blasio. “Our Open Restaurants plan will help these businesses maximize their customer base while maintaining the social distancing we need to beat this crisis once and for all.”

The Open Restaurants seating program will include:

CURBSIDE SEATING

Once Phase 2 of reopening begins, restaurants in commercial corridors will be able to serve patrons outdoors in alignment with State guidelines. Restaurants will be able to convert parking spaces in order to use the roadbed alongside the curb for dine-in service. There will be a simple process to register and self-certify online. 

Guidelines restaurants must comply with include, but are not limited to, ensuring seating is accessible, bus stops or fire hydrants are not blocked, and seating is located away from intersections. Restaurants must provide their own vertical barricades, planters, tables, and chairs.

OPEN STREETS

There are currently over 45 miles of Open Streets across the city, with continued plans to reach a goal of 100 miles citywide. Restaurants will be able to create seating areas directly in front of their establishments on these Open Streets. The City will also identify new Open Streets on commercial strips with large number of restaurants and bars as it continues to roll out new corridors in the coming weeks and months.

SIDEWALK SEATING

The City will work to create a simpler, streamlined process for sidewalk seating that would require establishments to maintain appropriate clear paths for pedestrians and people with disabilities.

The City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, and the Department of Transportation will monitor the success of this three-pronged program and will be prepared to step in if it creates concerns for accessibility or socially distanced use of the sidewalk, curb lane, or streets.

“DOT is happy to find creative ways to utilize our street space and help the restaurant industry get back on its feet, and start the long process of recovery,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “Working with our fellow agencies, we hope to not only to provide needed space to break bread with loved ones -- but at the same time promote health and cleaning protocols that will keep New Yorkers stay safe. While eating out will not be quite the same, we hope that we can provide a safe interim option as the City starts to reopen. We thank our Council colleagues and all our sister agencies who helped bring this plan together.”

“Our restaurants owners need help now more than ever and have shared their concerns about traditional practices. This plan will enliven our commercial corridors and provide businesses with a much-needed opportunity to generate further revenue while maintaining safety,” said Jonnel Doris, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services. “With the help of our partners and communities, we will work together to support our neighborhood businesses, which make New York thrive, and bring back our City safely and equitably.”

“Summer is upon us and people are ready to get out and get back to some semblance of normalcy. With outdoor dining being included in phase two of the reopening it is imperative that the city act quickly to come up with a plan to allow restaurants to expand outdoor seating. We thank Mayor de Blasio for supporting small business and proposing a plan to get restaurants up and running safely and responsibly. As we begin to reopen, we are encouraged by the City’s efforts to streamline the process and increase the availability of outdoor seating. We look forward to working with the administration to make sure this is rolled out in a way that makes sense for businesses and the communities they serve,” said Jeffrey Garcia, President of the NYS Latino Restaurant, Bar & Lounge Association.

Governor Cuomo Provides Update on COVID-19 Progress

Confirms 1,045 Additional Coronavirus Cases in New York State - Bringing Statewide Total to 374,085; New Cases in 46 Counties

Governor Cuomo: "They are two very different situations. Some people choose to morph those two together, all the protesters are actually looters, and we should treat them as looters. That is not a fact, that is not the truth, that is not the reality of what is going on. There are people who are protesting, and there are people who are looting, very, very different situations. The protesting is righteous indignation over Mr. Floyd's murder and systemic racism and injustice.

Cuomo: "COVID-19 is still a real threat. We're still battling that. I know it's not on the front pages today but it is still in people and in society. We're still battling that. That is going better than it has ever gone in New York. We have the lowest number of hospitalizations ever and we have the lowest death toll ever. God bless the people of New York for what they did. God bless the nurses and the doctors and the essential workers and the frontline workers because they saved hundreds of thousands of lives in the State of New York."

  Earlier today, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced outdoor dining at restaurants will be permitted in phase two of reopening. Restaurants in the seven regions that have already entered phase two - the Capital Region, Central New York, the Finger Lakes, the Mohawk Valley, the North Country, the Southern Tier and Western New York - can reopen for outdoor dining beginning tomorrow, June 4th. Outdoor tables must be spaced six feet apart, all staff must wear face coverings and customers must also wear face coverings when not seated.

Governor Cuomo also announced that Erie County is now eligible to resume elective surgeries and ambulatory care. The Governor previously announced that the state will allow elective outpatient treatments to resume in counties and hospitals without significant risk of COVID-19 surge in the near term, and a total of 52 counties can now resume elective surgeries (4 counties do not have hospitals).

Governor Cuomo Responds to Escalating Violence and Looting Amid Otherwise Peaceful Protests

  Yesterday was another long, ugly day and night all across this country. New York State was not an exception. Today is day 94 of the COVID pandemic. It’s day nine of the situation that we’re dealing with, with the killing of Mr. Floyd. And this is the first time that we’ve spoken about these two situations that we’re dealing with now at the same time. And I think, at this moment of confusion and unrest, the smartest thing is to take a step back and let’s gain a little perspective and let’s just talk as people about this situation. 

So, what do we do? First, take a step back, gain some perspective, and separate the issues. You want this solved? Let’s understand what we’re trying to solve for first. COVID-19. Let’s take that issue and pull it out. On the COVID-19 issue, day 94, we have more good news today. Number of hospitalizations is down. Number of new COVID cases walking in the door is at an all-time low – 154. Congratulations to the people of the state of New York. Look at what you did. Look at the progress you made. God bless you.

Buffalo enters Phase II today, Western New York. Capital District should enter Phase II tomorrow, all the numbers indicate that. Our experts are going over the numbers, but there’s no reason to believe that the Capital District doesn’t go into Phase II tomorrow. I fully plan to affirm that later this afternoon. Capital Region will go into Phase II. New York City’s on track, in the midst of all of this, to open Phase I next Monday. Summer day camps are going to open on June 29th. We’re still reviewing the situation with sleep away camps.

So, that’s the COVID situation. That’s going very well. Civil unrest post-Mr. Floyd’s killing – that’s also a complex situation with a number of levels. You have protestors who are outraged at what has happened and you have criminal activity, looting, extremist groups, who are using this moment for their own purposes and exploiting this movement and moment. Two very different things.

On the protestors, they’re outraged. By the way, I agree with them. What happened to Mr. Floyd was a disgrace. It was repugnant to America. It was repugnant to any good policing perspective or strategy or approach. And it’s not just Mr. Floyd, this was not an isolated instance. It goes back to Rodney King and Amadou Diallo and Abner Louima and Eric Garner and cases just like it all across this country. At one point, enough is enough and people say I can’t believe this is still going on after all of this time. Rightful outrage.

By and large, the protestors have been peaceful. They’re upset, they’re angry, yes, but they have not been violent. They have been peaceful protests. What do they want? They want overdue reforms. They want reforms that should’ve been done 30, 40, 50 years ago. They want America to be better. I don’t yet believe we’ve yet specified an agenda, but you know the agenda forward. You know what we should learn from Mr. Floyd’s murder, so he did not die in vain. You need independent investigations of police abuse. You need discovery of records of police who are being investigated. How do you still allow chokeholds in the United States of America? Why can’t you have a national standard of what is excessive force? And I think the justice agenda should even go forward, because it's not just about police abuse. There's injustice in housing, there's injustice in health care, there's injustice in unemployment, there's injustice in income distribution, there's injustice in education. I would make education equity part of that agenda, I would make child poverty part of that agenda, and I wouldn't wait for next year. I think that Congress should pass those laws now. That's all outrage at what happened at Mr. Floyd’s killing, and how do we learn, and move forward, and reform, and that's what the protesters are talking about, and that is what this nation is all about. The right to protest, the right to air grievances, and the right to raise issues so government responds.

That's one situation. There's a totally different situation that has nothing to do with the protesters. People see this moment and they exploit it. And that is criminal activity and that is looting. That is people breaking store windows, going in and stealing. That's called criminal activity. They have no right to wrap themselves in the flag of righteous indignation of Mr. Floyd’s murder. They demean Mr. Floyd’s murder by using this as an opportunity for criminal activity. And that's what they're doing. They're opportunists who are seizing and exploiting the moment.

New York City was looted. It was looted yesterday. In Manhattan, middle of Manhattan, also in communities of color, in the Bronx and in Brooklyn, where we've spent years doing economic development in distressed communities and these looters destroyed businesses that were essential to the community and the very people we're trying to help. That is a very different situation. The police must stop the looting and the criminal activity. That is the essence of the police force. They are supported to protect the community, protect the property. They did not do that in New York City last night. They did not do that in New York City last night. And I am disappointed and outraged at what happened in New York City last night. Those looters, that criminal activity, hurt everyone. In the communities of the protesters, which are the communities that tend to be the poorest communities in New York City. And the police in New York City were not effective at doing their job last night, period. They have to do a better job. But, separate the protesters from the looting.

They are two very different situations with two very different responses, two very different motivations. They're different people, different issues. There is no comparison between those two. The looting, the criminal activity must be stopped immediately, period. Especially in New York City. We've had activity all across the state, all manageable, except in New York City. Now, from the state's point of view, I have offered all the mayors of the cities support, state police support or National Guard or both. We have 13,000 National Guard who are on standby who can be deployed. We have the state police mobilized all across the state. They can be deployed anywhere in this state. State police are working with many cities in upstate New York. New York City has said they don't want or need the National Guard, which would be a large-scale support network that we could bring to New York City.

Most cities have enacted a curfew. The purpose of their curfew is to help the police deal with the looters. The curfew is not about the protesters, as I said, most of the protesters have been peaceful, they have been nonviolent. The curfew is not to harass protesters. It is not to harass law-abiding citizens. The curfews are designed to help the police deal with the looters. New York City had a curfew last night. Obviously, it wasn't enough to help deal with the looters. The other cities also have curfews, different times, different durations, all set locally by the mayors across the state.

But what's happening in this environment with all the politics, with all the anger and rage, all of these issues are getting blurred. COVID-19 is one issue. The outrage over Mr. Floyd’s murder is another issue. The protesters are one issue. Looters are a totally different issue. We can't blur the line between these problems. Otherwise you wind up solving nothing because one is blurring into the other. The protesters are separate from the looters. We have this hyper-political moment. We’re in the middle of an election season so everybody is playing politics, and a lot of people want to say “The looters are the protesters. They’re one. They’re all criminals.” No, they're not. No, they're not. It’s because you don't want to address the Mr. Floyd murder. So it's convenient to say they're all looters.

They’re not all looters. They’re Americans who are outraged at what happened to Mr. Floyd. That’s who they are. There’s racial tension in this country. Suggesting, “Well, the protests are about African Americans who are upset.” Yes, African Americans are upset. But you know what? A lot of white people are upset. I’m white and I’m upset. You look at those videos of the protests in Washington, D.C. Those are young white faces, predominantly. This is not a racial issue in that only African Americans are upset. This is anyone who saw that video is upset – anyone. Don’t make this a racial issue and don't make it a political issue and don't blur the lines for your political purposes.

To the protesters, for tonight, I ask them to be calm, be peaceful, so the police don't have to spend a lot of time with the protesters and the police can do their job with the looting and the criminal activity. I also remind the protesters that their point is very important and their outrage is justified. But keep in mind during this moment when you're going out to protest, we're still in the middle of the COVID pandemic. We’re just reopening Western New York. We’re just reopening the Capital District. We’re going to reopen New York City this coming Monday.  Yes, protest, yes, express your outrage, but be responsible because the last thing we want to do is see a spike in the number of COVID cases, and that is one of the complications of these compounding crises. I know a lot of the protesters are so annoyed they don't want to hear about COVID anymore. “COVID is yesterday's news.” No, COVID is still a problem. And COVID still kills also. So be mindful and respective of that.