THE WORLD READS WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER — 8,324,077 VISITS IN ONE YEAR | 2,905,611 VISITORS VISIT 8,324,077 TIMES 3 TIMES EVERY DAY IN ONE YEAR. HIGHEST ACTIVITY IN WPCNR HISTORY.White PlainsCitizeNetReporter lifted its worldwide visits from unique visitors to wpcnr.com to 8,324,077,a 1,306,419 increase in visits in one year from 7,017,658 visits to the site last year which covers White Plains and Westchester County. The 8,324,077 visits were made by 2,005,611 unique visitors who visited wpcnr an average of 3 visits a day. ON JULY 20- -2026 visitors have accessed wpcnr and made 3,072 visits an average of 1.6 visits. In the last week 33,495 individual vistors made 54,458 visits, averaging 1.6 visits. In the last month, 152,940 visitors recorded 229,338 visits (1.5 visits)

White Plains Considers “Non Disclosure” Agreement with County NOT to reveal “Protected” Public Health Information (provided to City by County) to the public.

Posted on March 16, 2020 by John Bailey

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. From the City Clerk. March 16, 2020 UPDATED 11:33 A.M. EDT WITH ORDINANCE TRANSCRIPT:

The City Clerk has noticed a Special Meeting Monday afternoon at 4:30 in the Mayor’s Conference Roomof the Common Council to consider the following legislation:

Communication from Corporation Counsel in relation to a non-disclosure agreement between the City and the County of Westchester related to Protected Health Information provided to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health and safety of a person or the public.

Ordinance of the Common Council of the City of White Plains authorizing the Mayor and the Commissioner of Public Safety or the Chief of Police to enter into a non-disclosure agreement between the City of White Plains and the County of Westchester related to Protected Health Information provided to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health and safety of a person or the
public.

Editor’s Note: Examination of the ordinance to be considered gives this detail of the restriction(s):

“the County of Westchester has agreed to provide certain protected health information to the City of White Plains in order to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health and safety of the citizens and the public in White Plains provided the City agrees to execute a non-disclosure agreement which provides that its employees will protect and safeguard any Public Health Information received from the County and protect the privacy of any person subject to a Department of Health isolation order and which further provides that the City will indemnify the County for any and all administrative or legal actions that are based upon any unauthorized disclosure or dissemination of Public Health Information by the City or any of its employees.

“WHEREAS, the City finds that it would be in the best interests of the City of White Plains to obtain the Public Health Information to be provided by the County:

NOW THEREFORE, the Common Council of the City of White Plains hereby ordains and enacts as follows:

Section 1. The Mayor and the Commissioner of Public Safety or the Chief of Police are hereby authorized to execute a non-disclosure agreement between the City of White Plains and the County of Westchester authorizing the disclosure of certain Public Health Information by the County of Westchester upon the City agreeing to protect the privacy of individuals involved and the City agreeing to indemnify the County for any unauthorized disclosure or dissemination of Public Health Information by the City or its employees. Said agreement shall be in a form approved by the Corporation Counsel.

GOVERNOR CUOMO ON CNN: RULES BETWEEN STATES MUST BE SET FOR CONTROLLING THE CORONAVIRUS

Posted on March 16, 2020 by John Bailey

WPCNR CORONAVIRUS REPORT. From the Governor’s Press Office. March 16, 2020:

Governor Andrew Cuomo, appearing on CNN this morning called for standard rules across statelines to control the spread of coronavirus across statelines. Here is the transcript of his remarks to CNN’S John Berman this morning:

Governor Cuomo: We’ve been behind handling this disease from day one. Right? We knew it was in China in November and then we look like we got caught by surprise and we’re always playing catch up. The only way to deal with it a situation like this is to get ahead of it. We need to see the federal government set up to the plate here and set up national rules.

It makes no sense, you look at your broadcast, all these states doing different things, cities doing different things. It doesn’t work that way.

In an emergency, someone has to take charge.

New York State, I’m in charge, that’s the law, because I can’t have one set of rules in New York City, a different rules in Nassau County, surrounding counties. If you close the bars in New York City but don’t close them in Nassau County all it means is everybody drives to Nassau County to a bar.

So you have to have consolidated, centralized authority. You can’t — it makes no sense for all these states to be doing different things. I make rules.

People can drive to New Jersey. They can drive to Connecticut. We need the federal government to stand up and say here are the rules.

And secondly, John, the coming crisis is we’re overwhelming our health care system. That is going to happen. That curve is a wave, and it’s going to break on the hospital system. We need additional beds and we need the army corps of engineers to come in here and retrofit state buildings, dormitories, et cetera for additional hospital beds. And that’s the federal government.

John Berman: We need more beds. We need more ventilators, which is why I want to know what you think of what the Secretary of HHS said over the weekend where he refused to disclose the number of ventilators for, he claims, national security reasons. Listen.

Secretary Azar: We don’t disclose concrete numbers on particular items for national security purposes. But we have many ventilators, thousands and thousands of ventilators in our system.

John Berman: What’s the national security imperative not to tell the American people how many ventilators they have available?

Governor Cuomo: National security imperative is people would get very nervous if they knew how few they had. Thousands and thousands, what does that mean?

We’re looking at an overrun in New York in the tens of thousands. That’s what I said.

We’ve been behind this all along.

The federal government has to step up. Nationwide rules, school closings, bars, whatever and then understand that we have an impending catastrophe when this wave of growth crashes on the hospital system and we don’t have the capacity.

Start now, bring in that Army Corps of engineers. This is what they do. They build. I’ll give them dormitories. Build temporary medical facilities, but they have to do it. I’m not shy, but a state doesn’t have the capacity to build that quickly to that level.

John Berman: True on both counts, you are not shy and a state does not have that capacity. Governor, you keep on saying we have been behind. We are behind, you say. So then how do you assess this proclamation from the President yesterday where he said this virus is under tremendous control? Listen.

President Trump: There’s a very contagious virus. It’s incredible, but it’s something we have tremendous control of.

John Berman: How does that describe the reality you see?

Governor Cuomo: Look, I think this is not the time to be hypercritical, right?

I think the generous view is the President is trying to keep people calm, which is a very legitimate function for leadership.

I’m trying to keep my people calm. I’m trying to say look at the facts because the fear is a bigger problem than the virus right now.

My way of keeping people calm is not telling them placebos. I tell them the facts. I tell them the truth. I tell them what we’re doing. I say we have the capacity to do it.

And I go through the numbers and the facts and I say it’s going to be okay.

I don’t think it’s enough just to say it’s going to be fine and tell people what they don’t believe. I don’t believe that makes people calm. I believe it makes them more nervous because they doubt what they’re hearing.

GOVERNOR CUOMO: WESTCHESTER, NASSAU, SUFFOLK, NEW YORK CITY SCHOOLS WILL CLOSE WITH CHILD CARE FOR ESSENTIAL WORKERS IN PLACE.

Posted on March 15, 2020 by John Bailey

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From the Governor’s Press Office. March 15, 2020;

The Governor’s Press Office shared the following transcript of a radio interview today the Governor explained the decision to close schools in Westchester County, Nassau, Suffolk Counties and New York City.

Governor Cuomo: This is what we’re going to do and how we hit the balance. Closing the schools sounds great, but there are two caveats.

The caveats are A – you still have to provide child care for essential workers. We need essential workers to go to work. I need the police, the firefighters and especially the health care workers. Because remember, this is a health care crisis.

What’s going to happen here at the end of the day is the hospitals will be overwhelmed, so we can’t lose health care workers. When you close the schools, that’s day care, child care for many families. And I don’t want police officers or nurses calling up saying I can’t go to work because I have to stay home with my children.

The second issue was a lot of children get food programs in the schools. So we worked it out, the Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, New York City schools will close.

They will all close with a child care plan for essential workers in place. And food programs and a plan to make up the educational services at summer school, assuming we’re out of this during the summer months.

The child care will basically be provided by using some of the schools or portions of the schools and some teachers will remain to provide the child care. So, parents can go to work, they’ll know their child is being well cared for.

We will still have hospitals fully functional, first responders, et cetera. But the schools will be closed and will help us reduce the density, which is what fighting this virus is all about.

John Metaxas, WCBS 880: Now, Governor, I heard you mention Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties as you went through the list. Did you mention New York City schools as well?

Governor Cuomo: Yes.

John Metaxas: Okay, so when will that happen? This week?

Governor Cuomo: Nassau, Suffolk close Monday, tomorrow. Westchester in a couple of days (Wednesday). It hasn’t been determined exactly when (Westchester will) yet because they (Westchester) have to get their child care plan in place. New York City, I directed to have their child care plan and food plan and educational plan in place in 24 hours. And then in New York City schools will close early this week.

Editor’s Note: Mayor Bill DeBlasio announced at 6 PM EDT, New York City schools would close tomorrow and remain closed through April 20. If Westchester , (already closed Monday and Tuesday by the County Executive) gets their day care service together in “a couple days” it means Westchester Schools will be closed Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and after that, a date to be determined).

Mayor DeBlasio Closes New York City Schools. Will Attempt to Reopen them April 20. No School tomorrow in NYC

Posted on March 15, 2020 by John Bailey

WPCNR CORONAVIRUS REPORT. March 15, 2020:

The Mayor of New York City in a televised news conference just ended announced he was closing the New York City Schools with the hope of reopening them April 20 because of the rapid spread of the Coronavirus in the city .

Mayor Bill DeBlasio said he deeply regretted having to close the schools because he knows what a burden it puts on the parents.

He said the schools would begin the Monday after the scheduled spring vacation. He said there was no guarantee the school year could be resumed.