As we have done many times in the past, especially during the dark days of the lockdown, post the nightly email update from Governor Cuomo. This evening is his farewell email as he resigns amidst scandal. Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul will become governor of NY State at 12am.
Periodically we post the nightly email from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Tonight's email is especially interesting. It lays out a few guidelines for the re-opening of New York after 400 days of being the hardest hit state in the country with COVID-19. New low stats. New "Vax & Scratch" program. Pop up vaccination sites at major NY airports. Summer festival mask guidance.
While the vaccine distribution gets underway, New Yorkers cannot get lax about COVID by any means. Hospitalizations continue to rise across the state and there is one message New Yorkers must remember as we approach the close of the holiday season—celebrating smart stops shutdowns. If we stay smart, stay tough and take the steps we know help halt the spread, we will get through this.
Today, New York is taking further action to protect our state's progress and aggressively respond to clusters emerging in specific areas of the state.
In consultation with national public health experts including former CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden, Dr. Noam Ross of the EcoHealth Alliance and Dr. Michael Olsterhold of the University of Minnesota, today we announced the new Cluster Action Initiative to attack these clusters head-on with surgical precision to stop the spread. This action maps the clusters by density of cases.
Governor Andrew Cuomo releases his evening email to New Yorkers. The state of NY is fairing quite well with record number of testing showing dropping number of cases.
A long 5 months has gone by, from winter to spring and now summer. New York City, the hardest hit by the virus in the nation, is now scheduled to open Phase 4 this Monday July 20, 2020. Even so, gyms and movie theaters are not on the reopening list and no one knows when they will come back online.
When traveling overseas and returning to the USA the airlines hand out US Customs & Border Protection documents that need to be filled out upon re-entering the USA. Now, if you fly into any NY airport documents will be handed out and be filled in by passengers arriving in NY about where they came from and where are they going to with current contact information. If the paperwork is not handed in before leaving the airport it's an immediate $2000 fine. This is to be sure people arriving from hot spots quarantine 14 days upon arrival.
A very interesting email from Governor Andrew Cuomo in his daily email update to new Yorkers each evening. Most interesting is that mall can re-open under certain air conditioning requirements. There has been new discussion on the airborne nature of this virus and the vulnerability of ventilation systems.
Today, New York City begins Phase 3 of reopening but indoor dining will not move forward at this point. The Mid-Hudson region will enter Phase 4 of reopening tomorrow, July 7 and Long Island is on track to enter Phase 4 of Wednesday, July 8.