Plugged In @ Hinman Straub – October 23, 2020
What’s Inside
- Governor Announces Details on COVID Micro Cluster Metrics
- Governor Releases Draft Vaccination Administration Program
- State Releases Paid Sick Leave Guidance
- Commercial Eviction Moratorium Extended
- Ski Resorts Allowed to Re-Open
- State Board of Elections Appoints New Commissioner
- Political Updates
- Reminders, and Links
- Coming Up
Governor Announces Details on COVID Micro Cluster Metrics
The Governor released additional detail on COVID micro-cluster zones including the metrics by which an area is designated a micro-cluster zone and the metrics required to be removed from the list. Geographic areas are tiered by population and density. According to the Governor, designations will be driven by testing, hospitalizations, and additional data.
Governor Cuomo said:
“We have what we believe is the most sophisticated COVID detection and elimination system of any state because we’ve spent time, we’ve invested and because New Yorkers are invested. What’s the best you can do? Detect the smallest outbreak as soon as it happens. Trace it back to where it starts, find a small outbreak or cluster, and jump on it. Quick action to contain it and eliminate it. That is the best you can do in this situation. You see an ember land in dry grass, ring the alarm, everybody run, stamp out the ember. The embers are what we call micro-clusters, and we can identify them from the testing data, from the hospitalization data, and mapping software.”
Governor Releases Draft Vaccine Administration Program
The Department of Health has released a draft COVID-19 Vaccination Administration Program that outlines a plan for administering a vaccine, upon the determination that the vaccine is safe and effective. The draft plan creates a prioritization matrix to ensure those most at risk and essential workers are priority recipients, with particular attention paid to those living in communities with highest COVID prevalence. The plan is a draft and is subject to change based on future details expected from the federal government.
Additionally, within each phase, the draft plan puts forward the following proposed additional prioritization phases to be used based on vaccine availability and vaccination rates.
Governor Cuomo said:
“We are coming up with a plan on many presumptions. We don’t know how many doses we’re going to get. We don’t know what vaccine we’re going to get. We don’t know when we’re going to get it. The state will have a statewide vaccination plan. We will do it in concert with the federal government. The federal government is in charge of producing the actual vaccine and distributing the vaccines. States cannot do this on their own. Period. This is a massive undertaking. This is a larger operational undertaking than anything we have done under COVID to date. This is a more complicated undertaking and task. And we need the federal government to be a competent partner with this state and with every state.”
Commercial Eviction Moratorium Extended
The Governor signed an Executive Order extending the state’s moratorium on COVID-related commercial evictions and foreclosures through January 1. This measure extends protections already in place for commercial tenants and mortgagors in recognition of the financial toll the pandemic has taken on business owners, including retail establishments and restaurants.
Governor Cuomo said:
“The health and economic impacts of this pandemic have been devastating, and we are continuing to do everything we can to support people who are suffering. We are going to extend the commercial eviction and foreclosure moratorium through January 1st. That will now align with our residential eviction moratorium so they are both extended to the same date.”
Ski Resorts Allowed to Re-Open
The Governor announced that ski resorts can re-open with 50 percent indoor capacity and with strict health and safety protocols under state-issued guidance starting Friday, November 6. State guidance on the reopening of ski resorts includes the following precautions:
- Masks required at all times, except when eating/drinking or skiing.
- Social distancing between parties required at all times.
- Restrict gondolas/lifts to members of the same party.
- Limit ski lessons to no more than 10 people.
- Thorough cleaning and disinfection of shared/rented equipment.
- Shuttles, food & beverage, retail service must conform to State-issued guidance.
- Reduce outdoor capacity on mountain by 25% during “peak” days or if multiple trails are closed due to unseasonable conditions.
State Board of Elections Appoints New Commissioner
The State Board of Elections has appointed former Assemblyman Anthony Casale as the new Commissioner. Casale was appointed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo following a recommendation by Nick Langworthy, Chair of the New York State Republican Party. Casale will fill the vacancy left by former Commissioner Gregory Peterson of Nassau County who resigned at the end of 2019. Casale will be joining Co-Chair Peter S. Kosinksi, Co-Chair Douglas A. Kellner, and Andrew Spano as the remaining members of the State Board.
Political Updates
The New York State Senate races worth watching here.
City & State NY’s Previewing the 2020 state Senate races.
What Super PACs are spending on State Senate races.
Cuomo holding virtual fundraisers for Senate Dems.
Hudson Valley races to watch.
Central New York races to watch.
Trump flipped 19 NY counties in 2016. Can he hold on to them in 2020?
Metzger and Martucci square off for 42nd Senate District seat.
Samra Brouk and Jeremy Cooney added to Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee national spotlight races.
Newsday: The Long Island six need to deliver.
Skoufis faces GOP challenger Brescia in race for 39th Senate seat.
Astorino vs. Harckham, Westchester’s biggest race.
Reminders and Links
City & State NY’s Weekly Winners and Losers here.
City & State NY’s Manhattan Power 50 here.
Nonprofits request release of unused CARES aid.
Coming Up
JCOPE will hold its next meeting on October 27.
The Board of Regents will hold their next meeting on November 16 and 17.
The Public Service Commission will hold its next meeting on November 19.
The Senate will hold a roundtable meeting to discuss maternal and child health in Upstate New York on November 19