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WPCNR CORONAVIRUS REPORT.From the Governor’s Press Office. May 20, 2020: Governor Andrew M. Cuomo confirmed 1,525 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 354,370 confirmed cases in New York State. Of the 354,370 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows (Downstate Counties highlighted in Boldface type) :
WPCNR WEDNESDAY GOVERNOR ANDREW M. CUOMO CORONAVIRUS BRIEFING. By John F. Bailey. May 20, 2020:
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo is stepping up testing in minority areas across the state and information efforts because of the first results of community-based coronavirus testing in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx showing new infections to be as much as double other areas of the city, 7% to 15% more than the infection rate of 19% in other neighborhoods.
He said the highest rate of infection is among Latino and African-Americans. He noted the Hollis Queens neighborhood, (the Governor’s old neighborhood) has a 35% rate of infection; The Bronx, 34%. Brooklyn, 41% He said in the communities where testing was set up May 5, the survey conducting tests through area churches showed infection rates still increasing at double the rest of the city.
He warned the rest of the state that the infection rates
will be the greatest in the areas of the poor/minority concentration of
population.
THE GOVERNOR’S DAUGHTER, MARIAH KENNEDY CUOMO, introduced 5 “Wear a Mask” spots chosen from over 600 submissions of public service announcements in a state contest to promote wearing masks statewide in this video you can see all 5 spots. You can vote on your favorite spot and see the spots at wearamask.ny.gov
The Governor’s daughter, Mariah Kennedy-Cuomo, introduced 5 “Wear the Mask” spots presented among 600 submissions to the state contest for effective spots to promote Wearing the Mask statewide. The Governor emphasized:
“Masks Work! It’s in the data, not just because I’m saying it.”
The news release on the briefing details: Governor Cuomo announced the state is continuing its partnership with Ready Responders to expand testing from eight to 40 public housing developments across New York City. The state is also partnering with SOMOS to establish 28 additional testing sites at churches and community-based providers in predominately minority communities, for a total of 72 faith-based testing sites in the state in partnership with Northwell Health and SOMOS. The state will also work to stop community spread in these neighborhoods by increasing PPE availability, providing hand sanitizer, enforcing social distancing and expanding public health and education in these communities.
Governor Cuomo also directed all local governments to expand testing in low-income communities and develop outreach programs to help address the disparities in these communities.
The Governor pointed out again that the infection rates of essential workers, who put themselves daily in front of the virus is lower than the 19% rate of the general population.
In the “Q & A” session with reporters, Marissa DeRosa, the Executive Secretary to the Governor, said that twice a week testing of 180,000 Nursing Home Staffers was being supplemented by Health Department personnel because nursing homes were overwhelmed. (She said there were 100,000 nursing home residents in the state, and was underway.)
The Governor said the nursing home coronora virus testing twice a week were results the state consultants brought in to aid in analyzing were very interested in seeing, because an increase in local staff infections would give an indication of spread in regions which have already reopened.
The governor said there was no decision yet on when Casinos
would be reopened saying that would be in Phase 3 of the reopening process. He
said was discussing the heavy density problem presented by the casinos and he
and Governors Lamont and Murphy of Connecticut and New Jersey were discussing
the casino problem. The Governor said casinos owned by Tribal Nations were not
subject to state restrictions.
In a question on the natural gas moratorium, Governor Cuomo
said the utility companies have said there is no longer a need for a new
pipeline demanded by untilities because of anticipated gas shortages (that
resulted in Con Edision declaring a moratorium on new gas construction
installations.
Asked about the rate of new hospitalizations in Reopenings
around the state, the Governor said there was no data yet, that no upticks had
been seen because it is too early to have new infections resulting in
hospitalization, pointing out there is a two week lag.
He said schools should be prepared to continue remote at home computer learning, (and improve it) based on teachers’ current experiences with computer learning in students’ homes.
In a another significant development, the Governor was asked what his reaction was to proposed state legislature effort to introduce a bill limiting any Executive Order issued by the Governor to 30 days, without approval of the legislature. The governor said he was not aware of it, and would look at any legislation the legislature wants to propose.
Note: No media person followed up on the question raised in the Tuesday briefing as to whether incoming arriving passengers from European and foreign flights were being tested for coronavirus.
WPCNR TUESDAY GOVERNOR ANDREW M. CUOMO BRIEFING. By John F. Bailey. May 19, 2020 UPDATED MAY 20 9:55 AM UPDATED MAY 20, 2:35 PM EDT:
In the Q & A, at the governor’s Tuesday CoronaVirus briefing at noon in Manhasset day, the governor was asked if travelers coming into New York area airports were being screened for the coronavirus.
The Governor said that was not a state jurisdiction, that the federal government set all policies on customs and entry into the country procedures.
He did not say the passengers were not being tested for coronavirus or are being queried of signs of symptoms of it. He did not say they were being tested either. Asked if there was any coordination between customs/immigration and the state, the governor said walking out, “it is up to the federal government.”
WPCNR has learned from a person familar with current airline policies and conditions at Port Authority controlled NY airports that airline traffic is—
“slightly on the rise. But the Port Authority has no system of testing in place.
And to my knowledge no airline has a system in place. There might have been temperature checks, but there isn’t rapid Covid testing available. Airlines and the airport have policies enforcing the use of masks. Airlines will actually deny boarding to wear masks.“
WPCNR has a call into the Port Authority of NY and NJ to clarify this issue as to what COVID testing is being done, whether tracing is in place, or quarantines prescribed in case of potential positives (with fevers or symptoms).
In the “Q & A” in the Wednesday Governor Andrew Cuomo, no member of the media followed up on a clarification of whether or not active Coid testing is ongoing at JFK or Newark for disembarking internarion flights.
In the last week in February, a traveler coming to New York from Spain told WPCNR they were not screened for the coronavirus in any way going through customs and immigration at JFK airport. This was two weeks before the travel policies were put in place.
WPCNR notes that coronavirus screening and temperature checks began being conducted on arrivals from Europe at 13 points of entry beginning in mid-March, at which time the screening resulted in waits for customs clearance in Chicago as long as 5 hours. It is unclear whether these delays have been straightened out by more Customs and Immigration personnel by this time. (But FLIGHTS are significantly reduced at this time.) The CNN report on these delays in Mid March may be read here: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/coronavirus-airport-screening-sunday/index.html
CNN on March 16 reported that passengers mostly US Citizens experienced 5 hours and more delays in bunched conditions at O’Hare Airport Chicago due to first initial customs screening after flights from Europe were placed on additional scrutiny by the U.S. Government. First arrivals had to have passport and medical forms checked, then go to a coronavirus screening and temperature check. This was back in mid-March.
It is unclear at this time, whether travelers if even having their temperature taken coming into JFK and Newark airports are being traced if they are found to have temperature.
CNN reported that if travelers had a fever in mid-March screenings, they were asked by Customs & Immigration to quarantine for 14 days.
On another concerning issue, The Pediatric Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome (PMSIS) condition affecting children with corona virus exposure and having coronavirus antibodies now number 137. It affects children from 1 to 20 and is apparently growing by approximately 10 cases a day.
The information was given in response to a question by a
reporter on why New York City Mayor William DiBlasio’s count of such cases was
higher. Executive Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa said the DiBlasio
number counted possible cases, not confirmed. The state count is confirmed
cases, she said. No other information on the disease spread which is developing
more concern by the day for summer camp openings and school openings in the
fall was given.
The Governor called for the federal government to assure
that any vaccine found successful in curing coronavirus by licensed to manufacturers
worldwide and not be manufactured by one company exclusively.
Governor Cuomo said the state is developing a pilot
visitation protocol for visits by loved
ones to visit hospitals in the state to see patients in the hospital, but they
would have to wear masks and protective equipment provided by the hospital, and
are subject to symptom and temperature checks before they could see their loved
ones. The Pilot program will be tried at
Westchester Medical Center and 15 other hospitals across the downstate region.
The New York State Hospitalization rate is down, and the number of deaths Monday in the state declined to 105, 1 less than Sunday, that the Governor called “still frightfully high.” He said the Long Island death rate previous had death rates of 100 residents a day, now it is averaging 113. As a result the Nassau County hospitals are being cleared to schedule elective surgeries.
The Governor announced the Capitol Region has acquired the
number of tracers needed and that region will be cleared for opening tomorrow.
The Governor repeated his endorsement of pro sports teams to resume play without fans in the stands. He repeated his support, saying “we’re willing to be a full partner — anything we can do to make it happen.”
The governor cleared outdoor Memorial Day observances with less than 10 persons.
The League of Women Voters of Westchester County and the League of Women Voters of Rockland County Tuesday announced that all the candidates in the NY CD 17 Democratic Primary Election will participate in the League’s virtual Candidates Forum.
The Forum is scheduled for Thursday May 21, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (registrants may sign-in beginning at 6:30 p.m.).
Questions for the candidates to be asked during the Forum may be submitted via bit.ly/lwvcd17demquesQuestions may be submitted until end-of-day Wednesday May 20, 2020
The Forum will be recorded for subsequent viewing on the county and local League of Women Voters websites through Primary Election Day, June 23.
For further information contact the League of Women Voters of Westchester at lwvw.cf@gmail.com
WPCNR CORONAVIRUS COUNTDOWN. From the Governor’s Press Office. May 19, 2020:
The Governor confirmed 1,250 additional cases of novel coronavirus, Monday, bringing the statewide total to 351,371 confirmed cases in New York State through Sunday. Of the 351,371 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows (NY METROPOLITAN AREAS IN BOLDFACE:
The League of Women Voters of Westchester County Education Foundation announced today that it will sponsor a virtual Candidates Forum for candidates in the Democratic Party Primary Election for Westchester District Attorney.
The virtual forum is scheduled for Thursday May 28, 2020 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The two candidates in the primary are Mimi Rocah and Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr.
As it is neither practical nor prudent for participants to be co-located for this event, the League will use the cloud-based video conferencing application Zoom and participants will join from their chosen remote locations.
The Forum will be live-streamed and also be recorded for subsequent viewing on the county and local League of Women Voters’ websites through Primary Election Day, June 23. The League is soliciting questions from the public to be posed to the candidates.
“The League’s Candidates Forums provide residents with the opportunity to hear from all candidates on important issues in a calm, respectful, nonpartisan environment that encourages civil discourse,” says League of Women Voters of Westchester President Marylou Green. “We are particularly pleased to bring the candidates together virtually, as options for interaction between candidates and voters are greatly curtailed at this time.”
WPCNR MONDAY GOVERNOR ANDREW M. CUOMO BRIEFING. By John F. Bailey. May 18, 2020:
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced he is corona virus negative this morning, after is televised coronavirus test yesterday. He said he “had a nice sense of relief. It is a peace of mind.” He emphasized this is a good reason to take the test and encouraged everyone nervous (about symptoms) to get a test and 700 locations around the state.
BUFFALO TO REOPEN.
He announced the state was shipping 329,000 testing kits to
nursing homes across the state to enable them to test employees twice a week. He
has cleared NY labs to handle 35,000 test analyses a week expected from the
nursing homes.
He pointed out that if you test an employee on a Monday and test them again in a week they could infect persons for 6 days if the employee contracted the virus the day after they were tested. He noted that nursing homes have been complaining about testing employees twice a week, saying to him, “No other state requires us to test twice a week.” The Governor said, “It is necessary. You can’t have it both ways.” (There were 106 new deaths from coronavirus in New York State Sunday, the governor reported. Hospitals accounted for 83 deaths; Nursing Homes, 23.)
The governor announced that two experts were going to be analyzing
the numbers produced by New York regions around the state. They are Dr. Samir
Bhatt, Senior Lecturer at Imperial College London whose College had the most
accurate statistical model the state used during the onset of the coronavirus
outbreak. The second consultant is Dr. Michael Osterholm, Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and
Policy, University of Minnesota.
Dr. Bhatt commented from London, by telephone.
“You have controlled the coronavirus,” Dr. Bhatt said in a brief interview from London.
Governor Cuomo said: “Dr. Osterholm is a nationwide expert in this field and he has agreed to review our data, what we’re doing, what’s happening, and to advise us as to how our progress looks on the numbers. I want to thank him very much. We to have Dr. Samir Bhatt, Senior Lecturer at Imperial College, who has agreed to serve as an advisor to the State of New York. Dr. Bhatt is the senior lecturer in geostatistics at the Imperial College in London. Geostatistics is not my field of endeavor. I never heard of geostatistics before, doctor. That’s why we need you to advise us, Dr. Bhatt, because I know nothing about geostatistics. But Dr. Bhatt is joining us, I want to thank him very much. The Imperial College in London, we have had a number of projection models that were done early on by a number of very prestigious universities.
And we’ve been watching all these projection models since this started. As you know, many of the models were not 100 percent accurate because they couldn’t calculate the effect of the social participation and what people actually did to change the curve. And in a State like New York, what the people did dramatically changed that curve so it affected the projections. But, the Imperial College model, as we’ve been following this for weeks, was the best, most accurate model.”
Governor Cuomo announced judges and staff will return to courthouses in 30 Upstate Counties starting this week.
In remarks on the New York Reopenings in progress, Governor Cuomo said the success of the reopening “is not a political option. The 30 Counties reopening have to monitor the impact with the numbers and new infections:
70% of hospital beds must be available
70% ICU bed per hospital
30 tests per 1,000 residents
30 tracers in place per 100,000 residents
1:1 Infection Rate must not be exceeded
The governor called the reopening guidelines ‘a liberation in that it an exercise in science and math. What we do today determines how we ‘re going to stay there.
During the “Q & A,” the governor said the 3-day moving average on the Guidelines for opening (and staying open) is hard and fast, you can not exceed the 3-day moving average. He also said the Hospitalization rate is a lagging indicator, stressing the more important benchmark which is the new infection rate.
The governor said he encouraged, basketball, hockey and baseball professional leagues to resume and start seasons without fans in the arenas and stands, if they could make it work financially, saying “the state will help you,” without defining “help.”
The Governor said it is popular to say, “I think you should reopen slower. What is behind ‘I think.’ You say I think you should reopen faster. What is behind ‘I think.’ Let’s keep our opinions out of it. Let’s keep it on the numbers.”
Governor Cuomo gives Reopening Regions and New Yorkers a peptalk: “COME BACK BETTER.”
WPCNR SUNDAY GOVERNOR ANDREW M. CUOMO BRIEFING. By John F.
Bailey. May 17, 2020:
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo asked more New Yorkers to get
coronavirus tests today, who think they might have symptoms, and added anyone
who might be returning to work in upstate reopenings to get tested. The reason
is to help to control the spread of the virus after reopening and because the
state is currently performing 5,000 tests a day when it has the capacity to
perform 15,000 at some 700 sites across the state.
The Governor announced that the Western New York Region and
the Capitol Regions would be reopened next as soon as the correct number of
tracing personnel were hired and trained. The Capito Region has hired 383 and
needs to hire another 166. Western New York has hired 521, needs 35. The
Governor said they expected to get tracers in place “within a few days”
The Governor encouraged persons to pay attention to their mental health and the stress the 78 days of shut down and aanxiety of taken on them mentally, encouraging them to call the mental health hotline, 1-844-863-9314, and to visit a new website, www.howareyoureally.org, started by a niece of the Governor’s to help persons face how they are really feeling about all the stress. The Governor showed charts show how over 30% of Americans nationwide (in the first edition of this article WPCNR wrote NYers, WPCNR regrets the error), have expressed mental difficulties in dealing with the stress.
In the “Q. & A.,” the Governor was asked about summer
camps being allowed. The Governor said the spread of pediatric- Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome
is a factor in allowing how camps open and under what conditions. Dr. Howard
Zucker said there were over 120 cases now. The Governor said he fears there are
a lot more. The issue of summer camps opening at all is being delayed at the
present time.
Melissa DaRossa, Secretary to the Governor said the state is
now dealing with possible fraud and double payment issues on the question of
unemployment checks. The Governor said the backlog is “done.”
In the question of justice for families whose nursing home
loved ones had died, the Governor said the received the best care possible, and
that there was not a way to tell who to prosecute in alleged negligence.
The Governor at the close of his briefing showed how simply
testing for the coronavirus was by being tested on camera during the briefing.
He said if he tested positive he would not be back tomorrow.
WPCNR Saturday Governor Andrew Cuomo CoronaVirus Brief. (UPDATE):
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo confirmed 2,419 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 348,232 confirmed cases in New York State. Of the 348,232 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows (Mid-Hudson Regions in BOLD FACE :
WPCNR SATURDAY GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO CORONAVIRUS BRIEFING. By John F. Bailey. May 16, 2020:
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today cleared Westchester County and Suffolk County Hospitals to begin scheduling elective surgery and ambulatory care patients because their capacity ratios to handle corononavirus patients had been met.
In response to incise questioning by Jesse McKinley of The New York Times in the “Q. & A.,” Governor Cuomo confirmed that all 5 regions that were cleared for reopening have tracing personnel now in place to track the contacts of covid-19 diagnosed individuals social contacts. The Governor said no region could open without in-place tracers ready to go. (FYI: Westchester County this week advertised for persons wanting to be tracers).
The Governor said 157 persons died yesterday from Coronavirus in New York State, up from yesterday. He said new hospitalized cases had declined. The coronavirus infections curve continued its slow decline, saying “Spikes (in fections) rise quickly, resolve slowly.”
He provided no new information on the spread of Pediatric Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome (PMSIS) that was up to 119 cases affecting children from 1 to 21, whom have had coronavirus exposure and show antibodies to corona. In yesterday’s briefing he cautioned on PMSIS:
“You know with this virus, I just want to say on a personal level, and I want to make sure everybody understands this – -the facts here have been changing and the facts have only been getting more negative. This started that it was only going to attack vulnerable people, seniors, people with co-morbidities.
I was speaking to a doctor today about a young person who passed away of a stroke, from Covid. No underlying conditions, nothing else. It was a stroke. No respiratory illness. Well, what happened? Well apparently, the virus can affect the heart, and the liver, and other organs besides the lungs, and we didn’t know that.
Children weren’t going to be infected. Accept now we’re studying 100 cases where children are in fact affected by the virus and some of them very serious. And that 100 cases, I’ll wager that’s going to only go up and it’s going to be much more widespread than anyone thinks. So, the amount of personal responsibility here to keep oneself safe, to keep one’s family safe, I cannot stress highly enough, do not underestimate this virus and do not play with this virus.”
He announced that New York Horse Racing could resume June 1 without spectators, at New York racetracks .
He cleared car racing at Watkins Glen.
He said he anticipated no more lockdowns, but that regions choosing to reopen that have been cleared would have to watch for “spikes.”
The Governor said he expected numbers of infections to increase but had no arbitrary figure as to how much percentage would have to increase before regions had to make adjustments, saying it depends on the population of the region and the locations in the regions where “spikes” in infections were increasing.
He said he realized people are restless: “Everybdy wants to come out. It’s how they react when they come out. You’ll see some increase in numbers but not see a spike. It’s still relying on what we do. So be smart. Be diligent.”
He in a direct plea to the U.S. Senate considering the relief bill for the states passed by the House of Representatives Friday, said “Try to be great in this moment.” (and pass the bill).
He said in a “Q. & A” question regaring the New York State Legislature, that he would not cut the budget until Congress had made its position clear on relief for the states. The governor said that the legislature would have to take up the question of what to cut out of the state budget which faces a $61 Billion “hole.”
“There will be fights,” the Governor said.
The Governor previously announced that the state will allow elective outpatient treatments to resume in counties and hospitals without significant risk of COVID-19 surge in the near term, and a total of 49 counties can now resume elective surgeries:
Albany
Herkimer
Rensselaer
Allegany
Jefferson
Saratoga
Broome
Lewis
Schenectady
Cattaraugus
Livingston
Schoharie
Cayuga
Madison
Schuyler
Chautauqua
Monroe
St. Lawrence
Chemung
Montgomery
Steuben
Chenango
Niagara
Suffolk
Clinton
Oneida
Sullivan
Columbia
Onondaga
Tompkins
Cortland
Ontario
Ulster
Delaware
Orange
Warren
Dutchess
Orleans
Wayne
Essex
Oswego
Westchester
Franklin
Otsego
Wyoming
Fulton
Putnam
Yates
Genesee
The Governor called on the U.S. Senate to pass the coronavirus relief bill that was passed by the House last night. The bill includes $500 billion for states and $375 billion for locals; Medicaid funding for the most vulnerable; increased SNAP food assistance; 100 percent FEMA federal assistance; funding for testing; and repeals SALT to help states most affected by COVID-19.
