Friday, February 19, 2021

Attorney General James Co-Leads Coalition Calling for Cancellation of Federal Student Loan Debt

 

AG James and Multistate Coalition Support Congressional Resolutions
Calling for Cancellation of Up to $50,000 in Debt Per Student Borrower

 New York Attorney General Letitia James today co-led a multistate coalition of 17 attorneys general from around the nation in urging the adoption of U.S. House and U.S. Senate resolutions that call for the cancellation of up to $50,000 in federal student debt owed by each and every federal student loan borrower across the country. In their letter to Congress, Attorney General James and the coalition stress the immediate relief needed for borrowers struggling with unmanageable student loan debt, which has only been exacerbated by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the resulting financial crisis. The resolutions — Senate Resolution 46 and House Resolution 100 — call on President Joseph Biden to exercise his authority to cancel up to $50,000 in federal student loan debt per borrower.

“Student loan debt holds too many struggling borrowers down and prevents them from achieving financial stability,” said Attorney General James. “Many fall behind on their payments or enter default, leading to a downward spiral of ruined credit and dashed dreams. Cancelling up to $50,000 in student loan debt will not only free these borrowers to move forward with their lives, but will simultaneously help close the racial wealth gap and move our economy to new heights. This is about creating equal footing among all students and giving every borrower the opportunity to succeed.”

In their letter, the coalition lays out how the existing repayment system for federal student loans provides insufficient opportunity for struggling borrowers to manage their debts. As many as one in five federal student loan borrowers are in default. Options for student borrowers to obtain relief have also proven to be inadequate. Only two-percent of borrowers who applied for loan discharges under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program have been granted a discharge, and efforts by state attorneys general to obtain student loan discharges for students defrauded by for-profit schools have been stymied by the U.S. Department of Education under the Trump Administration.

Today’s letter specifically highlights misconduct by for-profit schools, and how the industry’s predatory practices have disproportionately harmed people of color. The attorneys general state that cancelling federal student loan debt can substantially increase Black and Latinx household wealth and help close the racial wealth gap.

Today’s letter is the latest action Attorney General James has taken to help student loan borrowers. In July, Attorney General James and a multistate coalition sued the Trump Administration’s U.S. Department of Education and former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to block their efforts to repeal critical protections for student-borrowers who have been misled or defrauded by predatory for-profit schools.

In June 2020, Attorney General James filed a multistate lawsuit to stop the Department of Education and former Education Secretary DeVos from repealing the “Gainful Employment” rule, which provides critical protections to students considering enrolling in for-profit colleges and vocational schools that promise students “gainful employment in a recognized occupation” after graduation.

Additionally, Attorney General James obtained multistate agreements to provide more than $7.5 million in debt relief to nearly 900 former ITT Tech students in New York after investigations found that ITT Tech, Student CU Connect CUSO, and PEAKS Trust preyed on students by deceiving them into taking out student loans.

Joining Attorney General James in co-leading today’s letter is Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey. The two are joined by the attorneys general of Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.

Statement From Governor Andrew M. Cuomo Updating New Yorkers on Vaccine Shipping Delays

 

 "The federal government previously informed New York that the winter storms impacting much of the country have delayed nearly all shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine, and since then we have been in constant contact with our federal partners to track any incoming shipments and make the necessary adjustments to our operations.

"We have now been informed that shipments of the Pfizer vaccine that should have been delivered already but were delayed due to weather are scheduled to arrive by Monday, and orders placed within the last 48 hours will be sent after, with expected arrival on Tuesday and Wednesday. Delayed shipments of the Moderna vaccine should arrive by the middle of next week, with orders placed within the last 48 hours expected to arrive next Thursday and Friday.

"We will continue to track these shipments closely over the coming days and keep New Yorkers informed about any changes in existing appointments. At this time, no appointments at state-run sites have been rescheduled due to these shipping issues. In the meantime, we are doing everything we can to get shots into arms as quickly and fairly as possible so we can defeat this beast once and for all."

Statement from Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on Vaccine Shipping Delays

 

 "The Federal government has informed New York that nearly all COVID-19 vaccine doses allocated for Week 10 — which were scheduled to be delivered between February 12th and February 21st — are delayed due to the winter storms continuing to impact much of the country. Every dose that should have shipped on Monday was held back, and only a limited number of Pfizer vaccines left shipping facilities on Tuesday and Wednesday.

"This delay will undoubtedly pose a logistical challenge for New York — but as we have shown over the last 350-plus days, we are New York Tough, and we are up to the challenge. The Department of Health is working closely with all providers, including local health departments, hospitals, pharmacies, and FQHCs to minimize the impact on their operations and reduce the number of appointments that must be rescheduled. The vaccine is the weapon that will win the war against COVID, and we will continue to work with our federal partners to expedite the delayed shipments and will keep New Yorkers updated over the coming days."

316 Days and Counting

 


I still have 316 days left as Mayor of New York City. Should I run for Governor of New York State next year now that Governor Cuomo is being investigated for the COVID-19 nursing home deaths?

Thursday, February 18, 2021

CONSUMER ALERT: NEW YORK DIVISION OF CONSUMER PROTECTION ALERTS CONSUMERS ABOUT LOYALTY PROGRAMS

 

Loyalty Programs Can Offer Benefits, But Are Not Always What You Bargain For Consumers Can Always Opt Out of Loyalty Programs

 The Division of Consumer Protection reminds consumers of their rights when engaging in the many loyalty programs available in the marketplace. When consumers sign up for loyalty programs, their information is captured and used by the company to contact the consumer – how and when the company wants. Consumers should know they have options to limit or stop any unwanted emails, texts and phone calls.

“Consumers complain about phone calls from companies and sometimes these calls are legal – because the consumer ‘signed up’ when they started a loyalty program,” said Secretary of State Rossana Rosado, who oversees the Division of Consumer Protection’s Do Not Call program. “Consumers need to know the law empowers them to stop these unwanted communications.”

Loyalty programs come in a variety of packages, including points (credit cards), rewards for purchases (clothing and other retail stores), tiered based on use (airlines), paid program (Amazon Prime and other subscription memberships), value-based (marketing), and partner programs (fly with us and get deals with other companies). Businesses across the marketplace use loyalty programs to market their products. Benefits include “free” products, services and sometimes cash, but the programs are not without cost. Companies gain your permission to reach out with email, social media, texts and phone calls, whenever and however they want.  This is true, for example, even if your phone number is registered on the National Do Not Call Registry.

Below are key tips consumers should keep in mind when signing up for loyalty programs:

  • Phone calls. Before starting a loyalty program, ask about automatic phone opt-out. If you are already a member, search the company website or your loyalty card for the loyalty program phone number. Call them and say you no longer want to receive calls and/or text messages. Under NYS law, once you opt-out of receiving calls from that provider, the calls need to stop immediately, regardless if you registered your phone number with the National Do Not Call registry.
  • Any company marketing emails require opt-out options, under the federal CAN-SPAM Act. Find the link and click through the opt-out and unsubscribe options. If you are a business, please check out FTC’s recommendations here: https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business.
  • Text messages. Company text messages also have opt-out requirements under the federal Telecommunication Consumer Protection Act. Scammers also send text messages that mimic legitimate companies. When opting out of text messages, make sure the text is a legitimate text from the company’s loyalty program, as claimed. If you are unsure, delete the message, rather than responding to text opt-out option and go to the company’s website directly to opt-out of text messages.
  • Privacy Warning. Did you join a loyalty program years ago that you no longer use? Loyalty programs are often managed by third party companies and the information stored in their systems is not protected the same way the company might protect other information. Consumers and businesses lose billions of dollars a year due to loyalty program security breaches. Consumers should close out old loyalty programs they are no longer using and request the company remove their personal information. 

If a consumer has opted out of communications and continues to receive unwanted communication from a company, they are encouraged to file a complaint with the Division of Consumer Protection.

The New York State Division of Consumer Protection enforces Do Not Call violations and provides voluntary mediation between a consumer and a business. The Consumer Assistance Helpline 1-800-697-1220 is available Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm, excluding State Holidays, and consumer complaints can be filed at any time at www.dos.ny.gov/consumerprotection. The Division can also be reached via Twitter at @NYSConsumer or Facebook at www.facebook.com/nysconsumer.

A RECOVERY FOR ALL OF US: MAYOR DE BLASIO SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER ESTABLISHING CENTER FOR CREATIVE CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND CELEBRATES SUCCESSFUL MEDIATION OF A COMMUNITY-BASED DISPUTE

 

  Mayor Bill de Blasio signed Executive Order 63, officially establishing the Center for Creative Conflict Resolution (CCCR) within the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) as the City government’s central dispute resolution resource. The Executive Order also directs all agencies to consult with CCCR to incorporate restorative justice principles into their workplaces and missions.

“The disruption caused by the pandemic has also led to new and creative programs that will improve how the City serves all New Yorkers,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “A recovery for all of us includes setting up businesses for success, rather than punishment. The expansion of the Center for Creative Conflict Resolution will help business owners and the public solve common problems, together.”

 

The signing of the executive order coincided with the signing of a mediation agreement between first time restaurant owner Jacob Poznak, of Moonrise Izakaya located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and a long-time neighborhood resident, Gregory Brown, whose quality of life issue was successfully mediated. This case, which involved a dispute about noise, was mediated by CCCR mediators as part of the MEND NYC program which was launched last year as a partnership between CCCR and the Office of Nightlife at the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment.  During the mediated conversation, the parties also exchanged contact information agreeing to continue to have a conversation between themselves directly should future issues arise.

 

OATH’s CCCR has been in existence since 2016 and has served as a resource for NYC government, its agencies, employees and unions to create positive change in the ways that conflicts are managed and resolved. In fiscal year 2020, the Center handled close to 400 mediations, consultations, career coaching, trainings and group facilitations.

 

In 2020, under the leadership of Commissioner Joni Kletter, OATH has expanded the work of its center to add more public-facing work. This included partnering with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) and its Office of Nightlife in the creation of the successful MEND NYC program which provides mediation for residents experiencing quality of life issues emanating from neighboring restaurants and bars, issues exacerbated by the sudden increase of restaurants and bars operating outdoors while New Yorkers also spend more time in their homes due to the pandemic.  MEND NYC has since expanded its services to include mediation for small businesses facing commercial lease disputes with their landlords.

 

“Mediating these neighborhood disputes opens a dialogue between neighbors, increases the quality of life by quickly addressing neighborhood nuisances, provides an effective alternative to formal enforcement and can help small businesses avoid costly summonses.  When people in conflict have access to free, professional and meaningful conflict resolution services and are willing to enter into a dialogue we have a real opportunity to build better, more sustainable communities where our small businesses and residents live and thrive together,” said Joni Kletter, Commissioner of the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings.

 

MEND NYC represented the first time OATH’s Center has offered its conflict resolution services to assist the general public in mediating their disputes.  MEND NYC also represents the first program where a City agency has leveraged the Center’s mediation services to incorporate restorative justice into that agency’s work. 

 

Additionally, the Executive Order signed today creates an advisory board to guide the CCCR’s work and directs all agencies to appoint an alternative dispute resolution coordinator. 

 

“I am thrilled to see the establishment of a permanent office within City government to address the City's conflict needs at a time when the City is looking to heal from the trauma of the pandemic and to address the inequities our nation faces,” said Administrative Law Judge Ray Kramer, director of the Center for Creative Conflict Resolution. “Our center is committed to expanding the use of alternative dispute resolution and restorative practices by City agencies in support of its workforce and the communities the City serves and to helping New York City become a more restorative city. This is the kind of visionary thinking that sets New York City apart.”

 

“Our office has had a front row seat to the exceptional work done by OATH’s Center for Conflict Resolution. The Mayor’s executive order reiterates how important this resource is for dispute resolution Citywide,” said Kapil Longani, Counsel to the Mayor. “Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, this Administration has worked tirelessly to find creative solutions to support our businesses. MEND NYC is great example of the innovation that has become commonplace at OATH. It will no doubt provide an invaluable tool to our business operators and residents for resolving any issues impacting our neighborhoods.”

 

"The Office of Nightlife is very proud of our partnership with OATH’s Center for Creative Conflict Resolution in creating MEND NYC, a new free mediation program to help small business such as bars, restaurants or nightclubs resolve quality of life issues with their neighbors,” said Ariel Palitz, senior executive director of the Office of Nightlife at the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. “We believe through direct communication and compromise, hospitality businesses and residential neighbors can find common ground and co-exist as we rebuild and recover.”

 

“As the city reopens and communities are recovering, it’s more important than ever for our local establishments and residents to be able to work together to resolve disputes,” said the Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Anne del Castillo. “We are proud to partner with OATH to offer free conflict resolution for restaurants and bars through MEND NYC and applaud Mayor de Blasio for establishing the Center for Creative Conflict Resolution as the City’s new office that will house this valuable work.”


More information about CCCR’s work can be found at nyc.gov/conflictresolution.  New Yorkers interested in learning more about resolving quality of life issues emanating from a local business can visit nyc.gov/mendnyc to learn how to request mediation for their issue.

 

Attorneys And Managers Of Fraudulent Asylum Scheme Charged In Manhattan Federal Court

 

Defendants at Two New York City Firms Prepared Coached Clients to Lie During Immigration Proceedings

 Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeny Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Patricia Menges, the New York Asylum Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”), and Jason J. Molina, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the Newark Field Office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), announced the unsealing of two indictments charging nine individuals in two respective schemes to prepare and submit fraudulent asylum applications, affidavits and other documents to USCIS, and to coach asylum seekers to lie under oath during immigration proceedings.

ILONA DZHAMGAROVA and ARTHUR ARCADIAN, two immigration attorneys based in Brooklyn, New York, and their associate, IGOR REZNK, were charged in one indictment with conspiracy to commit asylum fraud (the “Dzhamgarova Indictment”).  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil.  All three defendants were taken into custody today.  DZHAMGAROVA and ARCADIAN are expected to be presented in the Southern District of Florida.  REZNIK is expected to be presented in the District of Maryland.

In a separate indictment, YURY MOSHA, ULADZIMIR DANSKOI, JULIA GREENBERG, ALEKSEI KMIT, TYMUR SHCHERBYNA, and KATERYNA LYSYUCHENKO were charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to commit asylum fraud.  That case has been assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Alison J. Nathan.  Five defendants were taken into custody today.  MOSHA and DANSKOI are expected to be presented in the Southern District of New York today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker.  GREENBERG and KMIT are expected to be presented in the Districts of Colorado and Idaho, respectively.  LYSYUCHENKO was arrested in Milan, Italy, and is pending extradition.

U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Fear of violence and persecution, be it on the basis of race, religion, or sexual orientation, is a daily reality for too many across the world. To exploit and profit from the fears of the victims of persecution is cynical; to do so through lies and for money is fraud. As alleged, these defendants engaged in a scheme to deceive asylum officers of the United States through carefully scripted lies, trading on deeply held concerns for actual victims of persecution in an effort to obtain money and illegal immigration documents. Asylum fraud was not merely a means of lining these defendants’ pockets. It is a burden on the asylum system and a hindrance to those legitimately in need of our country’s protection.”

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said:  “The elaborate deceptions allegedly created by the groups of attorneys and managers in this investigation are astounding.  As we allege, they told their clients to lie on asylum applications and under oath about being persecuted in their home countries, and they even created ghost-written blogs to bolster those false claims. As these defendants will learn, engaging in this kind of conduct has grave consequences. Creating false narratives to conceal the identities of people seeking asylum in the United States threatens our national security, and we will continue to address it accordingly."

USCIS New York Asylum Director Patricia Menges said: “USCIS is committed to finding and stopping those who want to cheat the immigration system, and preserving it for those who qualify for immigration benefits.”

Special Agent-in-Charge, HSI, Newark Jason J. Molina said: “Under the guise of fictitious stories of persecution to gain asylum, these individuals allegedly exploited their fellow Russians for financial gain. Their arrest should serve as a warning to others of his ilk that the cooperative efforts of law enforcement agencies will track and persecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”

According to the allegations in the Indictments[[1]]:

The charges in these two Indictment arise from an investigation into two New York City immigration firms, the “Dzhamgarova Firm” and “Russian America,” which helped their respective clients – primarily aliens from Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States – seek visas, asylum, citizenship, and other forms of legal status in the United States.  Among other things, both firms advised certain of their clients in the manner in which they were most likely to obtain asylum in this country, fully understanding that those clients did not legitimately qualify for asylum.  The firms also prepared and submitted to USCIS clients’ fraudulent Form I-589 asylum applications, asylum affidavits – statements of an asylum applicant’s personal history and claimed basis for asylum, often including allegations of past persecution – and related supporting documentation.  Members and associates of each firm also coached certain clients to lie under oath during interviews conducted by USCIS Asylum Officers and provided legal representation to their clients during various immigration proceedings.

The Dzhamgarova Indictment

Between November 2018 and December 2021, ILONA DZHAMGAROVA, an immigration attorney, maintained the Dzhamgarova Firm, based in Brooklyn, New York.  Among other things, DZHAMGAROVA advised clients to seek asylum by falsely claiming that they were members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (“LGBTQ”) community who suffered persecution in their native countries, when DZHAMGAROVA fully understood that these clients were not members of that community and suffered no such persecution.  Additionally, DZHAMGAROVA and her husband, ARTHUR ARCADIAN, also an attorney, prepared and submitted clients’ fraudulent asylum applications and affidavits to USCIS, under penalty of perjury, fully understanding that these documents at times contained material falsehoods.  DZHAMGAROVA and REZNIK also coached certain clients to lie in asylum interviews conducted by USCIS asylum officers and represented clients during immigration proceedings.

The Dhzamgarova Firm also employed writers and bloggers, including IGOR REZNIK, who knowingly concocted and drafted clients’ fraudulent asylum affidavits so that they could be submitted as part of clients’ asylum applications.  These affidavits, which were designed to support clients’ persecution claims, conveyed purported aspects of clients’ personal histories that were filled with falsehoods, including events and incidents of alleged persecution that were completely manufactured by REZNIK.  

The Mosha Indictment 

YURY MOSHA and ULADZIMIR DANSKOI operated and maintained Russian America’s Manhattan and Brooklyn offices, respectively. Each advised and aided clients to seek asylum under fraudulent pretenses.  Among other things, MOSHA encouraged certain clients to establish and maintain online blogs that were critical of the clients’ home countries, as a way to generate a claim that, based on the clients’ invented political opinions, it was unsafe for them to return to their native countries.  MOSHA did so understanding that the clients’ decision to blog was prompted not by their own idea or initiative, but by MOSHA’s instruction, and that the clients’ motive for blogging was to contrive a basis for asylum, rather than to publicly express a sincerely held opinion.  MOSHA also understood that, in some instances, these clients lacked the desire, topical knowledge, journalistic ability, and/or technical expertise to write blogposts and maintain these blogs.  In those instances, MOSHA connected some Russian America clients with TYMUR SHCHERBYNA, a Ukraine-based purported journalist, with the understanding that, in exchange for a fee, SHCHERBYNA would and did maintain and ghost-write the clients’ blogs.  MOSHA also personally prepared and submitted clients’ asylum applications and related paperwork under penalty of perjury, knowing that these documents contained material falsehoods.  ALEKSEI KMIT, who worked directly under MOSHA in Russian America’s Manhattan Office, and who understood that certain clients were seeking asylum under fraudulent pretenses, served as a liaison between these clients and Russian America employees and at times advised these clients regarding their fraudulent applications.

DANSKOI performed similar functions as MOSHA, but in Russian America’s Brooklyn Office.  For example, DANSKOI advised one Russian America client, a confidential FBI source (the “Source”), to seek asylum on the fraudulent basis that the client was persecuted in Ukraine for being a gay male, when in fact DANSKOI fully understood that the Source was a heterosexual male who suffered no such persecution.  DANSKOI also advised the Source on how to most effectively advance this fraudulent claim.

Both MOSHA and DANSKOI referred certain clients to KATERYNA LYSYUCHENKO – an Italy-based associate, who helped certain Russian America clients draft fraudulent Asylum Affidavits by, among other things, sending them template Asylum Affidavits to model off of, and advising clients about what information to include in their affidavits, understanding these documents to be fraudulent – and JULIA GREENBERG, a New York immigration attorney, who coached clients to lie to Asylum Officers and provided legal representation to such clients during immigration proceedings.  For example, GREENBERG, understanding that the Source was a heterosexual male who did not suffer persecution in his home country, prepared the Source for questioning by an Asylum Officer and advised the Source how to falsely answer certain anticipated questions from the Asylum Officer.

DZHAMGAROVA, 44, and ARCADIAN, 42, both of Brooklyn, NY; and REZNIK, 39, of New York, NY, are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit immigration fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. 

MOSHA, 45, DANSKOI, 54, and GREENBERG, 41, each of Staten Island, New York; KMIT, 30, of Boise, Idaho; SHCHERBYNA, 35, of Ukraine, and LYSYUCHENKO, 39, of Italy, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to commit asylum fraud. 

The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s New York Eurasian Organized Crime Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, USCIS New York Asylum Office and Fraud Detection and National Security unit, and thanked United States Customs and Border Protection and the New York City Police Department for their assistance.

 [1] The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on State Vaccination Program

 

As of 11 AM today, New York's Health Care Distribution Sites Have Administered 96% of First Doses Received Week 1-9   

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 updated New Yorkers on the state's vaccination program. As of 11AM today, New York's health care distribution sites have administered 96 percent of first doses received for week 1-9 first doses. The week 10 allocation from the federal government is beginning to arrive in New York State, and New York's health care distribution sites have administered 85 percent of doses so far delivered.   

Approximately 10 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.   

"New Yorkers have been doing their part to keep the infection rate down, and we're continuing to do everything we can to get shots into arms as quickly and fairly as possible," Governor Cuomo said. "It's working - we've made it past the post-holiday surge and our numbers continue to go down every day - but our issue remains lack of federal supply. With new leadership in Washington we are now expecting another increase in doses for week 11, allowing us to vaccinate even more New Yorkers every week and bringing us one step closer to winning this war and becoming the first COVID-free state."   

The 'Am I Eligible' screening tool has been updated for individuals with comorbidities and underlying conditions with new appointments released on a rolling basis over the next weeks. Starting next week, local health departments will also receive vaccine allocations for these individuals. New Yorkers can use the following to show they are eligible:

  • Doctor's letter, or
  • Medical information evidencing comorbidity, or
  • Signed certification 

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. Beginning week 9, allocation totals are inclusive of some excess vaccine doses that have been reallocated from the federal Long Term Care Facility program. The allocation totals below include 40 percent of the week 10 allocation which will finish being distributed to New York provider sites on Sunday.   

STATEWIDE BREAKDOWN

First Doses Received - 2,335,250

First Doses Administered - 2,109,690; 90%

Second Doses Received - 1,284,300

Second Doses Administered - 984,100