Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating Covid-19 - MARCH 14, 2023

 

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

43 Statewide Deaths Reported from March 11 to March 13

 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 - 4.12
• 7-Day Average Cases Per 100k - 5.73
• Test Results Reported - 25,636
• Total Positive - 805 
• Percent Positive - 2.75%** 
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 2.24%** 
• Patient Hospitalization - 1,438 (+20)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 460*
• Patients in ICU - 155 (+10)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 54 (+5)
• Total Discharges - 406,635 (+376)*
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 43*
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 62,037*

** 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 - 78,922

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	Saturday, March 11, 2023	Sunday, March 12, 2023	Monday, March 13, 2023
Bronx	1.77%	1.71%	1.64%
Kings	0.96%	0.95%	0.91%
New York	2.29%	2.19%	2.21%
Queens	1.97%	1.92%	1.96%
Richmond	1.60%	1.59%	1.54%

 

MAYOR ADAMS SIGNS FIVE BILLS STRENGTHENING CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROGRAMS, ENSURING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ARE PROVIDED TO FAMILIES LIVING IN SHELTERS, AND SAVING LOW- AND MODERATE-INCOME HOMEOWNERS MONEY

 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today signed five pieces of legislation — two that will provide support and accountability for criminal justice programs and Crisis Management System (CMS) providers that receive city funding, one that will create a juvenile justice board, one that will ensure mental health services are provided in shelters serving families with children, and one that will lower interest rates for property tax arrears owed by low- and moderate-income homeowners.

 

Intros. 439 and 756 will ensure greater accountability of and support for CMS providers by requiring the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ) to evaluate the performance of criminal justice programs receiving city funding and to provide training and operational support to CMS providers. Intro. 436 will strengthen the juvenile justice system by establishing a juvenile justice board. Intro. 522 will ensure greater mental health resources for New Yorkers living in shelters by requiring mental health professionals to provide either onsite or telehealth support to families with children living in shelters. Intro. 524 will provide relief for low- and moderate-income homeowners by lowering interest rates for property tax arrears owed by properties assessed at $250,000 or less that have entered into a payment plan with the city.

 

“The prerequisite to prosperity is public safety, and our administration has already made significant strides in making our city safer and more prosperous for all New Yorkers,” said Mayor Adams. “The five bills we are signing today help struggling homeowners, give young people a voice in juvenile detention, support our families and children living in shelters, and provide support for our gun violence interrupters. I thank Speaker Adams and the sponsors of these bills for their partnership.”

 

“The Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice is proud to partner with a number of community-based organizations that provide critical services to New Yorkers, from violence interruption to reentry services for those returning from incarceration,” said MOCJ Director Deanna Logan. “Intros. 439 and 756 will help us support these organizations to fulfill their missions by equipping them with the tools to succeed, while providing greater oversight to ensure efficient and proper use of city resources.”

 

“Mental health services are critical to helping vulnerable New Yorkers stabilize their lives in shelter, and Intro. 522 will help further enhance the range of meaningful supports we offer to all of our clients, including onsite or offsite linkages to mental health services for families with children residing in shelter,” said New York City Department of Social Services Acting Commissioner Molly Wasow Park. “We thank Councilmember Bottcher for his partnership on this legislation, which reaffirms our commitment to leaving no stone unturned in our ongoing efforts to support families with children experiencing homelessness.”

 

“The Department of Finance is committed to working with homeowners who owe property tax arrears and offers several options for payment plans,” said New York City Department of Finance (DOF) Commissioner Preston Niblack. “Intro. 524 will help provide more breathing room for low- and moderate-income homeowners while ensuring the city can recoup this critical source of revenue.”

 

Intro. 439 — sponsored by New York City Councilmember Nantasha Williams — requires MOCJ to evaluate the performance of organizations that receive funding from the city for criminal justice services, such as alternatives to incarceration, reentry services, pretrial supervised release, and violence prevention programming. MOCJ is required to submit a report summarizing these evaluations to the mayor and the City Council annually.

 

Intro. 756 — sponsored by New York City Councilmember Kamillah Hanks — will require the Office for Neighborhood Safety and the Prevention of Violence, in consultation with MOCJ, to provide training and operational support to CMS providers. This effort will include offering training on to the delivery of services and nonprofit administration and capacity building, providing referrals to technical support ranging from business services to human resource assistance, facilitating collaboration between CMS stakeholders, and providing information related to voluntary trainings and relevant certifications for service provider employees.

 

Intro. 436 — sponsored by New York City Councilmember Althea Stevens — will create a juvenile justice advisory board, consisting of 20 members, to advise and provide recommendations to the mayor, the City Council, and the New York City Administration for Children’s Services on issues related to juvenile justice. This bill would require the board to annually report to the mayor and the speaker a description of its activities, the results of its review and recommendations, and any challenges in providing oversight and feedback.

 

Intro. 522 — sponsored by New York City Councilmember Erik Bottcher — will require each shelter serving families with children to provide either onsite or telehealth mental health services.

 

Intro. 524 — sponsored by New York City Councilmember David Carr — will authorize the New York City Banking Commission to recommend, and the City Council to adopt, an interest rate applicable to the property tax arrears that accrue while an eligible property — defined as a property where the primary homeowner has an annual income of $200,000 or less, with an assessed value of $250,000 or less — is the subject of a valid payment agreement plan with the DOF. The rate recommended by the Banking Commission must be at least equal to the most recently determined federal short-term interest rate rounded to the nearest half percent. The DOF will also be required to conduct outreach for the new rate and report back to the mayor and the speaker.