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EXCLUSIVE!
TONIGHT JOHN BAILEY INTERVIEWS COUNTY EXECUTIVE GEORGE LATIMER ON “PEOPLE TO BE HEARD” 8 PM EDT ON FIOS CH 45 COUNTYWIDE AND CABLEVISION 76 IN WHITE PLAINS & ON www.wpcommunitymedia.org
EXCLUSIVE!
EXCLUSIVE!
County Establishes Task Force to Help Schools Reopen. White Plains Superintendent Joseph Ricca is a Member
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| WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From Benjamin Boykin, Chairman of the Westchester County Board of Legislators. July 22, 2020: Westchester County announced it has created a working Group today to Assist Local School Districts with Reopening Transition this Fall. (Editor’s Note: The plans for any school districts reopening are due in Albany August 1 for review by the Governor.) Westchester County government has worked closely with local school districts across the County to provide assistance and public health support to protect our schools, teachers, staff and most importantly our students. The County has established a working group designed to further provide information and support around the areas of public health, emergency preparedness and response. The goal of the task force is to help create a more efficient way to provide feedback for common issues that may arise such as: the bulk purchasing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), suggesting vendors for Plexiglas dividers and signage, offering assistance with contact tracing, and developing a standardized frequently asked questions document. Westchester County Executive George Latimer said: “No one knows what we will be up against when our school districts start to reopen again. If we do see plans for a return in September, administrators will have a limited amount of time to make crucial decisions about how to provide a quality education for our students, while maintaining their health and safety, which will always be our top priority. It is my hope that this working group will make the transition process smoother, and provide an easy venue for districts to reach out to us for the support they may need.” Last week, the New York State Department of Health and Board of Regents released specific guidance requiring all school districts to develop a re-opening plan, to be reviewed and approved by the State.The first action steps for the County’s school reopening working group are as follows:Create a survey for school districts, to be collected by the superintendents, to identify the quantity and type of PPE gear required for a safe reopening. The County will assist in procuring the equipment through outside vendors.Host webinars centered around specific aspects of returning to school: proper school cleaning, food provisions for kitchen staff, protocols for contact tracing, and attaining PPE gear. Designate points of contact at the Westchester County Department of Health to assist with health care concerns as they arise. Deputy Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health Joseph Glazer has been named leader of the working group. Joining Glazer will be White Plains School Superintendent Joe Ricca, Susan Spear and Aviva Meyer of the County Executive’s Office, Dr. Dial Hewlett, Peter DeLucia and Marina Yoegel of the Health Department, and Hernane DeAlmeida from the Department of Public Works Glazer said: “Having provided additional linkage between the Westchester County Department of Health and our schools since the beginning of the pandemic, I understand how important it is for all of us to work together. I am humbled to be helping lead an effort with the goal of returning students to schools and classrooms that are safe for everyone.” Ricca said: “Under the strong leadership of County Executive Latimer and our talented County partners, coordination and collaboration between the County and our public school districts has been consistent throughout the complexities of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are grateful for this continued partnership as we all work to continue to support our children and community members throughout Westchester. As we look to the future, with a hopeful eye to welcoming our children and staff members back into our classrooms, we know that this partnership will remain critical in providing for the health and safety of our communities. It remains an honor to work alongside so many committed professionals in support of our children. Together, we will move through these challenges successfully and we will be stronger for the shared effort.” |
90 IN THE SHADE: 5TH STRAIGHT HOT STEAMING SUMMER DAY IN WHITE PLAINS NY USA. SURF’S UP! ANY KIND OF SURF!
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51 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK. NEIL ARMSTRONG WALKED ON THE MOON.
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This column originally appeared on WPCNR on February 1, 2003, and celebrates the Dreamers, the Achievers, the High and the Mighty:
The Space Blazers:
The Apollo 11 Crew: Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin, Jr. Mr. Armstrong set foot on the moon 51 years ago on July 20, 1969 (NASA Photo)
One of the papers I receive at WPCNR White Plains News Headquarters, White Plains, New York, USA did not tell me ALL week this week was the 51st anniversary of the week when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon.
The exact hour was 20:11 GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). That was the culmination of the last great American achievement – the personal computer and the internet were to come as the next great American achievement conquering space — when Apollo 11 with Armstrong in command, with astronauts Michael Collins and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr. blasted off to the stars for real.
They became the real Flash Gordons, Buck Rogerses, Tom Corbetts and Captain Videos for all-time.
The Apollo 11 mission was a success.
But there have been the tragedies associated with striving for the stars and being the best, achieving the best, working for the good. Those are the persons who keep dreams alive by their deaths and personal sacrifice. I wrote the following after the explosion of the Columbia Space Shuttle upon reentry after 19 days in space in January 2003.
Saturday’s fatal Columbia Space Shuttle accident killing all 7 astronauts aboard when the historic spacecraft broke up over East Texas at daybreak Saturday morning begins a period of national mourning.
The expected media speculations have started, guessing at the cause of the reentry that went bizarrely, awfully wrong.
The truth is the civilized world takes absolute scientific miracles for granted. We do not appreciate the courage and skills of the men and women creating the future.
Those of us with cell phones, internet connections, high-speed trains, satellite communications and entertainment (all products made possible by the space program), do not realize the magnitude of daring achievements that you and I have come to accept to be executed like clockwork.
I first learned of Columbia’s fate late Saturday afternoon when my wife mentioned that instead of sports programming being videotaped on our television, there was coverage of a live NASA event on ABC.
(Incredibly, the radio station I had been listening to on the way from a sports clinic had not reported any hint of the accident. That station was Z-100, the most listened-to station in the New York metropolitan area. America Online also on their first up page did not mention the missing craft as of midday. That kind of communications misjudgment is sad.)
As I watched the close of Mr. Jennings’ coverage at about 3 PM, he signed off with no recap, no names of astronauts, and some parting words about what he thought was the cause of the disaster.
I’ll say what he should have said.
Columbia’s seven astronauts who died — we know their names: they were
Columbus, Magellan, Cook, Lewis, Clark, the Wrights, Lindbergh, De Laroche, Earhart, Markham, Gruber, Chaffee, Grissom, White, Gargarin, Komarov, the Challenger Crew, the crew of Soyuz 11. They are a handful of the hundreds of brave men and women who went into the unknown.
Appollo 11′s Crew turned the dreams of the 1950s visualized in television shows like Tom Corbett, Space Cadet (above, Astro, Roger and Tom) and Captain Video, “The Master of Science” below into reality.
America’s Spacemen and Spacewomen and the explorers before them are the people who trust in their ability and their vessel to expand the world’s horizons, to know the unknown, whose legacies build a better world. Whose deeds inspire and achievements are the catalysts for achievement to come. Their failures ever reminders of the uniqueness of their courage and resolve.
From Captain Cook’s fragile vessel which sailed the Pacific, to the marvel that was the Columbia, the captains courageous who sailed the Roaring 40s, blazed the Oregon Trail, discovered how to fly, and flew the oceans, journeyed to the stars, knew the risks they were taking.
The media trivializes their courage, their skills, and the difficulty of what they did and wanted to do, to concentrate on the causes of their failure, as if knowing the cause will make their loss acceptable.
The Magnificent Seven
I do not know Columbia’s Magnificent Seven. I just see their smiling faces in their photograph, and I regret the loss of every one. They had achievement on their faces, pride in their demeanor. Their eyes shown with the glow of being alive and striving to do the great things they set out to do.
Civilization has been created because of people like the crew of the Columbia’s Magnificent Seven, not the incompetence we see demonstrated daily today where technology is concerned.
The Columbia itself had flown 26 missions since launching in 1981. It was guided and outfitted with the best 2003 communications and equipment had to offer.
Not like Captain James Cook’s bark, Endeavour, a 100-foot ship powered by sail that conquered the “space” of his time, the Pacific Ocean. It was the Columbia’s Magnificent Seven’s “Endeavour.” They were tracked, they were backed up, but they perhaps more than anyone here on the ground knew the high dangers of the shuttle mission.
Liftoff, as their predecessors, The Challenger crew fell victim to, is fraught with risk.
Reentry, which needs to be negotiated at precisely the right angle of attack, is equally risky.
Soyuz 11’s spacecrew of Dobrovolskiy, Volkov, and Patsayev died in 1971 on reentry, when the Russian cosmonauts took too long to descend.
No guarantees in real life. Machines sometimes run out of miracles.
The magnificence of the explorers’ sacrifice and dedication, is that they accept the risk of “the endeavor.”
They accept the challenge, bear it alone, seizing challenge with an indomitable spirit and confidence, facing death when it comes with the satisfaction that they made the effort, and I suspect analyzing, coping, trying to fix it until the end, the very end.
They never give up.
Columbia’s Magnificent Seven, after 16 days in space, are gone now. My sorrow is with their families who will miss these Magnificent Seven, and who know in their hearts that they died trying to reach the pinnacle of their aspirations.
They are only human.
They tried their best, achieved their best, and experienced what they longed to experience. They dared to live the great adventure.
Not all of us have the courage to follow our longed-for adventures and make them real. You can watch movies that attempt to give that experience by transference. That’s why, I believe, you and I take it so personally when we lose heroic personalities of our time. We wonder what they are like. We glorify them, rightly so.
Follow Me! They Say.
I wonder how those Magnificent Seven felt, how satisfying it must have been, to be at your best, doing what you love, coping with the risks.I envy them that.
The Columbia Crew is the Miracle.
In reality it is not machines that conquer, it is the intrepid personalities, each unique, each contributing, who perform the miracles with God’s help. That they fall short is an example to us, not to take ourselves, our fates, or our existences for granted.
This is true of the everyday people we take for granted: the firefighter, the policeman, the train engineer, the airline pilot, the construction worker, the doctor fighting COVID, the nurse, the leader trying to do what must be done despite opposition. All are highly trained disciplined workers, executing precise tasks for which the non-expert has no feel or understanding .
What makes for the desire to achieve? What is out there or up there that leads them on?
The Feel of the Unknown
I took Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s biographical adventure diary, Listen! The Wind down from the aviation bookshelf.
She was the young bride of the aviator-pioneer, Charles Lindbergh. She navigated for him in his aircraft, and ran his radio communications on his many exploratory flights around the world.
In a passage she describes a night flight over the ocean, in which she was operating the radio for her husband Charles, who was at the controls. Mrs. Lindbergh is describing the feelings she has as she tries to tune in the South American coast at sea in the dark of night in 1933, 87 years ago.
The feeling, the courage of the adventurer, the explorer has not changed. This is great:
“Night was the hardest. It would be all right once it was day. I kept saying…We began to hit clouds. I could tell without looking up, for the plane bumped slightly from time to time, first one wing down and then the other. And the moon blackened out for short periods.
Then for longer periods. I could not see to write my messages. I stiffened, dimly sensing fear – the old fear of bad weather – and looked out. We were flying under clouds. I could still find a kind of horizon, a difference in shading where the water met the clouds. That was all. But it seemed to be getting darker.
Storms? Were those clouds or was it the sky? We had lost the water. We were flying blind. I turned off the light quickly (to give my husband a little more vision), and sat waiting, tense, peering through the night. Now we were out again. There were holes through which one could see the dark sky. It was all right, I felt, as long as there were holes.
More blind flying. This is it, I thought is what people forget. This is what it means to fly across the ocean, blind and at night. But day is coming. It ought to be day before long… Daybreak! What a miracle. I didn’t see any sign of day and yet it must be lighter. The clouds were distinguishing themselves more and more from water and sea.
Daybreak—thank God—as if we had been living in eternal night—as if this were the first sun that ever rose out of the sea.
Note: This column originally appeared February 1, 2003 on WPCNR.
CUOMO ON TRUMP ASSURANCE: TRUMP WILL TALK WITH CUOMO BEFORE TAKING ANY UNILATERAL DECISION ON SENDING FEDERAL ASSETS TO DEAL WITH NY CITY “SITUATIONS.” NY NUMBERS ON COVID DOWN SINCE REOPENING.
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WPCNR CORONAVIRUS REPORT. From the Governor’s Press Office. July 22, 2020:
Governor Cuomo in an address this morning, announced an agreement with President Trump on conditions of sending Federal Agents to New York City to deal with “a crime problem.” The Governor said:
” I spoke to the President yesterday. The President had suggested that he was considering sending federal agents to New York among other cities – New York City. To deal with what he saw as an increase in crime problem.
I spoke to the President about it. I said that I was also concerned about the increase in crime in New York City and that people in New York City are concerned about the increase in crime.
I also said that at this point I think situation can be managed by the state to the extent anything has to be done, and that I am totally prepared to do that, that there was no need for federal involvement.
If the federal government had any concern about a federal asset that they thought needed to be protected, I was more than willing to protect any federal asset that the federal government had a bona fide concern for. And we left the conversation that if the President had any additional concerns, we would talk before he took any action. “
Earlier today, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo updated New Yorkers on the state’s progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The number of new cases, percentage of tests that were positive and many other helpful data points are always available at forward.ny.gov.
The Governor also announced the State has launched a new diagnostic testing site in the Town of Ramapo, a community heavily impacted by COVID-19 in partnership with Good Samaritan Hospital. The clinic, open today between noon and 5 p.m., is at the Town of Ramapo Cultural Arts Center at 64 North Main Street in Spring Valley. The clinic will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
AUDIO of today’s remarks is available here.
A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:
Today is day number 144. New York conducted 67,000 tests yesterday. 705 were positive. That’s a rate of about 1 percent, technically 1.04. Nine New Yorkers passed away from COVID yesterday. And again, they are in our thoughts and prayers. 714 New Yorkers were hospitalized, that’s 10 fewer than the day before, that’s the lowest numbers since March 18. So New York is doing very very well.
And we are in Phase IV of reopening all across the state. We expected the infection rate to go up after we reopened. We thought we could control it, but we thought it would go up. Actually it hasn’t even gone up, it’s gone down.
So we are doing better than we had anticipated, and the phased reopening worked. We still are very concerned about the growing number across the country, versus Americans.
We hate to see other Americans suffering. Also there is a COVID ricochet effect that we’re now seeing where the infection rate will just bounce throughout the country. To say New York will be fine when you see the increases in Florida, Texas, Arizona, California. We know that’s not the case. We know that the infection rate travels across the country because people are mobile and the virus travels with people.
We have offered our assistance to localities across the nation, anything we can do to help. First of all, because everybody was there for us when we needed help, and I said that we would repay that, and we were grateful for it. Also, practically, if we don’t get the infection rate down in the rest of the country than we can anticipate that this is going to be on the upswing in New York sooner or later, and the people in New York paid too high a price for what we’ve accomplished to see it go backwards.
The President said yesterday that he suggested people wear masks. I think that was a positive step forward, especially from where we had been. I think the President should take the next step and should have a federal mandate on masks. You are in public service to make a difference. I can’t think of a time when the experts said “If you take this action you can save 40,000 lives.”
That is the President’s opportunity on the mask mandate. The IHME model funded by Gates, which is the model followed by the White House said if there was a national mask mandate you would save 40,000 lives. Just by signing a piece of paper, the President can save 40,000 lives. Why wouldn’t you do that? And I would urge him once again, as I have repeatedly, to do that.
We are also very concerned about what we hear from Washington on the bill that they are talking about to help the nation and the economy recover from the COVID epidemic.
The Republicans still are refusing to include assistance for state and local government. That is wholly inconsistent with their stated goal of getting the economy up and running. Wall Street Journal, Chairman Powell, there have been numerous experts who have pointed out the proven fact that there will be no national economic recovery if you starve state and local governments.
If the Republicans care about the economy, they’ll put their politics aside and they will fund state and local governments. This is no longer just Democratic states that have been hurt. When the Republicans first failed to fund state and local governments they were primarily Democratic states and the Republican senators put their politics first and wouldn’t fund Democratic states even though they were suffering from COVID. You now have states all across the country that are suffering, Republican states are suffering also. The National Governors Association has called for funding; not Democratic governors, not Republican governors – all governors.
Again, this is a matter of basic economics. Every study has shown that when you starve the state and local governments the economy does not recover as quickly. Also, it is really the epitome of hypocrisy for these Republican senators, particularly from the southeast, to say they refuse to fund state and local governments, because they’re concerned about the amount of spending that the federal government is doing.
If they were really concerned about the amount of federal spending then the suggestion would be don’t take as much money for your state from the federal till. Kentucky takes $37 billion more every year than they pay in to the federal government. If a Senator from Kentucky was concerned about the federal budget, well the first place to start is in your own home, the first place to start is in your own activity. If you’re taking more than you are giving, if you are taking $37 billion more every year, and that is your bona fide concern, federal government is spending too much money, obviously the starting place is to say, “I’ll go first. I won’t take more than I put in.” That would at least be a genuine effort.
It’s not genuine to say a state like New York that has suffered from COVID shouldn’t get federal assistance at a time of an emergency when New York has subsidized your state for years. You find savings in places of excess. Why should the people of this nation fine any state more than it puts in? And that’s true for Virginia and Maryland and Kentucky and Alabama and Florida. If you’re sincere, that’s where you would start – save money from the excess and save money by rejecting the largesse of states like New York and New Jersey and Massachusetts and Connecticut and California and Illinois. These are the states that are subsidizing you and have been for years. So, I understand political speeches, I also understand that actions speak louder than words.
CUOMO: NEW YORK HOLDING OFF COVID WHILE NATION DESTROYS ITSELF
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WPCNR CORONAVIRUS REPORT. From the Governor’s Press Office. July 19, 2020:
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo Sunday updated New Yorkers on the state’s progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The number of new cases, percentage of tests that were positive and many other helpful data points are always available at forward.ny.gov.
“We’re continuing to progress forward through the COVID-19 pandemic in the face of a continued explosion of cases throughout the United States, and that’s reflected in today’s hospitalizations—the lowest number since March 18—and rate of positive cases,” Governor Cuomo said. “During these confining and frustrating times, I know it’s tempting to be tired of the many rules and guidelines the state has issued, but I reiterate that this pandemic is far from over, and the incredible compliance and fortitude of New Yorkers are key parts of our ability to fight COVID-19. Socially distance, wear a mask, wash your hands and stay New York Smart.”
Today’s data is summarized briefly below:
- Patient Hospitalization – 722 (-21)
- Patients Newly Admitted – 79 (+14)
- Hospital Counties – 30
- Number ICU – 160 (-12)
- Number ICU with Intubation – 96 (-4)
- Total Discharges – 72,161 (+97)
- Deaths – 13
- Total Deaths – 25,048
Of the 46,204 tests conducted in New York State yesterday, 502, or 1.08 percent, were positive. Each region’s percentage of positive tests over the last three days is as follows:
| REGION | THURSDAY | FRIDAY | SATURDAY |
| Capital Region | 1.1% | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Central New York | 0.6% | 0.9% | 1.1% |
| Finger Lakes | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Long Island | 0.9% | 1.0% | 0.9% |
| Mid-Hudson | 0.8% | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Mohawk Valley | 1.8% | 1.4% | 1.5% |
| New York City | 1.0% | 1.3% | 1.3% |
| North Country | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Southern Tier | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1.2% |
| Western New York | 1.2% | 1.3% | 1.0% |
The Governor also confirmed 502 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 406,807 confirmed cases in New York State. Of the 406,807 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows:
| County | Total Positive | New Positive |
| Albany | 2,318 | 3 |
| Allegany | 71 | 0 |
| Broome | 883 | 6 |
| Cattaraugus | 145 | 0 |
| Cayuga | 129 | 0 |
| Chautauqua | 194 | 0 |
| Chemung | 154 | 1 |
| Chenango | 182 | 0 |
| Clinton | 113 | 2 |
| Columbia | 492 | 1 |
| Cortland | 69 | 1 |
| Delaware | 93 | 0 |
| Dutchess | 4,376 | 3 |
| Erie | 8,035 | 19 |
| Essex | 51 | 0 |
| Franklin | 40 | 0 |
| Fulton | 267 | 1 |
| Genesee | 257 | 1 |
| Greene | 272 | 1 |
| Hamilton | 6 | 0 |
| Herkimer | 206 | 2 |
| Jefferson | 105 | 1 |
| Lewis | 33 | 1 |
| Livingston | 158 | 1 |
| Madison | 383 | 1 |
| Monroe | 4,401 | 18 |
| Montgomery | 143 | 0 |
| Nassau | 42,622 | 28 |
| Niagara | 1,382 | 7 |
| NYC | 221,419 | 298 |
| Oneida | 1,940 | 3 |
| Onondaga | 3,278 | 16 |
| Ontario | 324 | 0 |
| Orange | 10,931 | 10 |
| Orleans | 288 | 0 |
| Oswego | 229 | 0 |
| Otsego | 98 | 4 |
| Putnam | 1,391 | 1 |
| Rensselaer | 651 | 1 |
| Rockland | 13,793 | 9 |
| Saratoga | 637 | 2 |
| Schenectady | 915 | 5 |
| Schoharie | 62 | 0 |
| Schuyler | 16 | 0 |
| Seneca | 80 | 2 |
| St. Lawrence | 242 | 0 |
| Steuben | 281 | 1 |
| Suffolk | 42,466 | 26 |
| Sullivan | 1,473 | 0 |
| Tioga | 170 | 1 |
| Tompkins | 208 | 9 |
| Ulster | 1,901 | 1 |
| Warren | 287 | 1 |
| Washington | 250 | 0 |
| Wayne | 227 | 2 |
| Westchester | 35,515 | 12 |
| Wyoming | 104 | 0 |
| Yates | 51 | 0 |
Yesterday, there were 13 deaths due to COVID-19 in New York State, bringing the total to 25,048. A geographic breakdown is as follows, by county of residence:
| Deaths by County of Residence | |
| County | New Deaths |
| Bronx | 1 |
| Kings | 1 |
| Manhattan | 1 |
| Monroe | 1 |
| Nassau | 1 |
| Queens | 2 |
| Rensselaer | 1 |
| Suffolk | 1 |
| Sullivan | 1 |
| Westchester | 3 |
95 IN THE SHADE 95 WABC DEGREES CHIME TIME!
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WHITE PLAINS WEEK JULY 17 REPORT– INSTANTLY ON www.wpcommunitymedia.org (Scroll down the Alphabetical “Program Wall” to WHITE PLAINS WEEK, CLICK PIC TO SEE IT.)
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LOOKING OUT FOR YOU SINCE 2001 : TRUTH, JUSTICE AND THE AMERICAN WAY WEEKLY ON WHITE PLAINS WEEK IN OUR 20TH YEAR ON WHITE PLAINS TELEVISION
GOVERNOR CUOMO CRACKS DOWN ON RESTAURANTS : “3 STRIKES AND YOUR CLOSED” WILL INVESTIGATE BITCOIN SCAM AND TWITTER HACKS. 92% COMPLIANCE WITH TRAVELERS COMING IN TO NY
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WPCNR CORONAVIRUS REPORT. From the Governor’s Office. January 16, 2020:
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced new regulations for bars and restaurants in New York City to ensure they are complying with state social distancing and face covering orders.
As part of the ‘Three Strikes and You’re Closed’ initiative, any establishment that receives three violations will be closed for business.
Egregious violations can result in immediate loss of liquor license or closure before a third strike. Additionally, any establishment facing disciplinary charges by the State Liquor Authority will have its name and location posted publicly and updated on a weekly basis. If the state is alerted to similar noncompliance in other regions of the state, these restrictions will be extended to those areas immediately.
The Governor also announced that all restaurants and bars statewide will be subject to new requirements that they must only serve alcohol to people who are ordering and eating food and that all service at bar tops must only be for seated patrons who are socially distanced by six feet or separated by physical barriers.
Under current law, only establishments that serve food are permitted to serve alcoholic beverages. Citizens who see violations or are concerned can report complaints, including photos, to the State Liquor Authority at www.sla.ny.gov.
The Governor also announced that a decision will be made on New York City entering phase four by tomorrow, July 17th. If New York City is approved to enter phase four on Monday, the state will not allow any additional indoor activity, such as malls and cultural institutions.
The Governor also announced that travel form compliance went up to 92 percent after the state announced fines for failure to complete the form.
(Earlier this week, the Governor announced out-of-state travelers from the 22 designated states with the highest infection rates must provide local authorities with contact information upon entering New York to help enforce quarantining or they’ll face a fine of up to $2,000 if they don’t supply that information.)
AUDIO of the Governor’s remarks is available here.
A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:
Governor Cuomo: Thank you, thank you very much, operator. Thank all of you for being with us today. I have on the telephone – Budget Director Robert Mujica, Department of Financial Services head Linda Lacewell, and State Liquor Authority head Vince Bradley. We also have a special guest: Mayor Sylvester Turner from Houston, Texas. And it’s our pleasure to have him on for a few minutes. The mayor and I have been talking about the COVID situation.
As you know, Texas has significant issues. Harris County, where Houston is located, has one of the worst problems in Texas and I’ve been talking to the mayor. I said, anyway we can help, we offer our assistance in New York.
New Yorkers are very grateful for what everyone did across this country to help New York when we needed help. Over 30,000 volunteers – we’ll never forget it. And that’s the way America should operate. That’s America at its best.
We sent teams down to Houston. They’ve been on the ground for a few days. I want to thank all the nurses and doctors that went down. We had them go down from the Greater New York Hospital Association from Mount Sinai, from Montefiore, from Northwell.
And they’ve been working on setting up testing sites and doing what we did here where we partnered with churches – especially in low-income communities. What we find all-too-often across the country is that, lower-income communities have a higher rate of infection. So, working with churches in the communities has turned out very well to set up testing sites and getting people to come in.
We also sent out PPE – sent down PPE, hand sanitizer, testing kits, etc. And the mayor says it’s been helpful. I want to say to you, Mr. Mayor – all New Yorkers stand with you in solidarity. Anything you need, know that we are here and you can call on us. Unfortunately, we learned these lessons in New York the hard way. We had to go through it.
Why we have to repeat the mistake across the country, I have no idea. But it’s unfortunate, but we are where we are. We’ll deal with it, and then we’ll right the wrongs afterwards. But it’s been a pleasure to work with you, mayor, and we’re not going anywhere. We’re here, so anything you need going forward – but I’m glad we were able to help. Mayor Turner.
Mayor Turner: Thank you, Governor Cuomo. And let me just start out by acknowledging and thanking you for the leadership that you provided to the State of New York and quite frankly, the leadership that you provided to all of us across the country. I’ve watched your daily briefings on a regular basis.
I learned a lot from what you have done and your people have done in New York, so let me commend all of you for your efforts. Let me also thank you for the support that you all are providing to the City of Houston here in Harris County. As you indicated, we are facing a situation where our numbers have surged. More people have been testing positive, showing up in our hospitals and our ICUs. Testing is a big issue.
And you’re also right that this virus is having a disproportional impact on communities of color, low-income communities, and where even more testing is needed. And people – a lot of people – who are wanting testing, needing testing and they’ve having to wait a long time. So, let me thank you and your team for reaching out, you know. You all did not wait for example on us to call you all. You reached out to us in the City of Houston.
So, I want to thank you for your teams that are already on the ground since the past weekend. I want to thank you for the doctors, the nurses, the staff, the PPE that you have all already sent. There are two testing sites that you always have to stand up: one in northwest Houston at Fallbrook Church; another in southwest Houston Higher Dimension Church. Those testing sites are up and running. They started them yesterday and they’ll be up and running for the next two weeks. The reports that I’ve received, people are taking full advantage of those testing sites and those sites will help us out immensely. So, thank you, Governor Como. Thank you. Thank the people of New York. I really appreciate it. And I will tell same to you just like you are paying it forward, we will pay it forward as well so thank you so very, very much.
Governor Cuomo: Thank you, my friend. You stay strong. Anything you need you know where to find us and as soon as we get past this I’ll come down and visit with you. It would be my pleasure to come back to Houston. I have a lot of good memories. I did a lot of good work when I was HUD Secretary. You have a great city. We’ll get through this will be the better for it so God bless you, Mr. mayor. Thank you. Thank you for your leadership, sir. It’s been a pleasure to watch what you are doing for the people of Houston. I’m proud of you.
Mayor Turner: Thank you, Governor.
Governor Cuomo: Thank you. Thank you, sir. Okay, let me make a few announcements and then we’ll take questions.
The big picture is that nobody could have expected that we would be in the situation that we’re in today. We had spoken at the beginning about the potential for a second wave of COVID. The second wave we anticipated was that the virus would mutate and come back in a mutated form. That was the second wave theory, the global pandemic of 1918, the virus mutated and came back for a second wave. What we’re experiencing is something different.
This is a second wave, but this is a situation where we just failed to learn the lessons of the first wave. We failed to learn that we missed the virus in the first place. That it was coming from Europe and then New York showed what you needed to do. You needed to close down, you needed to come up with testing, you needed to come up with contact tracing and attack this virus with the same strength that it was attacking us. We failed to do that.
The virus is now spreading and states all across the country and now we’re fearing a second wave which is really just the rebound from those states and the increased infection coming back to New York. That’s not what we were anticipating as a second wave. This is just a rebound of the first wave, rather than the wave coming from the East and hitting New York, the wave is going to come from the West and hit New York and it’s going to be man-made, all self-created.
There’s no reason for this nation to be going through what it’s going through now. We learned these lessons months ago. Months ago. Remember the first case was back in January and here we are in July and states still don’t have testing and contact tracing, don’t have the PPE, don’t have the medical equipment.
We had seven months to get ready. Seven months to get ready. And many places in this country are just as unprepared as they were seven months ago. And that’s one of the things we’re worried about in New York is the virus coming from the states with the high infection rates.
It’s our pleasure to help Houston, to help Atlanta, to help states across the nation deal with it. It’s the right thing to do as Americans. It’s also in our self-interest because we are all in this together and if people get infected in Arizona or Houston or Atlanta and get on a plane and come to New York, now it’s New York’s problem. So, that’s the situation we’re dealing with. Our numbers are good but what we are looking at – what we’re dealing with is the potential of a “second wave,” from these other states.
Today’s day 138. New York conducted 72,000 tests yesterday and again that is per capita higher than any state higher than any country. We said New York Smart – smart means get the facts, get the data, act on the data, and we have more data and smarter data than any other state that’s dealing with this. Of the 72,685 tests, 769 were positive. That’s just about 1 percent, 1.06. 14 New Yorkers passed away yesterday which again we don’t want to see any New Yorkers pass away but compared to where we were with this disease, where we had 800 deaths in a single day we’re obviously in a much, much better position. 813 New Yorkers were hospitalized – that’s down 18 from the previous day, so that is all good news as far as we’re concerned.
But again, New York Smart, look ahead and be prepared. We still have an issue with compliance. I once again call on the local government officials to make sure they are doing compliance enforcement. I understand that there’s tension with police departments and ongoing demonstrations after Mr. Floyd’s murder. I understand that. But we can deal with that situation and still enforce the law.
We have to and these, the compliance enforcement of these rules and regulations is essential. If we do not enforce compliance the virus will spread. It is that simple. If you eat a piece of cheesecake today, you will see it on the scale tomorrow. Our actions create the response of the virus.
So local governments need to be diligent and I ask them to do that once again. I am asking them to do it publicly. I am asking them to do it privately. I understand enforcement is not politically popular. I’ll tell you what’s less politically popular: if we have to close down a region because compliance wasn’t done. That would be less politically popular.
New York City, we have compliance issues and we’re going to announce a couple of actions today. We have additional regulations on the bars and restaurants. That is a primary area where we’re seeing problems with compliance and we’re taking additional actions.
As you know we’ve been stepping up enforcement on bars and restaurants. Bars and restaurants are licensed by the State Liquor Authority. Bradley is on the telephone. New York City, we let bars and restaurants open for outdoor service on June 22. There is significant evidence of failure to comply. The State itself has looked at over 5,000 establishments in downstate New York and found many cases of a failure to comply. It’s wrong. It’s dangerous. It’s selfish. It’s unacceptable. It’s also illegal, so today beginning in New York City we’re going to enact a “three strikes and you’re closed.”
Any establishment that receives three violations will be closed for business.
Egregious violations can still result in an immediate loss of a liquor license but three violations and you’re closed. We’re also going to post the names of the establishments facing disciplinary charges.
New Yorkers are outraged at these establishments. We’re getting thousands of complains, pictures, videos, et cetera. This is a question of public health and New Yorkers paid a dear price for COVID and they are equally upset with these violations.
Also, today all establishments must only serve alcohol to people who are also ordering food. The concept here was bars and restaurants would be allowed to do outdoor dining. That is a dining situation.
You go with several people, you sit at a table and you have a meal. That would limit the exposure to the people at that table and then the tables are socially distanced. That’s if you’re eating a meal – if you’re not eating a meal and you’re just drinking, then it’s just an outdoor bar and people are mingling and they’re not isolated and individual tables, and that’s what we’re seeing.
Also, no walk-up bar service – all service at bar tops must be only for seated patrons who are socially distanced by six feet. So those regulations will go into effect. Second, in New York City – New York City is headed for Phase 4 on Monday. We will have a definitive announcement as to whether or not New York City goes into Phase 4 by 4 o’clock tomorrow. We want to get the numbers from tomorrow, we want to have them analyzed, and we’ll make that announcement at 4 o’clock tomorrow, so businesses would have noticed for Monday. At this rate they are on track to enter Phase 4, but we will not know until we get the final data and we get it analyzed.
In any event, even if we going to Phase 4 on Monday, we are not going to allow any additional indoor activity. Phase Four opens malls, cultural institutions. If we go into Phase 4, we would go into Phase 4 without any additional indoor activity. We are still seeing issues not just in the bars and restaurants, but all across the country, you see as these inside, interior spaces, air-conditioned spaces where the virus is tending to spread. So, we’re going to take that precaution in New York City.
We are also announcing today a national advertising campaign for people to wear masks.
This campaign is not just in New York, these ads will run all across the country and they really are special. I had the opportunity to see them. Jane Rosenthal, we want to thank, who is the producer and CEO of Tribeca Enterprises. Jane organized this and got it together. We have an Academy Award winning director Kathryn Bigelow to directed the ads. The Ad Council will be distributing the ads.
I also want to thank the actors who lent their talent to these ads. Morgan Freeman, Robert De Niro, Jeffrey Wright, Anthony Mackie, Ellen Pompeo, John Leguizamo, Rosie Perez, Jamie Foxx and Kaitlyn Dever. But they are great – they are making the point about wear a mask.
The IHME projection which is used by the White House said 40,000 more Americans will die than would have died if we had a national mask policy. Just imagine that. Some states are saying, local governments can’t mandate masks.
I mean we’re still playing politics with this COVID virus after all of this which is really shocking and disturbing. Also, we are fully enforcing our quarantine rules against the 22 states with a high infection rate.
We’ve made progress and we’re now up to about a 92 percent compliance, but I want to make sure people know who are coming to New York, we’re very serious about that.
Also, we’re troubled by the cybersecurity attacks, the Twitter hack. That is frightening and that can be highly disruptive, and the Department of Financial Services in New York has jurisdiction and I am directing them today to do a full investigation of those Twitter hacks. They have significant consequences for the security of our financial system, as well as our election system, but it can really wreak havoc. So DFS will be doing that.
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