Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - JUNE 9, 2022

 

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.

"It is important we remain vigilant and keep using the tools at our disposal to protect ourselves and our communities," Governor Hochul said. "If you haven't, get vaccinated and boosted when eligible. Make sure to get tested if you are experiencing symptoms, and stay home if you're not feeling well. If you do test positive, talk to your doctor about available treatments."

Today's data is summarized briefly below:    

• Cases Per 100k - 32.53
• 7-Day Average Cases Per 100k - 31.93
• Test Results Reported - 122,584
• Total Positive - 6,357
• Percent Positive - 4.84%**
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 5.49**
• Patient Hospitalization -  2,021 (-51)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 327
• Patients in ICU - 202 (+7)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 74 (+3)   
• Total Discharges - 310,380 (+353)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 16
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 56,272

** 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 - 71,670       

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 - 39,043,974
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 21,246
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 87,007
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 92.6%  
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 84.1% 
• 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) - 87.5%   
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 83.8%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 73.7%   
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 82.2%   
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 74.5%   
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 90.7%   
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 77.5%         

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, June 6, 2022	Tuesday, June 7, 2022	Wednesday, June 8, 2022
Bronx	3.70%	3.55%	3.65%
Kings	4.63%	4.25%	4.25%
New York	5.91%	6.26%	6.07%
Queens	5.57%	5.50%	5.52%
Richmond	5.71%	5.15%	5.38%

VCJC News & Notes 6/10/22

 

Van Cortlandt Jewish Center News and Notes

Here's this week's edition of the VCJC News and Notes email. We hope you enjoy it and find it useful!

Reminders Shabbos Shabbos information is, as always, available on our website, both in the information sidebar and the events calendar. Here are the times you need:   Shabbos Candles Friday 6/10/22 @ 8:08 pm Shabbos morning services at 8:45 am.  Please join the services if you can do so safely.  Shabbos Ends Saturday 6/11/22 @ 9:12 pm   Sunday 6/12/22 Sisterhood meeting at 10:30 am in the game room.   Yizkor It's not too late to make a Yizkor donation for the Yizkor that was observed on 6/6/22.  It is customary to make a charitable donation in conjunction with Yizkor.  If you wish to donate to VCJC as part of your Yizkor observance, it can be done in person at the office or online through our website

Permits Filed For 51 West 174th Street In Morris Heights, The Bronx

 

Permits have been filed for a vertical and horizontal enlargement of a two-story structure into a four-story residential building at 51 West 174th Street in Morris Heights, The Bronx. Located between Macombs Road and Grand Avenue, the lot is within walking distance of the 176th Street subway station, serviced by the 4 train. Yitzi Salamon is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 55-foot-tall development will yield 13,179 square feet designated for residential space. The building will have 25 residences, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 527 square feet. The steel-based structure will also have a cellar, penthouse, a 30-foot-long rear yard, and eight open parking spaces.

Nikolai Katz Architect is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits will likely not be needed as the project calls for an expansion. An estimated completion date has not been announced.

Spring Valley Man Charged In White Plains Federal Court With $1.6 Million Covid-19 Fraud Scheme

 

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment in White Plains federal court charging ELIZIER SCHER with wire fraud in connection with his scheme to defraud the U.S. Small Business Administration of more than $1.6 million in COVID-19 relief funds.  SCHER was arrested this morning and was presented in White Plains federal court earlier today. 

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “As alleged, the defendant schemed to steal taxpayer funds intended for small businesses in need of assistance during the pandemic.  My Office will continue to investigate and prosecute those who illegally seek to profit from a national emergency.”

FBI Assistant Director -in-Charge Michael J. Driscoll said:  “Administration of more than $1.6 million in COVID-19 relief funds.  Elizier Scher allegedly made materially-false statements in at least a dozen applications for money intended to assist honest businesses navigate the financial hardships they faced as a consequence of the pandemic.  As today’s action demonstrates, the FBI remains committed to bringing to justice those who would aim to serve their own greed at the expense of the government and American taxpayers.”

According to the Indictment unsealed today in White Plains federal court[1]:

The SBA is a federal agency that administers assistance to American small businesses, including the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program, which was intended to provide funding to help small business recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The maximum amount of an EIDL loan is determined by a formula based on the date the borrower began operating and the borrower’s gross revenue and cost of goods sold for the twelve months prior to January 31, 2020.  The loans can be used for only working capital and other normal operating expenses.  While the loans generally need to be repaid, some borrowers are eligible for up to $15,000 in advances that do not need to be repaid. 

Over an approximately four-hour period on or about July 13, 2020, SCHER submitted twelve applications for EIDL loans in a principal amount of $150,000 to the SBA over the Internet on behalf of twelve different corporations that he owned and controlled.  SCHER further requested on each application that the borrower be considered for an advance of up to $10,000 that did not need to be repaid.  SCHER made materially false statements in each application with respect to each applicant’s gross revenue and cost of goods sold for the twelve-month period prior to January 31, 2020.

Between on or about July 20, 2020 and on or about August 11, 2020, eleven of the twelve applicants received a net total of $1,648,900 in loan proceeds from the SBA.  SCHER used the proceeds to buy real estate and to pay credit card expenses instead of using it for working capital for the borrowers, as SCHER had agreed to do in the loan agreements he executed on behalf of the borrowers.

SCHER, 33, of Spring Valley, New York is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. 

The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the FBI.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

Governor Hochul Announces $46 Million Investment in Projects to Rehabilitate Bridges Along The Staten Island Expressway

 

New Bridge Decks and Structural Repairs Will Ease Travel and Enhance Safety on Four Heavily Traveled Crossings

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a $46 million investment in two projects now getting underway that will rehabilitate four bridges — each more than 60-years-old — along the Staten Island Expressway (Interstate 278), easing travel and enhancing safety through this heavily traveled corridor. The bridges carrying Woolley Avenue and Bradley Avenue over the Staten Island Expressway, and the bridges carrying the Staten Island Expressway over Richmond Avenue will receive new bridge decks and other improvements that will extend their service life by an estimated 40 years and reduce the need for future maintenance.

"New York State is committed to rebuilding our infrastructure and ensuring that our transportation network remains safe and reliable, which will allow our economy to grow and keep our communities vibrant," Governor Hochul said. "These two projects will improve conditions on four critically important bridges to Staten Island motorists and help keep people and commerce on the move throughout the borough for decades to come."

Woolley Avenue and Bradley Avenue Bridges over the Staten Island Expressway

Scheduled for completion in fall 2023, the project rehabilitating the bridges carrying Woolley and Bradley Avenues over the eastbound and westbound Staten Island Expressway will replace the concrete bridge decks, sidewalks and steel bearings, paint the structural steel and repair the structural steel beams and concrete on the pier columns and abutments. The project will also replace the steel bridge railings with concrete barriers, install new pedestrian fencing, replace the utilities across the bridges and add new LED lighting beneath each bridge. Both bridges, located half a mile apart, will be rehabilitated simultaneously to expedite the construction completion.

Other benefits include replacing street lighting, adding pavement markings and resurfacing the pavement at intersections within the project limits. Existing curb ramps will be upgraded to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Traffic signals will be replaced and upgraded and will include Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS), devices that communicate information about the "Walk" and "Don't Walk" cycles in a non-visual form for blind and visually impaired pedestrians.

Additionally, advanced technology will be used to help preserve the service life of the bridges, including the use of "link slabs" instead of bridge joints. Link slabs, comprised of concrete, are designed to continuously connect two adjacent spans in order to eliminate bridge joints on the bridge, which require regular maintenance as a result of moisture leaking into the joints. Polyester Polymer Concrete (PPC), a type of concrete that provides waterproofing protection to concrete surfaces on bridge columns and abutments, will also be used.

Staten Island Expressway Bridges Over Richmond Avenue

Scheduled for completion in fall 2024, the project rehabilitating the bridges carrying eastbound and westbound traffic on the Staten Island Expressway over Richmond Avenue will replace the concrete bridge decks, approaches and lampposts on the approaches. The steel bridge railings will be replaced with concrete barriers to enhance safety.  New bridge joints will be installed at the ends of the approaches rather than in the bridge decks, minimizing maintenance needs on each bridge. 

Other benefits within the project limits include painting of the steel beams and fascia, repairing concrete and bricks beneath the structures and upgrading the underdeck and overhead lighting systems. An overhead sign structure located on the westbound Staten Island Expressway will also be replaced. Additionally, the Intelligent Transformation Systems (ITS) on the sign structures within the project limits will be upgraded.

During construction, a temporary bridge will be installed between the eastbound and westbound Staten Island Expressway bridges to allow all travel lanes to remain open.

New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, "Thanks to Governor Hochul's leadership, New York State is investing in transportation infrastructure projects that connect communities, improve resiliency and facilitate economic growth. These two projects on Staten Island will extend the service life of four important bridges by decades and help ensure that this vital travel corridor continues to meet the needs of the tens of thousands of motorists who travel through it each day."

Statement From Comptroller Brad Lander on Proposed Cuts to School Budgets in FY 2023

 

“It is unacceptable for the DOE to slash school budgets at this moment. Our schools have endured the hardest two years and need every penny to provide the social, emotional, and academic supports that all our students deserve this summer and fall. Meanwhile, DOE is sitting on nearly $5 billion dollars in unspent federal stimulus — funding that this administration has yet to outline a plan for. Holding our schools harmless from budget cuts must be part of that plan.

“The proposed cuts, based on DOE’s flawed enrollment projections, will result in losing teachers, class sizes getting larger, the loss of art, music, and science classes, reductions in recess and afterschool funding, and paraprofessionals and academic intervention services. This is not ‘right sizing’ school budgets — it is eliminating the fundamentals that our kids need to learn and grow.

“DOE can avoid this evisceration of school budgets.

“First, DOE must use a small portion of the remaining stimulus funding to cover the gap in school budgets for next year. DOE has yet to spend approximately $5 billion of federal stimulus funding – covering this gap in school budgets would cost less than 10% of those remaining funds.

“Second, DOE should rework how they forecast enrollment and per pupil funding for schools. DOE’s enrollment model relies on trendlines from the pandemic-related declines of the past two years to forecast further registration losses for the fall, despite reason to believe school enrollments will stabilize. This model should be adjusted to eliminate the volatility that one-time events impose on school funding.  In other areas of city budgeting, we use a five-year rolling average. While many schools with increases in enrollment will eventually get more money next winter, that will be far too late for principals to plan and hire for the fall.

“Finally, as the Chancellor committed at the most recent PEP meeting, we should use this moment to more broadly assess the current Fair Student Funding (FSF) formula and make changes needed to ensure that it equitably and effectively provides funding for our students and schools. If we know the formula needs updating, we should not be using it to slash school budgets during some of the most challenging times.”

Bronx Man Charged With 2018 Murder During Which He Shot The Victim’s Five-Year-Old Son

 

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Keechant L. Sewell, Police Commissioner for the City of New York (“NYPD”), announced today that JOSHUA RODRIGUEZ, a/k/a “Suave,” was charged with the October 23, 2018 murder of Jaquan Millien in connection with a drug trafficking crime.  As alleged, RODRIGUEZ shot and killed Millien in the Webster Houses apartments in the Bronx, New York.  During the shooting, RODRIGUEZ shot Millien’s five-year-old son, who was with his father at the time.  Thankfully, his son survived.  RODRIGUEZ was arrested today and will be presented this afternoon in Manhattan federal court.  The case has been assigned to United States District Judge Jed S. Rakoff.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “Rodriguez allegedly murdered Jaquan Millien with his five-year-old son at his side.  His callous actions not only took Millien’s life, but also put Millien’s son’s life in jeopardy too when he shot him during the murder.  We hope that today’s charges bring some measure of comfort to the family of Jaquan Millien and make clear that this Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of anyone who takes another person’s life.”

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Michael J. Driscoll said:  “Allegedly murdering a man, and nearly murdering his five-year-old child, didn't solve the rivalry between Rodriguez and his victim. Now multiple lives are shattered, and Rodriguez faces life in federal prison for his alleged criminal actions. This type of senseless violence puts everyone in the community at risk, and it will not be tolerated.”

NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said:  “Joshua Rodriguez, by his alleged actions, was willing to shoot and kill a rival drug trafficker and to do so without regard for the victim’s innocent five-year-old son, who was wounded by the gunfire. This kind of criminality, and the violence it breeds, remains a focus of the NYPD. We commend our detectives, our F.B.I. partners, and the federal prosecutors of the United States Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York for working together to achieve a measure of justice with today’s arrest.”

According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:

On or about October 23, 2018, JOSHUA RODRIGUEZ, a/k/a “Suave,” shot and killed Jaquan Millien in the vicinity of the Webster Houses in the Bronx, New York.  During the shooting, RODRIGUEZ shot Millien’s five-year-old son.  The murder was in connection with a marijuana trafficking rivalry between RODRIGUEZ and Millien. 

RODRIGUEZ, 30, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana, which carries a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison; one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and using a firearm to commit murder during a drug-trafficking crime, which carries a maximum sentence of death or life in prison.

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and NYPD.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.    

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.