Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - NOVEMBER 16, 2022

 

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

29 Statewide Deaths Reported on November 15

 Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combatting COVID-19 and plan to protect against the spread of viral respiratory infections that become more common in the fall and winter seasons.  

"As we prepare for the holiday season, New Yorkers should remain vigilant and continue to use all available tools to keep themselves, their loved ones and their communities safe and healthy," Governor Hochul said. "Be sure to 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."

Earlier this month, Governor Hochul launched a new public awareness campaign featuring New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett speaking directly to New Yorkers about three viruses - Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), flu and COVID-19 - now circulating in the state with similar symptoms and the potential to cause serious illness. Produced by the New York State Department of Health, the videos include a short clip and a longer version geared toward parents; and a version aimed specifically at health care providers.     

Governor Hochul continues to remind New Yorkers that children ages 5 and older may now receive the bivalent booster shots that are recommended to increase protection against COVID-19. 

The Governor also urges 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 encourages New Yorkers to get their annual flu vaccine as flu season is widespread across New York State. The flu virus and the virus that causes COVID-19 are both 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 is continuing 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. Advertisements in both English and Spanish language began running last month. 

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 - 20.93
• 7-Day Average Cases Per 100k - 18.52
• Test Results Reported - 62,738
• Total Positive - 4,091
• Percent Positive - 6.06%**     
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 5.87%**      
• Patient Hospitalization - 2,765 (-25)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 459
• Patients in ICU - 280 (-16)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 104 (+1)
• Total Discharges - 362,438 (+420)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 29
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 59,167

** 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 - 75,495

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,   November   13, 2022	Monday,   November   14, 2022	Tuesday,   November   15, 2022
Bronx	6.68%	6.75%	6.62%
Kings	6.26%	6.24%	6.18%
New York	5.74%	5.86%	5.88%
Queens	6.92%	6.91%	6.83%
Richmond	5.43%	5.68%	5.49%

  

GUN TRAFFICKER SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR SELLING 73 FIREARMS TO UNDERCOVER OFFICER

Defendant Brought Firearms from Tennessee By Bus; Weapons Included 59 Loaded Guns, 40 High-Capacity Magazines 

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a 23-year-old man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for trafficking 73 weapons and high-capacity magazines to the Bronx and Manhattan, where they were sold to an undercover NYPD officer.

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant, who was a college student at the time in Tennessee, trafficked semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity magazines from the south to New York City. He brought some of the weapons in duffle bags by bus and then sold them to an undercover NYPD officer. The illegal influx of guns threatens the safety of Bronxites. I thank our partners at the NYPD for intercepting these guns before they ended up on our streets.”

 District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Shakor Rodriguez, 23, originally from the Bronx, who was attending Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee at the time, was sentenced today by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Albert Lorenzo to 10 years in prison and 5 years of post-release supervision for first-degree Criminal Sale of Firearm, and received a 1 to 3 years indeterminate sentence for fourth-degree Conspiracy, to run concurrently. Rodriguez pleaded guilty to the charges on September 19, 2022.

 According to the investigation by the NYPD Firearms Investigations Unit and the Bronx District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprise Bureau, dubbed “Operation Overnight Express,” Rodriguez, also known as “Sha,” trafficked 73 firearms to the Bronx and Manhattan and sold them to an undercover NYPD officer between July 17, 2020 and December 22, 2021. Of the 73 weapons sold were 59 loaded firearms. He also sold 40 high-capacity magazines, including multiple “drum” magazines. The officer typically paid between $1,000 and $1,500 per gun.

 Rodriguez sold most of the weapons near his former home in the vicinity of Weeks Avenue and Nelson Avenue in the Bronx, and multiple sales occurred on Allen Street in Manhattan. The investigation found the defendant transported guns in duffle bags and in some instances traveled with them by bus.

 District Attorney Clark thanked the NYPD’s Firearms Investigations Unit for their work in the investigation, specifically Detective Gustavo Medina, Sergeant Brian O’Hanlon, Lieutenant Michael Raso, Captain Jeffrey Heilig and Inspector Brian Gill.

New York Veterinarian And Racehorse Trainers Sentenced To Prison In Federal Doping Case

 

Veterinarian Louis Grasso and Standardbred Racehorse Trainers Richard Banca and Rene Allard Sentenced For Their Roles In Racehorse Doping Scheme

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that defendants LOUIS GRASSO, RICHARD BANCA, and RENE ALLARD were sentenced to 50 months in prison, 30 months in prison, and 27 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in distributing adulterated and misbranded drugs in service of a racehorse doping scheme.  Each defendant previously pled guilty to felony drug misbranding and adulteration charges.  U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel imposed the sentences in Manhattan federal court.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Illegally doping racehorses is animal abuse in the service of greed.  Such corruption threatens the health of racehorses and undermines the integrity of the sport.  Today, three defendants have been sentenced for their roles in perpetuating, and profiting from, the mistreatment of animals.  The sentences each defendant received appropriately reflects the seriousness of these offenses in the eyes of the law.”

According to the statements in the Superseding Indictment, charging instruments, other filings in this case, and statements during court proceedings:

The charges in the Grasso case arise from an investigation of widespread schemes by racehorse trainers, veterinarians, distributors of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs), and others to manufacture, distribute, and receive adulterated and misbranded PEDs and to secretly administer those PEDs to racehorses competing at all levels of professional horseracing.  By evading PED prohibitions and deceiving regulators and horse racing officials, participants in these schemes sought to improve race performance and obtain prize money from racetracks throughout the United States, all to the detriment and risk of the health and well-being of the racehorses.  GRASSO, a veterinarian, not only accepted payment in exchange for prescriptions for powerful and medically unnecessary PEDs, but he also created, distributed, and administered custom-made PEDs that were all misbranded and adulterated substances designed solely to improve racehorse performance.  Through this fraudulent scheme, GRASSO helped corrupt trainers collect over $47 million in ill-gotten purse winnings.  As standardbred racehorse trainers, BANCA and ALLARD purchased and administered adulterated and misbranded drugs to racehorses under their control, and as a result of their crimes, their horses earned approximately $16 million and $25 million in purse winnings, respectively.  BANCA and ALLARD stood to profit from the success of racehorses under their control by earning a share of their horses’ winnings and by improving their horses’ racing records, thereby yielding higher trainer fees and increasing the number of racehorses under their control. 

In addition to their prison terms, LOUIS GRASSO, 65, of Pine Bush, New York, was sentenced to two years’ supervised release.  RICHARD BANCA, 47, of Middletown, New York, and RENE ALLARD, 35, of Canada, were each sentenced to one year of supervised release. LOUIS GRASSO was further ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $47,656,576.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation New York Office’s Eurasian Organized Crime Task Force and its support of the Bureau’s Integrity in Sports and Gaming Initiative.  Mr. Williams also thanked the Food and Drug Administration for their assistance.

Governor Hochul Issues Proclamation Celebrating Transgender Awareness Month in New York State

 

State Landmarks to Be Lit in Honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20

Public Service Announcement Highlighting Rights of Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming New Yorkers in the Workplace to Protect Against Discrimination Available Here

Read Proclamation Here

 Governor Kathy Hochul issued a proclamation declaring November Transgender Awareness Month to celebrate the trans community in New York State and across the country. The Governor also announced that New York State landmarks will be lit pink, white and light blue on Sunday, November 20 in honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance.

"This November, I'm proud to celebrate Transgender Awareness Month to highlight the countless contributions that members of the transgender community have made to our state," Governor Hochul said. "Along with Transgender Day of Remembrance, this is also an opportunity to raise awareness about the discrimination and attacks transgender, gender non-conforming and non-binary people face across the world. My administration will continue to stand with the transgender community as we fight to ensure all New Yorkers can live with the dignity and equality they deserve."  

Governor Hochul has been a steadfast advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. In her first budget, Governor Hochul worked with the legislature to include a historic $13.5 million investment in LGBTQ+ health and human services funding and also required state agencies to make an "X" gender designation available to the public on state forms that collect such information. Governor Hochul has also signed major legislation to support LGBTQ+ New Yorkers, including creating the Lorena Borjas Transgender Wellness and Equity Fund and the Gender Inclusive Ballot Act.

Governor Hochul also announced today that the New York State Division of Human Rights has produced a public service announcement in collaboration with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commissioner and the New Pride Agenda on the rights of transgender and gender non-conforming people in the workplace to protect against discrimination. The PSA will run on social media platforms in honor of Transgender Awareness Month and Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Additionally, in consultation with the Executive Chamber, the Office of Employee Relations has developed a new training video that examines issues faced in the workplace by transgender and gender nonconforming employees. This video will be used to educate and increase cultural competency regarding the trans community for the entire state workforce, which reaches people from Buffalo to Albany, North Country to New York City, and Long Island.  

Building on the information already available in the Office of Employee Relations' Gender Identity Toolkit on the Statewide Learning Management System, the new Gender ID in the Workplace video provides a more detailed look at issues such as pronoun usage, gender-neutral language, workplace confidentiality and exposure, and gender-based microaggressions in the workplace. The video is in its final production and the Office of Employee Relations looks forward to launching the new training as part of its mandatory training program for executive branch employees in calendar year 2023.

In January, the state Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence will release applications for the LGBTQ+ Endorsement Program for Domestic Violence Providers. Announced by Governor Hochul in June, this year-long pilot program will help to address the unique struggles faced by the transgender community when there are instances of domestic violence.

The program is dedicated to reducing the barriers that LGBTQ+ survivors of gender-based violence face when seeking safety and will give participants the opportunity to be in the first cohort of endorsed programs, receive specialized training and technical assistance, and provide input on its development. To develop the program, the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence partnered with the New York City Anti-Violence Project and sought feedback from the LGBTQ+ and domestic violence provider community via a series of stakeholder listening sessions in this fall.

The voluntary initiative will give domestic violence programs the opportunity to be certified as LGBTQ+ affirming and inclusive in their services, policies and practices, and will establish a new commitment to the LGBTQ+ community statewide. To receive an endorsement, programs will need to show they meet a set of program standards including standards on serving trans- and gender-nonconforming survivors.

On November 20, in honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance, the landmarks to be lit include:  

One World Trade Center   

Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge

Kosciuszko Bridge

The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building

State Education Building

Alfred E. Smith State Office Building

Empire State Plaza

State Fairgrounds - Main Gate & Expo Center

Niagara Falls

The "Franklin D. Roosevelt" Mid-Hudson Bridge

Grand Central Terminal - Pershing Square Viaduct

Albany International Airport Gateway

MTA LIRR - East End Gateway at Penn Station

Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal