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WPCNR CORONAVIRUS MONITOR. From the NY Coronavirus Tracker. August 26, 2021:
The New York State Coronavirus Tracker reports 215 of 7,318 tested in Westchester yesterday August 25, tested positive for corona virus an infection rate of 2.9%. this marked the fourth consecutive day that Westchester County has stayed at the rate of one person infected with covid spreads the virus to one other person — the rate at which the virus infections do not increase exponentially, according to the Johns Hopkins spread metric.
However the bounce back up to 215 infections will mean 215 infections two weeks from yesterday. Westchester is being more careful but we have to vaccinate and not mingle irresponsibly.
For the record, since Governor Hockel as taken office, the Covid Tracker is now being updated by 6 PM, not 3 PM as was previously the case.
THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY SPREAD RATE SINCE AUGUST 9
August 9: 161 new infections 2.2 positives for every 1 infected on July 26 when there were 74 new infections
August 10: 215 new infections , 2.6 positives for every 1 infected on July 27 when there were 82 new infections
August 11: 228 new infections or 1.7 persons for every 1 infected on July 28 when there were 129 new infections
August 12: 202 new infections or 1.5 persons for every 1 infected on July 29 when there were 140 new infections
August 13: 186 new infections or or 1.0 persons infected for every 1 infected July 30 when there 186 new infections
August 14: 208 new infections or 1.5 persons infected for every 1 infected July 31 when there were 137 new infections
August 15: 146 new infections or 1.5 persons infected for every 1 infected Aug 1 when there were 98 new infections
August 16: 189 new infections or 1.3 persons infected for every 1 infected Aug 2 when there were 147 new infections
August 17: 234 new infections or 1.7 persons infected for every 1 infected Aug 3 , when there 139 new infections
August 18: 243 new infections or 1.3 persons infected for every 1 infected Aug.. 4, when there were 183 new infections
August 19: 232 new infections or 1.5 persons infected for every 1 infected Aug 5 when there were 148 new infections
August 20: 230 new infections or 1.2 persons infected for every 1 infected August 6 when there were 192 new infections
August 21: 151 new infections or 1.1 persons infected for every 1 infected August 7 when there were 134 new infections
August 22: 154 new infections or .90 persons infected for every 1 infected August 8 when there were 168 new infections
August 23: 146 new infections or .90 persons infected for every 1 infected August 9 when there were 161 new infections
AUGUST 24: 176 NEW INFECTIONS or .8 PERSONS INFECTED FOR EVERY 1 INFECTED AUGUST 10 WHEN 215 WERE INFECTED
AUGUST 25: 215 NEW INFECTIONS OR .9 PERSONS INFECTED FOR EVERY 1 INFECTED AUGUST 11 WHEN 228 WERE INFECTED
Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state’s progress combating COVID-19.
“As we approach back to school season, it’s crucial to keep our children, teachers and other school staff in our minds and get vaccinated,” Governor Hochul said. “The vaccine is the best option we have when it comes to keeping ourselves and our loved ones safe. If you haven’t already, go out and get your vaccination as soon as you can.”
Today’s data is summarized briefly below:
Each region’s 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows:
| Region | Monday, August 23, 2021 | Tuesday, August 24, 2021 | Wednesday, August 25, 2021 |
| Capital Region | 4.19% | 4.16% | 4.10% |
| Central New York | 4.44% | 4.18% | 4.00% |
| Finger Lakes | 3.86% | 3.97% | 4.22% |
| Long Island | 3.98% | 3.92% | 4.15% |
| Mid-Hudson | 3.41% | 3.51% | 3.50% |
| Mohawk Valley | 3.85% | 3.99% | 4.06% |
| New York City | 2.52% | 2.52% | 2.55% |
| North Country | 4.33% | 4.40% | 4.04% |
| Southern Tier | 3.23% | 3.23% | 3.16% |
| Western New York | 3.71% | 3.68% | 3.79% |
| Statewide | 3.13% | 3.13% | 3.18% |
Each New York City borough’s 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows:
| Borough in NYC | Monday, August 23, 2021 | Tuesday, August 24, 2021 | Wednesday, August 25, 2021 |
| Bronx | 3.00% | 3.06% | 3.01% |
| Kings | 2.61% | 2.59% | 2.63% |
| New York | 1.98% | 1.98% | 2.01% |
| Queens | 2.50% | 2.51% | 2.53% |
| Richmond | 3.17% | 3.09% | 3.17% |
Yesterday, 5,407 New Yorkers tested positive for COVID-19 in New York State, bringing the total to 2,236,634. A geographic breakdown is as follows:
| County | Total Positive | New Positive |
| Albany | 26,448 | 66 |
| Allegany | 3,674 | 7 |
| Broome | 19,726 | 59 |
| Cattaraugus | 6,017 | 18 |
| Cayuga | 6,958 | 22 |
| Chautauqua | 9,453 | 32 |
| Chemung | 8,167 | 18 |
| Chenango | 3,823 | 14 |
| Clinton | 5,017 | 22 |
| Columbia | 4,310 | 12 |
| Cortland | 4,258 | 24 |
| Delaware | 2,633 | 17 |
| Dutchess | 31,643 | 102 |
| Erie | 93,668 | 132 |
| Essex | 1,753 | 2 |
| Franklin | 2,811 | 20 |
| Fulton | 4,735 | 22 |
| Genesee | 5,636 | 13 |
| Greene | 3,627 | 9 |
| Hamilton | 354 | 0 |
| Herkimer | 5,519 | 12 |
| Jefferson | 6,549 | 25 |
| Lewis | 2,940 | 2 |
| Livingston | 4,745 | 16 |
| Madison | 4,836 | 5 |
| Monroe | 73,322 | 204 |
| Montgomery | 4,590 | 21 |
| Nassau | 196,540 | 548 |
| Niagara | 20,847 | 30 |
| NYC | 1,008,477 | 2,235 |
| Oneida | 23,726 | 54 |
| Onondaga | 41,688 | 88 |
| Ontario | 7,832 | 22 |
| Orange | 51,564 | 114 |
| Orleans | 3,279 | 7 |
| Oswego | 8,273 | 41 |
| Otsego | 3,744 | 6 |
| Putnam | 11,232 | 29 |
| Rensselaer | 12,166 | 23 |
| Rockland | 48,943 | 48 |
| Saratoga | 16,945 | 60 |
| Schenectady | 14,213 | 15 |
| Schoharie | 1,851 | 9 |
| Schuyler | 1,133 | 3 |
| Seneca | 2,138 | 4 |
| St. Lawrence | 7,300 | 45 |
| Steuben | 7,292 | 32 |
| Suffolk | 214,217 | 676 |
| Sullivan | 7,225 | 33 |
| Tioga | 4,040 | 6 |
| Tompkins | 4,861 | 31 |
| Ulster | 15,088 | 66 |
| Warren | 4,120 | 25 |
| Washington | 3,404 | 16 |
| Wayne | 6,229 | 22 |
| Westchester | 136,137 | 215 |
| Wyoming | 3,686 | 5 |
| Yates | 1,232 | 3 |
Yesterday, 25 New Yorkers died due to COVID-19, bringing the total to XXX. A geographic breakdown is as follows, by county of residence:
| Deaths by County of Residence | |
| County | New Deaths |
| Bronx | 4 |
| Chautauqua | 1 |
| Erie | 1 |
| Fulton | 1 |
| Kings | 1 |
| Manhattan | 1 |
| Nassau | 2 |
| Niagara | 1 |
| Oneida | 1 |
| Orange | 2 |
| Queens | 3 |
| Richmond | 1 |
| St. Lawrence | 1 |
| Suffolk | 3 |
| Ulster | 1 |
| Westchester | 1 |
All New York State mass vaccination sites are open to eligible New Yorkers for walk-in vaccination on a first-come, first-serve basis. People who would prefer to schedule an appointment at a state-run mass vaccination site can do so on the Am I Eligible App or by calling 1-833-NYS-4-VAX. People may also contact their local health department, pharmacy, doctor or hospital to schedule appointments where vaccines are available, or visit vaccines.gov to find information on vaccine appointments near them.
Yesterday, 35,600 New Yorkers received their first vaccine dose, and 26,351 completed their vaccine series. A geographic breakdown of New Yorkers who have been vaccinated by region is as follows:
| People with at least one vaccine dose | People with complete vaccine series | |||
| Region | Cumulative Total | Increase over past 24 hours | Cumulative Total | Increase over past 24 hours |
| Capital Region | 717,563 | 1,430 | 660,862 | 1,010 |
| Central New York | 561,934 | 988 | 523,404 | 752 |
| Finger Lakes | 725,889 | 1,306 | 679,476 | 1,116 |
| Long Island | 1,722,830 | 5,405 | 1,534,192 | 3,869 |
| Mid-Hudson | 1,362,726 | 3,889 | 1,211,833 | 2,801 |
| Mohawk Valley | 279,655 | 464 | 259,032 | 378 |
| New York City | 6,059,863 | 19,171 | 5,385,092 | 14,483 |
| North Country | 259,379 | 436 | 235,961 | 307 |
| Southern Tier | 372,198 | 753 | 345,042 | 436 |
| Western New York | 789,955 | 1,758 | 729,195 | 1,199 |
| Statewide | 12,851,992 | 35,600 | 11,564,089 | 26,351 |
The COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker Dashboard is available to update New Yorkers on the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. The New York State Department of Health requires vaccinating facilities to report all COVID-19 vaccine administration data within 24 hours; the vaccine administration data on the dashboard is updated daily to reflect the most up-to-date metrics in the state’s vaccination effort. New York State Department of Health-reported data from NYSIIS and CIR differs slightly from federally-reported data, which is inclusive of federally-administered doses and other minor differences. Both numbers are included in the release above.
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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From Governor Kathleen Hochul’s Press Office. August 26, 2021:
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the selection of Brian Benjamin for Lieutenant Governor.
Senator Benjamin and Governor Hochul have previously worked together on several key issues, including fighting the opioid epidemic and boosting addiction recovery programs, supporting MWBE business owners and making it easier for New Yorkers to vote.
Senator Benjamin previously served as the New York State Senator for District 30 – which encompasses Harlem, East Harlem, and the Upper West Side – Chairman of the Senate Committee on Revenue and Budget and Senior Assistant Majority Leader, where he distinguished himself as a leader in criminal justice reform and affordable housing. Senator Benjamin remains heavily involved in his community in Harlem.
“I believe that governing is about working together. Teamwork is the essence of effective leadership, and it is more important than ever as we confront the urgent problems facing the state,” Governor Hochul said.
“My administration is going to attract the best and the brightest — people who share my values of working hard for the people of this state and who will get the job done – and that includes the newest member Senator Brian Benjamin who has agreed to serve as my Lieutenant Governor. There is so much work to do, and I am grateful to have him by my side as we implement our vision for a safer, healthier and fairer New York.”
“I want to thank Governor Hochul for trusting me with the incredible honor of serving alongside her as Lieutenant Governor,” said Senator Benjamin. “Governor Hochul is a collaborator who makes sure everyone has a seat at the table, and, like me, is laser focused on listening to the needs of New Yorkers and empowering local leaders. We have a strong history of collaboration that will help us to hit the ground running immediately as we help guide New York through this challenging moment in history.”
Senator Benjamin was born in Harlem to a Caribbean mother who came to this country seeking new opportunities. Though they didn’t have a college education, his parents were fortunate enough to find well-paying union jobs, which allowed them to provide Senator Benjamin and his siblings with a middle class upbringing.
After graduating from high school in New York City, Senator Benjamin sought the quality education his parents had dreamed of providing him with, earning his undergraduate degree in Public Policy from Brown University and his MBA from Harvard Business School.
After school, Senator Benjamin returned to Harlem to build affordable housing, creating over a thousand units of environmentally sustainable, affordable housing at an MWBE while helping young people develop work skills and secure good construction jobs through community youth programs.
In his community, Senator Benjamin worked to preserve the character of Harlem and help keep the community affordable. He helped countless young people at Harlem’s Wadleigh High School achieve a brighter future since launching a mentoring program in 2013, and he is honored to serve as an alumni-elected trustee of Brown University. Senator Benjamin is also an active member of Harlem’s historic First Corinthian Baptist Church.
During his time in the New York State Senate, Senator Benjamin successfully pushed for the divestment of the state public pension funds from private prisons in 2018, and the following year he introduced a bill to forbid state-chartered banks from such investments as well, which helped pressure Bank of America to end their relationship with Geo Group and Core Civic. Senator Benjamin’s proposal to keep rent controlled apartments affordable was a part of the history-making Tenant Protection Act of 2019, the largest expansion of tenant’s rights in decades.
In his first term, he served as ranking member of the Senate Committee on Civil Service and Pensions, where he looked to defend the public pensions of hard working public servants like his parents while ensuring the pension money was invested in a manner that reflected New York’s values.
WPCNR REALTY REALITY. News and comment by John F. Bailey August 26, 2021:
Westfaironline reported Wednesday Montifiore White Plains Hospital has purchased the 4 acres of razed property that six years ago was approved by the White Plains Common Council for a major retail and housing complex .
The project to be built by Grid Properties was named “The Boulevard.” The property was acquired by the hospital for $38 Million. Westfair said that CB Richard Ellis, the commercial real estate broker had reported the sale of the planned project for the former Sholz Buick property to the hospital from Grid Properties and Gotham Properties.
The property acquistion raises the possibility that Montifiore-White Plains Hospital will expand on the 4 acres in some way– given the recent court decision that stymied The City of White Plains eminent domain effort to acquire properties on the north side of West Post Road adjacent the Winbrook complex. The rumored use was that White Plains Hospital would develop the properties if the city acquired them for offices and housing.
The hospital did purchase one of the properties on the south side of West Post Road on the corner of Lexington Avenue and West Post Road (across from the Sholz property).
White Plains Hospital at no time had indicated what they planned to build on the city-targeted property and neither had the City of White Plains, which was the legal reason why the eminent domain of 13 properties was denied by the court: no purpose was cited by the city.
The Montifiore acquisition now allows the hospital should they wish to expand down Post Road altering the aesthetic approach and atmosphere of the Fisher Hill neighborhood.
The acquisition by the nonprofit hospital removes 4 acres of property from the city tax rolls, where assessments have been flat in recent years.
The recent White Plains push to expand residential presence along Main Street and Post Road has seen three developments approved by the Common Council stymied because of lack of financing, a changing real estate demand bringing into question whether or not the retail sector is still enamored of mixed use residential and retail.
The rebuild of the White Plains Pavilion is still a large hole on Maple Avenue with a redisgn still being considered by Lennar properties.
The White Plains Mall mixed use retail is at a standstill because the Department of Motor Vehicles continues to occupy the site prior to a move to the former Fortunoff complex across from the Westchester. Negotiations on that lease by the DMV are now being conducted, if not already completely. However the developer of that White Plains Mall signature project still has to step in fully financed and ready to build.
The four city owned parcels adjacent the Metro North railroad station have still not attracted developer proposals to the city’s tastes, and that lynch pin start to the renaissance of Main Street is a mystery.
The Mitchell is perhaps half complete at this time on Mamaroneck Avenue and Post Road, and has resumed construction.
The YWCA reinvention is underway.
The 55 Main Street Continuum is built and leasing.
The Ginsberg Development Corporation project of turning One Main Strtet into a residential complex is moving along.
The Gateway II residential apartments across from the train station has been approved and start of construction is anticipated.
The building of two apartment complexes at the foot of Ferris Avenue has been approved and we await the start of those buildings. That project and the Gateway II project and the Ginsberg project depending on when they open will significanty busy-up Main Street considerably with vehicular traffic, and perhaps stimulate restaurant and and on-street retail perhaps within 2 years depending on how vast construction proceeds.
On Bloomingdale Road a senior living project The Waterstone is near completion across from Bloomingdales and an apartment project on Westchester Avenue has begun remediation preparing to build.