GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES MORE STEPS TO LIMIT SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS

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WPCNR CORONAVIRUS REPORT. From the Governor’s Press Office. March 15, 3 PM EDT:

In an open letter to President Trump, the Governor urged Trump to deploy the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to leverage its expertise, equipment and people power to retrofit and equip existing facilities – such as military bases or college dormitories – to serve as temporary medical centers.

The Governor called on the President, through the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to authorize states to certify a wider array of testing labs and methods in an effort to maximize testing capacity to identify and isolate positive cases faster. The Governor also called for a uniform federal standard for when cities and states should shut down commerce and schools, or cancel events.

“Our goal is to slow the spread of the virus to a rate that the healthcare system can manage, and we’re doing that through aggressive testing and strong social distancing protocols. But the anticipated wave of new cases threatens to crash our healthcare system, and we need national action from the federal government to address the quickly-evolving situation now,” Governor Cuomo said. 

“In short, the Trump administration needs to localize testing, federalize shutdowns and task the Army Corps of Engineers to expand hospital capacity. While again I want to remind people that the facts do not warrant the level of anxiety that is out there, we will continue working closely with every level of government to mitigate the impact of this virus and protect the public health.”

The Governor directed nonessential State employees in Rockland, Westchester, NYC, Suffolk, Nassau – current hotspot areas – to work from home for two weeks.

The Governor also directed DMV to move to appointment only to limit person to person contact and revert to regular hours rather than the extended hours the state implemented in recent weeks to help reduce lines.

Governor Cuomo asked Chief Judge Janet DiFiore to develop a plan to reduce density in the court system, including limiting nonessential proceedings, without disrupting criminal justice system. 

The Governor also tasked SUNY Empire State College President Jim Malatras with working with counties to develop contingency plans in preparation for school closings, including how to provide meals to food insecure children and ensuring families have adequate access to childcare.

IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE CORONAVIRUS—This is the number to call in Westchester if you are concerned you may have COVID-19 (coronavirus): ‭(914) 681-2900‬

They will ask for your symptoms,to determine If you fit any criteria, if you do they will refer you to Westchester Dept of Health with a special phone number, where they then take your info and text you with a date/time and address where you can get tested in a drive through-like experience

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“THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS” SHORT ON HOSPITAL I.C.U. BEDS.CUOMO ASKS ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO BUILD EMERGENCY HOSPITALS FOR MOST SERIOUS CORONA VIRUS PATIENTS– I.C.U. FACILITIES ACROSS STATE INADEQUATE TO HANDLE OVER 10,000 CRITICAL EXPECTED.

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https://youtu.be/l8Ef_b4A3Ps

MUST SEE! VIDEO OF THE GOVERNOR’S NEWS CONFERENCE TODAY ON NEED FOR MORE HOSPITAL CAPACITY AND HOW TO DO IT.

WPCNR CORONAVIRUS REPORT. By John F. Bailey. March 15, 2020:

There are not enough New York State Intensive Care Units across New York State to handle the enormous expected projections of Coronavirus patients needing the most intensive treatment to keep them alive, Governor Cuomo said today in one of the most sober news conferences I have ever heard.

The governor estimated over 10,000 coronavirus victims projected to deterioate to a life threatening state would overwhelm the 3,000 intensive care units in New York State, which are already 85% occupied.

The governor said he’d be identifying existing buildings to be used to fill this massive care location gap, Locations, he said also needed to be selected to find beds for coronavirus victims needing isolation, monitoring and care– in buildings that have to be rapidly retrofitted.that could be retrofitted.

This information on the intensive care facility shortage was first revealed by the Governor last Thursday, and quanitified again in his news conference Saturday morning, but today he said New York State does not have the construction resources available to construct these needed last resort for life saving to keep coronavirus victims alive.

What the governor said is needed immediately from the federal government are plans to handle the intensive care facility gap in face of a New York State escalation in the rate of the spread of the virus. The number of cases in New York State is over 700 Up 20% over night from last night’s 613 number. At this rate if the state reached 50,000 coronavirus cases, It is estimated 20% would need intensive care, which works out to 10,000 I.C.U. beds


The governor said the statewide total is 729 confirmed cases in New York State. Of the 729 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows:

Albany County: 8 (3 new)                      

Broome County: 1

Delaware County: 1

Dutchess County: 7 (3 new)

Erie County: 3

Greene County: 2 (2 new)

Herkimer County: 1

Monroe County: 2

Montgomery County: 1 (1 new)

Nassau County: 98 (5 new)

New York City: 329 (29 new)

Orange County: 6

Putnam County: 2 (2 new)

Rockland County: 13

Saratoga County: 3

Schenectady County: 2

Suffolk County: 47 (6 new)

Tioga County: 1

Tompkins County: 1

Ulster County: 5

Westchester County: 196 (18 new

The governor urged Mayor Bill DiBlasio of New York City not to close the New York City Schools despite the New York Federation of Teachers call to teachers to call in sick, if schools were not closed. The governor repeated that closing the New York City Schools would deplete the workforces needed to keep the city functioning and also put children more at risk of getting the corona virus.

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The Time is Now, Mr. President. “Time Is Short.”

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WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. From Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Press Office. March15, 2020:

The following Op-Ed appeared in The New York Times this morning, written by Governor Andrew Cuomo and was shared with WPCNR

Dear Mr. President,

The coronavirus pandemic is now upon us, and data from other countries shows us clearly where we are headed.

Every country affected by this crisis has handled it on a national basis. The United States has not. State and local governments alone simply do not have the capacity or resources to do what is necessary, and we don’t want a patchwork quilt of policies.

There is now only one question your team must answer for you: Can we slow the spread of the disease to a rate that our state health care systems can handle? The answer increasingly looks like no.

But that does not mean we should not try. There are fewer options available at this late date, but the federal government should move to implement them swiftly. There are three clear imperatives we need to address:

Testing

Slowing the spread of coronavirus is a function of testing and reducing the density of public gatherings. So first, Mr. President, you must stop the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from overregulating the testing process, and authorize states to certify a wider array of testing labs and methods.

On Friday, you said that your administration had agreed to allow New York State’s public health department to authorize local labs to perform the state’s approved coronavirus test — a good first step. Your administration also approved high-volume automated testing by the Swiss diagnostics maker Roche.

But these moves are insufficient. Because of the high demand for testing kits nationwide, many labs with Roche machines will be unable to obtain enough of the company’s testing kits for weeks or even months. There are other labs that can do high-volume coronavirus tests that do not use Roche kits. But these machines cannot be used without further F.D.A. approvals, of the sort Roche received on Friday.

That means that while New York is conducting thousands of tests a day, we are still below our full testing capacity because many labs still rely on low-volume manual testing.

Mr. Trump, don’t let bureaucracy get in the way of fighting this virus. Break the logjam, let states fully take over testing so they can unleash hundreds of labs tomorrow and bring testing to scale. It is the only way we will have a chance of keeping up with the rapid spread of this contagion.

Closings

Second, the closing of schools and businesses has federal implications, even if these are state or local decisions. When one state unilaterally closes businesses, people typically cross state lines to look for open businesses elsewhere. If the purpose is to keep our citizens home and out of crowded spaces, such inconsistency in state policies is counterproductive. There should be a uniform federal standard for when cities and states should shut down commerce and schools, or cancel events.

All of this disruption will have immense financial and economic impact, and federal assistance will be needed to soften the blow. When schools close, localities will need help to provide meal programs to students and child-care programs to parents. Unemployment will skyrocket, as will insurance, health care and education costs.

The federal government must not only make aid available, it must also ensure that its assistance is distributed in clear, uniform ways. No state should be penalized for doing the right thing in trying to protect its residents during this crisis.

Risks to hospitals

Third, you must anticipate that, without immediate action, the imminent failure of hospital systems is all but certain. According to one projection, as many as 214 million people in our country could be infected over the course of the epidemic. Of those, as many as 21 million people could require hospitalization.

This would crush the nation’s medical system. New York State has just 53,470 hospital beds, only 3,186 of which are intensive-care beds. Our country as a whole has fewer than one million staffed hospital beds, fewer proportionately than China, South Korea or Italy. Manual pdf

Ask your experts, how many intensive-care beds do we need for our vulnerable populations, and how many do we have now? The scarcity portends a greater failing and a worse situation than what we are seeing in Italy, where lives are being lost because the country doesn’t have the health care capacity.

States cannot build more hospitals, acquire ventilators or modify facilities quickly enough. At this point, our best hope is to utilize the Army Corps of Engineers to leverage its expertise, equipment and people power to retrofit and equip existing facilities — like military bases or college dormitories — to serve as temporary medical centers. Then we can designate existing hospital beds for the acutely ill.

We believe the use of active duty Army Corps personnel would not violate federal law because this is a national disaster. Doing so still won’t provide enough intensive care beds, but it is our best hope.

In short: Localize testing, federalize shutdowns and task the Army Corps of Engineers to expand hospital capacity.

I make these suggestions not as a Democrat but as one of the nation’s most senior governors and a former cabinet secretary who knows the capacity of the federal government.

We have had disagreements about your actions against New York, which we can pursue at another time. Today, let’s work together as Americans. Time is short.

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2 Legislators Diagnosed with Coronavirus. Capitol Building Closed

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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the Governor’s Press Office. March 14, 2020:


“It has come to our attention that two of our Assembly colleagues – Helene Weinstein and Charles Barron – have been diagnosed with COVID-19. It is important to note that both members have not been in Albany since early March for separate reasons. Speaker Heastie has been in contact with both members and we are taking swift action to address this situation.

“We have spoken with the Senate and are undertaking an intensive cleaning of the Capital and the Legislative Office Building. All legislators and staff that have come in contact with these members will be tested to ensure the safety of everyone.

“Additionally, out of an abundance of caution we are closing the Capitol to visitors effective tomorrow.

“We are working hand in glove to contain and mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 in New York but we will continue to act aggressively to protect the public health.”

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Governor Updates Statewide CoronaVirus positive total: Now 613

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WPCNR ALBANY BULLETIN. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the total of positive cases had once again gone up tonight after 8 PM Saturday.

New York State now has 613 positive tests for COVID-19, up from 524 announced this morning, the governor announced. There have been a total of 4,700 tests conducted, with 736 taking place since the governor last spoke Saturday afternoon.

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MAYOR’S CORONAVIRUS REPORT…RELEASED 8 PM Saturday Night

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The Governor today confirmed 103 additional COVID-19 cases in New York State, bringing the total to 524.  172 of those cases (14 new cases) are in Westchester County. Coronavirus is now present in 16 NY counties and New York City.  We have not received an updated White Plains number from the County as of today. We will share an update with you as soon as we receive it. 
The State is expecting the number of cases to continue to rise in the foreseeable future and is moving aggressively to increase its testing capacity.

 If you are experiencing symptoms associated with coronavirus, please call either the White Plains Hospital Hotline at (914) 681-2900 or the NYS Dept of Health Hotline at 1-888-364-3065. Professional staff will screen you over the phone by asking you a series of questions and assess your need for testing.

 
Out of an abundance of caution, the White Plains Public Library will be closed to the public starting tomorrow, Sunday, March 15th. We will be sharing more information about how you can use our virtual services in the days to come. In the meantime, we have a robust e-book and e-audio collection available, as well as many resources for streaming media, including Kanopy, an excellent film collection.


As many of you have heard, the White Plains School District has decided to close on Monday and Tuesday March 16 & 17. The district will use up 2 snow days for this closure.

This decision was reached after consultation with NY State officials and the State Education Dept. The school closure is consistent with the model of social distancing that has been recommended by public health professionals.

Dr. Ricca expects that further guidance from the state will be forthcoming next week. Dr. Ricca and I have been speaking and coordinating regularly during this crisis and I support the decision he has made.

In connection with the school closure, the White Plains Youth Bureau will also be closed on Monday and Tuesday of next week.


Social Distancing & Reducing Density to Prevent Spread of COVID-19:Earlier this week, the Governor announced measures aimed at further containing the spread of the virus by prohibiting gatherings of 500 or more people and requiring that gatherings of less than 500 people reduce their capacity by 50% effective March 13, 2020 at 5:00 PM.

The Governor did not put an end date on these restrictions, but said the state is re-evaluating daily.


The state is advising businesses around the state to think about ways in which they can “reduce density” through options such as telecommuting and shift changes if possible. Reducing density (that is, reducing the number and type of situations that bring a large number of people together in close quarters), along with increasing testing capacity, is a top priority of the state as a means of stopping the spread of the virus.


Looking for More Information?In an effort to keep these updates to a manageable length, we have posted two new items under the heading “Latest News” on the home page of the City website, www.cityofwhiteplains.com.

These items focus on: 1) Prevention information, including reliable links for public health information, and 2) City Program/Event/Meeting changes due to coronavirus.  These two pages are being updated regularly.
    For coronavirus prevention information, please visit this link on the City of White Plains website.    For information on changes to city programs and events due to coronavirus, please visit this link on the City of White  Plains website.
Thank you,Mayor Tom Roach

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All Masses In Archdiocese of NY canceled tomorrow. Mass on line from St. Patrick’s Cathedral

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WPCNR Matters of Faith. From the Archdiocese of NY. March 14, 2020:

In light of the continued concern surrounding the coronavirus, and the advice of medical experts, all Masses in the Archdiocese of New York will be canceled beginning this weekend, March 14-15, 2020.

This development follows upon today’s decision of Dutchess County to prohibit gatherings of more than 20 people. It is also intended to provide clarity and consistency throughout the ten counties that comprise the Archdiocese of New York (Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island, Westchester, Putnam, Orange, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Dutchess).
 
Churches will, however, remain open for private prayer.

Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, urged the faithful to remember in their prayers all those whose lives have been impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.

“Let us pray for all who are sick, as well as doctors, nurses, caregivers, and all those working hard to combat the disease. We should also remember those whose lives have been otherwise disrupted, especially anyone who has lost income from a loss of work during this difficult time.”
A private Mass will be celebrated in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, and will be available on many cable systems via the Catholic Faith Network and its website here, livestreamed on the Saint Patrick’s Cathedral website here, and broadcast on radio on The Catholic Channel of Sirius XM (Channel 129).
 
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OPEN TABLE: HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR RESTAURANTS THROUGH THE EFFORT TO LIMIT CORONAVIRUS MIGRATION

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WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. MARCH 14, 2029:

Andrea Johnston, Chief Operating Officer of Open Table, the national restaurant reservation service reports on the effects of the coronavirus nationwide on the restaurant industry:

“Our thoughts are with you as we all work to navigate this challenging time. As the COVID-19 (coronavirus) continues to make headlines, even the best-laid plans are up for last-minute changes. Those changes are hitting restaurants hard as they struggle with the effects of reduced travel and government calls to avoid large gatherings. 

Andrea Johnston, Chief Operating Officer, Open Table

Looking at comprehensive data from restaurants on our platform — across online reservations, phone reservations, and walk-ins — we note sharp declines over the last week.

In the United States and United Kingdom, we see a 20 percent reduction in total seated diners vs. last year.

Mexico and Canada are down 15 to 17 percent.

At the city level, diners are down approximately 45 percent in Seattle, 40 percent in San Francisco, 30 percent in New York, and 25 percent in London, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

(All declines cited here are on a year-over-year basis.)

For more insights on the state of the restaurant industry, click here.

To support the restaurants we all love, we’d like to share a few simple things you can do to help your favorite restaurants weather this storm:

  1. If you have a change of plans, please let the restaurant know as soon as possible so they can plan accordingly. Even cancelling the same day is better than not showing up.
  2. Order take-out or delivery. It gives the restaurant business and keeps you well fed. Many restaurants that don’t usually offer these options are making exceptions.
  3. Re-book for a future date—it will give everyone something to look forward to.
  4. Consider purchasing restaurant gift cards if they’re offered.
  5. Tip generously if you can afford it. Tipped workers are some of the first to suffer in times of economic distress.

Everyone’s health and safety are our first concern. We urge everyone to stay informed (the Centers for Disease Control regularly updates their site) and to take the recommended precautions. If you have questions or concerns about a reservation, ask the restaurant about their specific practices. 

I hope all of you stay safe and healthy. 

Andrea Johnston

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Governor Cuts Number of Signatures Needed on Ballot Petitions to Slow Spread of CoronaVirus in NYS. closes Petition Period on March 17.

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WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2020. From the Governor’s Press Office. March 14, 2020:

To keep New Yorkers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed an executive order temporarily modifying election rules, suspending the petition period 14 days, ending it 5 PM Tuesday, May 17

The executive order also modifies the signature requirements for ballot access; candidates will only need to collect 30 percent of the statutory threshold. For Congress, candidates would need 375 signatures rather than 1,250. For State Senate, candidates would need 300 signatures rather than 1,000. For Assembly, candidates would only need 150 signatures rather than 500.

“Public health experts have been clear that one of the most common ways to communicate COVID-19 is through direct person to person contact, and we are doing everything in our immediate power to reduce unnecessary interactions,” Governor Cuomo said. “This executive order modifies the election process in a way that both protects public health and ensures the democratic process remains healthy and strong regardless of the ongoing pandemic.” 

The executive order also modifies deadlines and procedures to better allow New Yorkers to vote absentee for the Queens Borough President special election on March 24. It extends the current deadline to register to vote absentee to March 23, the day before the special election. Absentee votes must be postmarked or delivered in person up until the day of the election on March 24.  

“

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Cases of Corona Virus Today Up 100 Net Throughout State. Westchester: 172. Containing the Spread of the virus the goal, to Preserve Hospital Capacity the Objective Governor Assures. Will Not Direct Schools to Close. Temple Israel Persons Released from Quarantine Today.

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WPCNR CORONAVIRUS REPORT. From the Governor’s Press Office (Edited) and News Teleconference, and WPCNR reporting. March 14, 2020:

Governor Cuomo confirmed 100 additional cases of novel coronavirus, since Friday, bringing the statewide total to 524 confirmed cases in New York State.

Of the 524 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, included were 213 in New York City, including the first death in the state, (an 82 year-old hospitalized woman with emphysema ) and 172 total in Westchester County . The geographic breakdown is as follows:

Albany County: 3 (1 new)

Broome County: 1

Delaware County: 1

Dutchess County: 3

Herkimer County: 1

Monroe County: 2

Nassau County: 68 (17 new)

New York City: 213 (59 new)

Orange County: 6 (3 new)

Rockland County: 10 (1 new)

Saratoga: 3

Schenectady: 1

Suffolk County: 33 (3 new)

Tioga County: 1 (1 new)

Tompkins County: 1 (1 new)

Ulster County: 5

Westchester County: 172 (14 new)

During telephone questions from reporters. the Governor said the Quarantine of 36 persons associated with the Temple Israel exposure to the virus would have their mandatory quarantines ended today.

Additionally, Governor Cuomo said he will sign an Executive Order today to help relieve the economic impact of COVID-19 on workers and assure school aid for schools that have been directed to close.

As part of the Governor’s Executive Order, the state will waive the 7-day waiting period for workers in shared work programs to claim unemployment insurance for those that have been put out of work by COVID-19.

The Executive Order will also eliminate the aid penalty for schools directed to close by state or local officials or those closed under a state or local declaration of emergency that do not meet 180-day requirements if they are unable to make up school days.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the State Department of Financial Services will require insurance companies to waive co-pays for telehealth visits. This action will encourage New Yorkers to seek medical attention from their homes rather than visit a hospital or doctor’s office — ultimately reducing strain on the healthcare system and preventing further spread of the virus.

The Governor also authorized the State to open a drive-through mobile testing facility on Long Island in the coming week. This follows the success of the New Rochelle mobile testing center, which opened yesterday and serviced 150 cars and tested 263 people, exceeding the initial goal of testing 200 people in the first day. Once fully operational, the New Rochelle facility will be able to test up to 500 people per day. Drive-through mobile testing facilities help keep people who are sick or at risk of having contracted coronavirus out of healthcare facilities where they could infect other people. 

The addition of a mobile testing facility on Long Island is part of the State’s initiative to replicate the New Rochelle Mobile Testing Center model at other locations, helping allow the state to run at least 6,000 tests per day starting next week — six times the state’s target goal when this outbreak first came to New York. This is on top of the testing that will be conducted at the 28 public and private labs across the state and the out of state labs that New York is already contracting with. All of this is a result of the proactive steps taken by Governor Cuomo and the Department of Health to get as many New Yorkers tested as possible.

“As the novel coronavirus continues to spread and the number of positive cases increases, we are encouraging New Yorkers to use tele-medicine if they are sick and we will set up a new drive-through mobile testing facility on Long Island to help keep people out of emergency rooms and reduce the strain on our healthcare system,” Governor Cuomo said. 

“The more tests we do, the higher the number of positive cases we will see — so we need to keep that context in mind when we see these numbers continuing to go up. And we will continue to communicate the facts, because the facts and the information defeat the fear and anxiety in this situation.”

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