Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress During COVID-19 Pandemic April 28, 2021

 

Statewide Positivity Rate is 1.81%

Statewide 7-Day Average Positivity Rate Drops to 2.02%—Lowest Since November 7

Hospitalizations Drop to 3,117—Lowest Since November 26

ICU Patients Drop to 712—Lowest Since November 29

Intubations Drop to 444—Lowest Since December 4

32 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Among today's numbers, the positivity rate in New York City yesterday was 1.72 percent, the lowest since November 4, and the City's 7-day average positivity rate fell to 2.04 percent, the lowest since November 9. There were 1,521 hospitalizations in New York City yesterday, the lowest since December 7.

"New Yorkers have done a tremendous job at beating back COVID and as a result of their hard work, we have been able to re-open more and more facets of our economy," Governor Cuomo said. "While this is all good news, we are not yet out of the woods and still have work to do in order to defeat this beast. New York continues to expand vaccine access and availability across the state, and it's now on all of us to do our part by getting vaccinated and practicing the behaviors we all know will keep us safe. We've come a long way and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but at this moment, it's critical we do not get complacent and risk losing any of the positive momentum we've gained."

Today's data is summarized briefly below: 

• Test Results Reported - 173,527
• Total Positive - 3,146
• Percent Positive - 1.81%
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 2.02%
• Patient Hospitalization - 3,117 (-67)
• Net Change Patient Hospitalization Past Week - -640
• Patients Newly Admitted - 399
• Hospital Counties - 52
• Number ICU - 712 (-16)
• Number ICU with Intubation - 444 (-17)
• Total Discharges - 174,727 (+382)
• Deaths - 32
• Total Deaths - 41,910

Attorney General James Announces Criminal Conviction of Staten Island Construction Firm Over Wage Theft and Unemployment Fraud

 

Premier Builders and Owners Michael Murphy and James Murphy Jr. Ordered to Pay Over $580,000 in Restitution for Failing to Pay Workers Overtime Wages and Unemployment Insurance Contributions

 New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced the convictions of Premier Builders MN LLC (Premier), a Staten Island-based construction company, and two of its owners, Michael Murphy and James Murphy, Jr., for withholding overtime wages from employees, and for failing to pay unemployment contributions to the New York State Department of Labor (DOL) Unemployment Insurance fund dating back to 2013. The defendants are required to pay $580,000 in restitution and more than $150,000 will go to employees of Premier.

“New York’s construction workers, who risk their lives building our communities, are often cheated out of their fair pay by greedy employers,” said Attorney General James. “These convictions serve as a clear warning: Any employer that attempts to exploit workers will be pursued to the fullest extent of the law. My office will continue to do everything in our power to ensure no New Yorker is cheated out of their hard-earned money and that those who steal off the backs of their workers are held accountable.”

Premier Builders was convicted of two class E felonies — one count of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree and one count of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree. Michael Murphy and James Murphy, Jr. were each convicted of one count of Failure to Pay Wages, a misdemeanor. As part of their convictions, the defendants have paid $300,000 in restitution to date and signed confessions of judgment for an additional $280,000. The defendants have also paid $151,915 in restitution to be paid out to 76 employees who were owed overtime wages between the end of 2013 and early 2015. The defendants paid an additional $148,085 to the New York State Unemployment Insurance fund. The sentencing court has entered confessions of judgment against Premier Builders and its principals for an additional $289,695 in unemployment insurance contributions owed to the state.

A joint investigation by the Attorney General’s Office and DOL revealed that Premier failed to accurately report to DOL’s Unemployment Insurance Division the number of employees working between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2016, thereby falsifying their New York State Quarterly Combined Withholding, Wage Reporting, and Unemployment Insurance Return forms — resulting in significant underpayment of unemployment contributions. Additionally, between November 1, 2013 and March 31, 2015, Premier paid its employees an hourly wage rate, ranging between $15 and $30 per hour. However, when employees worked in excess of 40 hours in any given workweek, Premier failed to pay them the proper rate of time-and-one-half the regularly hourly rate for overtime, and instead, only paid them a straight time rate. 

This case was investigated as part of the Construction Wage Theft Task Force, which is a joint, statewide effort among law enforcement agencies focusing on combating corruption and crime within the construction industry. The Attorney General’s Office thanks DOL for their cooperation in this initiative. 

“Let this serve as a reminder to unscrupulous employers everywhere: Unemployment Insurance fraud will not be tolerated in New York state,” said New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon. “There is no excuse to steal from a system that is helping New Yorkers during their greatest time of need, especially during a global health pandemic. I thank the Attorney General’s office and our many law enforcement partners for joining us in our ongoing fight to eradicate fraud.”

This case was investigated by Special Audit and Enforcement District Manager Louis Adinolfi, under the supervision of Sengan N’Jie, of DOL. From the Attorney General’s Office, the case was investigated by former Detective Investigator Ismael Hernandez of the Major Investigations Unit, under the supervision of Supervising Detective Sylvia Rivera and Deputy Chief Antoine J. Karam. The Investigations Bureau is led by Chief Oliver Pu-Folkes.

NEW YORK CITY TO LAUNCH $15 MILLION RANKED CHOICE VOTING EDUCATION CAMPAIGN

 

Mayor de Blasio appoints Laura Wood as New York City’s Chief Democracy Officer

 Mayor Bill de Blasio and DemocracyNYC today announced an unprecedented $15 million voter education campaign to inform New Yorkers on the new Ranked Choice Voting system ahead of June’s Primary Elections. This effort will include an advertising campaign, investments in language access and accessibility resources, and direct outreach partnerships with community groups, faith-based organizations, Minority and Women-Owned Businesses (MWBEs), and other stakeholders.

The mayor also announced the appointment of Laura Wood as New York City’s Chief Democracy Officer. A native New Yorker, Laura has served as Senior Advisor and General Counsel to DemocracyNYC since 2019. Prior to this position, she spent five years as Senior Advisor and Special Counsel to the New York State Attorney General. Before that, Laura was Chief Counsel to the Democratic Conference of the New York State Senate and Policy Director to State Senator Daniel Squadron.

 

“New York City is set to conduct the biggest Ranked Choice Voting election in America, and we’ll put on a full court press to ensure every New Yorker has the information they need to make their voice heard,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Laura Wood is an extraordinary public servant who knows how to reach deeply into communities. She’s the perfect choice to lead this unprecedented effort to get voters ready to participate in democracy in 2021 and beyond.”

 

“There’s nothing more fundamental than the right to vote – and this year, we have to work harder than ever to make sure New Yorkers use their franchise knowledgably and wisely,” said J. Phillip Thompson, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives. “This campaign will give voters the resources they need to adjust to the new system and tell friends and neighbors about the importance of Ranked Choice Voting.”

 

“With New Yorkers facing so many challenges, learning about the upcoming elections and Ranked Choice Voting should not be one of them,” said Chief Democracy Officer Laura Wood.  “In this final stretch before the primary, DemocracyNYC is thrilled to work together with our partners – both in and out of government – to ensure that all New York City voters have their voices heard at the ballot box in June. This new commitment will allow us to educate voters where they live and in the languages that they speak.”

 

The campaign will include:

 

Citywide Media Campaign

* Robust TV, radio and print advertising, including significant investment in community and ethnic media.

* A broad “out of home” campaign which includes subway, billboards, and Staten Island Ferry, including 542 bus shelter and newsstand ads. 

* Digital media on popular app platforms and streaming services. 

* Continued collaboration with BRIC Media on a “BHeard Civic Engagement and NYC Politics” series. 

* Promotion of a multilingual, interactive online app, developed with RankedVote, which mimics the New York City ballot and helps New Yorkers practice and understand how Ranked Choice Voting works.

 

Language Access and Accessibility Resources

* Investing over $2 million in translation of key voter education resources into more than 18 languages including printed pamphlets and public service announcements. 

* Culturally competent video content to be produced, in partnership with CUNY and the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, for We Speak NYC, the City’s free English language learning program which provides civic-focused instruction through community conversation workshops and videos.

 

Direct Outreach

* Investments in MWBEs, Community-Based Organizations, faith-based organizations, and other community leaders and groups to do in-person outreach, education, and material distribution.

* Hosting and facilitating dozens of multilingual voter education workshops.

* Conducting Phone Banking Days of Action to Get Out the Vote for the June Primary.

* Text Banking New Yorkers with a goal of three million text messages, including a Voter Registration Day of Action on May 11th.

* Working with the CUNY student corps to conduct voter outreach, voter education and volunteer recruitment.

 

EDITOR'S NOTE:

This plan seems all well, but we don't see the very most important part of any election mentioned, and that is the NYC Board of Elections.

The NYC BOE made up its own Rank Choice Voting guide at the entrance to each of the Special Election poll sites which was very informative to the voters. The BOE showed how Rank Choice Voting works, but also let voters know that they are not forced to vote for five candidates, they can rank from one to five candidates.

249 Days and Counting. NYC to spend $15 Million Dollars to Educate Voters on Rank Choice Voting

 

Rank Choice Voting is coming to the June Primary. This is what we will be doing to make sure New York City Voters know what Rank Choice Voting is, and are not confused when they get to the poll site. You can vote for up to five people running for one office by ranking them by choice. 

It's a good thing this was not in effect when I ran for mayor, or I wouldn't be sitting here right now. Someone else would have been your mayor. 

9 DeKalb Avenue’s Superstructure Soars Past Halfway Mark In Downtown Brooklyn

 

Call the Ghostbusters. 

This building looks just like the one from the movie Ghostbusters.

Construction has passed the halfway mark on 9 DeKalb Avenue, a 73-story residential skyscraper in Downtown Brooklyn and the Outer Boroughs’ first supertall at 1,066 feet tall. Designed by SHoP Architects and developed by JDS, the tower will soon eclipse the 720-foot-tall architectural height of Kohn Pedersen Fox’s Brooklyn Point to secure the title of the tallest building in Brooklyn. 9 DeKalb Avenue will yield a total of 425 rental apartments and 150 condominiums.

Recent photos show the reinforced concrete superstructure standing nearly twice as tall as it was at the time of our last update in late December. Also since then, a great deal of the façade has been installed on the perimeter of the hexagonal floor plates, giving an impression of the final appearance of the curtain wall. The floor-to-ceiling glass and sleek vertical strips of stainless steel and aluminum serve to emphasize the verticality of both the envelope and the sheer height of SHoP’s design.

Representative Adriano Espaillat to Attend President Biden's Joint Address to Congress

 

Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) released the following statement in anticipation of attending President Joe Biden’s Joint Address to Congress on Wednesday, which marks the first 100 days of the President’s first term.

“Over one month after the passage of the historic American Rescue Plan, and 100 days into our work with the Biden administration, families and communities are seeing the benefits of Democrats historic COVID relief package.  The American Rescue Plan is delivering shots in arms, money in pockets, children in schools and putting people back in jobs," said Rep. Espaillat.

"We have witnessed tremendous progress during President Biden's first 100 days and this progress is further proof of the Biden administration's efforts to help our nation rebuild, recover and get back on track," Espaillat continued. "As we commemorate the President's first 100 days, this is an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the American people to ensuring more Americans get vaccinated, families continue to receive stimulus recovery payments, our children return safely to schools, and much more.

"I look forward to joining tomorrow's presidential joint address to Congress to hear President Biden deliver a plan to build America's future and lay the foundation for broad economic growth and success for decades to come," he concluded.

In his first 100 days, President Biden acted to get America back on track by addressing the crises facing this nation: vaccinating America to beat the pandemic, delivering much needed help to American families, making transformative investments to rescue and rebuild our economy, and fundamentally showing that government can deliver for its people. In these 100 days of rescue, repair, and renewal, the nation is healthier, safer, more prosperous, more fair, and more competitive.

RECOVERY FOR ALL OF US: CITY LAUNCHES “FAIR SHARE NYC: RESTAURANTS” TO CONNECT RESTAURANTS TO FEDERAL GRANTS

 

Mayor Bill de Blasio, the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner Jonnel Doris, and NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) Commissioner Anne del Castillo today launched Fair Share NYC: Restaurants, a program to connect restaurants to federal relief funds.

 

The federal Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) provides non-taxable grants to restaurants hit hardest by the COVID-19 crisis. Individual restaurants may qualify for up to $5 million and restaurant groups may be eligible for up to $10 million in grant funding. MOME and the Office of Nightlife will support the program by conducting targeted outreach to restaurants in the coming weeks through email lists, social media, and third-party industry groups.

 

“New York City’s restaurants have worked tirelessly to keep the lights on, keep their workers employed, and keep their neighborhoods vibrant. Now, it’s time to connect them to the support they deserve,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We can’t afford to let local restaurants fall through the cracks, and I’m proud to give every establishment the resources to access federal assistance.”

 

Fair Share NYC: Restaurants will help eligible applicants secure these critical funds through:

* Weekly webinars to review the RRF grant program and prepare their application

* Virtual one-on-one sessions with trained counselors

* Information about additional programs and services that can help your business

 

Fair Share NYC: Restaurants builds on the City’s larger initiative to help businesses affected by the pandemic to connect to federal funding, including Fair Share NYC: PPP which launched in January to connect businesses to PPP funds, and Curtains UP NYC which launched in February to provide free application assistance for NYC live performance businesses and nonprofits applying for the federal Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program. Since the beginning of the pandemic, SBS has assisted more than 4,000 businesses with over $294M in PPP applications and connected over 5,000 businesses with $142M in loans and grants.

 

“Restaurants are a driving force in New York City’s economy, providing jobs and building careers for thousands of New Yorkers,” said J. Phillip Thompson, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives and Co-Chair of the Racial Inclusion and Equity Taskforce. “We are grateful to our federal partners for bringing these critical dollars to the City’s restaurant community, helping them recover from this pandemic.”

 

“The restaurant industry is essential to New York City’s social and economic fabric but has faced unprecedented financial challenges as we navigated the health crisis,” said Jonnel Doris, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services. “SBS will continue to serve on the frontline of recovery by helping connect our City’s restaurants to this federal grant.”

“New York City can’t be the creative capital of the world without our restaurants,” said Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment Anne del Castillo. “Restaurants are vital to our creative economy, serving as the pre-theater warm up, after show encore, or the main attraction that draws visitors from around the world to experience our unparalleled intersection of creativity and cuisine.”

 

“We know how essential our restaurant and hospitality industry is to New York City’s recovery and how difficult this past year has been for the industry,” said Executive Director of the Office of Nightlife at the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Ariel Palitz. “We will continue to make sure our restaurants have the support, resources and guidance they need to get back on their feet.”

 

The Restaurant Revitalization Fund registrations will open on Friday, April 30. Applications will open on Monday, May 3. Anyone considering applying is urged to start organizing their application.

 

The federal government will prioritize veteran-, women-, and minority-owned businesses in the first 21 days of the RRF grant program. SBS will offer language line assistance in dozens of languages during one-on-one consultations. Small businesses should visit www.nyc.gov/restaurantfund or call 888-SBS-4NYC for more information.

Governor Cuomo Announces State Will End Food and Beverage Service Curfew

 

Curfew Will Be Removed for Outdoor Dining Areas Beginning May 17 and Indoor Areas Beginning May 31

Curfew for Catered Events Where Attendees Have Proof of Vaccination Status or Negative COVID Test Result Will Be Lifted Beginning May 17 and Curfew for All Catered Events Lifted May 31

Catered Events Can Resume at Residences Beginning May 3 in Accordance with State's Reopening Guidelines

Seating Allowed at Bars in New York City Beginning May 3

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the 12 a.m. food and beverage service curfew will be lifted for outdoor dining areas beginning May 17 and for indoor dining areas beginning May 31.

Governor Cuomo also announced that the 1 a.m. curfew for catered events where attendees have provided proof of vaccination status or a recent negative COVID-19 test result will be lifted beginning May 17, with the curfew for all catered events set to be lifted May 31. 

Additionally, the Governor announced that catered events can resume at residences beginning May 3 above the State's residential gathering limit of 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors, as long as the events are staffed by a professional, licensed caterer, permitted by the respective locality or municipality, and strictly adhere to health and safety guidance, including social and event gathering limits, masks, and social distancing. Also on May 3, the guidance for dancing among attendees at catered events will be aligned with neighboring states, replacing fixed dance zones for each table with social distancing and masks.

Finally, the Governor announced that starting May 3, seating at bars will be allowed in New York City, consistent with the food services guidance that is in effect statewide.

"We know the COVID positivity rate is a function of our behavior, and over the last year New Yorkers have remained disciplined and continued with the practices we know work to stop the spread of the virus," Governor Cuomo said. "Everything we've been doing is working - all the arrows are pointing in the right direction and now we're able to increase economic activity even more. Lifting these restrictions for restaurants, bars and catering companies will allow these businesses that have been devastated by the pandemic to begin to recover as we return to a new normal in a post-pandemic world. To be clear: we will only be able to maintain this progress if everyone gets the COVID vaccine. It is the weapon that will will the war and we need everyone to take it, otherwise we risk going backward."

This announcement on food and beverage service and catered events builds on the Governor's recent measures to further re-open the economy amid a steady decline in New York's COVID-19 positivity and hospitalization rates. On April 26, Governor Cuomo announced that spectator capacity at large-scale outdoor event venues, including professional and collegiate sports and live performing arts and entertainment, will increase from 20 to 33 percent beginning May 19. This increase will coincide with the previously announced increase in large-scale indoor event venue capacity. Social distancing, masks, health screenings and all other State health and safety protocols remain in effect.

The Governor also announced that capacities would be increased throughout several industries that have proven to safely reopen in accordance with the State's COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, starting May 15:

• Gyms and fitness centers outside of New York City will increase from 33% to 50% capacity.
• Casinos and gaming facilities will increase from 25% to 50% capacity.
• Offices will increase from 50% to 75% capacity.