Governor Cuomo Announces Lowest COVID-19 Hospitalizations Since November 30 April 16, 2021

 

Hospitalizations Drop to 3,884

868 Patients in the ICU; 543 Intubated

Statewide Positivity Rate is 2.81%

Statewide 7-Day Average Positivity Rate Drops to 3.04%--Lowest Since November 25

43 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that COVID-19 hospitalizations dropped to 3,884, the lowest since November 30. The statewide 7-day average positivity rate dropped to 3.04 percent, the lowest since November 25.

"COVID-19 hospitalizations are down to their lowest level since November 30, which is basically Thanksgiving, so we are fully back to the point before the holiday surge. I want to make it especially clear that it is the actions of a community—the actions of individuals as a collective—that matter," Governor Cuomo said. "We know how the virus spreads, so it's a question of your behavior and the precautions you take. The more precautions you take, the fewer people get infected. We're at a point now where we've communicated all the information that we can communicate and everyone knows the facts. We've beseeched people to take it seriously, but it is now up to you. It's up to you as an individual, you as a family, you as a community. Our recovery is going to be a function of how many vaccinations we take, and I believe that there is a civic and community duty for individuals to take a vaccine. No one can be safe unless everyone is safe."

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

• Test Results Reported - 232,929
• Total Positive - 6,555
• Percent Positive - 2.81%
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 3.04%
• Patient Hospitalization - 3,884 (-79)
• Net Change Patient Hospitalization Past Week - -467
• Patients Newly Admitted - 472
• Hospital Counties - 52
• Number ICU - 868 (-18)
• Number ICU with Intubation - 543 (-16)
• Total Discharges - 169,765 (+498)
• Deaths - 43
• Total Deaths - 41,391

Governor Cuomo Signs Legislation Establishing First-in-the-Nation Program to Provide Affordable Internet to Low-Income Families

 

Program Requires Internet Service Providers to Offer an Affordable $15 per Month High-Speed Internet Plan to Low-Income Households, as Proposed in the Governor's 2021 State of the State

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed legislation establishing the first-in-the-nation requirement for affordable internet for qualifying low-income families, as proposed in the 2021 State of the State. This legislation requires providers operating in New York State to offer $15/month high-speed internet to low-income families across the state. New Yorkers qualifying for this affordable internet program include households who are eligible or receiving free or reduced-price lunch, supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits, Medicaid benefits, the senior citizen or disability rent increase exemptions, or an affordability benefit from a utility. It also requires providers to report to the Public Service Commission annually on their offers and uptake. This new affordable internet program will impact seven million New Yorkers and 2.7 million households.​

"High-speed internet is essential to our everyday lives, and as we continue to reopen our state and adjust to new norms that have been shaped by the pandemic, we need to make sure every household has access to affordable internet," Governor Cuomo said. "Remote learning, remote working, and telemedicine are not going away. This program - the first of its kind in the nation - will ensure that no New Yorker will have to forego having reliable home internet service and no child's education will have to suffer due to their economic situation."   

Affordability is a key issue in the fight for universal broadband, as many families cannot afford to pay for broadband service in their homes. A basic high-speed internet plan, on average, costs more than $50 per month. Nationwide, 43% of those earning less than $30,000 are not connected to internet at home, and 26% of those making $30,000 to $50,000 remain unconnected at home. It closes to 8% unconnected for those making $75,000 or more. Meanwhile, nationwide only 66 percent of Black households, 61 percent of Hispanic households, and 53 percent of Native Americans living on tribal lands are connected to internet at home, compared to 79 percent of White households.

To further bridge the internet gap in New York, the State has partnered with Schmidt Futures and the Ford Foundation to launch ConnectED NY, an emergency fund to provide approximately 50,000 students in economically disadvantaged school districts with free internet access through June 2022.   

In addition, Governor Cuomo launched the Affordable Broadband Portal to help New Yorkers find the affordable broadband programs in their area. This website also includes critical information about the FCC's Emergency Broadband Benefit Program ($50/month subsidy for broadband service, plus a one-time discount of up to $100 on computers and tablets). 

Furthermore, New York State will conduct an in-depth statewide mapping study of broadband to identify the availability, reliability and cost of high-speed broadband services and report on its findings within one year. This study will map the quality -- not just the availability -- of coverage. This is part of the State's effort to make broadband accessible and affordable for all. 

The Governor's comprehensive 2021 Connectivity Agenda builds on his work leading the nation in delivering equitable internet access for all New Yorkers. In 2015, the State undertook the largest and most ambitious broadband initiative in the nation, dedicating $500 million to broaden internet access statewide. This investment, coupled with regulatory reforms, expanded the reach of broadband so today 98 percent of New York households have access to high-speed broadband with download speeds of at least 100 Mbps. Furthermore, the Governor took critical steps to tackle the digital divide in schools by signing the 2014 Smart Schools Bond Act. This Act made $2 billion available to school districts across the state for technology devices and classroom enhancements to improve school connectivity, making it possible for schools to weather today's challenges of remote learning. 

Attorney General James Releases Grand Jury Proceedings Related to the Death of Daniel Prude

 

 New York Attorney General Letitia James today released the transcripts of the grand jury proceedings in her office’s investigation into the March 2020 death of Daniel Prude. The transcripts of the proceedings were released after a judge granted Attorney General James’ motion to unseal and publicly release them. This is the first time in New York history that grand jury proceedings in a case of a police-involved death have been made public.

“This nation has a long and painful history of injustice, and every day, we are working to create a fairer and more equal system,” said Attorney General James. “Our efforts to balance the scales of justice and ensure accountability can only go so far in the absence of transparency. We took the unprecedented action of seeking to release the grand jury transcripts because the public deserves to know what happened in these proceedings. As I have throughout my career, I will continue to use every tool at my disposal to shine a light in the corners of our system that have been hidden for too long.”

After impanelment, the grand jury convened on nine separate occasions between October 2020 and February 2021 for more than 45 hours in total. As ordered by the court, the transcripts of the grand jury proceedings have minimal redactions to protect the identities of the jurors and witnesses who testified.

Session One – October 28, 2020

Session Two – November 4, 2020

Session Three – November 18, 2020

Session Four – December 9, 2020

Session Five – December 16, 2020

Session Six – December 17, 2020

Session Seven – December 21, 2020

Session Eight – January 13, 2021

Session Nine – February 23, 2021

Attorney General James has a long history of pushing to change grand jury secrecy laws. Following the death of Eric Garner, then-Public Advocate Letitia James filed a lawsuit to release the minutes of the grand jury proceeding to ensure full transparency.

Mayoral Candidate Andrew Yang Visits Westchester Square

 

Mayoral candidate Andrew Yang came to Westchester Square Friday to give out food bags, but wound up holding a press conference, then left after bringing some bags of food to the table set up on the sidewalk in front of the Huntington Library. There were many reporters who wanted to ask candidate Yang several questions now that he has become the leading candidate according to recent polls. 

My question to Mayoral candidate Andrew Yang was about the proposed two, two-hundred bed Single Adult Homeless men's shelters proposed only blocks from the Westchester Square Business District. I said that Community Board 11 was responsible for 748 homeless people, and the two Single Adult men's shelters would account for over fifty percent of the boards requirement when DHS had a formula of no more than twenty-five percent allocation of Single Adult Males candidate Yang did not know what I was talking about. I added that Community Board 11 where both were to be built, the second one by a developer who was a big contributor to the Bill de Blasio campaign, I said what will Mayor Yang do to stop the second Adult Men's 200 bed shelter? I could see that candidate Andrew Yang knew nothing about the homeless situation and in my opinion will make a mayor just like Bill de Blasio if not worse, as he tried to bluff his way through my question. 

Candidate Yang attempts to answer my question on two, two-hundred bed Single Adult men' Shelters near Westchester Square in CB 11, showed that he knew nothing about the homeless problem in New York City. 

Candidate Yang is being showed the historical importance of the Huntington Library by a Community Board 10 member where the library is located.

Mayoral candidate Yang talks to one of a few people who passed by.

261 Days and Counting

 

I am not having a press conference today. Where is Dr. Choskhi?

The Winners of he Special Election are finally Announced, and it is Off to The June Primary.

 

At the Board of Elections during Rank Choice Voting count, a worried Oswald Feliz pulled out a victory in the 15th City Council District taking over for Congressman Ritchie Torres. Of the 3,976 votes cast, new Councilman Oswald Feliz wound up with 1,766 votes to second place finisher Ischia Bravo's 1,362 votes, with 848 of the original votes becoming exhausted in Rank Choice Voting, 

It was a different story in the 11th City Council race where Eric Dinowitz breezed to an easy victory, taking over for Judge Andrew Cohen. Of the 9,555 votes cast now Councilman Eric Dinowitz wound up with 5,579 to second place finisher Mino Lora's 3,188 vote, with 788 of the original votes becoming exhausted in Rank Choice Voting. 

Now both winners have to do it again for the June 22nd Democratic Primary which in the Bronx is the real election. 

Governor Cuomo Announces More than Half of New Yorkers 18 and Older Have Received at Least One Dose of the COVID-19 Vaccine

 

More than 1 in 3 New Yorkers 18 and Older Now Fully Vaccinated 

More than 12.5 Million Total Doses Administered Statewide

198,257 Doses Administered in the Last 24 Hours 

More than 1.5 Million Doses Administered Over Past Seven Days 

Vaccine Dashboard Updated Daily on the State's Vaccine Program; Go to ny.gov/vaccinetracker 

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that more than 50 percent of New Yorkers 18 years of age and older have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and more than one in three in the same age group have been fully vaccinated. More than 12.5 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in New York State. 198,257 doses have been administered across the state's vast distribution network in the last 24 hours, and more than 1.5 million doses have been administered over the past seven days.      

"Thanks to the extraordinary efforts and commitment of our providers and volunteers, more than half of New Yorkers who are 18 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and more than a third are fully vaccinated," Governor Cuomo said. "You take the vaccine not just for yourself - you take it to keep other people safe. COVID is still with us, but if we remain "New York Tough," we can continue to reopen our economy and gradually defeat this beast."   

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.                                               

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. 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 11 AM today is as follows.                                             

STATEWIDE BREAKDOWN

Total doses administered - 12,638,792

Total doses administered over past 24 hours - 198,257

Total doses administered over past 7 days - 1,546,338

Percent of New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 39.6%

Percent of New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 26.4% 

Percent of New Yorkers 18+ with at least one vaccine dose - 50.7%

Percent of New Yorkers 18+ with completed vaccine series - 34.1%

Manhattan Construction Business Operator Sentenced To 19 Months In Prison For Tax Fraud

 

 Audrey Strauss, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that BILAL SALAJ was sentenced in Manhattan federal court to 19 months in prison for perpetrating tax fraud.  SALAJ previously pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang to conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), tax evasion, and failure to pay over payroll taxes.  U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel, who accepted SALAJ’s guilty plea, imposed today’s sentence.

U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said:  “Bilal Salaj failed to pay his tax obligations to the IRS and maintained a cash payroll for his business while cheating the government out of almost $1 million. Our self-assessment system of tax reporting is not synonymous with ‘forthrightness optional.’ The government — and especially our law enforcement partners — won’t miss, overlook, or ignore those who misreport on their tax returns. In the competitive small business world, being dishonest and underreporting tax obligations might be tempting. But Salaj’s sentence is a reminder that tax fraud is a serious federal crime and not worth the risk.”

According to the allegations contained in the Information to which SALAJ pled guilty, court filings, and statements made in public court proceedings:    

At all relevant times, BILAL SALAJ, a citizen and resident of the United States, operated a construction business in Manhattan.  Initially, SALAJ was the record owner of the business, but in approximately July 2014, SALAJ began operating the business under a new entity that, on paper, was wholly owned by a third party (“Individual-1”), who worked for SALAJ in the construction business.  Despite this purported change in ownership, SALAJ continued to exercise principal control and decision-making authority over the business and its financial affairs.  In particular, SALAJ was a responsible person under federal law for collecting, truthfully accounting for, and paying over payroll taxes for the business to the IRS.

Between at least in or about 2014 and in or about June 2019, SALAJ devised and perpetrated a scheme to evade a substantial portion of both the payroll taxes for the construction business and SALAJ’s personal income taxes for the period 2014 through 2018.  During this period, SALAJ cashed, and caused Individual-1 to cash, approximately $3.2 million in business checks payable to the construction company at check cashing facilities in Manhattan, instead of depositing them into the company’s operating bank account.  SALAJ and Individual-1 used a portion of the proceeds from the cashed checks to pay cash wages to employees of the construction business, and spent most of the rest on personal expenses.  SALAJ did not withhold or pay over to the IRS any payroll taxes on the cash wages paid to the employees, and did not report to the IRS or pay any personal income taxes on the cash income he realized through the cashed checks.  As part of the tax evasion scheme, SALAJ fraudulently withheld from his accountant any records relating to the cashed business checks, and thereby caused false tax returns to be filed with the IRS.  The tax evasion scheme, including relevant conduct, resulted in a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $952,778.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Castel ordered SALAJ, 56, of Morganville, New Jersey, to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $952,778.  SALAJ was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release.

Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding work of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, in this case. 

This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit.  Assistant United States Attorney Olga I. Zverovich is in charge of the prosecution.