Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - MARCH 13, 2023

 

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

16 Statewide Deaths Reported on Friday, March 10

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

"Every New Yorker must remain vigilant and continue to use 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 be sure to 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 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 health preparedness efforts this winter.

The New York State Department of Health recently launched a new 12-week campaign on television, social media and streaming services to encourage New Yorkers with underlying medical conditions to recognize the importance of getting and staying up-to-date with the recommended COVID-19 bivalent booster to avoid serious illness or death. These conditions including being 65 or older, pregnant, obese, diabetic, or suffering from heart or lung disease, or having a weakened immune system.

Additionally, the Department of Health released its weekly flu surveillance report for the week ending March 4 and showing influenza remaining geographically widespread throughout the state for a twenty-second consecutive week, with a total of 319,547 positive cases reported this season to date. The report found that confirmed cases statewide decreased 2 percent to 1,854 for the week, while overall hospitalizations were down 33 percent from the previous week, at 131 hospitalizations across the state.

There were five outbreaks in acute care and long-term care facilities, the report determined. There was no influenza-associated pediatric death reported for the week, for a total of 11 statewide.

With flu season continuing, Governor Hochul reminds all New Yorkers that it's not too late 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. In December, 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 - 3.45
• 7-Day Average Cases Per 100k - 5.85
• Test Results Reported - 25,557
• Total Positive - 674
• Percent Positive - 2.51%**
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 2.25%**
• Patient Hospitalization - 1,418 (-90)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 193
• Patients in ICU - 145 (-3)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 49 (0)
• Total Discharges - 406,259 (+270)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 16
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 61,994

** 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 - 78,901

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,   March   10, 2023	Saturday,   March   11, 2023	Sunday,   March   12, 2023
Bronx	1.71%	1.77%	1.71%
Kings	0.97%	0.96%	0.95%
New York	2.22%	2.29%	2.19%
Queens	1.89%	1.97%	1.92%
Richmond	1.61%	1.60%	1.59%

MAYOR ADAMS, CITY TREASURER JACKMAN STAND UP FOR NYC’S SMALL BUSINESSES FOLLOWING STATEMENT ON CLOSURES OF SIGNATURE BANK AND SILICON VALLEY BANK

 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York Governor Hochul today convened a meeting with representatives from the city’s technology and venture community, and many small businesses, to address their concerns after the closure of Signature Bank on Sunday evening and Silicon Valley Bank on Friday night.

 

“While we are still assessing the impact from these two closures, we will do everything in our power to protect New York’s workers, its small businesses, taxpayers, and our economy at large,” said Mayor Adams. “This afternoon, Governor Hochul and I spoke with representatives from the city’s technology and venture community, and we remain committed to supporting these industries and their workers. We applaud the swift and decisive action taken by federal regulators to support both Signature Bank and Silicon Valley Bank and will continue to update the public as this situation develops. New York City is the financial and innovation capital of the world, and we will work at all levels of government to ensure the continued stability of our financial ecosystem.”

 

“The city’s Banking Commission has been carefully monitoring the situation and is actively reviewing all of the city’s depository banks to ensure taxpayer funds remain fully secure,” said New York City Treasurer Mary Christine Jackman. “All of the city’s deposits with Signature Bank are protected, and we remain encouraged by the proactive steps taken by state and federal regulators to fully guarantee deposits, including from the city. At this time, we will continue to evaluate the situation and, of course, take appropriate action, if necessary, to ensure taxpayer funds remain safe.”

 

BOROUGH PRESIDENT GIBSON HOSTS FIRST CIVIC ENGAGEMENT SUMMIT DURING CIVICS WEEK

 

On March 7, 2023, Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson hosted a Civic Engagement Summit in the rotunda of Bronx Borough Hall featuring a panel of elected officials and youth leaders discussing the importance of civic engagement, civic leadership, and ways students can get involved in their communities. She was joined by panelists, Chief Democracy Officer of the Civic Engagement Commission, Kathleen Daniel, New York State Assembly Member Chantel Jackson, New York City Council Members Althea Stevens and Eric Dinowitz, and Orangel Mejia, Government Affairs` Executive Secretary at College of Mount St. Vincent.

“I am excited to celebrate my first-ever Civic Engagement Summit as Bronx Borough President aimed at providing our youth with the opportunity to learn how to be active citizens in their communities,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson. “From participatory budgeting to joining their local community board or precinct council, there are so many ways for our students to get involved and have a say in the future of our Borough and City.”

This event was in partnership with the Civic Engagement Commission during Civics Week to encourage civic engagement by creating transparency around local institutions, highlighting ways to get involved beyond voting, and amplifying opportunities for youth to have a say in their communities. The panel discussion was followed by a Q&A and time for panelists to network with the almost 100 participants in attendance, which included students from Bronx Latin, IS 584, PS/MS 5 Port Morris, Bravehearts NY, Highbridge Voices, Lehman College, and College of Mount St. Vincent.

MAYOR ADAMS’ STATEMENT ON INAUGURAL INTERNATIONAL FORUM ON COMBATTING GUN VIOLENCE

 

 New York City Mayor Eric Adams today released the following statement after the completion of the inaugural New York City-led international forum on combatting gun violence, held in coordinating with the United States’ neighboring countries:

 “There is no more important issue than fighting gun violence, and it starts with cracking down on the worldwide illegal gun trade that fuels this epidemic in New York City and around the globe. I would like to thank our partners in government from around the world for joining today’s inaugural forum, including representatives from Mexico, Canada, and the CARICOM nations.

“By sharing intelligence, tools, and tactics, we are continuing to do everything that we can to combat gun violence. While both murder and shootings are down in New York City, we must still work to dam up each river that leads to the sea of gun violence across our nation and around the world. This means working across state lines and international borders to target illegal gun traffickers and disrupting their networks. Today’s discussion also focused on the importance of data sharing and partnerships as key components of an overall plan to effectively combat gun violence and trafficking, as well as shutting down online retailers that ship illegal ghost guns throughout the world.

“Getting illegal guns off our streets and out of our cities is critical to protecting our kids, our communities, and our future. Fewer guns mean fewer deaths, and the work we are doing together will save lives — not only here in New York City, but in Mexico, in Canada, in the Caribbean, and around the globe.”

NYSOFA Seeks Input from Individuals 60+ In State’s First-Ever Comprehensive Survey of Older Adults

 

Results will help inform priorities of the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) in its four-year plan; survey available in 6 languages

The New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) urges all individuals 60+ to answer a newly launched statewide Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults (CASOA).

NYSOFA is conducting the survey in partnership with the Association on Aging in New York (AgingNY) and the research firm Polco. It is the first survey of its kind to be conducted statewide in New York.

Initial feedback had previously been collected through a randomly selected sample of residents who received a printed survey by mail from NYSOFA. In this second phase of the survey, all community members age 60 and over are encouraged to share their input by completing the survey online. The survey will close on March 30, 2023. 

NYSOFA Director Greg Olsen said, "Older adults are important to their families, communities, and the state’s economy. Our goal is to help them age successfully and keep their enormous contributions in New York State. We need older adults to provide us with feedback as we build on New York's promise as the first age-friendly state in the nation."  

AgingNY Executive Director Becky Preve said, “Data is imperative in the creation and implementation of policy and funding needs of older New Yorkers. This survey provides an opportunity for federal, state, and local governments to hear directly from residents on current and future needs to support the older population. We strongly encourage participation in this free, anonymous survey, as the results will be paramount in planning for the future.” 

The survey’s results will inform the priorities of NYSOFA as it prepares its four-year plan to the federal government. NYSOFA’s four-year plan guides service delivery and policy development for aging services that support New York’s 4.6 million older adults.

Under the direction of Governor Kathy Hochul, New York is also developing a comprehensive Master Plan for Aging (MPA). The MPA is designed to ensure that older adults and individuals of all ages can live healthy, fulfilling lives while aging with dignity and independence. While NYSOFA’s Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults is a separate initiative from the MPA process, the survey results may also provide further information to support the goals of the Master Plan for Aging. 

The Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults is being conducted in partnership with Polco, an online civic engagement platform. It is anonymous and takes only 10 to 15 minutes to complete. The survey is available in six languages by clicking the language options at the top of the survey page. 

The survey covers the following areas:

• Overall community quality – assessing the community as a place to live and retire, whether individuals recommend the community to others, and residential stability.

• Community and belonging – assessing views about community safety, the belief that older residents are valued in the community, and concerns about crime victimization and abuse. 

• Community information – assessing the availability of information about older adult resources and financial or legal services.

• Productive activities – assessing civic engagement, such as volunteering, voting, social engagement, social and religious activities, recreation, personal enrichment, caregiving, and economic contributions.

• Health and wellness – physical health, physical fitness, mental health, emotional wellbeing, quality of life, health care, independent living, activities of daily living, and hospitalizations.

• Community design and land use – housing variety and availability, ease of travel (by car, foot, and bus), access to daily needs, overall quality of life.

DOI STATEMENT ON SENTENCING OF FORMER EXECUTIVE OF TWO PUBLICLY-FUNDED NONPROFITS FOR STEALING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FROM THOSE ORGANIZATIONS

 

 Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), issued the following statement on today’s sentencing of REGINALD WILLIAMS, 70, of New York, N.Y., for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars while serving as President and CEO of the Addicts Rehabilitation Center Fund, Inc. (“ARC Fund”) and Chairman of the Board (and previously as the President and CEO) of the Addicts Rehabilitation Center Foundation, Inc. (“ARC Foundation”). ARC Fund and ARC Foundation are nonprofits that have received funding from City and State agencies to provide housing and social services to New Yorkers with HIV/AIDS, substance and alcohol use disorders, and others. In November 2022, WILLIAMS pled guilty to four counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony, and one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class D felony. He was sentenced today in New York State Supreme Court by Judge April Newbauer to three years’ probation and ordered to pay restitution of $450,000 to the ARC Foundation. DOI investigated this case with the Office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and the Office of New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang.

 WILLIAMS’ co-defendants, both of Teaneck, N.J., NAOMI BARRERA, 45, the President and CEO of the ARC Foundation, and BENNIE HADNOTT, 78, president of Tondah Consulting Group, which provided financial consulting services to the ARC Foundation, pled guilty in late 2022 to Petit Larceny, a class A misdemeanor, and were sentenced to a conditional discharge. BARRERA was also ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution to the ARC Foundation.

 DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said, “Through kickbacks and deception, Williams worked with his co-defendants to funnel charitable dollars to himself, buying personal luxuries at the expense of New Yorkers in need of aid. DOI, the Manhattan District Attorney and the New York State Inspector General worked together to expose these crimes and to ensure that funds will be repaid to the nonprofits victimized by this illegal conduct. These criminal convictions underscore that stealing public dollars through a taxpayer-funded nonprofit has serious consequences.”

 Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said, “Alongside DOI and the New York State Office of the Inspector General, we put a stop to this fraud targeting nonprofits that provide critical housing and social services to New Yorkers. Thanks to the strength of our partnership, those who attempted to illegally profit off contracts serving the City’s most vulnerable residents have been held accountable.”

 New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang said, “This case speaks to the core work of the Offices of the Inspector General to protect the systems that serve the most vulnerable New Yorkers. Every dollar stolen here was a dollar not going to those in need of housing, social services, drug treatment and those living with HIV, which makes the work of all those involved in this investigation so critical. I commend District Attorney Bragg and his office for their commitment to this case and the New York City Department of Investigation Commissioner Strauber and her office for their tireless efforts and collaboration with this and all such investigations.”

 In July 2019, WILLIAMS, BARRERA and HADNOTT were each indicted for their involvement in the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars from ARC Foundation and ARC Fund through multiple schemes.

 In one scheme, the ARC Foundation paid HADNOTT’s Tondah Consulting group $40,000 annually for financial consulting services under WILLIAMS’s direction. In exchange, HADNOTT kicked back approximately 25 percent of that payment to WILLIAMS annually, from 2010 through 2015, over $54,000 in total. In another scheme, WILLIAMS, acting in concert with BARRERA, stole from the ARC Foundation on two separate occasions; WILLIAMS received $135,000 and BARRERA received $30,000. Lastly, WILLIAMS stole funds from the ARC Foundation and the ARC Fund by requesting reimbursements for personal expenses that he falsely claimed were business expenses. WILLIAMS received more than $100,000 for near-monthly travel expenses to the Bahamas, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic for himself, family, and friends, including lodging, restaurants, bar tabs, and taxis. WILLIAMS also received over $170,000 in reimbursements for frequent restaurant and bar tabs in New York City from the ARC Foundation and the ARC Fund. For more information on the indictment and original charges, please click here.

 DOI Commissioner Strauber thanked Manhattan District Attorney Bragg and his staff for the prosecution of this matter, which was handled by Assistant District Attorney Daniel Passeser and supervised by Julieta Lozano, Bureau Chief of the District Attorney’s Major Economic Crimes Bureau. DOI Commissioner Strauber also thanked New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang and her staff for their work on this investigation, which was handled by Senior Investigative Counsel Kenneth Michaels and Director of Audit Giovanni Liotine.