News from Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez

UPDATES ON CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK

As New York State continues to battle the coronavirus, we’re here to keep you updated on essential news and services. There are currently 385,669 confirmed cases in New York as of Tuesday, May 28th. New Yorkers are urged to follow the Department of Health guidelines and to take caution around the people most likely to be infected: The elderly and those with preexisting conditions. We also encourage people to be mindful of our essential workforce that continue to work in the middle of a crisis. Please practice social distancing, wear masks and gloves, and wash your hands frequently whenever possible.

We are here to help. Our Assembly office is working to provide free hand sanitizer for organizations in need and will continue to be a resource for all district residents. Please call 718-409-0109 or contact District80@nyassembly.gov.

Community Testing Sites Opening Seven Days a Week: 

Additional sites open, offering diagnostic testing 9AM-7PM seven days a week: 

  

Facility	Address	Opening Date
Midwood	1223 Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn	Open Now
Highbridge Pool	2301 Amsterdam Avenue, New York	Open Now
Brooklyn Army Terminal	140 58th street, Brooklyn	Open Now
Former St John Villa HS	57 Cleveland Place, Staten Island	Open Now
PS X017	778 Forest Avenue, Bronx	Open Now
East 111th	141 East 111th Street, New York	Open Now
P.S. 21 Margaret Emery-Elm Park	168 Hooker Place, Staten Island	Open Now
Bay Ridge 5th Ave	8511 & 8515 5th Avenue, Brooklyn	Open Now
51-30 Northern Boulevard	51-30 Northern Boulevard, Woodside	Open Now
St James Rec Center	2530 Jerome Avenue, Bronx	Open Now
South Shore HS	6565 Flatlands Avenue, Brooklyn	Open Now
Tottenville High School	100 Luten Avenue, Staten Island	Open Now
Sorrentino Rec Center	18-48 Cornaga Avenue, Queens	Open Now
Beach 39th	39-20 Rockaway Beach Blvd, Queens	Open Now
Edward Grant	1302 Edward L Grant Hwy, Bronx	Open Now
Bronxwood Preparatory Academy	921 East 228th Street, Bronx	Open Now
Leavitt Field Parking Lot	34-41 137th Street, Flushing	Open Now
1716 Bleecker	1716 Bleecker Street, Queens	Open Now

 Before you get tested look at what you have to agree to. The testing   company will make   you  agree to allowing things such as sharing your   information with third parties with no   security on your information. The   agreement may have a clause that allows the company to   change the   agreement at any time. The test is also listed as costing $85.00 by one   testing   company, and again there may be a clause in the agreement as     to payment of the test.   Read the full agreement before you get tested.

CITY OF NEW YORK AND AIRBNB REACH SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT

Airbnb will dismiss its lawsuit against the City and share listing information on a quarterly basis under new agreement

  Mayor de Blasio and Airbnb announced that Airbnb and the City of New York have reached a settlement agreement, establishing a new framework for the City’s local law that requires short-term rental platforms to share information about their listings. Under this agreement, Airbnb will dismiss its federal lawsuit against the City of New York, and the New York City Council will introduce an updated local law.

“Illegal hotel operators who flout the law at the expense of working New Yorkers have no place in our neighborhoods," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. "Finally, we’ll have the critical information we need to preserve affordable housing and keep our communities protected.”

 “We have long wanted to work with New York City on an effective regulatory framework, including information sharing -- this agreement achieves that,” said Christopher Lehane, Senior Vice President for Global Public Policy and Communications for Airbnb. “As we look toward the recovery of New York’s tourism economy, we hope this settlement will represent a continuing relationship and the first step on a path forward for our community citywide.”

  

“With this agreement, the City will have a powerful tool to detect those who hide behind fake accounts and address those who take housing away from New Yorkers,” said Christian Klossner, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement (OSE). “The revised law would not change in any way the current laws governing whether short-term rentals and their advertisements are legal.  We will be able to better protect our communities and visitors, and more fully understand the impacts of the illegal short-term rental market. Now more than ever, transparency is vital to the City’s ability to keep residents and travelers safe.”

Under this updated local law, short-term rental platforms would share information with the City on a quarterly basis. The report would include all listings that generate five or more nights of bookings per quarter, so long as the listing offers an entire home or allows three or more guests to stay at one time. Information will not be provided for private or shared room listings with two or fewer guest capacity; for listings that are rented for less than five nights per quarter; or for listings that are in qualifying traditional hospitality locations, based on a list the City will publish.

For all eligible listings, reports provided to the City would be required to include:

·      Physical address of the listing;

·  Host information (name, physical address, phone number, and e-mail address);

·      The name, number and URL of the listing;

·      Whether the short-term rental is for an entire unit or part of a unit;

·      The total number of days booked;

·      The amount received by the host for each transaction, as well as the account name and anonymized account identifier relating to those payments

The settlement is premised on the amendment of the current local law governing short-term rental reporting to reflect the above reporting framework.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

Read the fine print, because the city will get very little if any reporting. Reporting must be bookings for five nights or more per quarter, for an entire house, or allows three or more guests to stay at one time. No listings for one or two people, or any booking that is less than five days. 

GET COOL NYC: MAYOR DE BLASIO UPDATES NEW YORKERS ON COVID-19 SUMMER HEAT PLAN

City has already installed 4,500 ACs for low-income seniors, an eight-fold increase from last year under the Home Energy Assistance Program; Public Service Commission approves City’s petition for $70 million in cooling subsidies for low-income New Yorkers 

  Mayor Bill de Blasio updated New Yorkers on the City’s efforts to keep vulnerable New Yorkers cool indoors this summer. The Get Cool NYC program addresses the higher risk for indoor heat exposure for New Yorkers this summer, due to staying inside for social distancing, especially for those most at risk of COVID-19 complications.

“Summer is upon us, and we must keep the most vulnerable New Yorkers cool and safe at home,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We're moving heaven and earth to get air conditioners to thousands of seniors in need, and I thank the Public Service Commission for approving our request to provide even more financial assistance to New Yorkers so they don't have to choose between keeping cool and putting food on the table.”

The City has reached out to over 180,000 low-income seniors, of which over 25,000 have requested air conditioning units. The City has installed 4,500 air conditioners so far, including over 1,900 in NYCHA buildings, and is ramping up to install as many as 74,000 air conditioners for low-income seniors this summer. The City has installed eight times more air conditioners in the apartments of low-income, vulnerable seniors in just the first few weeks of this program compared to the number of installations for all of last year under the Home Energy Assistance Program. This is a monumental undertaking to keep New Yorkers safe from the heat this summer and will offer protection for years to come.

The New York State Public Service Commission has also approved the City’s request to keep vulnerable low income New Yorkers safe in their homes by providing financial assistance with their summer utility bills. The $70 million in aid will provide much needed relief for approximately 440,000 families in New York City, providing up to $140 from June to October. Vulnerable New Yorkers are already dealing with the effects of this pandemic, and the additional funding is a lifeline to those who need it the most during these difficult times.

“As the summer starts to heat up, our most vulnerable New Yorkers should not have to choose between staying cool and paying the bills,” said Deputy Mayor Laura Anglin. “This decision from the Public Service Commission will impact hundreds of thousands of families throughout New York City for the better, when so many continue to grapple with this virus. As a City, we will continue to double down on our efforts to ensure that all New Yorkers have a safe and cool place to be when the summer heat hits.”

“Our primary goal is to ensure that our most vulnerable New Yorkers are prepared to beat the heat this summer, and this initiative is the catalyst for that preparation,” said NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Deanne Criswell. “The Public Service Commission’s important approval is a lifeline that will provide much needed financial reprieve to those who need it the most during these difficult times.”

“Extreme heat is potentially deadly and with COVID-19 keeping more New Yorkers indoors, the risks only increase,” Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot said. “The City’s efforts to keep New Yorkers cool are potentially life-saving. We can also look out for each other by checking in on friends, family members and neighbors who are sick, elderly, or disabled and may need assistance in a heat emergency.”

"Having an air conditioner doesn’t matter if you can’t afford to run it. The Public Service Commission’s decision is critical because it will unlock financial relief for hundreds of thousands New Yorkers to help them afford their utility bills this summer," said Jainey Bavishi, Director of the Mayor's Office of Resiliency. "Combined with our Get Cool NYC program, this decision will advance climate justice at a critical time, when the pandemic and global warming present a dual threat to the most vulnerable among us."

"As New Yorkers continue to socially distance and remain indoors, it's important that seniors have a home that is cool and safe this summer," said Lisette Camilo, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services. "High heat can be deadly, and the expansion of this program will help protect the most vulnerable."

“This summer will be especially challenging for the most vulnerable New Yorkers who are dealing with both the pandemic and the intense heat. With this all-hands-on-deck effort to ensure people can pay their cooling bills and to provide air conditioning units to those in need, the City is keeping our communities safe at a very delicate time,” said HPD Commissioner Louise Carroll. “I applaud Mayor de Blasio, his team and our partner agencies for pulling together this incredible program.”

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli: A Look at New York's Economy

A Look at New York's Economy

The current public health and economic crisis we are facing as a state, nation and world is something we have never dealt with before and it will continue to impact our state and local finances for the foreseeable future. Now more than ever we need partnership and communication between all levels of government. I renew my call for the federal government to provide financial assistance to the states and communities hit hard by COVID-19.

DiNAPOLI: LOCAL SALES TAX COLLECTIONS DROP
OVER 32 PERCENT IN MAY

Sales tax revenue for local governments in May fell 32.3 percent compared to the same period last year, according to State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. Sales tax collections for counties and cities in May totaled $918 million, or $437 million less than 2019.

The sharp decline in revenues was widespread around the state, ranging from a drop of 19.5 percent in Westchester County to a 41.5 percent decline in Tioga County. Nearly every county in every region of the state saw a large drop in overall collections. New York City experienced a 31.9 percent decline, amounting to $196 million in lost revenues for a single month. One major influence is consumers’ online spending, now largely subject to the sales tax. Detail on this activity is not currently available.

“We anticipated that sales tax revenues would continue to drop because of COVID-19 but the May sales tax figures show just how deep it is cutting into municipal finances,” DiNapoli said. “Sales tax revenues are vital funding not only for the state but for municipalities like counties and cities as well. The federal government needs to step up and provide financial help to states and local governments hit hard by this virus to avoid severe cuts to critical services.”

DiNapoli reported that local sales tax collections dropped 24.4 percent in April, or $327 million less than collected in that month a year ago, after relatively modest losses in March collections.

Over the three-month period of the pandemic’s effects, local governments have received $824 million (19.2 percent) less in sales tax revenue than they did during that same period in 2019.

Governor Cuomo Announces Five Regions Will Enter Phase Three of Reopening Tomorrow

Global Public Health Experts Have Cleared Central New York, Finger Lakes, Mohawk Valley, North Country and Southern Tier to Enter Phase Three

State is Allowing Localities to Open Public Pools and Playgrounds at their Discretion Beginning Today

Confirms 736 Additional Coronavirus Cases in New York State - Bringing Statewide Total to 380,892; New Cases in 42 Counties

Governor Cuomo: "We have five regions that we have reviewed all the data, we have global experts who then go through the data, because sometimes if you look at the data you look at the underlying numbers you look at the underlying test you can see something but. We have the best experts that you can possibly have reviewing this. And they've reviewed it and five regions will enter Phase 3 tomorrow, Friday. Phase 3 is clearly indicated on the website what businesses can open, what businesses can't open."

Cuomo: "Also, a point of caution: I know businesses are anxious to open, everybody's anxious get the economy going. Please follow the guidelines and do what is permissible to do. People are very wary right businesses that are violating the opening rules. Restaurant's outdoor capacity that doesn't mean anyone inside. So, people call and we get complaints. The rules are clear... This is very serious. Short-term gain isn't worth long-term pain."

  Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that five regions—Central New York, Finger Lakes, Mohawk Valley, North Country and Southern Tier - will enter phase three of reopening tomorrow, June 12th. The team of global public health experts advising New York State on its reopening strategy has thoroughly reviewed the data for the five regions and cleared them to enter phase three. Phase three allows indoor restaurant and food services and personal care services to resume. Each industry is subject to specific state guidelines to maximize safety and social distancing. Business guidance for phase three of the state's reopening plan is available here.

Governor Cuomo also announced that the state is allowing localities to open public pools and playgrounds at their discretion while following state guidance beginning today.