SITUATION REPORT FOR NEW YORK STATE
18 May 2020
GENERAL SITUATION
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that Western New York is expected to enter phase one of the state's reopening plan tomorrow, Thursday, 19 May. The state has outlined four phases of reopening, and regions will be allowed to move into stage one when they meet the metrics. Last week, five regions — Central New York, Finger Lakes, Mohawk Valley, North Country and Southern Tier — entered phase one.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said that the city is on track to start reopening in the first half of June. The city has met three of the seven metrics areas need to meet in order to reopen. De Blasio said progress is being made on the other four.
Mayor de Blasio announced that as of Monday, 140,000 antibody tests provided to first responders and healthcare workers are available as part of a four-week federal testing program. The program is a partnership between the federal government, the Department of Health and Human Services and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said he hopes some schools will be able to have in-person graduation ceremonies in July.
Gov. Murphy outlined how the state's economy will continue to reopen in three phases, saying "not everything will happen at once".
Stage 1: This is where the state is now, the governor said. Low-risk and outdoor activities are reopening – including parks, beaches, curbside retail, drive-in activities and elective surgeries. Stage 2: The governor said this stage will be a broader restart of the economy. Restaurants will be allowed to reopen outdoor dining and potentially limited indoor dining. Some personal care businesses, libraries, and museums will also be allowed to reopen, and the state will begin putting in motion plans for what it will look like when students return to schools “hopefully” in the fall – though Murphy emphasized the word hopefully.
Stage 3: More restrictions on indoor activities will be lifted, including expanded dining, limited entertainment and bars with limited capacity and social distancing remaining in place. Gov. Murphy did not offer specific dates for these next stages, saying they will be dictated by public health data.
Gov. Murphy announced that he was signing an executive order that will allow some additional outdoor businesses to restart their operations in the state – including batting cages,
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horseback riding, shooting ranges, private tennis clubs and community gardens, among other things. The order will take effect at 6 a.m. on Friday, 22 May.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont's office has released guidelines to help dentist offices looking to reopen for non-emergency operations. As some businesses prepare to reopen on May 20, some dentist offices are looking to restart non-essential services such as cleanings.
The deputy commissioner Tony Guerrera announced that the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles has resumed limited services at two locations but is requiring customers to schedule appointments online first. The branches in Wethersfield and Cheshire will soon be taking appointments online for driver's license knowledge testing and permitting.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced Friday that restrictions will be eased on Friday, May 22 in the following 12 counties: Adams, Beaver, Carbon, Columba, Cumberland, Juniata, Mifflin, Perry, Susquehanna, Wyoming, Wayne and York.
NEW YORK STATE
The Mayor of New York has set up the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund, with donations going to support healthcare workers and essential staff, local small businesses, displaced hourly workers, families, youth and vulnerable New Yorkers.
New Yorkers without health insurance can apply through NY State of Health through May 15, 2020; must apply within 60 days of losing coverage.
Meal Hubs
• Meals can be picked up at all Meal Hubs 7:30 am to 1:30 pm, Monday through Friday • Meals Hubs will operate for children and families from 7:30 am to 11:30 am, and for adults
from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm
• No one will be turned away at any time
• All adults and children can pick up three meals at one time • Vegetarian and halal options available at all sites
• No dining space is available, so meals must be eaten off premises • Parents and guardians may pick up meals for their children • No registration or ID required
New Yorkers can find the nearest Meal Hub or food pantry by visiting schools.nyc.gov, or texting NYC FOOD or NYC COMIDA to 877-877. The Department of Education has already served approximately 1.85 million meals since March 16.
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Statewide order: “New York State on PAUSE”
• Rules: People can leave their homes for groceries, medicines and exercise. All nonessential businesses are closed. Grocery stores, liquor stores, convenience stores, banks and gas stations are among the businesses considered essential.
• Curfew: There is no curfew in place in New York.
• Start date: March 22
• End date: Extended to May 15.
NYC schools remain closed for the rest of the 2019-2020 school year.
For a full list of NYC City Agency service updates see:
https://www1.nyc.gov/nyc-resources/city-agency-service-updates.page
HEALTHCARE UPDATES
Parents: know the signs of Pediatric Multi-Symptom Inflammatory Syndrome to protect your child. Learn more: https://on.nyc.gov/2T8Lybn
Notify NYC alerts in ةيبرعلا, বাঙালি, 中文, Français, Kreyòl Ayisyen, Italiano, 한국어, Polski, Pусский, Español, ودراor שידִיי: https://on.nyc.gov/change-language.
To refer your friends and family to this service please visit https://a858-nycnotify.nyc.gov/notifynyc/Home/ReferAFriend.
Please contact [email protected] with questions or concerns.
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: workers can text NYFRONTLINE to 741-741 to access these emotional support services.
If you think you need a COVID-19 test in the State of New York, start here: https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-testing
Testing is free to all eligible New Yorkers as ordered by a health care provider or by calling the NYS COVID-19 hotline at 1-888-364-3065 free of charge from 9 am to 9 pm.
Eight of the ten acute care "assessment and testing” centers at NYC Health and Hospitals (H+H) are now open on an appointment-only basis:
• Bellevue, 462 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016 • Elmhurst, 79-01 Broadway, Elmhurst, NY 11373
Page 4 of 10 • Harlem, 506 Lenox Avenue, New York, NY 10037 • Metropolitan, 1901 First Avenue, New York, NY 10029 • Kings County, 451 Clarkson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11203 • Lincoln, 234 East 149th Street, Bronx, NY 10451
• Woodhull, 760 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11206 • Queens, 82-68 164th Street, Jamaica, NY 11432
Five new testing facilities downstate, primarily in minority communities were opened. A drive-through mobile testing facility at the Sears Parking Lot at 2307 Beverly Road in Brooklyn, and a drive-through mobile testing facility opened at the Club House at Aqueduct Racetrack Parking Lot, 110-00 Rockaway Blvd, in Queens. In addition, the state is opening three walk-in facilities at health care centers in the South Bronx; Jamaica, Queens; and in Brownsville, Brooklyn. The walk-in facilities will be by appointment only. Residents who would like to be tested at these facilities must make an appointment by calling 888-364-3065.
NYCHA developments: The City is increasing access to free testing for NYCHA residents by opening 6 additional sites at or near NYCHA developments. All six sites will be run by NYC Health + Hospitals and will offer free walk-in COVID-19 testing. NYCHA residents will be prioritized for testing at these sites. While Cumberland Health Center, Belvis Health Center and Gouvernor Health Center are opening this Friday, the sites at Jonathan Williams, Woodside and St. Nicholas will open next week.
The Bronx:
Lehman College's parking lot. Hours will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Appointments can be made by calling 888-364-3065.
There is a mobile testing site at the Bay Plaza AMC Theater at 2210 Bartow Ave in the Bronx. Site hours will be Monday - Sunday, 8am - 6pm. Appointment only by calling 888-364-3065. Additional testing sites:
ALBANY COUNTY
There is a mobile drive-thru testing facility run by Albany Medical Center and St. Peter’s Health Partners located at the Colonial Quad parking lot of the University at Albany (SUNY) main campus, 1400 Washington Avenue. The site will be open every day of the week from 8:00am to 6:00pm. There will be no walk-ins allowed and all patients must be in a vehicle with an appointment made ahead of time by calling 888-364-3065. Those who have the highest risk of contracting COVID-19 will be prioritized.
DUTCHESS COUNTY Fishkill
Intermodal Center at Dutchess Stadium. Samples will be collected from people who are showing symptoms of the virus and have been pre-screened by their doctors. Open Monday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
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Dutchess Community College will serve as an additional care capacity as needed to care for COVID-19 patients.
Additionally, the County’s Coronavirus hotline (845) 486-3555 and webpage dutchessny.gov/coronavirus are updated regularly with the most current facts and are available to answer residents’ questions 24 hours a day.
LONG ISLAND
Jones Beach State Park
Call the New York State Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Hotline at 1-888-364-3065 for an appointment. Open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Riverhead
The new testing facility is at 1149 Old Country Road in Riverhead and will be open 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Testing is by appointment only. Those who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms can make an appointment by calling 516-874-0411.
Southampton
Hudson River Health Care (HRHCare) Kraus Family Health Center at 330 Meeting House Lane in Southampton Village. It will open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting April 30. Appointments needed. Call for appointment at (845) 553-8030.
Stony Brook
Stony Brook University. Open 7 days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Call the New York State Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Hotline at 1-888-364-3065 for an appointment.
Town of Babylon
Town of Babylon, Suffolk County and HRHCare Community Health establish two "hotspot" testing sites to address areas that are seeing higher rates of COVID-19 spread. If you or someone in your family believes you may have COVID-19, please call (845) 553-8030 to make an appointment. The sites are at HRH Care Amityville - 1080 Sunrise Highway, Amityville, NY 11701. And HRH Care Wyandanch - 1556 Straight Path, Wyandanch, NY 11798.
ORANGE COUNTY Newburgh
Cornerstone Medical Center in Newburgh is offering curbside testing for their patients in their cars. The testing takes place after Cornerstone patients are triaged through a telemedicine process with providers, which reduces risk to other patients and staff.
Wallkill:
Crystal Run Healthcare and Orange Regional Medical Center in Wallkill currently have outdoor triage tents set up.
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Anthony Wayne Recreation Area: Located off the Palisades Parkway. Appointment only, open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Appointments can be made by calling 888-364-3065.
Haverstraw: Testing will be conducted in the municipal parking lot next to the Village of Haverstraw Community Center on West Broad Street. Hours of operation will be 9 a.m. -5 p.m. every weekday. Tests will be secured by appointment only and must be made by calling the New York State Department of Health at 1-888-364-3065.
STATEN ISLAND
Located on Seaview Avenue in South Beach. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Appointments can be made by calling 888-364-3065
SUFFOLK COUNTY
Stony Brook University is another testing site. It has six lanes to accommodate up to 1,000 tests per day and it will be opened 7 days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
ULSTER COUNTY
Kingston: Tech City site open Monday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Samples will be collected from people who are showing symptoms of the virus and have been pre-screened by their doctors.
WESTCHESTER COUNTY
Open Door clinician that provides care through telephone visit:
https://www.opendoormedical.org/blog/entry/open-door-update-coronavirus-covid-19 A new site is located at the Mount Vernon Neighbourhood Health Center at 107 W 4th St. The site will operate as a mobile walk-through facility for those without access to a car. By appointment only. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday
NEW ROCHELLE
Glen Island Park, appointment only, open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Appointments can be made by calling 888-364-3065.
VALHALLA
Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) will provide appointment-only drive-through coronavirus specimen collection on the campus of Westchester Medical Center for current and former WMCHealth patients with a verified COVID-19 testing appointment. A referral from a WMCHealth physician is mandatory and specimen collection will be conducted only by appointment. Current or former WMCHealth patients who are experiencing symptoms that may indicate illness need to contact their physician’s office to be screened. Current and former patients who meet the current screening criteria will then be given an appointment for drive-through testing.
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St. Joseph’s Medical Center at 127 South Broadway in Yonkers has set up an area near its emergency room to screen and possibly test individuals with coronavirus symptoms.
New testing site operated by New York State’s Department of Health, is located at St. John’s Riverside Hospital Parkcare Pavilion at 2 Park Avenue.
ProHealth will offer drive-thru testing for COVID-19 for its primary care patients as its Urgent Care clinics in Little Neck and Jericho. Primary Care patients with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 will first need to call a dedicated hotline: 516-874-0411 to be evaluated by a medical professional. If they meet certain criteria, they will be scheduled for drive-thru testing and a full evaluation at one of the two Urgent Care locations:
ProHEALTH Urgent Care of Little Neck located at 254-61 Nassau Blvd Queens, NY 11362 ProHEALTH Urgent Care of Jericho located at 555 N Broadway Jericho, NY 11753.
The two drive-thru centers will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday thru Friday; and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, by appointment only.
County Health Department Web Sites:
https://health.ny.gov/contact/contact_information/
New Yorkers can call the COVID-19 Emotional Support Hotline at 1-844-863-9314 for mental health counseling.
Pharmacies have agreed to offer free home delivery to help reduce long lines for prescriptions at their facilities.
New Yorkers can call the COVID-19 Emotional Support Hotline at 1-844-863-9314 for mental health counseling.
New Yorkers without Health Insurance can apply through NY State of Health within 60 days of losing coverage.
The following link lists most of the healthcare providers in the United States and their actions in relation to COVID-19:
https://www.ahip.org/health-insurance-providers-respond-to-coronavirus-covid-19/
MASS TRANSIT
Amtrak (updates during COVID-19):
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MTA – Subway, Bus, Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North http://www.mta.info/?oldsite=true
NY Department of Motor Vehicles (transactions and services impacted by COVID-19): https://dmv.ny.gov/offices
NY Department of Motor Vehicles (online transactions): https://dmv.ny.gov/more-info/all-online-transactions
NY Department of Motor Vehicles (cancellations, closings and delays): https://dmv.ny.gov/contact-us/cancellations-closings-and-delays Access-A-Ride:
https://new.mta.info/accessibility/paratransit NYC Ferry:
https://www.ferry.nyc/
BANKING
ATM Withdrawals: Pay no fees for your first 15 withdrawals per month at non-UNFCU ATMs outside the CO-OP and All point networks. This applies to members using their UNFCU debit card. The operators of these ATMs may impose their own additional fees. UNFCU may revise the number of ATM withdrawals that can be made without fees at any time.
Share Certificates: Pay no penalties on early withdrawals. Withdraw some or all of your money before the maturity date.
UNFCU has advised that they have loan modification programs in place for members who are experiencing financial hardships due to the COVID-19 virus. Their solutions can include deferred or reduced loan payments to help impacted members.
Visit: www.unfcu.org/COVID-19 for the latest credit union updates.
TD Bank updates on branch closures and hours:
https://www.td.com/us/en/personal-banking/COVID-19/ List of banks offering relief to customers affected by COVID-19:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/advisor/2020/03/12/list-of-banks-offering-relief-to-customers-affected-by-coronavirus/#1b141413ee3d
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STIMULUS PACKAGE
Employers and self-employed individuals:
Provisions: They may defer the 6.2 percent tax they pay on wages that is used to fund Social Security. The deferred tax will have to be paid over the following two years: half by Dec. 31, 2021, and the other half by Dec. 31, 2022.
Checks for individuals and families:
The Treasury Department expects to distribute the checks in the next two to three weeks. If you've already filed your 2019 taxes, the IRS will use those returns to determine your rebate. If not, your 2018 returns will be used to calculate your check. The checks would not be counted as income or taxed.
Individuals
• $75,000 or less: $1,200
• $75,001 - $98,999: decreases from $1,200 by 5 percent based on income • $99,000 or more: no check
Families
• $150,000 or less: $2,400
• $150,001 - $197,999: decreases from $2,400 by 5 percent based on income • $198,000 or more: no check
Stimulus Check Calculator: https://www.kiplinger.com/tool/taxes/T023-S001-stimulus-check-calculator-2020/index.php
If you received a stimulus check for a relative who passed away please, send the money back:
https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2020/05/if-you-received-a-stimulus-check-for-a-dead-relative-send-the-money-back-feds-say.html
FLIGHTS/HOTELS/CRUISE TRAVEL
Travel Advisories: The U.S. Department of State Travel Advisories:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/ Country Specific Information from the U.S. Dep. of State:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/COVID-19-Country-Specific-Information.html
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Flight / hotel / cruise reservations change and cancellation policies: (scroll down) https://help.amextravel.com/service/?inav=travel_help2#/articles/872/61/25689 Flight cancellations by region and airline:
https://www.airfarewatchdog.com/blog/50105499/covid-19-flight-cancellations-by-region-and-airline/#europe
Flight waivers and refund policies by airline:
https://www.airfarewatchdog.com/blog/50104455/covid-19-flight-waivers-and-refund-policies-by-airline/
Here's how US airlines are handling social distancing on flights:
• Delta Air Lines said it would cap capacity at 50% in first class and 60% in other classes. That’s the furthest formal step of the largest US airlines.
• American Airlines is reducing the number of middle seats it makes available for customers to select. The airline has announced that half of the middle seats are generally off-limits and it “will only use those middle seats when necessary”. It will also allow passengers to move to another seat in their class once all passengers are onboard.
• United is also making some middle seats unavailable for customers to select. But the company is also not reducing capacity on flights, so a passenger could be given a middle or adjacent seat. When seats are in groups of two, the airline says it will place customers in alternating spots – for example, window in one row, aisle in the next row.
• Southwest Airlines, the only major carrier without assigned seats or different cabin classes, as of this weekend, is under-selling each flight by “roughly a third”. That allows each middle seat to potentially remain empty. But CEO Gary Kelly said the airline does not plan to mandate that all middle seats remain empty.
• Frontier announced today that it is taking a different approach. It will allow customers to buy out the middle seat in their row, guaranteeing some level of distancing. Prices start at $39 per flight.
