Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - MAY 26, 2022

 

Statewide 7-Day Average Case Rate Lowest Since May 5 — Nine Days of Consecutive Decline

Cases Continue to Trend Down Across All Regions Compared to Previous Week

In Preparation of the Holiday Weekend, 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 Yesterday

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

"As we head into the Memorial Day weekend and prepare to travel and gather with loved ones, I encourage everyone to continue taking advantage of the tools we have available to protect against and treat COVID-19," Governor Hochul said. "The best way to avoid serious illness from COVID-19 is by keeping up to date with your vaccination and booster doses. Tests can help stop the spread to our vulnerable loved ones, so let's keep using this critical tool. If you test positive, talk to your doctor about treatments. Let's continue to look out for each as we work to move forward safely through this pandemic."

Today's data is summarized briefly below:   

• Cases Per 100k - 46.93
• 7-Day Average Cases Per 100k - 42.81
• Test Results Reported - 132,106
• Total Positive - 9,172
• Percent Positive - 6.59%**  
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 7.68%**
• Patient Hospitalization - 2,518 (-135)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 436
• Patients in ICU - 243 (+9)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 91 (-1)
• Total Discharges - 305,841 (+518)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 16
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 56,004

** 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 - 71,485

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.      

• Total vaccine doses administered - 38,848,629
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 30,820
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 112,570
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 92.5%  
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 84.0%  
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 95.0%  
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 87.3%  
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 83.5%  
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 73.5%  
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 82.1%  
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 74.4%  
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 90.5%  
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 77.3%     

Each New York City borough's 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows **:    

Borough	Monday, May 23, 2022	Tuesday, May 24, 2022	Wednesday, May 25, 2022
Bronx	4.50%	4.55%	4.30%
Kings	6.49%	6.46%	6.28%
New York	6.80%	6.79%	6.74%
Queens	6.54%	6.70%	6.48%
Richmond	7.59%	7.63%	7.50%

Partnerships for Parks - FREE Webinar and Grants up to 12.5K

Youth volunteer with grant recipient Abuela Neighborhood Maintenance. APPLY FOR FUNDING THROUGH THE NYC GREEN RELIEF AND RECOVERY FUND The NYC Green Fund supports organizations of all sizes caring for New York City’s parks and open spaces in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of this initiative, the fund provides grants to grassroots volunteer groups to enable environmental stewardship and health & wellness programming in parks, gardens, and open spaces with a focus on environmental justice areas—neighborhoods with majority low-income residents and people of color, which are overburdened by environmental degradation and historical disinvestment.  The fund has supported neighborhood beautification and community-building since the beginning of the pandemic; allowing community members to paint benches, plant flower bulbs, clean gardens, construct picnic tables, organize Earth Day celebrations, and hold painting workshops in local green spaces across our city while spurring conversations around food equity, composting and planting, energy consumption, growing food at home, and stress management. "It brings me so much joy to organize events in my local park that my neighbors appreciate and enjoy,” said Angela Miskis, leader of Abuela Neighborhood Maintenance, NYC Green Fund grant recipient. “It's fulfilling to see them connect, laugh, and show their talents and pride in their community and work. I'm happy to be the catalyst for these positive interactions in my community." The NYC Green Fund is now offering grants of $500 to $12,500. The deadline for submission is 12pm noon on Wednesday, June 1, 2022 so apply now! APPLY TD BANK EXPERTS RETURN FOR FUNDRAISING WORKSHOP  Due to the success of their webinar earlier this year, we’re welcoming back speakers from TD Bank to provide more insight around financial planning for community groups dedicated to improving and sustaining local green spaces. TD Bank is deeply committed to community empowerment, environmental sustainability, and enhancing green spaces and will bring their knowledge around marketing and fundraising, increasing ROI, and additional sources of support to this hour-long webinar entitled Budgeting for Success: Marketing & Fundraising Strategies. Guest speakers: Amanda Foster, Vibrant Planet Relationship Manager, Office of Charitable and Community Giving, TD Bank. Marcus Gonzales, Vice President, Community Business Development Office, TD Bank. Anne LaFond, Art Director, Partnerships for Parks. Brittany Thomas, Senior Group Manager, Digital Marketing, TD Bank. Traducción en Español disponible. Wednesday, June 1, 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm REGISTER Partnerships for Parks is a joint program of City Parks Foundation and NYC Parks that supports and champions a growing network of leaders caring and advocating for neighborhood parks and green spaces. We equip people and organizations with the skills and tools needed to transform these spaces into dynamic community assets.

MAYOR ADAMS, NEW YORK CITY, STATE, FEDERAL ELECTED LEADERS LAUNCH BID FOR 2024 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION

 

Madison Square Garden and Jacob K. Javits Center to Be Primary Event Sites

 

Convention Would Provide Significant Boost to City’s Economy With Tens of Thousands of Visitors, Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars in Economic Activity

 New York City Mayor Eric Adams, joined by New York City, state, and federal elected officials, today launched the city’s bid to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC). While making all major venues available for the convention, the bid proposes Madison Square Garden as the primary event site, with the Jacob K. Javits Center available to host different components of the event, allowing the entire convention — from venues and office space to hotels and media — to take place within a 20-minute walk. The bid will be formally submitted today ahead of the May 27^th deadline tomorrow.

 

“This is the most diverse city in America, and one that reflects the face of not only the democratic party, but the entire nation. There is no better place for the DNC to host their convention than New York City, which is why we are proud to submit our bid today for the 2024 convention,” said Mayor Adams. “New York City was epicenter of the pandemic, and now we’re leading the recovery. And the convention will pour hundreds of millions of additional dollars into our economy in a part of the city that was among the hardest hit. New York City is the biggest stage in the world, and we want to welcome the DNC here to celebrate democracy, freedom, and progress.”

 

“Today is an exciting day as leaders from our business, hospitality, civic, and cultural communities stand together ready to welcome the 2024 Democratic National Convention to New York City,” said Deputy Mayor for Economy and Workforce Development Maria Torres-Springer. “No city in the country is better positioned to support the complex needs of the convention or provide such a high-quality experience for delegates. We would be proud to welcome visitors from across the country to experience New York City’s unrivaled amenities, support our local businesses, and send a clear message that New York City is back and better than ever.”

A map of the hotels, amenities, and other landmarks in the neighborhood immediately surrounding Madison Square Garden, the primary venue in the city’s 2024 DNC bid (credit: New York City Mayor’s Office)

Hosting the convention would provide a significant boost to New York City’s economy, directly benefiting many of the Midtown Manhattan small businesses that were particularly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the 2016 convention — the last in-person Democratic National Convention — Philadelphia reported $230.9 million in economic activity and over 54,000 visitors to the region, and city officials project that that number even larger numbers for 2024.

 

The proposal has received support from numerous entities across New York City’s public and private sectors, including over 40 formal letters of support from leaders in government, business, hospitality, cultural institutions, and labor, such as New York’s congressional delegation, New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, the New York City Hospitality Alliance, the Broadway League, and the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union.

 

More than 45,000 hotel rooms sit within a one-mile radius of the proposed convention sites. At the same time, the city has already secured commitments from 86 hotels to provide nearly 14,500 hotel rooms to delegates and other convention visitors. Madison Square Garden’s central location also places it just blocks away from major cultural institutions and national landmarks like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Broadway theaters, and Rockefeller Center, as well as the headquarters of major media networks and thousands of restaurants, bars, shops, and other small businesses.

 

The proposal also highlights the city’s extensive experience providing security for high-profile events and a range of convenient transportation options, including three national airports offering nonstop service to 2,000 cities in the United States and around the world and a rich public transit system with trains, buses, ferries, and quick-rental Citi Bike bicycles for travel in and around the city.

 

“New York City is primed and prepared to host the DNC for the 2024 convention, and we are eager to showcase everything the Big Apple has to offer,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Andrew Kimball. “The hundreds of millions of dollars generated by the convention would significantly help support the ongoing recovery for numerous businesses, retailers, hotels, restaurants, and more that suffered during the pandemic. The city has the spirit, energy, and resiliency to host the convention that shapes the future of democracy in our nation.”

 

BRONX WOMAN AND HER DAUGHTER INDICTED FOR SELLING 92-YEAR-OLD’S HOUSE WITHOUT HER KNOWLEDGE, POCKETING $760,000 FROM SALE

 

Defendants Also Allegedly Stole $80,000 from Victim’s Bank Account

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that two Bronx women have been indicted on Grand Larceny and additional charges for swindling a 92-year-old woman out of $840,000 from selling her house and withdrawing from her bank accounts without her knowledge.

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendants are accused of preying on a 92-year-old woman by having her sign documents giving them power of attorney, enabling them to access her accounts and finances. The victim lost her home as well as money used to support her extended family. If you take advantage of a vulnerable, elderly person in the Bronx, we will hold you accountable.”

 District Attorney Clark said the defendant Maria Garcia, 75, of Seffner, Florida, was arraigned on two counts of second-degree Grand Larceny, two counts of third-degree Grand Larceny, two counts of fourth-degree Grand Larceny, two counts of Petit Larceny, third-degree Criminal Tax Fraud, and fifth-degree Criminal Tax Fraud.

 Mara Garcia, 39, of Doral, Florida, was arraigned on second-degree Grand Larceny, thirddegree Grand Larceny, fourth-degree Grand Larceny, Petit Larceny, three counts of second-degree Forgery, second-degree Criminal Tax Fraud, third-degree Criminal Tax Fraud, fourth-degree Criminal Tax Fraud, fifth-degree Criminal Tax Fraud, and first-degree Offering a False Statement for Filing. If convicted of the top count the defendants face up to 15 years in prison.

 They were arraigned on May 20, 2022 before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Raymond Bruce. The defendants were placed on supervised release. They are due back in court on July 28, 2022.

 According to the investigation, between June 13, 2017 and February 20, 2021, the defendants, who knew the victim through their practice of Santeria, allegedly stole approximately $840,000 from Eladia Perez, who was 92 years old at the time, including $760,000 from the sale of her house in Soundview. The investigation found that the victim unknowingly signed numerous documents and multiple powers of attorney enabling the defendants to access, control and open bank accounts and other financial instruments, unbeknownst to the victim.

 The defendants allegedly used the money to pay for personal expenses. Mara Garcia allegedly paid off a $18,000 dollar credit card bill and took a European vacation. Maria Garcia allegedly paid off a refinance on her home for approximately $102,000. The defendants allegedly never paid taxes on money received from selling the stolen property.

 District Attorney Clark also thanked Associate Attorney Deborah Nathan, Forensic Tax Auditor Samantha Remigio and Section Head William J. Welch of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Criminal Investigations Division, as well as Detective Pedro Cortes of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office

An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams Announce Completion of $84 Million Affordable Housing Development for Seniors in the Bronx

 

The Trinity-Reverend William James Senior Apartments in Morrisania Features 153 Affordable Apartments, Including 57 Homes with Supportive Services for Formerly Incarcerated Seniors

Complements Governor's New $25 Billion, Five-Year, Comprehensive Housing Plan

 Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams today announced the completion of an $84 million affordable housing development for seniors in the Bronx. The Trinity-Reverend William James Senior Apartments includes 153 apartments, with 57 apartments reserved for seniors who will have access to on-site supportive services through The Fortune Society.

"As we recover from the pandemic, it is critical that we take bold action to make New York a more affordable place for all, which is why my administration launched a comprehensive $25 billion affordable housing plan to help ensure every New Yorker has access to safe, affordable housing," Governor Hochul said. "My administration will continue to prioritize transformative projects like this one that repurpose unused space to aggressively tackle the housing crisis. Every New Yorker deserves a place to live and the resources they need to thrive - not least of all our seniors and those who were formerly incarcerated."

"We are building back New York City more fair and just, and with new homes in the Bronx for formerly incarcerated seniors, this project represents a step in exactly the right direction," Mayor Adams said. "These homes will provide a safe, clean place for some of our most vulnerable New Yorkers, and I will continue to prioritize these goals and communities as long as I am mayor."

The Trinity-Reverend William James Senior Apartments is part of Governor Hochul's sweeping plans to make housing more affordable, equitable, and stable. In the recently enacted State Budget, the Governor successfully secured a new $25 billion, five-year, comprehensive housing plan that will increase housing supply by creating or preserving 100,000 affordable homes across New York, including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations, plus the electrification of an additional 50,000 homes.

Located at 1074 Washington Avenue in the Morrisania neighborhood, the Trinity-Reverend William James Senior Apartments was constructed on land formerly occupied by a vacant United Methodist church. There are 144 apartments reserved for adults 62 and older with incomes at or below sixty percent of the Area Median Income. Ten apartments are reserved for adults 55 and older.

There are 57 apartments reserved for seniors who were formerly incarcerated. The Fortune Society will provide on-site services to these residents as well as operate a 5,400 square-foot social services space open to the broader community on the building's ground floor. The satellite location provides counseling, case management, vocational and health-related services to individuals with a criminal justice history.

Services and rental subsidies for 47 of the supportive apartments are funded through an Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative award to the Fortune Society. The remaining ten are funded through the New York City 15/15 Supportive Housing Initiative.

Residential amenities include laundry facilities, a tenant exercise room, a sunroom being used as a greenhouse to foster hydroponic plantings, an outdoor residential garden, and bike storage. There is one apartment for an on-site superintendent.

The Trinity Morrisania Church that once stood on the building's site was originally constructed in 1865 but had fallen into disrepair. Elements of the former church building have been brought into the new space, including restored stained-glass windows, pews, and other architectural detail that will remind residents of the property's history.

The development team includes BronxPro, The Fortune Society and United Methodist City Society.

State financing for the development includes $15.9 million in permanent tax-exempt bonds, Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits that generated $33 million in equity, $11.6 million in subsidy and $2 million through the Community Investment Fund program, all from New York State Homes and Community Renewal.

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development provided $13 million through the Senior Affordable Rental Apartments program and Project-Based Vouchers for 106 households. Additional financing and development support was provided by Enterprise Community Partners, Freddie Mac, and JP Morgan Chase.