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Earlier immediately, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo introduced he’s signing an Government Order to increase the requirement that dying advantages be paid out to households of frontline authorities staff for a further 30 days. The laws offering these advantages, signed by the Governor in Could (Chapter 89 of the Legal guidelines of 2020), would in any other case expire on December 31. The Governor additionally introduced that greater than 200,000 New Yorkers have now been vaccinated with the primary dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and starting subsequent week, New York will open vaccination standards to ambulatory care well being staff and public-facing public well being staff, together with these administering COVID-19 checks.
VIDEO of the Governor’s remarks is offered on YouTube here and in TV high quality (h.264, mp4) format here.
AUDIO of immediately’s remarks is offered here.
PHOTOS can be found on the Governor’s Flickr page.
A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is offered under:
Good afternoon. Thrilling day, lots of excellent news, lots of good issues taking place within the State of New York and we’re going to inform you about them.
From my far proper Gareth Rhodes, to his left Chancellor of the SUNY system Dr. James Malatras, Beth Garvey, Particular Counsel, Dr. Howard Zucker, to my left Melissa DeRosa, Secretary to the Governor, to her left Robert Mujica, Funds Director.
Day 305. 2020 is coming to an finish. I say amen, not quick sufficient, however we’re going to create a brand new 2021. 2021 goes to be literary what we make of it. We’re popping out of in all probability essentially the most traumatic yr that we have had in a long time, I consider a transformative, traumatic yr, and we’ll see in 2021 what it modifications us into and the long run may be very a lot a clean web page and also you you are going to have cities and states and areas all the world over making an attempt study from 2020 and create a brand new actuality in 2021 and that is going to be the problem for New Yorkers and we’re as much as it.
One of many first factors we’ll star with in 2021 is we won’t preserve the economic system closed till the vaccine hits important mass. For those who hearken to what they are saying, ‘they’ in quotes, first was about 70 p.c of the inhabitants must be vaccinated to hit important mass. Some individuals say it is 90 p.c however no matter, 70 to 90, that may be a very massive share of the inhabitants.
For those who hearken to the time-frame they’re speaking about, it began at about six months we might be in important mass in June after which went to about September. Now some individuals are speaking concerning the finish of the yr. You’ve large endeavor that individuals have underestimated from the get-go to each produce and administer this vaccine. The nation over 10 months hasn’t carried out as many COVID checks as will likely be required for the vaccination. We’ve not carried out that many COVID checks over 10 months. That is with each drugstore, each hospital doing COVID checks and COVID checks are simply the nasal swab. It is a vaccination. That is roll up your sleeve and I will offer you a needle after which we now have to do it twice so this has been grossly underestimated, how large an endeavor and the way lengthy it is going to take.
I feel President-elect Joe Biden did the nation a service by pointing simply this truth out the opposite day, that in the event you take a look at the tempo of manufacturing and supply, this might take years at this price, so this going to be a large endeavor for the brand new federal authorities however it could actually’t be that we begin 2021 with the expectation that the economic system will reopen when the vaccine hits important mass. We will not take six months, 9 months, 12 months of a closed down economic system. We will not take the financial price, we won’t take the psychological price, we won’t take the emotional price. We’ve to be ready for it, how will we use science and testing to reopen, and to be good and protected in our reopening.
New York identified first, it is not a query of reopening the economic system or public well being. We stated from day one it was doing each and we had been proper and we’re nonetheless proper and now in 2021 the query is, how do you utilize science and know-how to open rapidly however safely? How are you good and protected in reopening? That is the problem in 2021 and we need to be forward of it as a result of we’re New York and we’re piloting an expansive testing plan to provide us a possibility to reopen companies safely and well.
We will pilot the strategy on the Buffalo Payments playoff sport. A soccer playoff sport clearly is outdoor which is a a lot better state of affairs from COVID unfold and the stadium is a managed venue. The Division of Well being has been working with the Buffalo Payments and the Nationwide Soccer League to return to an settlement on how to do that. We consider we’re the primary state within the nation to run this type of pilot. We predict it may be very instructive to us going ahead, as a result of, as I stated, the premise is, we’ll must discover a method to reopen companies well and safely. The settlement with the Division of Well being, the State of New York, the Buffalo Payments, will permit followers on the first playoff sport that the Buffalo Payments are going to play.
The settlement is for six,700 followers that will likely be socially distanced, masked required. However each fan will likely be examined earlier than the sport. Clearly in the event that they check constructive for the virus they will not be attending the sport, and so they’ll get the therapy that they want, and after which post-game there’ll be contract tracing so we’ll discover out precisely what occurred, was there any unfold on the sport, and so forth. Once more, it is a pilot to search out methods the place we are able to well and safely reopen companies. The partnership that put this collectively, I thank all of them: Division of Well being, State of New York. Bio Reference is the laboratory that is doing all of the checks. The Buffalo Payments have been very cooperative and useful, and we thank all of them. Once more, the Division of Well being will then monitor the day of the sport, after which monitor post-game contact tracing afterwards.
For all of the Payments followers, please, everybody, take these measures critically. We’ve made progress on the COVID virus over the previous few weeks. The numbers are down. We need to preserve them down. Individuals do not must be malicious to unfold the virus. A lot of the viral unfold is from individuals who did not even know they’d the virus. So, I perceive the temper. I really feel the temper, the thrill concerning the Buffalo Payments, it has been a very long time, and so they have captured a sure vitality and charisma that’s infectious, however we now have to be good. Not simply on the stadium. You need to be good if you’re at house, it’s important to be good in the event you’re at a celebration, it’s important to be good at an occasion. We actually must take this critically.
We do not need the truth that the Payments are within the playoffs to wind up being a detrimental by way of COVID, proper? So, no tailgating, no no-mask gatherings, that is not what we need to see, and it is not good for Buffalo, it is not good for Western New York, that is the very last thing that the Invoice need to see. So let’s simply be good.
Two individuals who have labored on this very exhausting is Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker and the Funds Director Robert Mujica. That image of Commissioner Zucker is from when he was saying, “And for you Governor, we now have a needle this large.” That is what the Commissioner was saying. And Robert Mujica has a barely dour look on his face. That was after the state deficit report, saying that we now have a $15 billion deficit, and that is why he would not look blissful and peppy.
With that, let me flip it over to Dr. Zucker for some feedback on the settlement, after which we’ll be joined by Kim and Terry Pegula to debate the Payments sport.
Dr. Zucker: Thanks very a lot, Governor. Beneath the pilot, which was developed cooperatively, because the Governor stated, between the Payments, New York State, and Bio Reference Laboratory, 6,772 followers will likely be allowed to attend the sport solely after first acquiring a detrimental COVID-19 check end result. Contact tracing can even be performed after the sport.
That is the primary stadium reopening pilot plan within the nation that may require all of those measures. Beneath the plan, the group employees will management all exit and entry factors to the stadium. Solely followers with a documented, detrimental COVID-19 check will likely be allowed inside. Testing will likely be performed in partnership with the BioReference lab. As soon as contained in the stadium, followers will likely be required to put on a masks in any respect time, and cling to the strict social distancing protocols. Followers who refuse to adjust to these protocols will likely be faraway from the stadium. Ushers can even be current all through the stadium to make sure that all followers are in compliance. As a part of the state’s evaluate, personnel from the Division of Well being traveled to different stadiums outdoors New York, the place comparable protocols are in place, to substantiate their effectiveness.
Tailgating stays banned below this plan, and New Yorkers are reminded to keep away from gatherings and events beforehand, throughout, and after the sport, as these occasions are prime for viral unfold. The Division of Well being will monitor the postgame fan testing and make contact with testing and tracing and no matter whether or not you attend in particular person or not, be protected socially distance, put on a masks, no tailgating, no events of that nature, no massive gatherings and be protected and be good. We stay up for the sport. Thanks.
Governor Cuomo: Thanks very a lot physician. Now I flip it over to Robert Mujica, Funds Director and I need to thanks very a lot. As you heard from Dr. Zucker, no state has carried out this earlier than. It took lots of work and lot of creativity so thanks very a lot, Robert.
Robert Mujica: Thanks, Governor and thanks Dr. Zucker. The plan that we now have and the protocols that we put in place take into consideration the entire steering that we now have, each from the World Well being Group, from the CDC, from the New York State Division of Well being, and different well being specialists from around the globe. Because the governor talked about, and Dr. Zucker talked about, all followers should present a detrimental check 72 hours earlier than. BioReference will likely be conducting checks within the two days previous to the occasion for 13 hours every day within the car parking zone, drive-through testing. These outcomes will all be again earlier than sport day. On sport day, followers should present proof of a detrimental check. The group can even have the outcomes from the checks, they then should undergo separate checkpoint, the place they will have to point out tickets to enter the stadium. They are going to be required to make put on masks from the time they exit their autos within the parking heaps to the time that they re-enter their autos and the exit. Followers will likely be sitting in pods all through the stadium, so we’ll be sitting with the teams for which they got here in blocks and they are going to be separated from different followers by rows and different seats. So, we predict that this plan is the protected means for the Payments to have followers within the stadium. Individuals watching the sport within the stadium will in all probability be the most secure out of wherever within the state watching the sport as a result of they’ll have had detrimental checks. So, with that, I feel- it’s an experiment, and will probably be the primary time however this plan that is been permitted by the Division of Well being the most secure method to conduct this and we stay up for the outcomes.
Governor Cuomo: Thanks very a lot. I consider, if the know-how works, which is at all times an enormous if, nevertheless it works! We’ve Kim and Terry Pegula becoming a member of us. Thanks a lot. Good to be with you. Good to see you, Terry. Good to see you, Kim. Thanks for on a regular basis you have spent, all of the work in placing this plan collectively. I do know it is novel however every part we these days is novel, nevertheless it’s one other first and good for New York. Good for the Payments. We’re glad that we’re going to have the ability to do that and do it collectively. We’re all so excited concerning the Invoice. They’ve charged your entire State of New York. They’ve given us excellent news in a yr the place we actually wanted excellent news. The group is doing so nice and so they play with such a terrific vitality. All New Yorkers are enthusiastic about it and once more I needed to thanks a lot for all of the assist in placing collectively this plan. I stay up for seeing you on the market, we’ll preserve our fingers crossed however thanks. I hope you guys are excited as we’re.
Terry Pegula: Sure, Governor. Kim and I thanks and your employees for working diligently with the Payments group and getting us up to now. As . your entire Payments group misses the vitality our followers at our video games. We all know they’re there, however we would like them right here, if what I imply, on the sport. And although they are going to be in restricted we’ll really feel and deftly soak of their help at this sport and any points that come up is a results of what we’re making an attempt to do right here, we’ll passionately attempt to resolve to drag this off. And I need to inform our followers, bear in mind, our goal right here is to help our group in as some ways as we are able to. And I ask them to be protected, be good and most significantly be loud. Thanks, Governor.
Kim Pegula: We all know that the followers have been ready 25 years have the ability to attend a playoff sport and we’re so excited to have the ability to permit the restricted quantity of followers that we are able to. I needed to say that we’re so hopeful that there will likely be many extra video games that each one followers can attend. For us to do this, as you talked about Governor, all of us must be protected beginning immediately, even past the sport.
We simply need to thanks and your group and we need to encourage everybody on the market, all our followers that we simply have to do our half. Once more, put on your masks, be compliant with the CDC, social distancing. Everyone knows what must be carried out and all of us have to do our half to get it carried out so we are able to have everybody again in our stadium quickly.
Governor Cuomo: Thanks very a lot, Terry and thanks, Kim. I feel that is proper. It is a nice alternative to cheer for the Payments, cheer for New York. You are proper it has been lots of years and the message is true. All people will get it. It is a time to be good, which helps us and helps everybody. We’re accountable for our future. How we act goes to find out what occurs with this virus. We have seen what occurs once we’re good and we’re accountable, we are able to convey it down and that is what we’re making an attempt to do. Thanks, we’re all excited.
That New England Patriots sport was one thing, I need you to know. That was actually one thing particular. Numerous good vitality. As I stated, I will take my check, I will be on the market to look at the sport with you. We stay up for it. Thanks very a lot for what you have carried out.
Kim Pegula: Thanks.
Terry Pegula: Thanks, Governor.
Governor Cuomo: We’ve one other particular message I feel, if the know-how works.
[Josh Allen video]
Governor Cuomo: Nice. Josh Allen. He’s taking part in phenomenal, he actually is. Okay, so that’s excellent news and that’s thrilling information and we hope that works out all throughout the board as a result of, once more, it will be a terrific template. If we are able to work out how you can use testing and speedy testing. Fast testing, you will get the leads to 20 minutes from a speedy check. The query is somewhat than wait 6, 9, 12 months to reopen the economic system, are you able to begin to reopen companies safely, smarty through the use of speedy testing? That is the query. Once more, we won’t wait. We will not keep closed down, however we now have to be good and we now have to be protected. That is going to be the trail for us to navigate.
That is going to be the trail all by means of 2021, I am afraid. We’ve the vaccine. The vaccine is the weapon that may win the warfare, nevertheless it will not win the warfare in a single day. We will must cope with that interval. Get the vaccine out as rapidly as attainable, sure. Sluggish the unfold, sure. But in addition discover methods to begin to reopen companies through the use of testing. That’s the smartest means ahead and that is what we’re looking for and discover.
The numbers for immediately, with out the micro-clusters, 8.36; with, 8.66. Positivity within the micro-clusters, 9.47. We did 154,000 checks which is a bit low, 154,000. We’re nonetheless not seeing the testing quantity that we did have. We had 200,000 checks, 220,000, 250,000 generally. We’re getting a smaller subset of people who find themselves testing and we’re not fairly certain of the analytics. The hospitalizations are up 78, however the discharges are up. In the course of the holidays there weren’t lots of discharges from the hospital. In the course of the weekends there weren’t lots of discharges so the numbers have been bouncing over the previous few days.
Admissions, 1,000; ICU, plus 26; intubations, minus 9. For those who look throughout the nation, you’re apparently seeing what we talked about which is a post-holiday improve. That is the p.c of improve over the previous 7 days. New York is definitely on the low finish – good for you, New Yorkers – with an 8.9 p.c improve throughout the holidays over the previous 7 days. However you see Maine, California, 13 p.c improve, New Hampshire, 12 p.c improve, Massachusetts, 9 p.c improve. So there was an obvious improve post-holiday gatherings, let’s name it. We’ve to look at this. We understood that the vacations would convey individuals collectively. You convey individuals collectively, if they don’t seem to be cautious, you will have a viral unfold. However we’ll have to look at this over the following few days and discover out precisely the place we’re when this stabilizes.
In New York State, Finger Lakes has the best share of individuals hospitalized. You see Western New York is down. We’re watching the Finger Lakes. It has been an issue for a number of weeks. It continues to be an issue. We have spoken to the hospitals. I’ve spoken to the elected leaders. However the neighborhood has to grasp it. And it will change when the neighborhood modifications it. I imply, it is virtually that straightforward. They know the precautions, they know the info about how the virus spreads. It is actually what particular person communities select to do. Why is New York Metropolis .03 and Finger Lakes .08? They’re appearing in a different way. That is not pejorative, that is a factual assertion.
You take a look at the general positivity, we see a bump up within the Mohawk Valley and the Capital Area. We hope that’s episodic. However there was a big improve in these areas, and we’ll be watching them intently. Lengthy Island additionally has taken a bounce. So, we’re nonetheless on this post-holiday, 5 days from Christmas. We’re nonetheless measuring the impact of the vacation gatherings, and that’ll be clear over the following a number of days. New York Metropolis, nonetheless Staten Island, double, what Manhattan is. They’re a number of miles aside. What explains twice the speed, Manhattan to Staten Island? It is habits of that neighborhood. That is a truth. All people will get the identical message, it is how individuals reply.
We’re very involved concerning the potential for the brand new pressure from the UK. I am sorry it took the federal authorities so lengthy to reply. New York stopped the flights from the UK sooner than any state in america, and I am happy with that. We had the airways agree that solely individuals would land in New York who had been pre-tested earlier than they left the UK. However the federal authorities did not act for days. And it was irritating as a result of that is what occurred final spring when the virus first got here right here. It got here from Europe. It did not come from China. The federal authorities was flawed, and the federal authorities was gradual to maneuver with the flights coming from Europe, and the federal authorities was gradual right here once more in transferring with the flights from the UK. 120 international locations banned or mandated testing on flights from the UK, and america did nothing. They lastly did one thing a number of days in the past. However, I feel it was too late and I feel the brand new pressure is right here. We have been testing for it. We did over 4,000 checks, 350 final week. And it is a prolonged check, it is not a standard COVID check. You need to examine the precise genomes. We’ve not discovered the pressure in New York. We had a number of specimens despatched to the state lab that had been suspected of being the UK pressure, however over the 4,000 checks we now have not discovered the UK pressure within the State of New York. Colorado, in keeping with the CDC, has seen the UK pressure. So it is in all probability in america. We’ve not discovered it in New York.
Different information, I am extending the legislation offering dying advantages to the households of frontline staff who misplaced their lives combating the pandemic, and I am extending them by govt order for 30 days. And going ahead, it is going to be a query of getting these vaccines out, getting them produced by the producers, getting them delivered, effectively, let me take a step again. Produced by the producers, bought by the federal authorities, shipped to the states, after which the states getting them delivered. That is what has to occur right here. And we have been working very aggressively. We’ve over 200,000 New Yorkers have already acquired one vaccine.
Subsequent week we’ll open the factors, working our means down the precedence checklist: ambulatory care well being care staff and public going through public well being staff, together with these doing the COVID-19 checks. Additionally excellent news, we open the Empire State Path tomorrow. It is a very thrilling path, there isn’t any path prefer it within the nation we consider. 750 miles of multi-use path, actually from Manhattan to the Canada border, from Buffalo to Albany. So, wherever you reside within the state it’s close to you, and I clearly have not had the prospect to view the entire path, however I’ve seen pars of it and it’s magnificent. For those who’re pondering of one thing to do over this vacation interval, exit and see it. Once more, wherever you’re within the state it is close to you, and it’s a heck of an journey. I might like to do the entire thing sometime.
This morning we opened the brand new Prepare Corridor, which is throughout the road from the outdated Penn Station. It’s magnificent. It was actually a transferring morning. We acquired it carried out on time, we acquired it carried out on finances, although we needed to do it by means of COVID. As , COVID was so traumatic and disruptive, and disrupted development tasks all throughout the nation, all the world over, however we acquired it carried out on time, on finances regardless of COVID. We had deliberate to do a New 12 months’s Eve get together on the Prepare Corridor, which may maintain hundreds of individuals. We opened the second avenue subway in Manhattan as soon as at a New 12 months’s Eve get together, and we had been hoping to do the identical factor right here. However these are totally different days. It was the thought of Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan to make use of what was an outdated publish workplace, the Farley Submit Workplace, and it wasn’t actually getting used as a publish workplace anymore, and Penn Station. For these of you who have not gone by means of Penn, it’s a depressing expertise. It’s like going by means of the catacombs. It’s only a dingy, darkish, gloomy house, and it ought to’ve been changed a long time in the past. And Senator Moynihan’s thought was use the publish workplace throughout the road.
This explicit corridor has this magnificent skylight. The skylight is huge, and the rationale the skylight was there initially was as a result of it was the room the place they sorted the mail. So, individuals had to have the ability to learn the mail, and so they used the daylight to truly herald and illuminate the room for sorting functions. We needed to redo your entire skylight; it was a large endeavor, nevertheless it was price it. It is not solely stunning, it is virtually uplifting, and it reminds you of how nice we will be, and the way we are able to do nice issues, and we are able to do them effectively, and we are able to do them rapidly. You recognize, we’re nonetheless New Yorkers, and yeah, 2020 was a darkish day, however this mission actually brings the sunshine to the state of affairs, actually and figuratively. We are able to do nice issues. We are able to do higher issues and greater than we even consider we are able to do, and that is what 2021 goes to be about for us. It’ll be about making a greater future than we even thought attainable, and now’s the time to do it.
So, for these individuals who journey by means of Penn, round Penn, you will see this quickly sufficient. It opens on New 12 months’s Day. Nevertheless it’s one thing particular, and I need to thank everybody who was part of it. New 12 months’s Eve is developing. We’d like everybody to remain good. Have fun, however rejoice good. You see masked individuals celebrating. A masks kiss, I’ve by no means seen that earlier than. Truly, there is a reporter right here in Albany, Jon Campbell, I’ve seen him masks kiss somebody. However apart from that, rejoice good. That is our New York mantra. Have fun good, cease shutdowns.
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