Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - JANUARY 18, 2023

 

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

96 Statewide Deaths Reported from January 14 to January 17

 Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combatting COVID-19 and outlined basic steps they can take to protect against the spread of viral respiratory infections that become more common in the winter season.

"I urge all New Yorkers to 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."

Governor Hochul is 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), the flu and COVID-19 and reduce the patient burden on local hospitals. The Governor reiterated these basic steps when she updated New Yorkers on the state's winter health preparedness efforts last month.

Recently, the New York State Department of Health announced that the XBB.1.5. variant is now the most dominant strain in New York, accounting for more than 50 percent of COVID-19 infections statewide. Emerging at a time when both COVID-19 and flu cases remain high, early data indicates that XBB.1.5. is more transmissible than other circulating variants, though there is not yet clear evidence of significant changes to virulence or severity of disease.

The New York State Department of Health's weekly flu surveillance report for the week ending January 7, shows influenza remaining widespread throughout the state for a fourteenth consecutive week, with a total of 293,541 positive cases across all 62 counties reported to date. The report found that confirmed cases statewide dropped 36 percent, while overall hospitalizations were down 34 percent from the previous week, with the week ending January 7 at 1,621 hospitalizations across the state.

Additionally, there were 37 outbreaks in acute care and long-term care facilities, the report determined. There were no additional pediatric deaths, leaving the total at six statewide.

With flu season continuing and infections remaining widespread, Governor Hochul encourages all New Yorkers to get their annual flu vaccine. 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 Health Department 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. For information about flu vaccine clinics, contact the local health department or visit vaccines.gov/find-vaccines/.

Governor Hochul also continues to urge New Yorkers to get their bivalent COVID-19 vaccine boosters. Recently, the New York State Department of Health announced new guidance for bivalent COVID-19 booster doses, which are now available for eligible children down to 6 months of age.

The updated boosters are the first to be targeted to the original virus strain and recently circulating variants and are recommended for young New Yorkers and all those eligible. 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.

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

• Cases Per 100k - 17.63
• 7-Day Average Cases Per 100k - 18.36
• Test Results Reported - 41,927
• Total Positive - 3,445
• Percent Positive - 7.72%**
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 6.79%**
• Patient Hospitalization - 3,511 (+59)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 1,509*
• Patients in ICU - 387 (+19)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 141 (-9)
• Total Discharges - 390,351 (+1,269)*
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 96*
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 60,980*

** 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 - 77,526

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,   January   15, 2023	Monday,   January   16, 2023	Tuesday,   January   17, 2023
Bronx	7.89%	7.94%	8.19%
Kings	5.28%	5.20%	5.19%
New York	5.90%	5.89%	6.18%
Queens	8.13%	8.06%	8.01%
Richmond	7.02%	6.96%	6.83%

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - Our Co-Op City Office is Now Open!

 

Visit Our New Office in Co-Op City!

To our neighbors in NY-14,

We hope you had a restful holiday season! As we kick off the New Year, we wanted to let you know that our new office in Co-Op City is now open. Visit us at 177 Dreiser Loop, Room 3, The Bronx, NY 10475, where we accept walk-ins Monday through Thursday from 9 AM to 5 PM.

As we search for offices in other parts of the new district, we will also continue to see constituents at our joint office with State Assemblymember Karines Reyes in Parkchester on Mondays and Tuesdays at 1973 Westchester Avenue.

Otherwise, during the week, we are available by phone at 718-662-5970 or online.

Wishing you a Happy New Year!

In service,

The Office of Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez

MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES MAJOR MILESTONE IN PROJECT TO “DAYLIGHT” TIBBETTS BROOK, EXTENDS PUTNAM GREENWAY IN BRONX

 

After Years of Stalemate, Adams Administration Reaches Agreement to Purchase Critical Bronx Property Needed to Complete One of New York City’s Most Ambitious Green Infrastructure Projects to Date

 

Project Will Create Additional Capacity in Bronx Sewer System, Improve Health of Harlem River, and Provide Residents with New Green Space

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced that the city has hit a key milestone in the project to uncover Tibbetts Brook and extend the Putnam Greenway in the Bronx. Following years of a stalemate, an agreement has been reached with railroad freight company CSX Transportation to purchase a piece of property critical to the project for $11.2 million. By obtaining this final component, the city will be able to move forward with rerouting the brook above ground, an engineering feat known as ‘daylighting,’ and will complete one of New York City’s most ambitious green infrastructure projects to date.

 

Removing Tibbetts Brook from the sewer system will create much-needed additional capacity in the borough’s drainage network and is expected to reduce combined sewer overflows by 228 million gallons annually, which will improve the health of the Harlem River. This green infrastructure project will also create new parkland for New Yorkers to enjoy within the former CSX rail line property and extend the existing Putnam Greenway, which goes through Van Cortlandt Park and connects northward to the 750-mile Empire State Trail.

 

“Today’s announcement brings us one step closer to completing one of New York City’s most ambitious green infrastructure project to date,” said Mayor Adams. “After years of trying, I’m proud that this administration was able to reach this milestone and can proceed with rerouting Tibbetts Brook above ground. Not only will this create more green spaces to enjoy, but it will remove millions of gallons of water from our sewer system, lessening potential flooding on rainy days.”

 

“With the help and support from Senator Schumer, our partner agencies, and countless committed electeds and advocates, the city will improve water quality for nearby rivers, reduce flooding, all while providing additional parkland and greenway connections,” said Deputy Mayor of Operations Meera Joshi. “This type of action highlights the importance of redeveloping unused industrial space creatively for the purpose of greening our city, and directly benefitting those communities in the Bronx as well as those adjacent to the Harlem River”

 

“Rerouting this long-buried waterway above ground will reduce pollution going into the Harlem River, lessen flooding, connect greenways, and create even more recreational space for the Bronx,” said Chief Climate Officer and DEP Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala. “Thanks to the persistent efforts of the Adams administration and our elected, community, and environmental partners, we are on our way to acquiring this critical piece of land from CSX Transportation and moving forward with the plan to restore Tibbetts Brook. This is one of our most ambitious green infrastructure projects to date, complementing the many other innovative initiatives we are already utilizing - including the recently expanded Cloudburst Program, Bluebelts, rain gardens and green roofs - to tackle climate change.”

 

“This project has been years in the making, and we are so proud that this administration has negotiated the vital CSX agreement to move forward with daylighting Tibbetts Brook – a win for environmental justice, and a big upgrade for the Bronx,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “In addition to adding nearly four acres of brand new greenspace and improving water quality in the Harlem River, this project will add an extension to our Putnam Greenway, connected to the larger Empire State Greenway, increasing recreational opportunities for all New Yorkers to enjoy.”

 

Tibbetts Brook was dammed in the 18^th century to form a mill pond in Van Cortlandt Park and by 1912 it was completely buried underground and directed into the city’s sewer system. The daylighting project will return it closer to its natural open-air path, which winds through the Kingsbridge neighborhood and empties into the Harlem River.

 

Once completed, the daylighting project will remove roughly 4 to 5 million gallons of water from the sewer system each day, more on rainy days. The project could lessen flooding in some areas of the Tibbetts Brook watershed, and reduce treatment costs and greenhouse gas emissions by diverting brook water away from the Wards Island Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility.

 

There has already been significant community engagement on the project, and it is now in the final stages of the design process. Construction is expected to begin in 2025.   

 

Acquisition by the city of the rail property is subject to approval by the federal Surface Transportation Board for use of the former rail line as a trail. The overall daylighting and greenway project budget is $133 million. The project is part of an agreement between New York City and New York State to further improve the ecological health of city waterbodies.

 

Senator Gustavo Rivera on Senate Judiciary Committee's Hearing on Judge Hector LaSalle

 

"Thank you to my colleagues on the Judiciary Committee and to Chair Hoylman-Sigal for their diligent questioning of Judge LaSalle at today's hearing as part of the Senate’s advice and consent process. I also appreciate the nominee for his willingness to answer questions on his record.

The committee voted against moving this nomination to the floor after carefully considering Judge LaSalle's testimony. I believe that we have fulfilled our chamber's constitutional obligation and evaluated the nominee based on his professional merits and his record.

It is unfortunate that this process has become so acrimonious and I implore the Governor to work collaboratively with the Senate so that we may approve the nominee she selects next. I look forward to working with her to see that happen."