Senator Schumer said, “As I’ve said before, there’s no better home for Samsung’s $17 billion U.S. semiconductor fab announced today than Western New York’s STAMP campus. STAMP is a cut above the rest with its low-cost utilities on a redundant reliable power grid, world-class WNY workforce, location within New York’s semiconductor supply chain ecosystem, and more. I am fighting to secure $52 billion in federal incentives to ensure new semiconductor fabs like this are built in New York.”
It's Sunday, but do to what went on in Times Square I had to go to a meeting today in Borough Park. Remember all you mayoral candidates who are running to replace me, unless you can jet off to your private island in the Bahamas (like my predecessor) you are going to have to work on your days off, and sometimes at all hours of the day. It's a good thing I'm a Lame Duck Mayor so I can make it fit into my schedule so I can enjoy the Shack Shack free French fries. What's that it only works once?
63% of Adults New Yorkers Have Received at Least One Dose; 54% Completed Vaccine Series
52% of All New Yorkers Have Received at Least One Dose; 44% Completed Series
109,615 Doses Administered in the Last 24 Hours
829,697 Doses Administered Over Past Seven Days
Vaccine Dashboard Updated Daily on the State's Vaccine Program Here
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's vaccination program. 109,615 doses have been administered across the state's vast distribution network in the last 24 hours, and 829,697 doses have been administered statewide over the past seven days.
"We continue to work with community leaders and our partner organizations to make sure the vaccine is accessible to all New Yorkers, and thinking outside the box to give more people incentives to get vaccinated," Governor Cuomo said. "This vaccine is safe, effective and necessary — and can only do its job if we all take it. If you still need to get your shot, I urge you to come in to one of our many sites and roll up your sleeve so we can finally defeat this beast."
All New York State mass vaccination sites are now open to eligible New Yorkers for walk-in vaccination on a first come first serve basis. The walk-in appointments are reserved for first doses only with second doses to be scheduled automatically after administration of the initial shot. In addition, all vaccine providers are encouraged to allow walk-in appointments for eligible New Yorkers. People who would prefer to schedule an appointment at a state-run mass vaccination site can do so on the Am I Eligible App or by calling 1-833-NYS-4-VAX. People may also contact their local health department, pharmacy, doctor or hospital to schedule appointments where vaccines are available, or visit vaccines.gov to find information on vaccine appointments near them.
STATEWIDE BREAKDOWN
Total doses administered - 18,280,021
Total doses administered over past 24 hours - 109,615
Total doses administered over past 7 days - 829,697
Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 63.3%
Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 54.4%
Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 51.6%
Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 43.6%
Statewide Positivity Rate Drops to 0.80%
Statewide 7-Day Positivity Rate Drops to 0.95%—Lowest Since September 25
Patient Hospitalizations Drop to 1,361—Lowest Since November 5
ICU Patients Drop to 326—Lowest Since November 11
Intubations Drop to 198; First Time Below 200 Since November 17
24 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the statewide single-day COVID-19 positivity rate dropped to 0.80 percent yesterday, the lowest since September 4.
Staten Island's 7-day average positivity rate dropped to 0.93 percent yesterday, bringing the individual 7-day average positivity rate of all five New York City boroughs below 1 percent for the first time since September 8, 2020.
"We are working night and day to stop COVID-19 in its tracks, and the key is getting as many New Yorkers vaccinated as possible — as quickly as possible," Governor Cuomo said. "The numbers are trending in the right direction, and we've taken action to reopen the state's economy and relax restrictions, particularly for vaccinated people. We're going to reach the end at the light of the tunnel and defeat this virus, and the faster we can get New Yorkers vaccinated, the faster that dream will become a reality."
Today's data is summarized briefly below:
Legislation Also Establishes Criminal Penalties for Officers Who Use Excessive Force
New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced legislation to change New York state's laws governing police violence to strengthen prosecutors’ ability to hold police officers accountable for unjustified and excessive use of force. The Police Accountability Act — the most far-reaching use of force reform in the nation — seeks to amend New York’s law that justifies police use of force, which currently sets an exceedingly high standard for prosecuting police officers who have improperly used deadly or excessive force. The centerpiece of the legislation seeks to amend the use of force law from one of simple necessity to one of absolute last resort, mandating that police officers only use force after all other alternatives have been exhausted. The legislation will also establish new criminal penalties for police officers who employ force that is grossly in excess of what is warranted in an interaction with civilians.
“For far too long, police officers in this country have been able to evade accountability for the unjustified use of excessive and lethal force,” said Attorney General James. “In New York, our laws have essentially given police blanket defense to use force in interactions with the public, making it exceedingly difficult for prosecutors to go after officers who have abused this power. Not only is that gravely unjust, but it has also proven to be incredibly dangerous. The Police Accountability Act will make critical and necessary changes to the law, providing clear and legitimate standards for when the use of force is acceptable and enacting real consequences for when an officer crosses that line. While this is an important step in addressing the shortfalls of our criminal justice system, it is not a cure all for the ills that have impacted too many families and claimed too many lives. We must continue to do everything in our power to protect our communities and ensure that no one is beyond the reach of justice.”
Overview of the Police Accountability Act
The Police Accountability Act (S.6615) includes a series of reforms aimed at improving protocols and strengthening accountability measures when police officers use force, especially lethal force. These legislative reforms are intended to reduce deaths at the hands of police by ensuring that police officers adhere to practices and tactics that aim to preserve life and only use lethal force as a last resort, while providing prosecutors with appropriate tools to potentially hold officers accountable when an individual dies after an interaction with police.
1) Use of Force Must Be A Last Resort
Current law: New York’s current law does not require officers to exhaust other options, such as de-escalation, verbal warnings, or lower level uses of force, before using force, including lethal force.
Police Accountability Act reform: The Police Accountability Act seeks to amend this law by establishing a “last resort” standard, whereby use of force must be a last resort that officers can only employ when there are no reasonable alternatives to avoiding force or reducing the force used. Officers must instead exhaust alternatives, including de-escalation, lower levels of force, verbal warnings, and other methods.
2) Simple Suspicion of Criminal Conduct Cannot Justify Lethal Force
Current law: New York’s current use of force law authorizes police to use lethal force based simply on an officer’s reasonable belief that an individual committed a particular crime — a certain category of felony or attempt to commit a felony — and irrespective of whether the individual presents a danger to the officer or another person at the time.
Police Accountability Act reform: The Police Accountability Act seeks to eliminate justification for lethal force when an officer simply suspects an individual has engaged in particular criminal conduct. Lethal force should only be used in the most exigent of circumstances and demands higher standards of proof before an officer may use lethal force.
3) Allow Prosecutors to Evaluate if Police Conduct Led to Need for Use of Force
Current law: New York’s current law justifying police use of force does not provide a mechanism for prosecutors to consider an officer’s own responsibility for creating the need for force in the first place.
Police Accountability Act reform: The Police Accountability Act seeks to explicitly allow prosecutors to consider whether an officer’s conduct created a substantial and unjustifiable risk that force would become necessary. Where that is the case, an officer may not avail themselves of the justification defense.
4) Establish Standards and Criminal Penalties to Prevent Excessive Use
The Police Accountability Act — sponsored by State Senator Kevin Parker in the Senate and to be sponsored by Assemblymember N. Nick Perry in the Assembly — seeks to establish criminal penalties for police officers who employ force that is grossly in excess of what is warranted under the circumstances and where that force causes physical injury or death. The level of charge would depend on the severity of the injuries caused.
Major Venues and Businesses Across the State Integrating Excelsior Pass into Reopening After State Adopts New CDC Guidance on Mask Use for Fully Vaccinated Individuals
First-in-the-Nation Digital Pass Offers Free, Voluntary Way to Share COVID-19 Vaccination or Negative Test Status in Accordance with State Guidance
Excelsior Pass COVID-19 Vaccination Passes Now Valid for 365 Days; Those Vaccinated in NYS Can Retrieve 15 Days After Final Dose
B-Roll of Excelsior Pass Used at New York Islanders Game Available Here; Excelsior Pass Marketing Images Available Here
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that more than 1 million Excelsior Passes have been issued since New York State launched the first-in-the-nation voluntary platform in March. Excelsior Pass, which is now being utilized by venues, universities, stadiums and businesses statewide, is a free, fast, and secure way to present digital proof of COVID-19 vaccination or negative test results that's helping to get New Yorkers back to the things they love and miss — safely.
"After a long and incredibly difficult year, New Yorkers are finally returning to normal life and getting back to work amid rising vaccination rates, and the first-in-the-nation Excelsior Pass is a key part of that restoration of normalcy," Governor Cuomo said. "The fact that we've so quickly achieved a milestone — more than 1 million passes issued — speaks to New Yorkers' desire to resume many of the activities they've given up over the past year and is good news for bringing our economy back and building a stronger state for the future. New Yorkers are ready for the new normal, and the Excelsior Pass will help them get there until we can defeat this terrible pandemic for good."
Excelsior Pass is supporting New Yorkers building back better through NYS DOH guidance, with an over 80 percent increase in downloads this week alone. As of May 19, the State lifted capacity restrictions and adopted CDC guidance on masks and social distancing for fully vaccinated individuals. Under the new guidance, certain businesses may choose to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination status and Excelsior Pass is an easy-to-use, verifiable option. New Yorkers can always present alternate forms of COVID-19 vaccination and negative test results— such as paper forms — directly at businesses and venues.
Major sports venues across the State are already using Excelsior Pass to safely get even more fans back into stands, including Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center, Yankee Stadium, Citi Field, the Nassau Coliseum, Belmont Park, the Times Union Center, NBT Bank Stadium, the Carrier Dome, Sahlen Field — the temporary host of the Toronto Blue Jays — KeyBank Center, and Frontier Field.
Universities and colleges across New York — including State University of New York campuses such as the University at Buffalo, Binghamton University and Stony Brook University, as well as Syracuse University, Pace University and Long Island University — have already leveraged Excelsior Pass for in-person graduation ceremonies and large events, like sporting games, or plan to for the fall.
Users interested in opting in to use Excelsior Pass, which currently has a Vaccination Pass and two different Test Pass options, can learn more here; interested businesses and organizations can opt in and learn more here and download digital marketing assets here to help demonstrate to patrons/customers that their business accepts Excelsior Pass.
At this time, Passes may only be retrieved for COVID-19 vaccinations or negative test results received in the State of New York, though it does not require you to be a resident of New York. The State is actively working with regional and international partners to broaden its use, as well as major New York State employers to support office reopenings.
All Excelsior COVID-19 Vaccination Passes retrieved beginning today will be valid for 365 days, up from 180 days. Those who already have a Vaccination Pass may retrieve a new Pass whenever they choose to in order to take advantage of this extension. At this time, New Yorkers should know that the 365 days relates only to the length of time the Pass is valid. The duration of validity of Excelsior Vaccination Passes may continue to be updated to reflect the latest understanding from federal and state health experts and as additional science and trial data is released.
For those interested in Excelsior Pass who have received their COVID-19 Vaccinations or PCR and/or Antigen Tests in the State of New York, visit epass.ny.gov to get started.
Fast Facts About Excelsior Pass
Vaccine administrators and testing providers are directly responsible for entering COVID-19 immunization and testing data into secure New York State and New York City databases on a timely basis. Per NYS DOH guidance, all New York State vaccine administrators must have staff available to both review and correct the data they input, if data entry issues are identified.
No more mask needed now Dr. Chokshi now that I got the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. Did Mayor de Blaio get a full dose or was it a diluted dosage, and where were the diluted does given?
