COVID-19 Important Information and Links

• Governor Cuomo announced that state and local governments will provide death benefits for frontline workers who died from COVID-19 during this emergency.
• The Governor also announced the Mid-Hudson Region is still on track to enter phase one of reopening on Tuesday, May 26th, and Long Island is still on track to reopen on Wednesday May 27th if deaths continue to decline. Both regions' contact tracing operations are expected to be online by those dates.
• The Governor announced that campgrounds and RV Parks will be allowed to open statewide starting today, May 25th. Veterinarian practices will also be allowed to open in all regions beginning Tuesday, May 26th.
• Governor Cuomo announced the launch of the $100 million New York Forward Loan Fund to provide flexible and affordable loans to help small businesses, focusing on minority and women owned small businesses, that did not receive federal COVID-19 assistance. The state will take a smart, targeted approach for distributing these loans, focusing on businesses with 20 or fewer employees and less than $3 million in gross revenues. Businesses interested in receiving a loan should visit esd.ny.gov/nyforwardloans.
• Governor Cuomo announced the Long Island and Mid-Hudson Valley Regions will be permitted to begin construction staging in anticipation of phase one of reopening. If the number of deaths continues to decrease and the tracing is online, both regions could reopen next week.
• The Governor announced the launch of a new pilot program with 52 independent pharmacies to conduct 7,000 tests per week. New York State now has more than 750 testing sites across the state. The Governor also encouraged eligible New Yorkers to visit coronavirus.health.ny.gov to find a nearby testing site and get tested.
• Governor Cuomo announced that the state is extending sales tax interest and penalty relief through June 22, 2020. The state previously provided relief through May 19th for returns due March 20th. This extension could provide interest and penalty relief for up to 89,000 vendors who had returns due in March. These small businesses file their taxes quarterly and annually, and have taxable receipts of less than $300,000 in the previous quarter.
• The Governor announced the state is currently investigating 157 reported cases in New York where children - predominantly school-aged - are experiencing symptoms similar to an atypical Kawasaki disease and toxic shock-like syndrome possibly due to COVID-19. The illness has taken the lives of three young New Yorkers, including a 5-year old in New York City, a 7-year old in Westchester County and a teenager in Suffolk County. To date, 13 countries and 25 other states have reported cases of this COVID-related illness in children.
• The Governor also encouraged New Yorkers to call the Coronavirus Hotline at 1-888-364-3065 if they believe their employer is not following PPE, hygiene or social distancing guidelines as more businesses begin to reopen.
• The Governor also announced that beginning May 21st, religious gatherings of no more than 10 people will be allowed statewide where strict social distancing measures are enforced and all participants wear masks. Additionally, drive-in and parking lot services will also be allowed beginning tomorrow.
• The Governor also announced the state will allow Memorial Day ceremonies of 10 people or less statewide, with final decisions about ceremonies being left to local governments. The Governor also encouraged vehicle parades in honor of veterans for Memorial Day.
• The Governor also announced the launch of a new website where New Yorkers can easily find the nearest COVID-19 testing sites. New Yorkers can visit coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-testing and enter their address to view a list and a map view of the nearest testing sites. The state has also partnered with Google Maps to display testing site results. New Yorkers can search "COVIDtesting near me" on Google Maps to easily find the nearest testing sites.
• Business guidance for phase one of the state's reopening plan is available here. A guide to the state's "NY Forward Reopening" Plan is available here. The state's regional monitoring dashboard is available here.
• The Governor announced an initial $3 million in grants are available to businesses to manufacture emergency medical supplies and equipment.Companies interested in growing or starting a medical supply business should go to www.esd.ny.gov.
• The state announced the creation of a new texting program and confidential service to help New Yorkers experiencing domestic violence. Individuals in need of support or help with relocation can text 844-997-2121 or visit www.opdv.ny.gov to confidentially chat with a professional at any time of day or night.
• Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today outlined additional guidelines for when regions can re-open. The state will monitor four core factors to determine if a region can re-open:
  • New Infections: Based on guidelines from the CDC, regions must have at least 14 days of decline in total net hospitalizations and deaths on a 3-day rolling average. In regions with few COVID cases, the region cannot exceed 15 net new total hospitalizations or 5 new deaths on a 3-day rolling average. In order to monitor the potential spread of infection in a region, a region must have fewer than two new COVID patients admitted per 100,000 residents per day.
  • Health Care Capacity: Every region must have the health care capacity to handle a potential surge in cases. Regions must have at least 30 percent total hospital and ICU beds available. This is coupled with the new requirement that hospitals have at least 90 days of personal protective equipment stockpiled.
  • Diagnostic Testing Capacity: Each region must have the capacity to conduct 30 diagnostic tests for every 1,000 residents per month. The state is rapidly expanding capacity statewide to help all regions meet this threshold.
  • Contact Tracing Capacity: Regions must have a baseline of 30 contact tracers for every 100,000 residents, and additional tracers based on the projected number of cases in the region. The state is currently building an army of contact tracers with Former Mayor Bloomberg to meet the needs of each region statewide.
• Governor Cuomo also outlined which industries and businesses can open in each phase of the state's re-opening plan. Businesses considered "more essential" with inherent low risks of infection in the workplace and to customers will be prioritized, followed by other businesses considered "less essential" or those that present a higher risk of infection spread. Regions must not open attractions or businesses that would draw a large number of visitors from outside the local area.
• The Governor announced that more than one million New Yorkers have already been tested for COVID-19 to date.
• The Governor announced New York's National Guard has made nearly 300,000 testing kits to collect samples, 60,000 of which are being sent to labs and hospitals across New York State.
• The Governor also announced the special enrollment period through the NY State of Health Health Plan Marketplace will remain open through June 15, 2020.
• The Governor also outlined new safety precautions that each business must put in place upon re-opening to help lower the risk of spreading the virus. Businesses will be required to:
  • Adjust workplace hours and shift design as necessary to reduce density in the workplace;
  • Enact social distancing protocols;
  • Restrict non-essential travel for employees;
  • Require all employees and customers to wear masks if in frequent contact with others;
  • Implement strict cleaning and sanitation standards;
  • Enact a continuous health screening process for individuals to enter the workplace;
  • Continue tracing, tracking and reporting of cases; and
  • Develop liability processes.
• Governor Cuomo, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, Delaware Governor John Carney, Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo and Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker today announced a joint multi-state agreement to develop a regional supply chain for personal protective equipment, other medical equipment and testing.
• The Governor also announced the state is distributing $25 million to food banks across the state through the Nourish New York Initiative. The Nourish New York initiative, announced earlier this week by Governor Cuomo, is working to quickly reroute New York's surplus agricultural products to the populations who need them most through New York's network of food banks. Funding will be distributed as follows:
  • New York City Region: $11 million
  • Westchester Region: $1 million
  • Long Island Region: $1.6 million
  • Capital/Hudson Valley Region (includes portion of North Country and Mohawk Valley): $4.4 million
  • Central NY Region (includes portion of North Country and Mohawk Valley): $2.2 million
  • Southern Tier Region: $1.1 million
  • Western New York Region: $2.1 million
  • Finger Lakes Region (includes portion of Southern Tier): $1.7 million
• Governor Cuomo announced all K-12 schools and college facilities statewide will remain closed for the rest of the academic year and will continue to provide distance learning during that time. The schools will also be required to continue meal programs and child care services for essential workers. The state will make a decision about summer school programming by the end of May.
• The Governor also announced the state is partnering with the Kate Spade New York Foundation and Crisis Text Line to provide a 24/7 emotional support service for frontline health care workers. Those workers can text NYFRONTLINE to 741-741 to access these emotional support services.
• Based on an agreement and joint statement between Governor Cuomo, and Mayor De Blasio, starting May 6th, the New York City Public Transit System will close between the hours of 1:00am- 5:00am daily, in order to fully sanitize and disinfect the subway carts and buses. The MTA will provide other transportation alternatives during this time for essential workers. 
• The state announced the creation of a new texting program and confidential service to help New Yorkers experiencing domestic violence. Individuals in need of support or help with relocation can text 844-997-2121 or visit www.opdv.ny.gov to confidentially chat with a professional at any time of day or night..
• Governor Cuomo outlined additional guidelines for the phased plan to re-open New York on a regional basis. Each region of the state - Capital Region, Central New York, Finger Lakes, Mid-Hudson Valley, Mohawk Valley, New York City, North Country, Long Island, Southern Tier and Western New York - must follow these guidelines as part of the re-opening plan.
• Governor Cuomo also announced the creation of the New York Forward Re-Opening Advisory Board to help guide the state's re-opening strategy. The advisory board will be chaired by Former Secretaries to the Governor Steve Cohen and Bill Mulrow and includes over 100 business, community and civic leaders from industries across the state. A list of the members of the advisory board is available here.
• The New York State Board of Elections decided to cancel the June 23rd Presidential Primary Election. Although the Presidential primary is cancelled, there are still local races on the ballot. 
• The state announced the creation of a new texting program and confidential service to help New Yorkers experiencing domestic violence. Individuals in need of support or help with relocation can text 844-997-2121 or visit www.opdv.ny.gov to confidentially chat with a professional at any time of day or night.
• Amid a large surge in demand at food banks across the state, the Governor also announced the state is providing $25 million from the state's special public health emergency fund for food banks and providers most impacted by COVID-19. The state is also asking any philanthropies that would like to help the state's food banks to contact Fran Barrett, Director of Non-Profits at COVIDPhilanthropies@exec.ny.gov.
• Governor Cuomo announced he will issue an Executive Order mandating that the New York State Board of Elections automatically mail every New Yorker a postage-paid application for an absentee ballot. Once the application is mailed, the voter will receive a ballot for the June 23rd election. Earlier this month, the Governor issued an Executive Order allowing all New Yorkers to vote absentee in the June 23rd primary election.
• The Governor outlined the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the state. New York State revenues are estimated to decline by $13.3 billion - or 14 percent - from the Executive Budget forecast. Additionally, the revenues are estimated to decline by $61 billion over the financial plan period of FY 2021 to FY 2024.
• Governor Cuomo announced the State Department of Health is partnering with Attorney General Letitia James to investigate nursing homes who violate Executive Orders requiring these facilities to communicate COVID-19 test results and deaths to residents' families.
• Governor Cuomo and Attorney General James announced New York State will increase staffing through the New York state professional staffing portal and expand training and technical assistance for nursing homes to use the professional staffing portal. The State will also continue to provide PPE to these facilities on an emergency basis, and families of nursing home residents who are concerned about the care they are getting can file complaints by calling 833-249-8499 or by visiting www.ag.ny.gov/nursinghomes.
• The Governor announced a new initiative to ramp up testing in African-American and Latino communities by using churches and places of worship in those communities as a network or possible testing sites. The Governor will partner with Representative Hakeem Jeffries, Representative Yvette Clarke and Representative Nydia Velázquez on this initiative.
• The Governor also announced that New York State will provide child care scholarships to essential workers. Essential workers include first responders such as health care providers, pharmaceutical staff, law enforcement, firefighters, food delivery workers, grocery store employees and others who are needed to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Child care costs will be covered with $30 million in federal CARES Act funding for essential staff whose income is less than 300 percent of the federal poverty level - or $78,600 for a family of four - and will be paid at market rate for each region statewide. Essential workers can use the funding to pay for their existing care arrangement. If an essential worker needs child care, they can contact their local child care resource and referral agency to find openings.
• The Governor also announced a new directive requiring nursing homes to immediately report to DOH the actions they have taken to comply with all DOH and CDC laws, regulations, directives and guidance. DOH will inspect facilities that have not complied with these directives, including separation and isolation policies, staffing policies and inadequate personal protective equipment, and if DOH determines that the facilities failed to comply with the directives and guidance, DOH will immediately require the facility to submit an action plan. Facilities could be fined $10,000 per violation or potentially lose their operating license.
• Governor Cuomo and former Mayor Mike Bloomberg announced a new nation-leading COVID-19 contact tracing program to control the infection rate of the disease. Mike Bloomberg and Bloomberg Philanthropies have committed organizational support and technical assistance to help build and execute this new program. The contact tracing program will be done in coordination with the downstate region as well as New Jersey and Connecticut and will serve as an important resource to gather best practices and as a model that can be replicated across the nation. There has never been a contact tracing program implemented at this scale either in New York or anywhere in the United States. The program will launch immediately.
• Bloomberg Philanthropies has committed $10.5 million, along with organizational support and technical assistance, to help build and execute this new program.
• Governor Cuomo announced the state will take a regional approach to reopening and will make decisions on which counties and regions to open and when to open them based on the facts and data specific to that area. Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul will coordinate Western New York's public health and reopening strategy, and former Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy will volunteer as a special advisor to coordinate the Finger Lakes' public health and reopening strategy.
• Governor Cuomo announced the state is launching a new partnership with Ready Responders to bring health care services, including COVID-19 diagnostic testing, to residents of public housing in New York City. The state will also partner with Representative Greg Meeks, Representative Hakeem Jeffries, Attorney General Letitia James, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. on this effort. An initial pilot program will begin this week at locations across New York City, including Highbridge Houses, Edenwald Houses, and Andrew Jackson Houses in the Bronx; Washington Houses in Manhattan; Queensbridge Houses, Hammel Houses and Red Fern Houses in Queens; and Brevoort Houses in Brooklyn.
• The Governor announced the state will deliver 500,000 cloth masks and 10,000 gallons of hand sanitizer to public housing communities.
• The Governor announced the creation of the Reimagine NY Task Force to improve systems in downstate New York once the state is no longer on pause. The Task Force will be led by the state and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Westchester County Executive George Latimer, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and will be comprised of other local elected officials and housing and transportation experts.
• Governor Cuomo called on the federal government to provide hazard pay for essential public workers on the front lines, proposing a 50 percent bonus for these workers. According to the Center for Economic and Policy Research, 41 percent of frontline workers are people of color. Of those frontline workers, 45 percent of public transit workers, 57 percent of building cleaning service workers and 40 percent of healthcare workers are people of color. People of color are also disproportionately represented in delivery and childcare services, and approximately one third of frontline workers are members of low-income households.
• The Governor launched an awareness campaign encouraging low-income New Yorkers to claim their Economic Impact Payments under the CARES Act. The Act provides $1,200 payments to individuals making below $75,000 and $2,400 payments to married couples making below $150,000. However, taxpayers will only receive their payments automatically if they filed 2018 or 2019 federal tax returns. Because the federal filing threshold is roughly $12,000 for individuals and $24,000 for married couples, hundreds of thousands of the lowest income New Yorkers who are not required to file returns will not receive their payments unless they provide their information to the IRS. 
• Governor Cuomo announced he will issue an Executive Order directing all public and private labs in New York to coordinate with the State Department of Health to prioritize coronavirus diagnostic testing. This action is part of the State's efforts to ramp up testing, a key component of the Governor's blueprint to un-Pause New York. The Executive Order will help ensure the 301 laboratories and hospitals in the state that are licensed to perform virology operate in a coordinated fashion to overcome the testing challenges that every state in the nation is now facing.
• Governor Cuomo announced he will issue an Executive Order requiring all people in New York to wear a mask or a face covering when out in public and in situations where social distancing cannot be maintained, such as on public transportation.
• Governor Cuomo also announced the state will begin conducting antibody tests, prioritizing frontline health care workers, first responders and other essential workers, beginning this week. Using a new finger prick method the state will test up to 2,000 New Yorkers per day. The state is also asking the FDA for expedited approval of a finger prick antibody test that could test up to 100,000 New Yorkers a day. Additionally, the state is continuing to engage with other partners including hospital labs and private companies to bring mass antibody testing to scale statewide.
• The Governor announced the state will give 100 ventilators to Michigan and New Jersey, and 50 ventilators to Maryland.
• The Governor will issue an Executive Order requiring nursing homes to report positive COVID-19 cases and deaths to the families of those who are living in the nursing home facility within 24 hours. The order will include adult home and other assisted living facilities. Previously, State Department of Health issued guidance asking these facilities to communicate this information to families; this new order makes that guidance mandatory.
• The Governor will issue an Executive Order allowing individuals assisting with the COVID-19 response or individuals who have been displaced due to COVID-19 to stay in a hotel in New York City for more than 28 days without becoming a tenant.
• The Governor also announced that the State University of New York and The City University of New York are using 3D printers to produce critical personal protective equipment for New York's frontline health workers. SUNY campuses are producing about 2,100 face shields a day amongst 13 SUNY campuses, its four Cornell colleges, and its four university centers. Teams at six CUNY colleges have adapted their 3D printers and associated materials to make elements that are used in protective face shields for local hospitals. The face shields are being donated to medical teams across the state, as resources are needed by hospitals, nursing homes and testing sites.
• Recognizing that their states have one integrated regional economy, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, Delaware Governor John Carney, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo today announced the creation of a multi-state council to restore the economy and get people back to work. This announcement builds on the states' ongoing regional approach to combating the COVID-19 pandemic. The coordinating group - comprised of one health expert, one economic development expert and the respective Chief of Staff from each state -- will work together to develop a fully integrated regional framework to gradually lift the states' stay at home orders while minimizing the risk of increased spread of the virus.
• An Executive Order will direct employers to provide essential workers with masks free of charge to wear when interacting with the public.
• Governor Cuomo announced that New York State is ramping up antibody testing, a key component of any plan to reopen the economy. The state is currently conducting 300 of these antibody tests, and is on track to conduct 1,000 per day by next Friday and 2,000 per day by the following week. As part of the state's continued efforts to bring mass testing to scale, the Governor offered a full partnership with the federal government to conduct this important work. In the interim, the Governor announced that New York, Connecticut and New Jersey will create a regional testing partnership to bring mass testing to scale for residents in these states.
• Governor Cuomo also announced an additional $200 million in emergency food assistance will be available for more than 700,000 low-income households enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Those enrolled in SNAP and not yet receiving the maximum benefit will receive an additional payment to bring them up to this amount in March and April. The supplemental benefits will be issued in April and delivered directly to recipients' existing Electronic Benefit Transfer accounts. Households eligible for the supplement that live in counties outside of New York City will begin receiving the supplemental emergency benefit starting on April 13, and all eligible households will have received it by April 24. In New York City, the emergency benefits will be issued starting on April 14, and the issuance completed on April 25.
• Governor Cuomo is also working with New York's Congressional delegation to create a COVID-19 Heroes Compensation Fund to support health care and other frontline workers and their families who contracted COVID-19.
• The Governor also announced new partnerships with the private sector to provide housing for frontline medical workers. Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky will contribute $2 million to help provide rooms in union hotels at no cost to frontline workers. As part of this effort, 1199SEIU is partnering with Airbnb to offer housing to its members -- comprised of hospital and other healthcare workers -- as they fight the COVID-19 crisis statewide. Additionally, the InterContinental Times Square, Yotel and the Hudson Hotel are providing an additional 800 free rooms for health care workers coming to New York City from out of state, collaborating with the Hotel Association of New York City, MetLife and the Related Companies.
• The Governor announced the "New York Loves" effort to coordinate all foundations, philanthropies, not-for-profits, charities and other entities that want to help or donate to the state during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. New York Secretary of State Rosanna Rosado and State Director of Nonprofits Fran Barrett will coordinate this effort and any resources that are collected, and will work with local governments that need additional help.
• The Governor is asking all New Yorkers who have recovered from COVID-19 to contact the state and donate blood. Individuals who have recovered from the virus may have convalescent plasma in their blood, which has antibodies against the virus and could help with the development of a treatment for the virus. More information about how to donate is available here.
• Governor Cuomo directed flags on state government buildings to be flown at half-staff in honor of those we have lost to COVID-19. The flags will remain lowered while New York is on pause.
• The Governor announced that SUNY Albany President Havidan Rodriguez will work with the State Department of Health and Northwell Health to conduct more COVID-19 data research and increase testing in minority communities to determine why more people in minority and low-income communities have higher rates of infection.
• Governor Cuomo directed the State Department of Labor to immediately make $600 in additional weekly unemployment benefits available to all New Yorkers. The additional benefits were included in the Federal CARES Act, but, unlike other states, New York began delivering the extra unemployment insurance to unemployed individuals before Federal funds are disbursed to the states. New York is also extending the period covered by unemployment benefits for another 13 weeks, for a total of 39 weeks.
• The Governor will issue an Executive Order to ensure New Yorkers can vote by absentee ballot in the June 23rd primary elections.
• Delta, JetBlue, and United are offering free travel to New York for COVID-19 medical workers. To date, more than 90,000 health professionals, including more than 25,000 out-of-state individuals, have signed up to serve as part of the state's surge healthcare force during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Governor announced that the state is increasing the maximum fine for violations of the state's social distancing protocol from $500 to $1,000 to help address the lack of adherence to social distancing protocols. The Governor reminded localities that they have the authority to enforce the protocols.
• Governor Cuomo announced the creation of the First Responders Fund to assist COVID-19 health care workers and first responders with expenses and costs, including child care. The State Department of Health is accepting donations for the fund, and Blackstone is making an anchor $10 million contribution to the fund. Donations can be made electronically at https://www.healthresearch.org/donation-form/ or by check sent to below address. Donors should specify the donation is for "COVID-19 NYS Emergency Response."
  • Health Research Inc. 150 Broadway Suite 560 Menands, NY 12204
• The state is partnering with Headspace, a global leader in mindfulness and meditation, to offer free meditation and mindfulness content for all New Yorkers as a mental health resource for residents coping with the unprecedented public health crisis. New Yorkers can access a collection of science-backed, evidence-based guided meditations, along with at-home mindful workouts, sleep and kids content to help address rising stress and anxiety at www.headspace.com/ny.
• The South Beach Psychiatric Center in Staten Island and the Brooklyn Center Temporary Hospital at 170 Buffalo Avenue will open this week and will be used specifically for COVID-19 patients.
• Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that 1,000 ventilators have been donated to New York by the Joseph and Clara Tsai Foundation. The Joseph and Clara Tsai Foundationand the Jack Ma Foundation have also donated one million surgical masks, one million KN95 masks and more than 100,000 pairs of goggles to the state. The Chinese government and Ambassador Huang Ping, Chinese Consul General, have facilitated these donations. The ventilators arrived at JFK Airport today.
• Governor Cuomo will also issue an Executive Order allowing medical students that are slated to graduate to begin practicing immediately to help with the state's surge health care force. To date, 85,000 health professionals, including 22,000 out-of-state individuals, have signed up to volunteer as part of the state's surge healthcare force during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
• The National Basketball Association is contributing one million surgical masks for New York's essential workers in collaboration with the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets and China's New York Consul General Huang Ping.
• Oregon Governor Kate Brown has offered to provide New York with 140 ventilators from Oregon's stockpile.
• The Governor spoke about the uptick in domestic violence cases during his daily briefing. We would like to remind everyone that domestic violence is never okay and there are resources available. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the state hotline at 1-800-942-6906.
• Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo will issue an Executive Order allowing the state to redistribute ventilators and personal protective equipment, or PPE, from institutions that don't currently need them and redeploy the equipment to other hospitals with the highest need. The National Guard will be used to transport the ventilators and PPE across the state. The equipment will be returned to the hospital or the hospital will be reimbursed for the equipment in the future. 
• Governor Cuomo also announced the launch of www.ny.gov/covid-19tracker, which will provide New York State's comprehensive coronavirus testing data to the public. The website, which will be updated daily with the latest data, presents visualizations of statewide and county-level testing and results. The public can also access the testing data through Open NY at data.ny.gov, New York State's open data portal, which offers machine readable datasets in downloadable standard formats that can be sorted, searched, analyzed and applied to new uses.
• The state will conduct a Hospital-by-Hospital Survey on a nightly basis to take inventory of every hospital's supplies; all hospitals are being asked to contribute supplies they don't currently need to a centralized stockpile to be distributed to hospitals with greatest need.
• Consumers and Small Businesses Experiencing Financial Hardship Due to COVID-19 May Defer Paying Health Insurance Premiums through June 1, 2020
• 21,000 Out-of-State Individuals Have Volunteered to Work in New York's Healthcare System During COVID-19 Pandemic; 85,400 Health Professionals Have Signed up to Volunteer as Part of the State's Surge Healthcare Force to Date
• Governor Cuomo announced a new hospital network Central Coordinating Team that will help facilitate a more coordinated and strategic approach among the state's healthcare system in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. The coordinating team will help implement the statewide public-private hospital plan, which includes a plan to share information, supplies, staff and patients among hospitals across the State. The team will be led by the State Department of Health and includes the Westchester, New York City and Long Island healthcare systems, the Greater New York Hospital Association and the Healthcare Association of New York State. The team will also work with FEMA and the federal government.
• New COVID-19 Test. The Governor announced on March 29 that the state Department of Health’s Wadsworth Laboratory has developed a new test for COVID-19. It is a less intrusive saliva and short nasal swab test, can be self-administered in the presence of healthcare workers, can be self-administered by healthcare workers and requires less personal protective equipment (PPE). The test should be ready next week.
• Governor Cuomo announced that the Federal Government has approved the construction of four more temporary hospitals, at 1,000 beds capacity for each. The sites are the following locations: 
  • New York Expo Center- Bronx
  • The Aqueduct Racetrack-Queens 
  • Brooklyn Cruise Terminal- Brooklyn 
  • The College of Staten Island- Staten Island 
• We will now have eight temporary hospitals in the five boroughs and the counties who have been affected the most by COVID-19. 
• If you have been the victim of a hate crime or witnessed a hate crime, please report it to the Attorney General’s office by emailing civil.rights@ag.ny.gov or by calling the hotline at 1-800-771-7755.
• If you believe an employer is in violation of either existing labor laws or recently issued executive orders you can contact the NYS Attorney General’s Office at (212) 416-8700 or Labor.Bureau@ag.ny.gov
• For any questions you may have please visit: https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/form/ask-us-a-question
  • The Governor’s staff is available for any questions you may have on this site as well. 
• The New York Presidential Primary election will be moved to June 23rd, 2020.
• The Governor also announced that the Empire State Development Board of Directors approved $7.5 million in COVID-19 Business Counseling support to 70 non-profit partners across New York State. The funding will enable these organizations to provide small businesses with necessary guidance to secure disaster assistance, such as Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loans, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Up to 24 Entrepreneurship Assistance Centers and up to 23 Small Business Development Centers will receive $5 million, with an additional $2.5 million awarded to up to 23 Community Development Financial Institutions.
• The Governor expressed that there is still a high demand for additional beds. He is looking into converting the dorms at City College and Queens College into temporary hospital beds as well as some hotels and nursing homes. 
• All non-essential construction sites MUST cease further developments. A list of essential construction work can be found here. 
• 1100 tests will be administered for the Hydroxychloroquine and Zithromax drugs, which may be a possible treatment for patients with COVID-19.
• The Governor announced that he will add three additional sites to add 695 hospital beds that would treat COVID-19 only patients. The sites are the following: 
  • South Beach Psychiatric Center in Staten Island 
  • Westchester Square in the Bronx
  • SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn
• Utility Rate Hike Freeze. Late on March 25, the Public Service Commission postponed rate hikes by both the National Grid and New York American Water which had been scheduled for April 1. National Grid implemented a three month delay to prevent electricity and gas delivery prices from increasing until July 1. The New York American Water rate hike was moved to September 1. In 2016, the Public Service Commission had agreed to a four-year rate hike that would have increased bills from $3.89 to over $10 per month.
• We have over 10,000 mental health professionals have signed up to volunteer to help New Yorkers cope with the COVID-19 outbreak. The hotline to call if you would like to speak to a mental health professional is 844-863-9314. If you are a Psychologist or Therapist and are willing to volunteer please visit: www.health.ny.gov/assistance
• The MTA announced that it will be cutting its service by 25% due to low ridership. This will affect certain subway lines. For passengers who take the public buses, they will now be able to ride free of charge, and will be entering through the rear door as a precaution to bus drivers and passengers. For more information please visit: https://new.mta.info/
• These temporary hospitals will be managed by the Army Corps of Engineers.
  • Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
  • SUNY Stony Brook 
  • SUNY Old Westbury 
  • Westchester Convention Center
• New York State tax filing deadline is extended to July 15, 2020 
• Enacting Matilda’s Law to protect New Yorkers age 70+ and those with compromised immune systems 
  • Remain indoors
  • Can go outside for solitary exercise
  • Pre-screen all visitors by taking their temperature
  • Wear a mask in the company of others
  • Stay at least 6 feet from others
  • Do not take public transportation unless urgent and absolutely necessary​

Information via the New York Times

Direct payments to taxpayers: If you make less than $75,000 a year ($150,000 for couples), you’ll get $1,200 — faster if the I.R.S. has your direct-deposit information, later if they mail you a check. There’s an extra $500 for each dependent child. The checks should be arriving in approximately two weeks. 

Expanded unemployment benefits: Larger checks for four months; an extra 13 weeks of eligibility; and assistance for freelancers, “gig” workers (like Uber drivers) and furloughed workers.

Emergency loans for small businesses: Employers who pledge not to lay anyone off can get government loans to help make payroll — and if they keep that promise for the duration of the crisis, they won’t have to repay the loan.

Money to shore up the heath care system: $100 billion for hospitals and health systems, and billions more for testing supplies, protective equipment for health care workers, and construction of more space to house patients.

$500 billion to bail out larger companies: To be doled out at the administration’s discretion, but with immediate reporting of who receives it, an inspector general to watch over the process, and a ban on any of the money going to businesses owned by senior government officials.

*If you are a Psychologist or Therapist and are willing to volunteer please visit: www.health.ny.gov/assistance

*The Governor announced that we are still looking for more PPE supplies. If you are able to help, please call 212-803-3100 or visit covid19supplies@esd.ny.gov

*NYC Community Emergency Response Teams (NYC CERT) (http://www1.nyc.gov/site/em/volunteer/nyc-cert.page)

* NYC Community Preparedness program (http://www1.nyc.gov/site/em/ready/community-preparedness.page)

* NYC Service (https://www.nycservice.org/)

* New York City Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NYCVOAD) (https://nycvoad.wildapricot.org/)

* American Red Cross of Greater New York volunteer resources (http://www.redcross.org/local/new-york/greater-new-york/volunteer#step1)

* New York Cares (https://www.newyorkcares.org/ways-to-volunteer)

* New York Interfaith Services (NYDIS) (http://www.nydis.org/)

* Medical Reserve Corps (https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/providers/emergency-prep/nyc-medical-reserve-corps.page)

Stay informed and review the most up-to-date information. For information about the City's response to COVID-19 (coronavirus), visit NYC.gov/coronavirus (http://www.nyc.gov/coronavirus)  or call 311.

If you have any questions about the Volunteer Coordination Task Force, please contact the NYC Community Preparedness program (http://www1.nyc.gov/site/em/ready/community-preparedness-inquiries.page)

• Price Gouging hotline: 800-697-1220
• 24-Hour Coronavirus hotline: 1-888-364-3065
• If you would like to speak to a mental health professional please call, 844-863-9314
• If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the state hotline at 1-800-942-6906
• For any questions you may have please visit: https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/form/ask-us-a-question
• If you believe an employer is in violation of either existing labor laws or recently issued executive orders you can contact the NYS Attorney General’s Office at (212) 416-8700 or Labor.Bureau@ag.ny.gov
• If you have been the victim of a hate crime or witnessed a hate crime, please report it to the Attorney General’s office by emailing civil.rights@ag.ny.gov or by calling the hotline at 1-800-771-7755.​
• NYS DOH website regarding Coronavirus:
  • https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/coronavirus/
• Assistance of Qualified Medical Professionals Survey:
  • https://apps.health.ny.gov/pubpal/builder/survey/assistance-of-medical-prof 
• Retired Health Professional Survey:
  • https://apps.health.ny.gov/pubpal/builder/survey/retired-health-professional
• COVID-19 Application For Suspension Of Debt Collection Activity:
  • https://ag.ny.gov/covid-19-debt-suspension-application
• E-mail address for NYC OEM that health care providers (PCP's, FQHC's, others) can use for supplies: Supplyrequest@oem.nyc.gov