Governor Cuomo Announces More than 130,000 Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine Administered in 24 Hours

 

132,057 First and Second Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine Administered in 24 Hours; 2 Million Doses Administered To-date

As of 11AM today, New York's Health Care Distribution Sites Have Administered 90% of the Total First Doses Received from Federal Government

Vaccine Dashboard Will Update Daily to Provide Updates on the State's Vaccine Program; Go to ny.gov/vaccinetracker; Dashboard Now Includes Demographic Data 

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced 132,057 first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the last 24 hours. New Yorkers on the state's vaccination program. As of 11AM today, New York's health care distribution sites have received 2,065,595 first doses and already administered 90 percent or 1,860,196 first dose vaccinations and 82 percent of first and second doses. The week 9 allocation from the federal government continues being delivered to providers for administration.

"Defeating COVID once and for all ultimately comes down to winning the footrace between vaccinating New Yorkers as quickly and fairly as possible, and continuing to do all we can to drive down infection and hospitalization rates even further," Governor Cuomo said. "Those rates are continuing to fall and that is a direct result of New Yorkers continuing to act smartly and responsibly. We must keep up that momentum and as we do, we will continue doing everything we can to get shots in arms as quickly, efficiently and fairly as possible - we just simply need more supply and now that we have competent leadership in Washington, we're actually now beginning to see that happen."

Approximately 7 million New Yorkers are currently eligible to receive the vaccine. The federal government has increased the weekly supply by more than 20 percent over the next three weeks, but New York's vast distribution network and large population of eligible individuals still far exceed the supply coming from the federal government. Due to limited supply, New Yorkers are encouraged to remain patient and are advised not to show up at vaccination sites without an appointment.

Vaccination program numbers below are for doses distributed and delivered to New York for the state's vaccination program, and do not include those reserved for the federal government's Long Term Care Facility program. A breakdown of the data based on numbers reported to New York State as of 11AM today is as follows. The allocation totals below include 60 percent of the week 9 allocation which will finish being distributed to New York provider sites on Sunday. The total week 9 allocation is also inclusive of some excess vaccine doses that have been reallocated from the federal Long Term Care Facility program.

STATEWIDE BREAKDOWN

First Doses Received - 2,065,595

First Doses Administered - 1,860,196; 90%

Second Doses Received - 1,080,550

Second Doses Administered - 719,133

STATEN ISLAND LANDLORD CHARGED WITH SUBMITTING FALSIFIED LEAD PAINT ABATEMENT CERTIFICATION TO CITY DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING PRESERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT

 

 Margaret Garnett, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), announced today the arraignment of a Staten Island landlord on a charge of providing a false certification of correction for a lead-based paint violation issued to him by the City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (“HPD”). HPD is responsible for issuing housing violations for lead-based paint conditions. DOI began its investigation after HPD reported the apparent false certification to DOI. The Office of the Richmond County District Attorney Michael E. McMahon is prosecuting this case.

 DOI Commissioner Margaret Garnett said, “Lead-based paint violations are serious hazards that if uncorrected pose great danger to tenants living inside the affected apartment. Landlords who ignore these conditions, or worse, provide false documentation to the City to avoid paying penalties, must be held accountable for their negligence and attempts to circumvent the law. DOI thanks the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office for their prosecution of this matter.”

 Richmond County District Attorney Michael E. McMahon said, "This defendant, who is a landlord of a Staten Island apartment building, has been charged with Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree for allegedly submitting fake lead-abatement paperwork. Lead paint poses serious potential health risks, especially in children, and anyone who would falsify such paperwork concerning its safe removal must be held responsible. I want to thank the Department of Investigation for their assistance with this case, as well as ADA Jonathan Chananie, head of RCDA’s Public Corruption Unit, for prosecuting this case.”

 SERGEY KRIKUNOV, 56, of Staten Island, N.Y., is charged with one count of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a class E Felony. Upon conviction, a class E felony is punishable by up to four years in prison.

 According to the criminal complaint and DOI’s investigation, in October 2019, KRIKUNOV, was the landlord at 283 Van Duzer Street and submitted lead abatement-related paperwork for one of the building’s apartments, including a certificate of correction for a lead-based paint violation that was purportedly performed by Jerome Environmental Services, LLC. An HPD employee reviewing KRIKUNOV’s submission noticed that the letterhead for Jerome Environmental Services, LLC on the certification did not match what the company would normally submit and contacted Jerome Environmental Services, LLC, which confirmed it had not conducted abatement work at the property. HPD referred the matter to DOI investigators who conducted interviews with HPD personnel and employees of Jerome Environmental Services, LLC, the tenant in the apartment, who stated the landlord had painted the walls himself, and reviewed paperwork filed by the defendant. The investigation determined that Jerome Environmental Services, LLC had not performed any lead-abatement work at the apartment in question and did not issue the purported certificate of correction the defendant submitted as part of his filing with HPD.

 HPD inspected the apartment where the lead-based paint violations were issued, cleaned the areas, and tested them for residual levels of hazardous lead dusts several times since the discovery of the alleged falsified certification. Upon HPD’s final inspection, the apartment passed.

 Commissioner Garnett thanked City Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Louise Carroll and Richmond District Attorney Michael E. McMahon, and their staffs, for their cooperation and assistance in this investigation.

  The investigation was conducted by DOI’s Office of the Inspector General for HPD, specifically Special Investigator Eric Johnson, under the supervision of Inspector General Jessica Heegan, Deputy Commissioner/Chief of Investigations Dominick Zarrella, and First Deputy Commissioner Daniel Cort. 

A criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty

NYS Office of the Comptroller DiNAPOLI: PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM IN NYC STUMBLED, BUT FINDING FOOTING

 

Later Funding Phases Reached More Small Businesses, Minority Neighborhoods

 New York City was the early epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, but many small businesses hit hardest were initially left out of the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) because they faced difficulties meeting the program’s rigid requirements and lacked access to major lenders, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

“The PPP was meant to be a lifeline for struggling small businesses, but it has proven difficult for many of New York City’s mom-and-pop operations to navigate,” DiNapoli said. “Federal lawmakers have made changes that better focus the program on reaching small businesses and the additional funding is a welcome shot in the arm. Lawmakers and administrators should keep modifying the program to make sure aid reaches the communities and industries most affected by the scourge of the pandemic.”

One of the key federal legislative provisions aimed at mitigating the pandemic’s damage to the nation’s economy was the creation of the PPP, designed to help small businesses and sole proprietors. The program offers low-interest, forgivable loans for small businesses that could be used to cover payroll costs, rent and utilities. The maximum amount borrowers can request through the program is $10 million. Washington allocated a total of $953 billion for the PPP in three rounds of funding in March ($349 billion), April ($320 billion) and December ($284 billion).

Phase One of PPP Left Out Hardest Hit Small and Minority Businesses

DiNapoli’s report noted that during Phase One, the program’s requirements prevented or discouraged small businesses from applying. The PPP initially required that 75 percent of loan funds be used to cover payroll costs (later lowered to 60 percent) in order to qualify for loan forgiveness. For smaller family-run businesses, payroll can often be a much smaller share of operating costs. In New York City, four-fifths of businesses have fewer than 10 employees.

Many major lenders only accepted PPP applications from customers with existing accounts. Prior to the pandemic, the JPMorgan Chase Institute found that businesses in communities of color were the most cash-strapped and the least likely to have existing relationships with large banks. Many major lenders only accepted applications for the PPP program from customers with existing accounts. While most PPP loan records did not contain information on the race and ethnicity of business owners, many of the Bronx neighborhoods where businesses received fewer loans had higher concentrations of Hispanics and African Americans than the Manhattan and Staten Island neighborhoods where more loans were granted.

In the first phase of PPP loan disbursements, which began in April 2020, an average of 7 percent of all businesses in the city received loans, though the share varied widely by neighborhood. Of the 55 neighborhoods in the city, 46 had below-average shares of businesses receive loans, underscoring how heavily concentrated the loan disbursements were in just one-fifth of the city’s neighborhoods.

Only three neighborhoods had more than 10 percent of their businesses receive loans in Phase One: Chelsea/Clinton/Midtown in Manhattan, and Tottenville/Great Kills/Annadale and New Springville/South Beach in Staten Island.

In Brooklyn, only Brooklyn Heights/Fort Greene was above the citywide average at 7.7 percent, while in Queens, only Sunnyside and Woodside surpassed the average, with 9.3 percent of businesses receiving loans in Phase One. All other neighborhoods in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, and every neighborhood in the Bronx, got a lower-than-average share of business loans.

Later Phases of Program More Successful

In Phase Two, 38.6 percent of businesses received loans through the program. In addition, loan distribution was more even, with 40 neighborhoods above the citywide average of 41 percent. The distribution also became more equitable with small loans accounting for 31.6 percent of loans disbursed. Congress expanded the period of eligible costs and extended the minimum loan repayment term. In addition, many lenders also sought out new clients without established banking relationships.

Through the program’s two phases, 45.6 percent of city businesses received PPP loans, slightly below the national average of 50.9 percent. Although they lagged in participation, the average loan size to city businesses was $143,500, higher than the national average of $100,700. New York City received a total of $18.1 billion in loans through the program.

DiNapoli’s report found in New York City’s:

• Construction industry PPP loans covered 57 percent of wages, while 48.2 percent of firms participated in the program. The leisure and hospitality sector, which includes restaurants and hotels, had 50.4 percent of wages covered by the program, with 50.8 percent of businesses receiving PPP loans. Both sectors were below the national averages of 59.3 percent and 57.9 percent respectively.
• Personal services firms, including salons, funeral homes and others, 59.7 percent of wages were covered by the PPP, though only 32.4 percent of firms participated; both of these levels were significantly below the national average of 67.6 percent.
• Retail sector received loans covering 34.6 percent of wages, with 48.5 percent of businesses participating in the program. Though New York City retail businesses received a slightly higher share than retail firms in the nation, they had a lower share of wages covered, and had the smallest average loan size of any industry sector at $73,200.

Phase Three: Further Enhancements but Additional Monitoring Needed

Federal lawmakers revamped much of the program in Phase Three to better target funds to small businesses. Earmarks of funds within Phase Three may also lead to greater diversity among borrowers, and to an increase in the level at which smaller businesses participate. The act provided $35 billion for first-time borrowers targeted in low-income communities, including $15 billion to businesses with no more than 10 employees.

Washington expanded the permitted uses for funds received through the program and allows certain businesses that have already received a PPP loan to apply for second-draw loans, limited to $2 million. Second loans would generally be available for businesses with 300 employees or less that can demonstrate financial losses. These enhancements should help to ensure that loan distribution is improved and that loans are available for all small businesses that need them, both in New York City and across the country.

Report

The Paycheck Protection Program in New York City: What’s Next?

Bronx Progressives February Annual Virtual Meeting

 

Join Fellow Progressives for our February Annual Virtual Meeting!

Topic: Bronx Progressives February Annual Virtual Meeting 
Time: Feb 24, 2021 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89063327145

Meeting ID: 890 6332 7145

Greetings Bronx Progressives Members!
 
We're now in February! Hope this email finds you well and that you and your loved ones are healthy and safe. And hope we're still breathing sighs of relief now that you know who is out of the White House.  
 
Yet, we're still reliving the pain and harrowing images of what happened on January 6 on the news and in the current impeachment trial.  

As we mentioned at our January meeting, the Working Group to Reactivate Bronx Progressives agreed to push our January Annual meeting (as inscribed in our bylaws that should happen in January) to February. We made this decision because we needed more time to thoughtfully plan out the Annual meeting, as we focus on revising the bylaws, and discussing ideas on issues and movements we should be involved with as a group; and once we reached consensus, we would then present them to you--our members, to collectively discuss and vote on the issues we should get involved with.  

The Working Group is recommending that we focus on two or three issues for 2021. One of the idea is to join the Campaign for New York Health, and support that movement. Another idea is to join the Tax the Rich Campaign. And lastly, supporting the Homes Guarantee Movement. But we also want to hear from you, and get feedback on what other issues you think we should get involved with.   

We will also be joined by Omar Suarez, Director of Partnerships and Outreach at NYC Votes, who will give us a presentation on Ranked Choice Voting. RCV is  a newly implemented electoral system that will only apply for local city elections. 

Join us Wednesday, February 24 at 7pm, for our Annual Virtual General Meeting. Link below:

Agenda:

• Greetings and Welcomes (2 Mins.)

• Quick review of the agenda (3 Mins.)

• House Rules (3 Mins.)

• Introducing Omar Suarez (3 Mins) 

• Omar Suarez gives presentation (20 Mins.)

• Q&A (10 Mins.)

1. EC Roles/Priority in forming an EC (15 Mins)
2. Working Group Proposes Issues we should focus on (20 Mins)

• NY Health Act Movement
• Tax the Rich Campaign
• Housing Justice for All Campaign
• What else?

1. New Business/Announcements (20 Mins.)

• Meeting with Bronx Indivisible and Concerned Citizens
• Groups and Orgs that reached out to us
• Meeting with Our Bronx Revolution 
• Other?

1. BylawsReminder
2. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dupzQcNBbEhBbSAZBe5GF24vAIeMMBEdYHLcTwvE_gA/edit?usp=sharing

   Adjourn

323 Days and Counting

 

I still have 323 days left until I am term limited out.

Governor Cuomo Announces More Than 100,000 Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine Administered in 24 Hours

 

106,017 First and Second Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine Administered in 24 Hours

As of 11AM today, New York's Health Care Distribution Sites Have Administered 89% of the Total First Doses Received from Federal Government

Vaccine Dashboard Will Update Daily to Provide Updates on the State's Vaccine Program; Go to ny.gov/vaccinetracker; Dashboard Now Includes Demographic Data

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that 106,017 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered in New York in 24 hours. As of 11AM today, New York's health care distribution sites have received 2,002,055 first doses and already administered 89 percent or 1,787,189 first dose vaccinations and 81 percent of first and second doses. The week 9 allocation from the federal government continues being delivered to providers for administration.

"We've hit a significant milestone in the COVID war. Our infection rate continues to come down and more than 10 percent of New Yorkers have now received the first dose of the vaccine." Governor Cuomo said. "That's due in large part to our expansive vaccination network of providers, pop up and mass vaccination sites that improve access and equity in the vaccine distribution process. With a trusted partner in the White House working to increase both production and supply of the vaccine, we can and have remained laser-focused on getting each week's supply into as many arms as quickly and fairly as possible while continuing to bolster public trust in the vaccine. We still have a long way to go but we're headed in the right direction and I'm confident New York will be the first COVID-free state."

Approximately 7 million New Yorkers are currently eligible to receive the vaccine. The federal government has increased the weekly supply by more than 20 percent over the next three weeks, but New York's vast distribution network and large population of eligible individuals still far exceed the supply coming from the federal government. Due to limited supply, New Yorkers are encouraged to remain patient and are advised not to show up at vaccination sites without an appointment.

Vaccination program numbers below are for doses distributed and delivered to New York for the state's vaccination program, and do not include those reserved for the federal government's Long Term Care Facility program. A breakdown of the data based on numbers reported to New York State as of 11AM today is as follows. The allocation totals below include 40 percent of the week 9 allocation which will finish being distributed to New York provider sites on Sunday. The total week 9 allocation is also inclusive of some excess vaccine doses that have been reallocated from the federal Long Term Care Facility program.

STATEWIDE BREAKDOWN

First Doses Received - 2,002,055

First Doses Administered - 1,787,189; 89%

Second Doses Received - 1,031,650

Second Doses Administered - 660,083

Attorney General James Files Lawsuit to End Harassment of Women Entering Manhattan Planned Parenthood Health Center

 

AG James’ Complaint Details Illegal and Destructive Behavior of Anti-Choice Protesters in Effort to Block Access to Health Center

 New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a federal lawsuit against two anti-choice protesters who repeatedly violated federal, state, and local clinic access laws through obstructive and violent actions against the patients, escorts, and health center staff at a Planned Parenthood location in New York City. Attorney General James charges Bevelyn Beatty and Edmee Chavannes with blocking access to Planned Parenthood of Greater New York’s (PPGNY) Manhattan Health Center and threatening those entering with violence and other intimidating and disruptive behavior that intentionally presented a direct risk to the health and safety of patients and staff. This is the latest legal action that Attorney General James has taken in her continued national fight to ensure women’s reproductive health care is not stifled or infringed upon in any way.

“For almost 50 years, Roe v. Wade has made clear the right of women to control their own bodies,” said Attorney General James. “Despite the clear protections under the law, these individuals used violent and illegal tactics to harass, threaten, and block women from entering Planned Parenthood. Let me be very clear: no person, no business, and no government body has the right to deny or limit a woman’s access to an abortion, and I will continue to do everything within my legal power to support the reproductive rights of women.”

The lawsuit — filed today in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, along with a motion for a preliminary injunction that seeks to immediately halt the two defendants’ behavior — alleges that, on numerous occasions throughout 2020, Beatty and Chavannes attempted to impede access to reproductive health care services by subjecting incoming patients and escorts to a barrage of unwanted physical contact, verbal abuse, and threats of harm. The suit maintains that during the first peak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in New York City, these individuals weaponized the threat of the virus to further intimidate and interfere with the local Planned Parenthood’s operations. Beatty and Chavannes purposely put patients, staff, and escorts at risk by refusing to comply with local and state distance and mask mandates related to COVID-19, and continued to accost people entering the health center at close range, while mocking staff and escorts’ mask usage and desire to avoid close contact with them. Ultimately, these individuals forced patients and staff to choose between obtaining and providing reproductive health care, or protecting themselves from exposure to the virus. Beatty and Chavannes have repeated these actions outside Planned Parenthood as recently as this past weekend. 

In a further display of their illegal harassment and violent actions, in June 2020, Beatty and Chavannes organized an anti-abortion protest outside PPGNY's Manhattan Health Center, where they physically and verbally assaulted multiple volunteers and members of health center staff. Beatty was captured on video slamming a health center staff member’s hand in a door, causing her to need x-rays; repeatedly shoving a volunteer patient escort attempting to enter the facility; slapping a different volunteer in the face; and threatening to knock an escort unconscious. Chavannes screamed threats in a staff member’s face while maskless, and both individuals physically blocked the main and side entrances of the health center to prevent patients and staff from entering. 

Today’s lawsuit and motion for a preliminary injunction seeks to prohibit Beatty and Chavannes, as well as anyone acting in concert with them, from participating in protest activity within an 18 foot by 30 foot area of PPGNY’s Manhattan Health Center’s premises, as well as seeks to immediately halt the using of threats, intimidation, or physical tactics to interfere with individuals seeking reproductive health services from the health center.

Attorney General James brings these claims under the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, the New York state Clinic Access Act, and the New York City Access to Reproductive Health Care Facilities Act, all of which prohibit obstructing access to reproductive health clinics.

“Today, Attorney General Letitia James took necessary and appropriate actions to protect the safety and dignity of Planned Parenthood of Greater New York’s patients, staff, and volunteers,” said Joy D. Calloway, interim CEO, Planned Parenthood of Greater New York. “Over the years, we have witnessed these anti-abortion extremists spew lies and use physical force to threaten our staff, bully our volunteers, and demoralize our patients. The vitriol of hate outside our Manhattan Health Center is a clear and present threat to reproductive rights. This lawsuit sends a loud and clear message: Planned Parenthood patients deserve to access sexual and reproductive health care free of fear and intimidation. Despite continuous threats from protesters, our clinical team remains committed to delivering care with compassion — including life-saving cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, birth control, HIV testing and prevention, wellness exams, and safe, legal abortion. We are proud to have a team of volunteer escorts who, even in the face of a pandemic, stand on the front lines of our health centers to safely usher patients through the doors. Their devotion to our mission clearly reaffirms the need to protect access to sexual and reproductive health care at every turn. We are incredibly grateful to have champions like Attorney General James defend reproductive rights in New York state and across the country. Together, we are creating a future that ensures reproductive freedom for all.”

Statement from Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on Updated CDC Guidance Eliminating Quarantine Requirement for Fully Vaccinated People Following Close Contact Exposure

 

"Yesterday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance regarding quarantine following exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. According to the guidance, 'asymptomatic fully vaccinated individuals', meaning those who have received both shots and at least two weeks have passed since the second shot, are no longer required to quarantine within 90 days after the second shot.

"From the outset of the pandemic, New York State has followed the science and listened to the experts, and quarantine requirements only for New Yorkers who have received both shots will be similarly updated to reflect the CDC's new guidance. However, the science regarding COVID transmissibility post-vaccination remains unsettled, and this updated guidance is not an all-clear for New Yorkers to let their guard down.

"All New Yorkers, including those who have been fully vaccinated, should continue to wear masks, social distance, and be smart until herd immunity is reached and this pandemic is fully relegated to the history books."