Hits: 0

WPCNR SUNDAY GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO CORONAVIRUS BRIEFING. By John F. Bailey, April 26, 2020 UPDATED 5:33 P.M. EDT:

The Hospitalization Rate declined to 1,000 new hospitalizations Saturday, Governor Andrew Cuomo said ALONG with all other key coronavirus statistics in the state. “To put it in focus, we had 367 deaths Saturday, which is horrific.”

The Curve of infections across the state declined to the level of March 1^st, he said (when the New York spread of the disease began its rapid rise), hospitalizations declined, patients put on incubation were negative. The Governor said the current requirement to stay at home and closings statewide was in effect until May 15.

At that time, if Hospitalization Rate had been declining for 14 days, he said the state would begin the process oF reopening which would be begin with construction and manufacturing businesses  in yet-to-be-selected upstate counties with the lowest infection rates in the northern tier, North Country or central NY regions. He did not name how many counties could open, or when the openings might start.

The News Release from the Governor’s press office added this detail:

• ” Phase one will include opening construction and manufacturing functions with low risk.
• Phase two will open certain industries based on priority and risk level. Businesses considered “more essential” with inherent low risks of infection in the workplace and to customers will be prioritized, followed by other businesses considered “less essential” or those that present a higher risk of infection spread. As the infection rate declines, the pace of reopening businesses will be increased.
• The region must not open attractions or businesses that would draw a large number of visitors from outside the local area.
• There will be two weeks in between each phase to monitor the effects of the re-opening and ensure hospitalization and infection rates are not increasing.
• This plan will be implemented with multi-state coordination, especially in downstate New York. The plan will also coordinate the opening of transportation systems, parks, schools, beaches and businesses with special attention on summer activities for downstate, public housing and low-income communities, food banks and child care.
• The phased re-opening will also be based on individual business and industry plans that include new measures to protect employees and consumers, make the physical work space safer and implement processes that lower risk of infection in the business. The state is consulting with local leaders in each region and industry to formulate these plans.”

 The counties SELECTED FOR OPENING would be monitored for two weeks to see if the spread of the virus which the governor said would likely happen, but the infection rate would have to contained below the one person infecting 1.2 other person ration, because that very slight increase would cause an outbreak. Currently the downstate New York Metropolitan area has a 1 person with the virus infecting .8 of a person contrasted to the upstate average of .9 a person, the governor said, reviewing the ways spread is increased.

The Governor did not say what would be done if there was an outbreak in infected counties. After the upstate counties selected for opening performance was evaluated there would be more analysis of the highly vulnerable downstate New York Metropolitan area.

This could possibly mean a Westchester-New York City-Nassau-Suffolk Openings in mid to late June, (but the Governor did not give a possible date, that is purely made by WPCNR looking at the calendar.) The Governor also noted that large events attracting many people would have to be curtailed, distanced or continue to be not allowed to avoid spiking an outbreak, but those big festivals are part of the analysis of all factors in the NY Metro area opening.

On the issue of Schools reopening, the governor said many districts are contemplating summer school to make up for lost time in their districts.  The Governor alluded to the computer learning at home as very innovative, that was used to keep learning going, but summer is being considered by districts. He said there had not been a decision on when schools would be reopened, or when school budgets might be voted on or how. 

He went into these details on how the New York Metropolitan area would reopen: Businesses would be allowed to open first on a city need basis and the businesses’ abilities to redesign work spaces, schedules and technology use to maintain safe social distancing within the firms. Last businesses to open would be hospitality, restaurants and hotels, because they presented the most problems with spreading the diseases. All businesses opening would have to submit a plan how redesigning, reimaging how their workers will work in a reimagined environment to keep coronavirus from flaring up again.

He told the story of the L train tunnel that opens tomorrow in Manhattan, and how that was built in less than 15 months because New York did it differently.

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that the innovative L tunnel project is complete – six months earlier than the original proposal that would have shut down service, and three months ahead of the new innovative plan announced in January 2019, after the Governor convened a panel of engineering experts who determined a disruptive total shutdown was unnecessary. Completion came through under budget, saving more than $100 million in project costs. Beginning Monday, April 27, L train service will resume its previous service schedules with adjustments under the MTA Essential Service Plan. 

The governor said he had no problem with professional sports teams playing a season if there were no fans in the stands. He suggested they work out a way to earn revenue without ticket sales to fans (no spectators in the stands) make a deal with players to lower their contracts, and receive payments presumably from media fees for the games He said he had talked to sports owners about this possibility and declined to name them.

He said he was looking into acquiring dairy products now being disposed of by NY farmers, which he said was because schools had stopped purchasing dairy for their food programs ( because schools are closed). Governor Cuomo is seeking to have the product now being destroyed being purchased by the state for food progrms across the state to bolster the food programs now helping feed families in need due to the coronoavirus chaos.

He observed the anxiety of the public and the need to deal with the “coronavirus toxicity” toll on New York lives. He said domestic violence was up statewide, and employment issues, bills due, taking care of children, lack of ability to socialize has created tremendous personal problems which would have to be dealt with by the services sector and charitable organizations and professionals.

He said as reopening comes, it is up to how New Yorkers behave that will determine whether reopening is successful and the virus does not return.