Clinical specimen testing for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) at Wadsworth Laboratory - OCTOBER 21, 2022

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

26 Statewide Deaths Reported Yesterday

 Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combating COVID-19. 

"I urge New Yorkers to take advantage of all available tools to keep themselves, their loved ones and their communities safe and healthy," Governor Hochul said. "Stay up to date on vaccine doses, and test before gatherings or travel. If you test positive, talk to your doctor about potential treatment options."

Governor Hochul also announced this week that children ages 5 and older may now receive the bivalent booster shots that are recommended to increase protection against COVID-19. The State Department of Health updated its guidance after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended its emergency use authorization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its clinical guidance, which collectively will allow more children to safely boost their immunity against COVID-19.

The Governor continues to urge New Yorkers to get their bivalent COVID-19 vaccine boosters. To schedule an appointment for a booster, New Yorkers should contact their local pharmacy, county health department, or healthcare provider; visit vaccines.gov; text their ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find nearby locations.

In addition, Governor Hochul is encouraging New Yorkers to get their annual flu vaccine as flu season is already widespread across New York State. The flu virus and the virus that causes COVID-19 are both currently circulating, so getting vaccinated against both is the best way to stay healthy and to avoid added stress to the health care system.

The State Department of Health recently announced the launch of its annual public education campaign, reminding adults and parents to get both flu and COVID-19 shots for themselves and children 6 months and older. The advertisements, which will run in both English and Spanish language, began running on Monday, October 10.

For information about flu vaccine clinics, contact the local health department or visit vaccines.gov/find-vaccines/.

Today's data is summarized briefly below:  

• Cases Per 100k - 21.35
• 7-Day Average Cases Per 100k - 19.62
• Test Results Reported - 69,073
• Total Positive - 4,173
• Percent Positive - 5.50%**    
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 6.37%**       
• Patient Hospitalization - 2,806 (-13)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 462
• Patients in ICU - 286 (-9)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 107 (-10)
• Total Discharges - 353,162 (+434)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 26  
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 58,555

** 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 - 74,718

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 - 40,314,873
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 4,248
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 22,491
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 93.4% 
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 84.8% 
• 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) - 89.3% 
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 86.0%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 75.4% 
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 83.6% 
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 75.5% 
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 92.9% 
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 79.4% 

Each region's 7-day average of cases per 100K population is as follows:       

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

Borough	Tuesday,   October   18, 2022	Wednesday,   October   19, 2022	Thursday,   October   20, 2022
Bronx	5.27%	5.12%	5.23%
Kings	5.21%	5.14%	4.64%
New York	5.43%	5.43%	5.29%
Queens	6.28%	6.32%	6.09%
Richmond	6.89%	6.65%	6.07%

New Jersey Man Sentenced To 78 Months For Laundering Millions From Fraud Schemes Perpetrated By Ghana-Based Criminal Enterprise

 

Defendant Controlled Bank Accounts Totaling Over $5 Million, Which Primarily Consisted of Proceeds of Romance Schemes Targeting Elderly Victims

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that FREEMAN CELVIN, a/k/a “Celvin Freeman,” was sentenced today to 78 months for his participation in a fraud and money laundering conspiracy based in the Republic of Ghana (“Ghana”) involving the theft of millions of dollars.  On March 30, 2022, CELVIN was convicted after a jury trial of all seven counts against him before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, who imposed today’s sentence.  CELVIN was previously arrested on February 17, 2021, and has been detained since his arrest.  

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “Freeman Celvin used an auto business in New Jersey as a front to launder millions of dollars in fraud proceeds to scam artists in Ghana.  The online scams perpetrated by Celvin’s partners in Ghana were lucrative and callous, as they targeted vulnerable, elderly men and women and tricked them into transferring their life savings to the defendant, who then took his laundering fee and sent the money abroad.  Today’s sentence demonstrates that money launderers who assist online scammers abroad will be held accountable and brought to justice for their crimes.”    

As reflected in the Indictment, public filings, and the evidence presented at trial:

From in or about 2014 through in or about February 2021, a criminal enterprise based in Ghana (the “Enterprise”) committed a series of business email compromises and romance scams against individuals and businesses located across the United States, including in the Southern District of New York.  The objective of the Enterprise’s business email compromise fraud scheme was to trick and deceive businesses into wiring funds into accounts controlled by the Enterprise through the use of email accounts that “spoofed” or impersonated employees of a victim company or third parties engaged in business with a victim company.  The Enterprise also conducted romance scams by using electronic messages sent via email, text messaging, or online dating websites that deluded victims, many of whom were vulnerable, older men and women who lived alone, into believing the victim was in a romantic relationship with a fake identity assumed by members of the Enterprise.  Once members of the Enterprise had gained the trust of the victims using the fake identity, they used false pretenses to cause the victims to wire money to bank accounts the victims believed were controlled by their romantic interests, when in fact the bank accounts were controlled by members of the Enterprise, like CELVIN. l ba

CELVIN received fraud proceeds from victims of the Enterprise in personank accounts as well as business bank accounts for his company Freeman Autos LLC, a company purportedly involved in, among other things, automobile sales.  The defendant also received fraud proceeds from other U.S.-based members of the Enterprise either by wire transfer or cash deliveries.  Once CELVIN received fraud proceeds, he took out a percentage fee and then withdrew, transported, and laundered those fraud proceeds to other members of the Enterprise abroad in Ghana.  The defendant primarily laundered the fraud proceeds by using the money to purchase automobiles and other goods and shipping those products to Ghana and elsewhere.  The defendant’s transactions had the appearance of legitimate business transactions.  This trade-based money laundering scheme was designed to obscure the origin of the fraud proceeds as well as the identity of the ultimate beneficiaries of these schemes. 

From in or about 2016 through in or about 2021, CELVIN controlled more than eight bank accounts that had deposits that totaled over approximately $5.7 million during that time period.  The vast majority of those deposits consisted of large wire transfers and check or cash deposits from U.S.-based individuals and entities that were victims of the Enterprise’s fraud schemes.   

In addition to his prison term, CELVIN, 48, of East Orange, New Jersey, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and further ordered to forfeit $290,604.15.  CELVIN’s co-conspirators, FRED ASANTE and LORD ANING, were previously sentenced to 108 months and 24 months in prison, respectively, earlier this year.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI.

NYS OASAS ANNOUNCES AWARD OF MORE THAN $1.3 MILLION TO ENHANCE PREVENTION SERVICES FOR OLDER ADULTS

 

Funding Supports Prevention Programs to Help Older New Yorkers Avoid Substance Use Disorders

 

OASAS Also Marking “Red Ribbon Week” Nationwide Prevention Effort

The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports today announced the award of more than $1.3 million in funding to support the expansion of addiction prevention efforts for older adults. Eight OASAS prevention providers are receiving funding through this initiative, which involves two evidence-based approaches to addiction prevention.

“Addiction can affect anyone, including older adults, and often times this population can face barriers when accessing help,” OASAS Commissioner Chinazo Cunningham said. “With this expansion of our prevention services for older adults we will be able to better reach them with these important services to support their health and well-being.”

Providers will use this funding to engage with older adults through the Wellness Initiative for Senior Education (WISE) program. WISE is a program for older adults that focuses on healthy aging and making healthy lifestyle choices. This includes education topics such as substance misuse, medication management, stress management, and depression.

The initiative also is designed to increase engagement with the adult population through the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT). This is a comprehensive public health approach to identify those at risk of developing substance use disorders and delivers early intervention and treatment services to individuals whose exhibit habits of risky use of alcohol and other substances.

The award of this funding also coincides with the annual “Red Ribbon Week” which runs from October 23^rd through 31^st. This annual observance raises awareness of the harms caused by substance use, and works to publicize available prevention services.

OASAS is partnering with the New York State Office for the Aging and the New York State Division of Veterans’ Services for this initiative. Funding was provided to New York State through the federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Supplemental Grant, and awardees are listed by region below:

Finger Lakes

• CASA-Trinity Inc. - $197,408

Mohawk Valley

• Catholic Charities of Herkimer County – $200,000

New York City

• The Educational Alliance - $182,917
• Elmcor Youth and Adults Activities - $200,000
• Riseboro Community Partnership - $200,000

North Country

• Pivot Primary Prevention - $151,810
• Substance Abuse Prevention Team Essex County - $200,000

Western New York

• Allegany Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse - $39,355

New York State Office for the Aging Director Greg Olsen said, “When it comes to addiction identification and treatment, older adults have unique needs, especially individuals who may be isolated, struggling with medical conditions, or experiencing other root causes. The service and outreach programs being supported today are effective because they are attuned to these specialized needs while also helping to overcome the added burden of social stigma. NYSOFA is proud of our strong collaborative work with OASAS to support these efforts, including medication safety, evidence-based interventions, and screening to help older adults overcome drug or alcohol misuse.”

New York State Division of Veterans’ Services Director Viviana DeCohen said, “We are grateful to our partners at OASAS and OFA for addressing the unique needs of older adults seeking substance use treatment and assistance. We are aware that substance use disorders are also an issue impacting our veterans and their families and appreciate the opportunity to join forces to better serve those who served our nation and state through their military service. We look forward to continuing this important work together.” 

The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) oversees one of the nation’s largest substance use disorder systems of care with approximately 1,700 prevention, treatment and recovery programs serving over 680,000 individuals per year. This includes the direct operation of 12 Addiction Treatment Centers where our doctors, nurses, and clinical staff provide inpatient and residential services to approximately 8,000 individuals per year. OASAS is the single designated state agency responsible for the coordination of state-federal relations in the area of addiction services.

New Yorkers struggling with an addiction, or whose loved ones are struggling, can find help and hope by calling the state’s toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day-a-week HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (Short Code 467369). 

Available addiction treatment including crisis/detox, inpatient, residential, or outpatient care can be found using the NYS OASAS Treatment Availability Dashboard at FindAddictionTreatment.ny.gov or through the NYS OASAS website. 

If you, or a loved one, have experienced insurance obstacles related to treatment or need help filing an appeal for a denied claim, contact the CHAMP helpline by phone at 888-614-5400 or email at ombuds@oasas.ny.gov.

DEC Encourages New Yorkers to Help Protect Bats During 'Bat Week'

 

Annual Halloween Observance Raises Public Awareness to Help Reduce Human Disturbance to Endangered and Threatened Bats

 In observance of the internationally recognized Bat Week held Oct. 24-31 each year to raise awareness about the critical role of bats in our environment, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today encouraged outdoor enthusiasts to refrain from visiting caves and mines during the fall and winter months. Bats spend the winter hibernating in these underground cavities where relatively constant, warm temperatures protect them from harsh outside winter temperatures above ground. Human visitation in the winter to these “hibernacula” disturbs the bats, and is especially harmful since the arrival of white-nose syndrome, a fungus that has killed more than 90 percent of bats at hibernation sites in the state.

“Bats play an important role in our environment, helping control insect populations,” Commissioner Seggos said. “With Halloween on people’s minds, DEC is urging outdoor adventurers to protect New York’s bats by avoiding caves and mines altogether. Even the quietest cave visits will disturb bats hunkering down for the winter.”

If bats are disturbed during hibernation, they raise their body temperature, depleting crucial fat reserves. This stored fat is the only source of energy available to the bats until the weather warms in spring and insects become readily available. The more frequently bats are disturbed, the less likely they are to survive the long winter months underground without eating. DEC reminds the public to follow all posted notices restricting access to caves and mines. If explorers do venture out and discover bats hibernating in a cave, DEC urges them to leave quickly and quietly to minimize disturbance.

Bat Week is observed each year through Oct. 31, and is organized by representatives from conservation groups and government agencies in the U.S. and Canada.                                 

In recent years, scientists have found some evidence of recovery of the once-common little brown bat throughout New York State. While this seeming stabilization provides a hopeful outlook after more than a decade of devastating population declines, similar evidence of stabilization has not been seen for other severely affected bat species.

Two species of bats are currently protected under federal and State endangered species law. The Indiana bat, which is sparsely distributed across New York, is a federally endangered bat listed before white-nose syndrome later began affecting bat populations. The northern long-eared bat, currently listed as a threatened species under federal and New York State endangered species law, was proposed to be listed as endangered. The current population for this formerly common bat is approximately one percent of its previous size, making this species the most severely affected by white-nose syndrome. Still, northern long-eared bats are widely distributed in New York and their presence has been documented in most of the state's approximately 100 caves and mines serving as bat hibernation sites.

A third New York species, the tri-colored bat, was proposed for endangered species protection by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Sept. 13, 2022. Although widespread in distribution, tri-colored bats were rare in New York even before they experienced a 98-percent population decline due to white-nose disease.

Anyone entering a northern long-eared bat hibernation site from Oct. 1 through April 30, the typical hibernation period for bats, may be subject to prosecution. Details about the protection of the northern long-eared bat can be found on DEC's website.

There is currently no treatment for bats suffering from white-nose syndrome. Along with the New York State Department of Health, DEC is partnering with researchers from the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin, and experts at universities across the country to better understand the disease and develop a treatment. This collaborative effort helped identify that reducing disturbances at hibernation sites during the winter can help the remaining animals survive. For more information about white-nose syndrome, visit the White-Nose Syndrome Response Team website.