Updates on Coronavirus in New York

Thank you for subscribing to my newsletter! My office will be working remotely due to COVID19. My staff can be reached through our office number at (718) 409-0109, or at [email protected]. We look forward to helping you! Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez

UPDATES ON CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK

As New York State continues to battle the coronavirus, we’re here to keep you updated on essential news and services. There are currently 319,000 confirmed cases. The Bronx has reported 38,973 as of Monday, May 4th. New Yorkers are urged to follow the Department of Health guidelines and to take caution around the people most likely to be infected: The elderly and those with preexisting conditions. We also encourage people to be mindful of our essential workforce that continue to work in the middle of a crisis. Please practice social distancing, wear masks and gloves, and wash your hands frequently whenever possible.

We are here to help. Our Assembly office is working to provide free hand sanitizer for organizations in need and will continue to be a resource for all district residents. Please call 718-409-0109 or contact [email protected].

TO VIEW OUR PREVIOUS NEWSLETTER AND POSY BUDGET NEWSLETTER, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Nathalia-Fernandez/press/

For now, please continue reading for updates on the State, City, and Federal response to this health crisis.

From the Governor’s Office

In Recent news, Governor Cuomo:

• Announced 35 counties have been approved to resume elective outpatient treatments. The Governor previously announced that the state will allow elective outpatient treatments to resume in counties and hospitals without significant risk of COVID-19 surge in the near term. The Bronx, however, is not included in this list due to high infection rate. • Announced New York State is now conducting an average of 30,000 diagnostic tests for COVID-19 per day. • Announced that New York's contact tracing pilot program, with leadership from Mayor Mike Bloomberg, will begin in the coming weeks. This nation-leading tracing program will focus on areas with the highest rates of infection and on regions where data shows could be the first to open. The program will operate through the next flu season, and it will be implemented in coordination with tri-state neighbors New Jersey and Connecticut. “Un-PAUSE” New York

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced a phased plan to “Un-PAUSE” New York. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has put forth guidance that states can begin to reopen if hospitalization rates have declined for 14 days. The State is closely monitoring the hospitalization rate, the infection rate, and the number of positive antibody tests, as well as the overall public health impact, and will make adjustments to the plan and other decisions based on these indicators. The Governor shared that New York will reopen in phases to ensure the safety of our residents.

There will be two weeks in between phases in order to monitor the effects of reopening businesses and risk to public safety.

Re-opening Downstate Counties

Governor Cuomo addressed the importance of taking a regional approach to reopening, especially for our downstate counties. The plan will entail coordinating the opening of transportation systems, parks, schools, beaches, and businesses, with special attention on summer activities for downstate, public housing, low-income communities, food banks, and child care.

Supporting Domestic Violence Victims

In the face of a dangerous uptick of domestic violence incidents, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the immediate modernization of the state's domestic violence hotline with a new text program and confidential online service to aid victims of abuse and provide potential lifesaving ways to get help. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the necessary social distancing guidelines, domestic violence victims are even more vulnerable and unsafe while isolated at home without being able to get away from their abuser and there has been a reported uptick in the number of domestic violence cases in the state.

Testing for Anti-Bodies

Today Governor Andrew M. Cuomo shared the results of phase two of New York’s statewide antibody testing survey, which has now reached 7,500 people and counting. The preliminary results show 14.9% of the population have COVID-19 antibodies – 24.7% of New York City participants, and 15.1% of participants from Westchester and Rockland counties, tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies.

Nourish New York

Governor Cuomo also announced the launch of the “Nourish New York” initiative to purchase food and products from Upstate farms and direct it to food banks across the state.

Absentee Ballot

Poll-sites will remain open for the upcoming June Primary, but all voters in New York will receive an absentee ballot application for the June 23 primary in the mail with postage to mail back. This will prevent crowding at poll sites and will allow New Yorkers to stay engaged in their communities.

NY Pause

Signed executive orders requiring all New Yorkers 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. This will go into effect on Friday, April 17th. He also signed another executive order extending NY PAUSE until May 15th. All workers considered to be non-essential personnel are required to work from home. Please see HERE to see if your job is considered essential.

From the Mayor’s Office

GETFOOD The Mayor’s food delivery program is growing in capacity, but they still want to expand further. Our goal is to be able to deliver 1 million meals a day. To this end, the program is seeking nonprofits to increase capacity including up to 300 provider staff to manage distribution sites and commercial kitchen capacity to prepare and package meals, particularly with a focus on culturally sensitive meals. We have particular need for support in areas including Melrose, Washington Heights, Morris Park, Flushing, Sunset Park, and more. Please encourage nonprofits to visit NYC.gov/nonprofits for more information.

MADE IN NYC: TEST KITS NYC is on track to produce 50,000 3D-printed swabs per week here! They are expecting the initial delivery of 30,000 by the end of this week. We are working with local partner Print Parts to develop them. The City is also working with Viral Transport Medium (VTM) to get them to hospitals as soon as possible.

Tablets for Students with Disabilities in Non-Public Schools Students with disabilities in religious and independent non-public schools can now request tablets, which DOE has acquired for remote learning. DOE has identified approximately 35,000 eligible students.

Grading Policy for Remote Learning Today, the Mayor and Chancellor Carranza announced an adjusted K-12 citywide grading policy that maintains a high bar for student achievement and gives flexibility and support for students grappling with COVID-19.

Their goals for this new grading policy are to keep students engaged in remote learning, uphold course requirements and maintain high expectations, to provide support for every student not meeting standards, and to provide flexibility for students and families in need at a challenging, traumatic time.

Fair Recovery Task Force

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the creation of a Fair Recovery Task Force, to be led by a diverse group of civic leaders. The goal is to spur a recovery that confronts deep inequities, reaches into every neighborhood, and leaves New York stronger than ever. Mayor de Blasio has asked the group to provide a preliminary roadmap to recovery by June 1st.

Growing Number of Testing Sites

As of today, there are now eight community testing sites operated by H+H across the City:

• Belvis Health Center • Gotham Health Morrisania • Cumberland Health Center • Gotham Health East New York • Gouverneur Health Center • Sydenham Health Center • H&H Queens Hospital • Vanderbilt Health Center

NYCHA

Testing: In addition to the five community-based testing sites the Governor has already up and running, they will be adding six more sites over the next few days, and will give NYCHA residents the priority for testing at these new sites. For NYCHA Residents please be mindful of postings in buildings.

Hand Sanitizer Distribution: Starting on Monday May 4, 2020, NYCHA will begin installing dispensers for hand sanitizer in all of our 69 senior developments. PPE for NYCHA Residents: The City has provided NYCHA staff with 60,000 masks & 10,000 pairs of gloves. Masks and gloves are being mailed by a vendor to every NYCHA household with the one mask and one pair of glove for each household member.

Support to City Nursing Homes:

• The City is increasing clinical personnel in nursing homes and increasing PPE shipments this week • The City has provided nursing homes with up-to-date guidance on isolation and testing procedures. The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has continued to work with providers to implement this guidance and troubleshoot as necessary. • A new task force will work with approximately half of all nursing homes to collect data on staffing, PPE, decedent management, and any other needs. Ramadan To ensure members of the Muslim community have access to meals during Ramadan, NYC is prepared to serve over half a million meals via DOE grab-and-go sites and partnerships with CBOs. Halal meals are available at all 400+ grab-and-go sites and we are adding 25% capacity at 32 DOE sites in neighborhoods with high need during the month of Ramadan

Cancelling May and June Events:

Due to the continued need for people to stay home, all non-essential City permitted events in May and June are canceled (parades, concerts, rallies, large gatherings). We will not be issuing new permits for May and June. Essential permits NOT affected

Cleaning our Subways

New York City will begin to close their subways from 1-5 am on May 6th to maintain cleanliness.

Help for Animal Owners

Animal owners can receive help through ASPCA. Please call 877-204-8821 if you need help.

Jobs

The HOPE Program

• The HOPE Program empowers New Yorkers to build sustainable futures through comprehensive training, jobs, advancement and lifelong career support. • HOPE is currently offering HOPEworks as a remote training program. Our next start date is April 27 and we are still accepting candidates.

HOPE is free for participants

HOPEworks - Starts on April 27 (Must apply by 4/23)

• 5-6 weeks of remote training for individuals interested in various career pathways, including maintenance, administrative, animal care, retail, food industry, and customer service • Employment placement for full-time and part-time positions • Industry Certifications, such as OSHA-10 General Industry and New York City Food Handler's • Additional skills training and services, including digital literacy, work wellness, and financial literacy • Job retention and career advancement support, including incentives, ongoing coaching, advanced training, and tax prep services

Program Requirements for HOPEworks

• Applicants must be 18 years or older and legally eligible to work in the US • Attend full-time remote program, Monday through Friday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM • No diploma or HSE/GED required

HOPE is offering virtual information sessions every Tuesday and Thursday at 1:00PM via Zoom.

Interested candidates can join the information sessions by click onto this link: https://zoom.us/j/511680500 / Meeting ID: 511 680 500

For more information, call 718-852-9307. If you need further assistance, please email [email protected]

Companies are still hiring!

• Freshdirect in the Bronx is hiring for a few positions in the Bronx. Check them out HERE! • NYCHA is currently hiring temporary workers to assist with maintenance at our properties throughout the city. The job will last as needed throughout the spring season at a rate of $15/hour. For more info and to apply, contact your local NYCHA Property Management Office. • 1199 SEIU is hiring for Healthcare jobs. Please visit HERE! • Job Opportunities at H+H: NYC Health and Hospitals is hiring workers to help transport patients, clerical staff and cleaning staff. You can apply HERE. • TLC Driver Jobs: NYC Food Delivery Driver Portal • Jobs through SBS: Virtual Workforce One Center (or call 718-960-2458)

Health Insurance

The NY State of Health has extended enrollment for health insurance due to the COVID19 pandemic. Please visit HERE if you are in NYC and would like to find out whom to speak to.

Temporary Suspension of Curbside Composting Program

Last week, the NYC Department of Sanitation announced the suspension of the curbside composting program to allow the City to maintain emergency services and its core municipal services during the Covid-19 pandemic. The suspension of curbside composting will begin on Monday, May 4, 2020 and is planned through June 30, 2021. During this suspension, any food scraps and yard waste set out for composting will be collected as trash. Schools on Pause

• NYC and NYS public schools will remain closed for the rest of this school year. Schools will continue with their remote learning methods as they have done over the past few weeks. • The New York State Regents exams in June have been canceled. Read more HERE. Elementary and intermediate-level state assessments have been suspended for the remainder of this school year. • Free lunches are now available to all New Yorkers at 435 public schools throughout the city. Adults with children will be served between 7:30 am and 11:30 am. Adults will be served between 11:30 am and 1:30 pm. Read more HERE. No ID or documentation is required. • Parents of students with individualized educational programs should contact NYC Department of Education to come up with Special Education Remote Learning Plan. These plans will be developed with teachers and staff familiar with the student to ensure their education continues during the coronavirus outbreak. Contact 311 or email [email protected] • The New York Public Library is offering tutoring to students online from 2pm-11pm. Students will need a library card to access content and can be obtained HERE.

Current Testing Areas

• Drive-thru testing for the Coop City area is located in the Bay Plaza Mall, in the parking lot of the AMC movie theatre and is open from 8:00 am-9:00 pm. Please call 1-888-364-3065. • Drive-thru testing is available at the Lehman College, in the parking area along Goulden Avenue. To make an appointment, please contact 1-888-364-3065. • Drive-thru testing available at Jacobi Hospital. To schedule an appointment please contact 311.

Protecting Homeless New Yorkers:

The Mayor also announced that a 1/3 of single homeless New Yorkers will be OUT of congregate settings by Monday, April 20th, moving 2,500 more people into hotels by prioritizing:

• Seniors People with COVID or symptoms. • People in shelters where we’re not seeing enough social distancing. • Persuading more clients on streets to accept shelter Starting next week, we’ll open 230 new safe haven and low-barrier beds. • People over 60.

Medicaid

In New York City, all active cases will be extended. No Medicaid case will be closed for failure to renew or failure to provide documentation. Any case that is closed for failure to renew or failure to provide documentation that had Medicaid coverage on or after March 18, 2020 will be re-opened with coverage restored to ensure no gap in coverage. Renewals will be extended for 12 months.

Unemployment Update

• If your benefit year expired after July 1, 2019, you will need to file a new claim to receive 13 additional weeks of benefits. You will receive a letter in the mail from the NYS DOL with more details. • If your benefit year has not expired, but you exhausted your 26 weeks of benefits, you will receive a letter from NYS DOL advising you to begin certifying to receive the additional 13 weeks of benefits. • If your benefit year has not expired, but you stopped claiming benefits before your 26 weeks were up (for example, if you went back to work), simply begin certifying for benefits again to start receiving UI benefits. https://labor.ny.gov/unemploymentassistance.shtm • The Department of Labor will no longer require claimants to call in to confirm their unemployment benefits. Now, the Department will instead call claimants back within 72 hours.

Donate Blood

Governor Cuomo has called on all New Yorkers who have recovered from COVID19 to consider donating 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.

Seniors

Seniors with underlying health conditions are at high-risk to contract Coronavirus and should take the strictest precautions. It is encouraged that seniors limit the amount of time they spend in public and for those who have seniors in their life to be extra cautious about social distancing and washing their hands. This is a tough time for all New Yorker and our seniors should know that there is support out there if they need it.

If you are in need of help getting food, contact meals on wheels at https://www.citymeals.org/get- meals

Senior Grab and Go Service will be available at the following centers:

• RAIN Boston Road, 2424 Boston Rd, Bronx, NY 10467, (718) 547-8827 • St. Lucy's Church, 833 Mace Avenue, Bronx, NY 10467, (347) 249-2791 • Sue Ginsberg Senior Center, 975 Waring Ave, Bronx, NY 10467, (718) 881-1758 • Parkside Senior Center, 644 Adee Ave, Bronx, NY 10467, (718) 881-7780 • Mosholu Montefiore Neighborhood Senior Center, 3450 Dekalb Ave, Bronx, NY 10467, (718) 798-6601

If you know a senior that is in need of help, please let us know by contacting. You can also contact the New York City Department for the Aging directly at 212-244-6469.

Bronx House will continue to be closed for the foreseeable future due to this health concern.

Department of the Ageing (DFTA) • DFTA's congregate meals clients will receive direct delivery, which includes a five-meal package delivered to each older adult every week. DFTA has contracted with several vendors to deliver to these senior center participants directly. Because of this, Grab-and-Go meals will no longer be offered starting tomorrow. • The most direct path to access direct delivery meals is by connecting directly with their local senior center. They can also call 311 or DFTA's Aging Connect at 212-AGING-NYC (212-244- 6469). • Senior centers that have existing frozen or shelf-stable food in stock will continue to deliver directly to the homes of their members. Senior centers will cease this service upon depletion of current stock and participate in the centralized meal delivery service. • Homebound older adults already receiving home-delivered meals through DFTA’s case management agencies will continue as usual. Those interested in signing up can call DFTA's Aging Connect at 212-AGING-NYC (212-244-6469) or calling 311 to see if they are eligible for home-delivered services. • For information about additional programs and resources, please visit NYC Emergency Management.

Small Business Relief

The Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation has established and emergency loan fund. Small Businesses in the Bronx are now eligible for up to $100,000 in loans to stay afloat during the Coronavirus outbreak. To apply, please contact [email protected] at the BOECD.

Federal CARES Act:

Small Business relief

Two relief programs for small business owners are now available through the newly passed Cares Act.

• The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is a new program for small businesses aimed at helping them maintain their employees. The maximum size of the loan is 250% of an employer’s average monthly payroll cost during the period Feb. 15, 2019 to June 30, 2019, capped at $10 million. The loan can be used for employee compensation; vacation, parental, family, medical, or sick leave; providing group health care benefits; payment of retirement benefits; payroll taxes; and payment of interest on mortgage obligations, rent, utilities, and interest on pre-existing debt obligations. If employers maintain payroll, the loans will be forgiven. Sole properties, the self-employed and gig workers are also eligible. Apply and learn more here. • An Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) is a low-interest, fixed rate loan aimed at providing small businesses with quick, much-needed capital. Eligible applicants who apply for an EIDL may request up to $10,000 be immediately disbursed. This amount need not be repaid, regardless of the loan decision. Businesses can receive up to $2 million in assistance if their loan is approved. EIDL borrowers may also apply for the Paycheck Protection Program, but when determining loan forgiveness, the advance EIDL grant is taken into consideration. Apply and learn more here.

Unemployment and Pandemic Unemployment Benefits

• Financial Assistance is now available for those covered by unemployment benefits and those who are who do not qualify for unemployment through the Federal Cares Act. The new law provides enhanced unemployment benefits and pandemic unemployment benefits for those without traditional employment. • Pandemic Unemployment benefits to workers who do not qualify for regular unemployment benefits during the COVID 19 pandemic. This include people who are self-employed, contractors and those with limited work histories. • If you are covered by unemployment insurance and have exhausted your 26 weeks of benefits, you are eligible for an additional 13 weeks of coverage as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic. Benefits will include and additional $600 a month until 7/31/2020. • To apply for either unemployment or Pandemic Unemployment benefits please visit the Department of Labor website. • Read more about the federal response HERE.

Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Employee Paid Leave Rights

• The Families First Coronavirus Response act offers paid leave for individuals suffering with the coronavirus, or caring for a person with coronavirus. The new program provides up to 80 hours of paid leave for those who qualify. The new law also provides employees with children who are no longer in school due to a closure up to 10 weeks of paid leave. Please see HERE for details and consult your company’s human resources department to apply.

Federal COVID19 Stimulus

Learn more about the Federal COVID19 stimulus check HERE.

Mental Health Help

• Text "WELL" to 65173, call 1-888-NYC-WELL (692-9355). • NYC-Well is a confidential mental health information and referral line with access to mobile crisis teams. Staffed by trained social workers 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year. • Interpretation services are offered for 200+ languages. • More than 10,000 mental health professionals, including individuals from other states, have signed up to provide free online mental health services. New Yorkers can call the state's hotline at 1-844-863-9314 to schedule a free appointment.

New York Psychotherapy & Counseling Center

NY Psychotherapy and Counseling Center have been approved to conduct Intake Screenings and various mental health related services for all eligible Medicaid recipients. In addition to therapy sessions, they can also conduct Psychiatric Evaluations/Medication Appointments via telehealth sessions (both video and/or audio). They have 3 locations open 7 days a week for anyone who needs to physically come to our site and also can conduct all referrals and appointments in Spanish. Individuals and families are able to call the clinic today and setup an appointment.

Their Bronx office, at 579 Cortlandt Ave, Bronx, NY 10451, can be reached at (718) 485-2100

HRA

The Human Resources Administration, SNAP, and Medicaid are beginning to accept Cash Assistance (CA) applications online as of Friday, March 20. The interview portion of the CA application process is being conducted by telephone.

They are advising New Yorkers to apply for public benefits online at ACCESS HRA in order to prevent unnecessary visits to an HRA center. For clients who cannot or do not want to apply online, a list of Job, SNAP, and Medicaid center locations that will remain open can be found here: Job, SNAP, Medicaid.

SNAP and CA Recertifications are postponed and clients will get a letter in the mail when it is time to recertify. For more information, please call the office.

Financial Relief

• State debt collection on student debt and medical debt will have payments frozen for at least 30 days. Read more HERE. • New 90-day mortgage relief period and foreclosures are suspended or postponed for those facing financial hardship because of COVID-19. Read more HERE. • There is now a 90-day moratorium on commercial and residential evictions. • New state law allows for sick leave and benefits to quarantined/isolated workers. Read more HERE. • It also eliminates the one-week waiting period for UI claims arising out of workplace closures due to COVID-19. • The deadline for filing your taxes has been moved from April 15 to July 15. • NY State of Health is offering a special open enrollment through April 15. Read more HERE. • Alternate Side Parking Restrictions will be suspended through Tuesday, March 17. Read more HERE.

Regional Enrichment Centers The Department of Education has established Regional Enrichment Centers for the students of our essential workers. These students can be cared for while their parents continue to serve the city in this time of need.