Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - AUGUST 17, 2022

 Governor Encourages New Yorkers to Keep Using the Tools to Protect Against and Treat COVID-19: Vaccines, Boosters, Testing, and Treatment

Announced Re-launch of #VaxToSchool COVID-19 Vaccine Effort

24 Statewide Deaths Reported from Yesterday

 NOTE: Beginning June 24, 2022, the Vaccine data will be updated weekly on Fridays to align with CDC's updated data refresh schedule. For additional information on COVID-19 Vaccination Data provided by CDC, see https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations_vacc-total-admin-rate-total.   

Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combating COVID-19. Earlier today, Governor Hochul also announced the re-launch of #VaxtoSchool, the multi-faceted statewide campaign aimed at increasing COVID-19 vaccination rates among school-aged New Yorkers. 

"As we continue to monitor the numbers and prepare for the approaching fall season, we must use all the tools at our disposal to address any potential surges," Governor Hochul said. "Be sure you and your loved ones are up to date on vaccine and booster doses, get tested if you experience symptoms, and if you do test positive, talk to your doctor about potential treatment."    

Today's data is summarized briefly below:      

• Cases Per 100k - 25.09  
• 7-Day Average Cases Per 100k - 25.60   
• Test Results Reported - 61,971  
• Total Positive - 4,903   
• Percent Positive - 7.98%**     
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 5.72%**   
• Patient Hospitalization - 2,509 (-29) 
• Patients Newly Admitted - 443  
• Patients in ICU - 249 (+4)   
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 96 (+4)  
• Total Discharges - 332,263 (+416) 
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 24 
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 57,399 

** Due to the test reporting policy change by the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and several other factors, the most reliable metric to measure virus impact on a community is the case per 100,000 data — not percent positivity.     

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.       

Important Note: Effective Monday, April 4, 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, 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, including changes in testing practices, the most reliable metric to measure virus impact on a community is the case per 100,000 data — not percent positivity.     

• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 73,335     

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.   

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

Borough	Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022	Monday, Aug. 15, 2022	Tues., Aug. 16, 2022
Bronx	7.87%	7.63%	7.53%
Kings	3.12%	2.74%	2.97%
New York	5.96%	5.95%	5.77%
Queens	7.72%	7.63%	7.79%
Richmond	6.72%	6.54%	6.34%

THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ANNOUNCES RIDE SAFETY INSPECTIONS TO KEEP NEW YORKERS SAFE AT FAIRS STATEWIDE

 

The New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) today announced that safety inspections of amusement rides statewide have been underway as the peak of fair season approaches. With the Great New York State Fair starting on August 24^th, NYSDOL inspectors have been on site performing pre-inspections. Commissioner Roberta Reardon and other NYSDOL staff will also be meeting with vendors prior to Opening Day to go over safety precautions.

“Fair season is a cherished tradition for family fun in every community across New York State,” said New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon. “Our inspectors conduct very thorough inspections of every piece of equipment to ensure that every ride is safe for all New Yorkers. If you are wondering if your ride is safe, just keep an eye out for the NYSDOL inspection tag.”

NYSDOL inspects all rides at stationary parks outside of New York City at least once a year and inspects rides at traveling carnivals or fairs every time the rides are set up at a new location. A ride cannot legally operate without a permit from NYSDOL. Rides at the New York State Fair are inspected three times prior and during their use. In 2021, the department performed 4,532 inspections on 1,661 amusement devices and issued 1,388 orders to correct violations.

NYSDOL inspections are a three-step process:

• As rides are brought into a fair or festival location, each individual part and component of each individual ride is inspected for defects.
• The ride is assembled and inspected again to ensure that all components have been assembled and are properly secured.
• The operator of the ride is required to run the ride, and it is inspected once more while operating. The person operating the ride is also observed to ensure that he or she is operating the ride correctly.

NYSDOL places dated inspection tags on each ride after it has passed inspection. No ride that fails an inspection is permitted to operate, but these tags allow families to see plainly that the ride has been inspected and deemed safe. Information on the tag includes the name of the ride, the name of the inspector, the date it was inspected, and whether it passed or failed.

Ride safety experts have also issued a number of recommendations to make a day enjoying amusement rides as fun and safe as possible:

• Read and follow all warnings and instructions.
• Keep hands and feet inside the ride while it is moving.
• Don't reach toward fences or barriers.
• Secure loose clothing and long hair.
• Don't drink and ride; you put yourself and others at risk.
• Don't stand or attempt to leave a ride until it comes to a complete stop.
• Check restraining devices to make sure they are properly latched. If the equipment does not work, exit the ride and immediately report the issue to industry.dosh@labor.ny.gov.
• Avoid horseplay; it's dangerous.
• Never attempt to unlock or loosen a restraining device until instructed by the operator.

A list of the events that have been inspected and the businesses that own them, broken down by region, is available online at dol.ny.gov/ride-safe-ny . Rides are inspected in the days leading up to each event, and the database is updated within two weeks of every event. If a ride is operating, it has passed inspection.

To report an unsafe ride, contact NYSDOL at 1-888-4-NYSDOL.

New York City Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking a Kilogram of Fentanyl to Syracuse

 Marvin Antonio Lantigua, age 31, of New York City, pled guilty today to possessing with intent to distribute a kilogram of fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, and Syracuse Police Chief Joseph Cecile.

As part of his guilty plea today, Lantigua admitted that in early November 2021, he was in contact with a drug dealer in Syracuse via Facebook. After discussion, Lantigua agreed to deliver 1000 bricks (50,000 bags) of fentanyl from New York City to Syracuse for $75,000.00.  On November 8, 2021, DEA Special Agents, Syracuse Police Detectives, and Syracuse Police Patrol Officers stopped two vehicles on the Court Street exit of Route 81 North, one of which was being driven by Lantigua. A subsequent search of one of the vehicles located two large bags that were found to contain 1007 bricks (50,350 bags) containing fentanyl that totaled approximately one kilogram in weight. After waiving his Miranda rights, Lantigua admitted that he was delivering the fentanyl to Syracuse from New York City as part of a drug deal. At the time of his arrest, Lantigua was on New York State parole in connection with a prior drug felony conviction.

Sentencing is scheduled for December 15, 2022, in Syracuse, at which time the defendant faces a maximum sentence of life and a minimum sentence of ten years in prison, a fine of up to ten million dollars, and a post-imprisonment term of supervised release of between five years and life.

A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.