Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - APRIL 4, 2022

 

11 COVID-19 Deaths Statewide Yesterday 

Governor Hochul Receives Second COVID-19 Booster Dose 

 Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combating COVID-19. Earlier this afternoon, Governor Kathy Hochul also received her second booster shot, the Pfizer COVID-19 booster. Governor Hochul received a Johnson & Johnson vaccine in March 2021 and received her first booster dose, of the Moderna COVID-19 booster, in October 2021.   

Important Note: Effective today, the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is no longer requiring testing facilities that use COVID-19 rapid antigen tests to report negative results. As a result, beginning with tomorrow's update, New York State's percent positive metric will be computed using only lab-reported PCR results. Positive antigen tests will still be reported to New York State and reporting of new daily cases and cases per 100k will continue to include both PCR and antigen tests. Due to this change and other factors, the most reliable metric to measure virus impact on a community is the case per 100,000 data. 

"The vaccine and booster are our best tools to protect ourselves from COVID-19 and continue moving forward safely through this pandemic," Governor Hochul said. "I'm glad I got my second booster shot now that I'm eligible, giving me an extra layer of protection against COVID-19 and helping me keep my family and community safer. There's no better time: if you haven't gotten vaccinated, make an appointment today and make sure to sign up for your booster shot as soon as you're eligible. If you feel under the weather and are symptomatic, it's important to take a COVID-19 test and stay home to protect our community."

Today's data is summarized briefly below:  

·           Cases Per 100k - 13.06

·           7-Day Average Cases Per 100k - 17.46 (17.76*)

·           Test Results Reported - 74,355

·           Total Positive -  2,553

·           Percent Positive - 3.43%

·           7-Day Average Percent Positive - 2.95 % (3.00%*)

·           Patient Hospitalization - 836 (+11)  

·           Patients Newly Admitted - 99

·           Patients in ICU - 120 (-5)

·           Patients in ICU with Intubation - 48 (-3)  

·           Total Discharges - 291,273 (+98) 

·           New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 11

·           Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS -  55,166

* These figures include at-home tests which Onondaga County, unlike other counties, has provided in their daily reporting to the New York State Department of Health. Future reporting from Onondaga County will not include home test data to ensure alignment and consistency with other counties.    

The Health Electronic Response Data System is a NYS DOH data source that collects confirmed daily death data as reported by hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities only.    

• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 70,291     

This daily COVID-19 provisional death certificate data reported by NYS DOH and NYC to the CDC includes those who died in any location, including hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, at home, in hospice and other settings.        

• Total vaccine doses administered - 37,559,707
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 21,502
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 149,712
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 92.1%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 83.5%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 95.0%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 86.2%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 82.6%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 72.7%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 81.6%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 73.8%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 89.6%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 76.3%

Each New York City borough's 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows:    

Borough	Friday, April 1, 2022	Saturday, April 2, 2022	Sunday, April 3, 2022
Bronx	1.15%	1.16%	1.18%
Kings	1.98%	1.99%	1.98%
New York	2.95%	3.09%	3.17%
Queens	1.93%	1.99%	2.04%
Richmond	2.21%	2.32%	2.37%

AOC files petitions for re-election

 

PETITIONS FORMALLY FILED FOR AOC’S REELECTION Team AOC and volunteers organized a comprehensive petitioning program to collect nearly 5,000 signed petitions. The Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez campaign has formally presented nearly 5,000 signed petitions for her re-election to the New York Board of Elections, well exceeding the 1,250 signatures required.  Team AOC’s field team and volunteers knocked over 10,000 doors in NY-14, completed 395 volunteer shifts, and ran over 85 petitioning events in 35 days. In addition to those efforts, Team AOC organized joint petitioning events with Senators Jessica Ramos, Michael Gianaris and Gustavo Rivera and Assembly members Zohran Mamdani, Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, Catalina Cruz, Karines Reyes and Nathalia Fernandez. “Our field team, volunteers, supporters, and partners crushed it on the streets and doors of NY-14 to collect the signatures we needed to put Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the ballot”, said Field Director Jeremy Parkin, “Our movement is strong going into 2022. The signatures we gathered show that the Congresswoman and her vision continue to inspire and move people in our community. Team AOC worked day and night for the last month to recruit and train volunteers in multiple languages and organize petitioning events all across NY-14.” New York is one of a handful of states that still requires all candidates to file petitions with voter signatures to secure a place on the ballot.

News from BP Gibson: Resources and Updates

 

Dear Neighbors,

 

On Friday, we saw an incredible accomplishment with Amazon workers on Staten Island voting to unionize for the first time in Amazon`s 27 year history. Current and former workers rallied together and organized to form a union to fight for improved working conditions, standardized labor wages, and job protections. These workers have provided nonstop essential services to us for years, especially when they were on the frontlines showing up to work during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Congratulations again to the Amazon workers, the organizers and everyone else involved in this monumental victory for the labor movement!

Last week, we also celebrated the expansion of Planned Parenthood's Bronx Health Center and joined colleagues and friends to break ground on a new state-of-the-art Urban Health Plan facility in Mott Haven.

I also want to remind you that tax season is here. If you or someone you know needs assistance, New York City has a number of free resources available to you and your family. You can visit BronxWorks for more information.

 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 718-590-3500 or by emailing webmail@bronxbp.nyc.gov.

 

In partnership,

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson

In the Community

BP Gibson held her first in-person 'Ask the BP' to answer questions from constituents. BP Gibson presented Planned Parenthood with a citation to celebrate the expansion of their Bronx Health Center.

BP Gibson visited KIPP College Prep School for a walk-through. BP Gibson hosted a Q&A for middle schoolers alongside Malik Yoba to encourage civic engagement.

BP Gibson attended Council Member Kevin Riley's Women's History Month Celebration. BP Gibson joined Urban Health Plan for the ground breaking of their new facility.

CITY OF NEW YORK AND NY STATE OF HEALTH ENCOURAGE NEW YORKERS TO ENROLL IN QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE

 

The NYC Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit (PEU), in collaboration with NY State of Health, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS), and community-based partners, will be hosting a #GetCovered Day of Action on Wednesday, April 6 to raise awareness about the importance of enrolling in health insurance.

The #GetCovered Day of Action on April 6 will feature direct proactive outreach in communities, organized by PEU and DOHMH staff. Outreach will include a peer-to-peer text message campaign, a paid and organic social media campaign, and a Virtual #GetCovered Town Hall event. This campaign will encourage New Yorkers to connect with a GetCoveredNYC Specialist within PEU, who will help uninsured New Yorkers connect directly with an enrollment counselor at no cost.

The SBS mobile unit will be on site to deliver direct services to the public through GetCoveredNYC and SBS, benefits enrollment, job search and training support, tenant protection services, and other critical resources in neighborhoods across the city. The mobile unit will be parked at the DOHMH Jamaica Health Center Annex at 90-27 Parsons Blvd. in Jamaica, Queens, and will include PEU’s GetCoveredNYC Specialists who can help New Yorkers navigate their health insurance options.

WHAT: The #GetCovered Day of Action will encourage New York City’s uninsured residents to enroll in health insurance. This event will feature a virtual #GetCovered Town Hall event, social media push, text banking, and in-person events.

WHEN: Wednesday, April 6, 2022:

11:30am the SBS mobile van will be open to press

6pm the Town Hall will be available via Facebook

WHERE: The mobile unit in Queens will be parked at the DOHMH Jamaica Health Center Annex at 90-27 Parsons Blvd. in Jamaica. The Town Hall event will be live streamed via Facebook at 6pm at facebook.com/mayorspeu.

WHO: Town Hall panelists include:

NYSOH speakers Marci Goldstein & Stana Nakhle

DOHMH speakers Lisa Helburn & Suzanne Lewis

PEU speakers Gloria Yun, Orville Berry,and Alexa Liguori

NY State of Health, the state’s official health plan Marketplace, recently announced that the 2022 Open Enrollment Period for Qualified Health Plans (QHP’s) will remain open for the duration of the federal Public Health Emergency.  In addition, enrollment in the Essential Plan, Medicaid and Child Health Plus is open all year. This means more time for New Yorkers to get the insurance they need. To access health insurance starting May 1st, New Yorkers should enroll by April 15.

The American Rescue Plan has also made it possible for more New Yorkers, including higher income individuals and families, to access federal tax credits that lower the cost of their monthly health insurance premiums. More people than ever qualify for financial assistance to lower the cost of health insurance options.

New Yorkers can get free one-on-one enrollment assistance from GetCoveredNYC by calling 311, texting CoveredNYC (SeguroNYC en Español) to 877877, or visiting nyc.gov/GetCoveredNYC.

Contact GetCoveredNYC now for free one-on-one enrollment assistance in more than 23 languages over the phone and online.

Attorney General James and DOI Commissioner Strauber Deliver $900,000 to 200 NYCHA Construction Workers Denied Fair Pay

 

Lintech Electric Failed to Pay Employees the Prevailing Wage Rate on NYCHA Projects

 New York Attorney General Letitia James and New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber today announced their joint efforts to combat wage theft by securing nearly $900,000 for more than 200 workers who were underpaid by Lintech Electric (Lintech). An investigation found that over the course of three years, Lintech disregarded the prevailing wage rate and underpaid its employees by almost $900,000 on multiple New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) projects in all five boroughs. As a part of the agreement, Lintech will repay the impacted workers the money they were cheated plus interest and will be banned from public works projects in New York for five years. 

“Every worker deserves fair pay for their hard work,” said Attorney General James. “The prevailing wage was established for a reason — to protect the hardworking New Yorkers who built our city and keep it functioning. No employee should fear that they will be cheated at the hands of greedy employers, especially at the expense of the public good. I am proud to finally return the money owed to these dedicated workers and I will do everything in my power to ensure that Lintech does not deceive or exploit any more workers.”

“Lintech, a subcontractor for general contractors hired by NYCHA through its guarantors, agreed to pay almost $900,000 to workers that it underpaid for over three years, in violation of New York’s Prevailing Wage Law,” said DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber. “I applaud the workers who alerted DOI of this underpayment, prompting an audit that exposed this wrongful conduct. As a result of this joint investigation by DOI and Attorney General James’ office, Lintech will also be banned from New York public works projects for five years. DOI and its law enforcement partners will pursue and hold accountable employers that seek to cheat workers of their rightful wages, and we will ensure that those victims are made whole. I thank the state attorney general and NYCHA for their partnership on this important investigation.”

Attorney General James and the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) began a joint investigation into Lintech in September of 2019 after a DOI investigation and audit revealed that Lintech underpaid its employees. Between 2015 to 2018, Lintech failed to pay workers the prevailing wage rate and supplemental benefit rate on multiple NYCHA Housing Complex public work projects. The workers were hired to install and maintain lighting and electrical outlets on scaffolding surrounding multiple NYCHA apartment buildings throughout the city but were not adequately compensated.

Lintech’s actions violate the Prevailing Wage Law, which requires contractors and subcontractors to pay the prevailing rate of wage and benefits to all employees under a public work contract. Lintech’s financial guarantors, Neelam Construction Corporation, Pro-Metal Construction, and Zoria Housing, will also be held financially accountable for underpaying workers as guarantors of Lintech’s underpayments. The companies will repay close to $900,000 in wages, supplemental benefits, interest, and penalties to be distributed to 200 impacted employees. Today’s agreement also bars Lintech from performing, contracting, or subcontracting public work in New York state for five years, including a $30,000 penalty to cover the cost of the investigation.

The Office of the Attorney General thanks NYCHA for its partnership in this matter.

“We are pleased to work with the attorney general and the New York City Department of Investigation to root out malfeasance at NYCHA and to ensure that workers are justly compensated for their services,” said NYCHA Chair & CEO Greg Russ. “Wage theft and service crimes impact our operations, workforce, and residents, and will not be tolerated.”

Governor Hochul Receives Second COVID Vaccine Booster

 

Earlier this afternoon, Governor Kathy Hochul received her second booster shot, the Pfizer COVID-19 booster. Governor Hochul received a Johnson & Johnson vaccine in March 2021 and received her first booster dose, of the Moderna COVID-19 booster, in October 2021.