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FIRST DAWN OF A NEW YEAR
HAPPY NEW YEAR! A WPTV “PEOPLE TO BE HEARD”/”WHITE PLAINS WEEK” SPECIAL: “TOP STORIES OF 2020 IN WHITE PLAINS NY USA” ON YOUTUBE NOW
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GEORGE LATIMER END OF YEAR CORONA VIRUS REPORT: SPIKES IN INFECTIONS EXPECTED IN JANUARY. WESTCHESTER MEDICAL CENTER TO COORDINATE ELDERLY VACCINATIONS–PLANS HAVE TO BE MADE
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TONIGHT AT 7:30 PM CH 45 CH. 76 AND 24/7 @ WWW.WPCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG “TOP STORIES OF THE YEAR IN WHITE PLAINS NY USA” A “PEOPLE TO BE HEARD”/ “WHITE PLAINS WEEK” SPECIAL 60 STORIES IN 30 MINUTES!
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THE 2021 NEW YEARS COOKIE CLOCK A CREATION OF HOMESTYLE BAKERY IN PEEKSKILL NEW YORK USA — AVAILABLE NOW
JOHN BAILEY THE CITIZENETREPORTER
IN A PEOPLE TO BE HEARD WHITE PLAINS WEEK SPECIAL, REPORTS “THE TOP STORIES OF 2020 IN WHITE PLAINS NEW YORK USA”
60 STORIES IN 30 MINUTES
WESTCHESTER NEW PERSONS WITH POSITIVE COVID CASES HIT 771 IN A DAY TUESDAY. COUNTY INFECTION RATE: 8.9%. AVERAGE INFECTION RATE:6.4%. 594 A DAY TESTING POSITIVE LAST 6 DAYS
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WPCNR WESTCHESTER COVID REPORT. From the Workbook NYS Covid-19 Tracker. December 31, 2020:
Westchester County tested 8, 701 persons for Covid Tuesday and 8.9% of them a total of 771 tested positive for Coronavirus.
The 8.9% infection rate was the first time Westchester had significantly exceeded 6% Infection rates, approaching a rapid spread of infections.
The last six days in Westchester Covid World look like this:
December 24: 12,449 tested, 714 test positive — a 5.7% Infection Rate
December 25: 11,047 tested, 554 test positive –a 5% Infection Rate
December 26: 8,332 tested, 432 test positive–a 5.2% infection rate
December 27: 7,426 tested, 551 test positive–a 7.4% Infection Rate
December 28: 8,530 tested, 543 test positive–a 6.4% Infection Rate
December 29: 8,701 tested, 771 test positive–a 8.9% Infection Rate
TOTAL TESTED IN 6 DAYS SINCE CHRISTMAS EVE: 56,485
TOTAL POSITIVE IN 6 DAYS 3,565
AVERAGE NEW PERSONS A DAY FOUND TESTING W/ COVID: 594
AVERAGE INFECTION RATE: 6.4% A DAY
CUOMO ON COVID: 8.66% INFECTION RATE CONTINUES UP. HOSPITALIZATIONS ON RISE
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WPCNR GOVERNOR CUOMO COVID REPORT. From Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. December 31, 2020:
Total hospitalizations rose to 7,892. Of the 154,949 tests reported yesterday, 13,422, or 8.66 percent, were positive. There were 1,250 patients in ICU yesterday, up 26 from the previous day. Of them, 702 are intubated. Sadly, we lost 144 New Yorkers to the virus.
As the year draws to a close, the vaccination distribution program continues to ramp up with more priority groups added as supply becomes available. As the vaccination process continues to build in the weeks ahead, know that you can look to this newsletter as an accurate in-depth source for information and updates.
While the vaccine distribution gets underway, New Yorkers cannot get lax about COVID by any means.
Hospitalizations continue to rise across the state and there is one message New Yorkers must remember as we approach the close of the holiday season—celebrating smart stops shutdowns.
If we stay smart, stay tough and take the steps we know help halt the spread, we will get through this.
PENN STATION MAKE OVER OPENS NEW YEAR’S DAY
Photo of the Day: We announce the opening of the new Moynihan Train Hall in New York City, which opens to the public Friday, January 1st. I thank all our partners who helped get this major infrastructure across the finish line on time and on budget, despite the pandemic (Photo courtesy SOM).
VACCINATION PROGRESS, NEXT PRIORITIES
Approximately 203,000 New Yorkers to date have received one COVID-19 vaccine dose. Next week, New York State will open vaccination criteria to ambulatory care health workers and public-facing public health workers, including those administering COVID-19 tests.
The Times Square New Year’s Eve ball drop will be held virtually. This year, Times Square will be closed and there will be no crowds allowed in the area during the ball drop but the celebration to ring in the new year still goes on. The ball drop will be livestreamed online along with TV programming.
New York continues to monitor for the presence of the more contagious U.K. strain of COVID-19. The State Department of Health and private labs across the State have been analyzing genomic sequencing of COVID specimens since early spring, with more than 4,300 specimens sequences. We have yet to find the U.K. strain, but we are continuing to search.
Tonight’s “Deep Breath Moment”: The mother of a Long Island teenager with special needs was able to pull off a Christmas miracle thanks to a total stranger. After searching without success for the gift her son wanted most—a sold-out Xbox—Jill Biblow turned to Facebook to ask if anyone she knew might be able to help her get one in time for Christmas. Hundreds of miles away, South Florida resident Kevin Danilo heard about the request from a friend, and sent Biblow a brand-new Xbox as a gift. His sole request was to pay the generosity forward. During this challenging year, it’s “the small things showing that people care about us [that give] us the strength to dust ourselves off and keep going,” he wrote to Biblow.
HOSPITALIZATIONS RISING. COVID CASES RISING STATEWIDE. EVICTIONS HALTED TO MAY 1 2021.
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WPCNR GOVERNOR CUOMO CORONAVIRUS UPDATE. By Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. December 30, 2020:
Monday night, I signed the COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act, which extends the moratorium on COVID-related residential evictions until May 1, while also providing foreclosure protections to homeowners and small landlords.
Many New Yorkers have faced economic hardship as result of the COVID-19 pandemic through no fault of their own, and this legislation helps ensure that no one is forced out of their home during this incredibly difficult period. The more support we provide for tenants, mortgagors and seniors, the easier it will be for them to get back on their feet when the pandemic ends. I thank the Legislature for passing this important protection for New Yorkers all across the state who need a hand.
Chart of the Day: Total hospitalizations in New York, March 16 to present. Here’s what else you need to know tonight:
1. Total hospitalizations rose to 7,814. Of the 160,614 tests reported yesterday, 11,438, or 7.14 percent, were positive. There were 1,224 patients in ICU yesterday, up two from the previous day. Of them, 711 are intubated. Sadly, we lost 124 New Yorkers to the virus.
2. New York has updated its quarantine guidelines to align with the CDC’s recommendations. Individuals exposed to COVID-19 can end their quarantine after 10 days without a testing requirement as long as no symptoms have been reported during the quarantine period.
After day 10 is reached, individuals must continue monitoring for symptoms through day 14 and if any develop, they should immediately self-isolate and contact their local health department or their health care provider to report this change and determine if they should seek testing.
3. Unemployed New Yorkers will begin receiving extended and expanded federal unemployment benefits next week. Starting the week January 3rd, unemployed New Yorkers will receive an additional $300 payment through the extended Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation and Pandemic Unemployment Compensation programs. New Yorkers currently receiving benefits do not need to call the Department of Labor to receive these extended benefits—they should continue to certify for unemployment benefits in their usual manner and will automatically receive extended benefits.
4. Starting January 1, 2021, New Yorkers can begin using sick leave benefits under the state’s Paid Sick Leave law. This legislation secures paid sick leave for workers at medium and large businesses and paid or unpaid leave for those at small businesses, depending on the employer’s net income. New Yorkers can use guaranteed sick leave to recover from an illness themselves, care for a sick family member and more. Learn about Paid Sick Leave here.
County Chairman of the Westchester Board of Legislators Issues Year End Report — URGES LANDLORDS APPLY FOR CASH COUNTY EVICTION AID TO LANDLORDS BY TOMORROW
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Westchester County Chairman of the Board of Legislators (WPCNR Photo)
| WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. From Benjamin Boykin, Chairman of the Westchester Board of Legislators December 30, 2020: We are urging residents in need to apply as soon as possible for these important housing relief programs. Sign up ends on Thursday, December 31, 2020: Eviction Prevention Program for Tenants administered by Landlords: Program can provide up to 75 percent of back rent for up to eight months of rental assistance for landlords who can demonstrate tenants were up to date for March, but have not been able to pay their rent due to COVID-19. Can assist owners of buildings with between 3 and 50 units; would be done by lottery to establish order for assistance. Assistance available through County Planning. Applications will be reviewed on a first come, first served basis. For more information, please contact Pam Tarlow at (914) 995-1920. Application in English: OF https://homes.westchestergov.com/images/stories/pdfs/crfhspllapeng.pdf Application in Spanish: https://homes.westchestergov.com/images/stories/pdfs/crfhspllapsp.pdf Foreclosure Prevention Program: Program can provide up to several months of mortgage/cooperative arrears for those who can demonstrate COVID-19 as the reason and were up to date on their mortgages as of March 2020. Assistance is available through these four nonprofits agencies: The Bridge Fund of Westchester – (914) 949-8146 Community Housing Innovations – (914) 683-1010 Human Development Services of Westchester – (914) 939-2878 Westchester Residential Opportunities – (914) 428-4507 For more information on all of these programs, as well as two additional programs specifically for Westchester County Urban Consortium Communities, please visit https://homes.westchestergov.com/housing-help Please forward this E-News to family and friends who may be interested in this information. My annual year-end report, released Tuesday, looks back on Board of Legislators’ actions in the second half of 2020 including unanimous passage of operating, capital and special district budgets for 2021 that respond to the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis. The operating budget cuts overall spending by $15.7 million and lowers the County property tax levy by $1 million while preserving essential services. It also adds millions for business development, food insecurity and housing support. The capital budget invest more than $260 million in new improvements to infrastructure, transportation and parks, supporting more than 2,000 permanent jobs in Westchester. The report details other 2020 actions by the Board including approving around 530 units of affordable housing; establishing in law an LGBTQ Advisory Board for the County; recommending election changes and financing the purchase of new election equipment; investing in Playland and other parks, capping third-party food delivery fees, supporting for police reform, and more. 2020 has been a year like no other in living memory. I am proud of the way County Executive George Latimer, this Board and the entire County government has worked together to serve the people of Westchester. In times of crisis, people turn to government for help and we cannot and will not let them down. We have continued to conduct the people’s business, provide access to essential services and information, and pass legislation to benefit our residents, property taxpayers, consumers and small businesses. With vaccines beginning to rollout, better days are in front of us. We look forward to getting back to work next year knowing that the choices we make as we confront the consequences of the pandemic, will impact this County’s well-being for a generation.You may read the report at https://www.westchesterlegislators.com/images/PDF/2020-year-end-report.pdf |
WHITE PLAINS SALES TAX $$ DOWN 14.4% THROUGH FIRST 5 MONTHS OF FISCAL YEAR. Sales Tax Revenues have declined each month for 9 consecutive months
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NYS DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE
WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. By John F. Bailey. December 28, 2020:
The White Plains City Sale Tax ‘Handle” had its fifth consecutive declining month in economic activity in November. To date White Plains has declined in sales tax receipts 14.4% through November and declined for nine consecutive months.
The city is down $3,035,717 at $18,091,133 in sales taxes through November 2020 compared to $21,126,850 in November 2019. (14.4%)
The city nervously awaits the December figures which will be out in January from the State Department of Taxation and Finance.
The city had a $5,830,213 Million December “handle” last year which at the present rate of decline in economic activity (4.5% down in November) would project to $262,000 less, that is if the December activity approached the $5 Million level. The city has not had a $4 Million Dollar month ( it’s average in 2019 ) since February 2020 ($4,131,738).
If the city 14% rate of decline in sales revenues in 2021 continues the sales tax receipts may sink below the projected $46 Million. Last year the city just made their projection of sales taxes hitting $50 Million.
At the soft pace of the city economy caused primarily by the coronavirus retail effect, If White plains continues at the 14% shortfall the city will make $7 millon–about $43 Million.
City Center New Cleaning Contractor Will Offer Workers Jobs Back. Kite Realty to County Board: County Displaced Workers Law will be Followed
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WPCNR LABOR LAW JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. December 28, 2020:
A spokesman for Kite Realty, of Indianapolis, Indiana, owners of the City Center in White Plains, told WPCNR this morning, the company has reached out to the Westchester County Board of Legislators (reacting to a letter the Board had written Kite Realty last week and published in WPCNR) and has assured the Board of Legislators the company had never considered not following the Displaced Persons Law in the Kite transition from one Cleaning Contractor to another, beginning January 1, 2021.
The spokesman made clear to WPCNR the developing situation:
“Kite Realty Group wants all laws to be properly followed.
Kite Realty does not directly employ the cleaning workers
The previous cleaning vendor terminated their agreement with Kite Realty, and the contract was sent out to bid.
The new cleaning vendor is in the process of extending job offers to the required workers
We have reached out to the Board of Legislators and hope to be in contact with them soon.
WPCNR has learned that the previous contractor was not a union contractor, and the decision to seek a new cleaning contractor was forced upon Kite.
The number of persons required to clean the City Center is being determined by the new contractor, and the reason for the reduction, the spokesman believes, is that many of the City Center space renters are closed, thus reducing the need for the full force of cleaners (needed previously pre- covid) until the retail and restaurant venues become active.