Apr 22, 2020
From Governor Cuomo @ 9:02 PM on April 21:
I met with President Trump today in the White House to discuss testing. We agreed that the state will be responsible for managing the actual tests in our laboratories. The federal government, meanwhile, will take on the responsibility of supply chain issues that are beyond states' control. The President and I also discussed much-needed funding for the states — and the White House team understood our need.
2. Elective outpatient treatments can resume in hospitals and counties where there is no significant risk of COVID-19 surge in the near term. Beginning April 28, 2020, hospitals will be able to resume performing elective outpatient treatments if they meet certain conditions. Restrictions on elective surgeries remain in place in Albany, Bronx, Clinton, Dutchess, Erie, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Queens, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, Schuyler, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster, Westchester and Yates counties as the state continues to monitor the rate of new COVID-19 infections in these areas.
3. We will make reopening decisions on a regional basis, depending on the facts on the ground. We recognize that not all regions are impacted with COVID-19 in the same way. It's the logical thing to do.
4. The State Department of Labor has launched a new, streamlined unemployment benefits application. The agency is laser focused on getting New Yorkers the aid they deserve. This new application will make sure that eligible New Yorkers get their benefits faster. Since the COVID-19 crisis began, DOL has paid $2.2 billion in unemployment benefits to 1.1 million New Yorkers.
5. New York Chief Judge Janet DiFiore announced that more than 2,600 cases were settled or disposed of during the first week of expanded virtual court operations. In a video speech, Chief Judge DiFiore applauded the "Herculean effort" of court personnel. "We continue to do everything in our power not only to keep our courts up and running but to gradually and safely expand access to justice for lawyers and litigants across the state."
6. NYS is looking into alternative options for giving birth outside of a hospital. Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa will chair a COVID-19 Maternity Task Force that will develop a plan to authorize additional birth centers to provide mothers a safe alternative to stressed hospitals. The Task Force will also research the effect of COVID-19 on pregnancy. It will deliver recommendations by the end of the week.
7. New Yorkers share their experience of living in studio apartments during this pandemic. Read New York Times journalist Penelope Green's article highlighting the resiliency of six New Yorkers stuck in studios — and their advice for keeping positive in cramped quarters.
Tonight's "Deep Breath Moment": To help curb loneliness and isolation during the pandemic, three Cornell students developed an app to help make a "Quarantine Buddy" and connect people of all ages from around the world as we are all social distancing.
If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe to New York State's Coronavirus Updates here.