Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State’s Progress Combating COVID-19 - DECEMBER 5, 2022

 

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

30 Statewide Deaths Reported from December 2

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

"With the holiday season upon us, 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 is also urging New Yorkers to take common prevention measures - like staying up to date on vaccines and practicing proper hygiene - to protect from Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), flu and COVID-19 and reduce the patient burden on local hospitals. Influenza is spreading quickly, with the number of laboratory-confirmed cases statewide and hospitalizations having spiked recently.

Governor Hochul previously launched a public awareness campaign featuring New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett speaking directly to New Yorkers about three viruses - 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 - 16.96

• 7-Day Average Cases Per 100k - 28.00

• Test Results Reported - 43,658
• Total Positive - 3,314
• Percent Positive - 7.25%**      
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 7.16%**       
• Patient Hospitalization - 3,214 (-102)*
• Patients Newly Admitted - 522*
• Patients in ICU - 288 (0)*
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 106 (-4)*
• Total Discharges - 368,796 (+560)*
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 30*  
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 59,548*  

** Due to the test reporting policy change by the federal Department of Health and Human Services 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 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 - 75,945

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	Friday,   Dec.   2, 2022	Saturday,   Dec.  3, 2022	Sunday,   Dec.   4, 2022
Bronx	7.96%	7.99%	8.05%
Kings	6.92%	6.88%	6.92%
New York	6.96%	6.82%	6.71%
Queens	8.97%	8.89%	8.83%
Richmond	6.88%	6.79%	6.67%

DEC Awards $567,500 to New York Municipalities for Zero-Emission Vehicles

 

Municipal Zero-Emissions Rebate Program Add Vehicles to Fleets, Including Medium-Duty Vans, Trucks, and Minibuses

Zero-Emission Vehicles Advance New York’s Nation-Leading Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act

 New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced the award of $567,500 to municipalities for the purchase or lease of zero-emission light- and medium-duty fleet vehicles through DEC’s Municipal Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Rebate Program. These vehicles will help New York achieve the greenhouse gas emission reduction directives of the State’s climate law, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act). 

“New York is leading the nation in reducing emissions and aggressively investing in clean transportation vehicles and infrastructure to help reach our climate goals,” said Commissioner Seggos. “The ZEV Rebate Program is making it more affordable for communities to green their fleets and make the switch to cleaner vehicles, resulting in lower fuel costs for taxpayers. DEC is pleased to support municipalities in their efforts to transition municipal fleets to these clean alternatives."

The 2022 round of the Municipal ZEV Rebate Program made 12 awards to 10 municipalities, supporting 76 fully electric fleet vehicles, including the program’s first award for a medium-duty vehicle, an E-Transit cargo van in Erie County.

Erie County Commissioner of the Department of Environment and Planning Daniel Castle said, “Greening our fleet is an important part of achieving the goals in Erie County's Climate Action & Sustainability plan for internal operations. We will be reinvesting this rebate into our Climate Action Fund to further reduce our greenhouse gas emissions."

The DEC Municipal ZEV Rebate Program continues to support municipal efforts to mitigate climate change. Of the funding awarded, $545,000 went to municipalities that contain Disadvantaged Communities, as identified by the Climate Justice Working Group’s draft criteria. Since its inception in 2016, the ZEV Rebate Program has awarded a total of more than $1.5 million (including this round) toward the purchase or lease of 114 plug-in hybrid vehicles and 182 all-electric vehicles.  

Recipients of 2022 rebate awards are:  

• Village of Buchanan: $7,500 toward the purchase of one battery electric vehicle;
• Erie County: $30,000 toward three battery electric vehicles and one E-Transit cargo van;
• Village of Hastings-on-Hudson: $15,000 toward two battery electric vehicles;
• Village of Lake Grove: $22,500 toward three battery electric vehicles;
• New York City: $367,500 toward 49 battery electric vehicles;
• Village of Ossining: $5,000 toward one battery electric vehicle;
• City of Schenectady: $30,000 toward four battery electric vehicles;
• Schenectady County: $15,000 toward two battery electric vehicles;
• Tompkins County: $52,500 toward seven battery electric vehicles; and
• Ulster County: $22,500 toward three battery electric vehicles.

The funding was provided through the State’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). Among the many environmental victories in the 2022-23 State budget, Governor Hochul succeeded in enacting an increase in the EPF from $300 million to $400 million, the highest-ever level of funding in the program’s history. The EPF supports climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, improves agricultural resources to promote sustainable agriculture, protects water sources, advances conservation efforts, and provides recreational opportunities for New Yorkers.  

More information about the DEC Municipal ZEV Rebate Program, as well as Municipal ZEV Infrastructure Grants, is available at: https://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/109181.html#ZEV.   

New York State's Nation-Leading Climate Plan

New York State's nation-leading climate agenda is the most aggressive climate and clean energy initiative in the nation, calling for an orderly and just transition to clean energy that creates jobs and continues fostering a green economy as New York State recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Enshrined into law through the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, New York is on a path to achieve its mandated goal of a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and to reach economy wide carbon neutrality. It builds on New York's unprecedented investments to ramp-up clean energy including over $35 billion in 120 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce buildings emissions, $1.8 billion to scale up solar, more than $1 billion for clean transportation initiatives, and over $1.6 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. Combined, these investments are supporting more than 165,000 jobs in New York’s clean energy sector in 2021, a 2,100 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011 and a commitment to develop 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035. Under the Climate Act, New York will build on this progress and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent from 1990 levels by 2050, while ensuring that at least 35 percent with a goal of 40 percent of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities, and advance progress towards the state's 2025 energy efficiency target of reducing on-site energy consumption by 185 trillion BTUs of end-use energy savings.