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LATEST NYC CORONAVIRUS NEWS

880 In Depth: Healthcare Workers Answer The Call To Help Hospitals

NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Hospitals across the region are strained beyond their limits in the hardest hit areas amid the coronavirus outbreak.In New York, over 100,000 people have tested positive for the virus and the death toll climbed towards 3,000 on Friday, April 3.The state and New York City has rushed to establish field hospitals to treat new COVID-19 patients as existing facilities became overwhelmed and supplies ran low.However, Mayor Bill de Blasio has stressed that more hospital beds won’t solve the problem completely if they do not have the personnel needed to fight the battle against coronavirus.As he pleaded with the federal government to create a national enlistment program for doctors and nurses, others began voluntarily answering the call.In this week’s 880 In Depth podcast, WCBS 880’s Peter Haskell talks with CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health Bob Garrett, who says thousands of retired healthcare professionals are stepping up.“They’re helping clean rooms, helping environmental services, they’re helping cook meals,” Garrett said.The Hackensack hospital system is already becoming overwhelmed in New Jersey as coronavirus cases surge in the state, but the extra help in the workforce is making a world of difference.He says there’s currently 600 healthcare workers out sick or in quarantine and worries about the health workers who are pushing on to sustain the facility’s efforts.“It does keep me up at night, if this pandemic continues, certainly at this pace for along the same period of time, I do worry,” Garrett said. “Not just about Hackensack Meridian, I’m speaking about healthcare in general across the country.”The federal government has stepped up to help and recently sent a Navy medical ship, the USNS Comfort, to New York to treat non-COVID patients and ease the stress of some hospitals.Listen to the full conversation with Bob Garrett on the 880 In Depth podcast on the RADIO.COM app or wherever you get your podcasts.

April 03, 2020

US Economy Lost 701,000 Jobs In March, Worst Report Since 2009

NEW YORK (WBCS 880) — The unemployment rate has surged in recent weeks and it appears the job market will only worsen as the coronavirus pandemic persists.In March, the American economy lost more jobs than it gained for the first time in a decade.According to the Labor Department, payrolls decreased by 701,000 in March as U.S. employers shed more jobs than in any month since the recession.“A lot of economists had though that we wouldn’t see these big, huge numbers on the downside. They thought we’d lose 100-150 thousand jobs, 700,000 – not even close,” explains CBS News Business Analyst Jill Schlesinger.She says the greatest loss was in the leisure and hospitality industry which saw a decline of 459,000 jobs.“You can just look around New York and see the damage right there – food and drinking establishments,” Schlesinger said. “That is the vast majority of the job losses that we are seeing in the first part of this pandemic.”Schlesinger stresses that nobody knows how long this decline will last and noted the April report is going to be significantly worse.“We know that in the last two weeks, initial claims for unemployment benefits are up to 10 million across the country,” she said. “So, we could see a job loss in the millions when we get the April report in a month from now.”She says: “We’re most assuredly in a recession right now.”Schlesinger says she’s spoken to make economists who agree “the economy is in a recession and it is going to be a deep and painful recession.”The big question is: How long is this going to last?“I think it's fair to say that many of the economists, at least that I speak to, believe that a recession will be first, second, third quarter at the very least – maybe for the whole year and that we’ll really only come out of this come 2021,” Schlesinger said.

April 03, 2020

Westchester Preparing Hospital Beds For Expected COVID-19 Surge

RYE, N.Y. (WCBS 880) — Westchester County is preparing for an anticipated surge in coronavirus cases as the pandemic continues to grow in the state.“We are targeting, trying to make sure we have enough hospital beds available,” Westchester County Executive George Latimer.He says they have to prepare not just for Westchester County residents to get the virus, but for other New Yorkers as well.“If New York City's need overflows north, then we're gonna be in the center,” he notes.Latimer is preparing for patients from surrounding counties too.“When you look north of us, Rockland County, Orange County, Putnam and Dutchess, if their case load exceeds their local hospitals ability to solve it, the natural tendency is to send patients into Westchester County,” the county executive said.The county center is already being converted into a temporary hospital space.“We're going to do everything we can not to fall short,” he said.Latimer is lining up other potential locations where New York State could set up hospital beds.Arrowwood Conference Center in Rye Brook, the old Dannon Headquarters in Greenberg and the former College of New Rochelle campus are all being considered.New York State currently has over 100,000 cases of coronavirus and has seen nearly 3,000 fatalities.Downstate, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced President Donald Trump has approved the 2,500-bed military-run temporary hospital at Javits Center to accept COVID-19 patients. It was originally intended to treat non-coronavirus patients.The Department of Defense said that while they understand this will elevate the risk of transmission to other patients and their medical providers, "This decision was risk-informed and made to ensure that DoD can continue to provide these local communities the type of medical care they most need. Force health protection is a top priority and our medical professionals will have the required personal protective equipment needed for this mission."

April 03, 2020

Cuomo Orders Shift In Ventilators To Overwhelmed Hospitals As NY Coronavirus Cases Surpass 100K

Sign up for WCBS 880's daily newsletter for the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic.ALBANY, N.Y. (WCBS 880) — New York on Friday reported its highest single-day increase in coronavirus deaths: 2,935 up from 2,373 yesterday.Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state has 102,863 confirmed coronavirus cases. Of those, 14,810 are currently hospitalized, with 3,731 in the ICU.New York City has more than 57,000 cases, but the rapidly-rising numbers in Nassau, Westchester and Suffolk counties are "very concerning." New York Governor's Office Cuomo said President Donald Trump has approved the 2,500-bed military-run temporary hospital at Javits Center to accept COVID-19 patients. It was originally intended to treat non-coronavirus patients.The Department of Defense said that while they understand this will elevate the risk of transmission to other patients and their medical providers, "This decision was risk-informed and made to ensure that DoD can continue to provide these local communities the type of medical care they most need. Force health protection is a top priority and our medical professionals will have the required personal protective equipment needed for this mission."With the ventilator stockpile at risk of running dry in at a matter of days, Cuomo said he is signing an executive order that will allow the state to take ventilators and personal protective equipment from hospitals upstate that don't need them and redeploy them to hospitals downstate that do. The equipment will be returned or reimbursed. "I'm not going to be in a position where people are dying and we have several hundred ventilators in our own state somewhere else," Cuomo said.The governor bristled when asked about seizing machines from upstate facilities saying it’s “sharing.”"Am I seizing seizing ventilators? No, I'm taking excess equipment to save lives," Cuomo said. "It's about doing the right thing.... This is hard personally, it's hard to go through this all day and it's hard to stay up all night watching those numbers in deaths come in and know that you're in charge of the ship at this time."National Guard members will pick up the ventilators for use downstate.Michael Dowling, CEO of the state's largest hospital system Northwell Health, called it a good policy."Hospitals upstate that have capacity and have equipment where they do not have this issue at the moment, the policy of having them send extra equipment downstate is appropriat," Dowling told WCBS 880. "That's the way you have to work in a situation like this, you have to share for the overall public good."Dowling said the 23 hospitals in his system all have varying degrees of serious illness. While the situation is hectic, Dowling said the staff have it "under control." "Whatever they throw at us we just have to deal with it. So you've gotta be calm and optimistic and make sure you get the job done. It's not a time for hysteria, it's a time for practicality and realism," Dowling said. "People are going to have to work harder than they've ever worked before, more hours than they've ever worked before, and with more concentration than they've ever worked before and that's what you do in the middle of a battle like this, and we are in the middle of a battle, and it's a battle we're definitely going to win."Dowling, who has been charged with increasing hospital capacity across the state, said every hospital has completely changed since the virus first emerged in New York."There's no hospital that looks the same today as it looked a month ago. Every conceivable part of every hospital has been converted to beds and we're converting more space to beds because the volume of patients keeps increasing each and every day," Dowling said.Meanwhile, President Donald Trump on Friday announced the Department of Defense is providing 8.1 million N95 respirator masks to New York with 200,000 already being sent to New York City. The president said that number would be continuing the increase."The Empire State, the governor's doing an excellent job. They're all working very hard together," he said.Trump made the comments before announcing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now recommending Americans wear a face covering in public, echoing the recommendation Mayor Bill de Blasio made on Thursday. Though, when addressing Mayor de Blasio's comments urging residents to wear a "homegrown" "face covering," State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said it's not clear whether face masks from different materials are effective.Cuomo said it's fair to say that it might help, but he doesn't want New Yorkers to "get a false sense of security" and forgo social distancing, which officials say is the best way to mitigate the spread of the disease.The governor also gave an update the condition of his brother, CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, who tested positive for the virus this week. The governor said his brother is doing okay and called him "a living example of living with coronavirus." Gov. Cuomo said his brother will end up doing a great public service because his experience will demystify the virus for many people.Stay informed, stay connected — follow WCBS 880 on Facebook and Twitter. Download the RADIO.COM app + favorite WCBS 880 for breaking news, traffic and weather alerts.

April 03, 2020

Report: 1,000-Bed USNS Comfort Treating 20 Patients

Sign up for WCBS 880's daily newsletter for the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic.NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — The news about the USNS Comfort is not that comforting. Earlier this week, crowds gathered near Pier 90 to cheer the arrival of the hospital ship, which has 1,000 beds and 1,200 staff. The Comfort's mission is to treat non-coronavirus patients with the intention of relieving pressure off the city's hospitals, which are treating thousands of COVID-19 patients and struggling to find more space as cases rise by staggering amounts every day.But according to a report in the New York Times, as of Thursday, only 20 patients were being treated on board the Comfort.With the number of virus cases skyrocketing in the city, the White House has revered course and approved the military-run hospital facility at the Javits Center for coronavirus patients. But that is not the case on the USNS Comfort, which has strict restrictions against accepting anyone with the virus. The Times cites military protocols and bureaucratic hurdles, including a list of 49 ailments that disqualify patients from admittance, that have so far prevented the Comfort from taking in more patients. Michael Dowling, the head of the Northwell Health Hospital System who has been charged with increasing hospital capacity in New York, told the Times, “If I’m blunt about it, it’s a joke.” Dowling in an interview with WCBS 880 said he understands the reasons why the Navy would no accept COVID-positive patients on the ship, but believes they need to loosen the admission criteria."The key is, and this is not trying to be overly critical, I respect what they're doing and I appreciate their help, but I don't have any non-sick people in my hospitals anymore, everybodyIi have in the hospitals right now has varying degrees of serious illness," Dowling said. "So the admission criteria have to be loosened, I expect that they will, I hope that they will so that we can relieve the pressure from the hospitals that are now overloaded which is pretty much every hospital in the region at the momen.""I appreciate that they're here, I appreciate the Navy's cooperation but I do hope that there can be better utility by increasing their admission criteria," he added.On Friday, the Department of Defense announced it would modify its screening for care on the USNS Comfort, saying it will now occur pier-side in an effort to reduce the backlog at some of the nearby New York hospitals. "The screening effort for the USNS Comfort will no longer require a negative test, but each patient will still be screened by temperature and a short questionnaire," the DOD said in a statement. "This assistance will further unburden the local hospital and ambulance systems in these areas, allowing them to focus on the more serious COVID-19 cases. We will immediately implement this action and work with local officials in each area on the details of patient arrival."Prior to the change, ambulances were required to take patients to be tested for the virus at a city hospital before being transported to the ship.At his daily coronavirus briefing, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he plans to speak with the Secretary of Defense about the Comfort.The governor said it was known from day one that the Comfort would not accept coronavirus-positive patients over disinfecting concerns."The Navy's position is they don't want COVID patients because it would be too hard to disinfect," Cuomo said. "We only have COVID and non-COVID patients, the need is for COVID patients. They're not taking COVID-positive patients... I don't know the science of ship disinfecting to know whether or not they're being overly dramatic. I will take their word for it."Asked about the Comfort on Friday morning during an appearance on CNN, Mayor Bill de Blasio said he expects the Comfort to fill up soon."I don't have a doubt in my mind, the Comfort is going to be filled up soon, the Javits Center is going to be filled up soon, that's the easy part, the hard part is our hospitals dealing with a massive surge in the coming days or not just COVID cases but folks who need ICU care," de Blasio said.On Thursday, the number of cases in New York City was nearly 52,000 and the number of deaths statewide climbed towards 2,400.On Tuesday, de Blasio called this Sunday "a demarcation line," when he expects a crest in the wave in the number of coronavirus cases and Gov. Andrew Cuomo has warned that the state's ventilator stockpile could be exhausted within days.Stay informed, stay connected — follow WCBS 880 on Facebook and Twitter. Download the RADIO.COM app + favorite WCBS 880 for breaking news, traffic and weather alerts.

April 03, 2020

De Blasio Calls For National Enlistment Program For Healthcare Workers

Sign up for WCBS 880's daily newsletter for the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic.NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Mayor Bill de Blasio is calling for a national enlistment program for healthcare workers to handle the expected surge in coronavirus cases.Noting that New York City needs all the help it can get, the mayor suggested there be a draft-like summons of medical professionals.“We don’t have the same kind of draft we used to have, but we’re gonna have to create something new, right now, at this moment in history to enlist all available medical personnel from around the country and I mean civilians, anyone with medical training anywhere in the country who can be spared by their city, their town, their state to come to the frontlines,” he said on Thursday.The mayor continued: “If we’re gonna save every life we can in this state, it means taking health professionals of every kind, with every skill or every training – no matter where they are in their career – and enlisting them in a national service.”He reiterated the call on Friday during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”“Unless the military is fully mobilized and we create something we've never had before, which is some kind of national enlistment of medical personnel moved to the most urgent needs in the country constantly, if we don't have that we're going to see hospitals simply unable to handle so many people who could be saved,” the mayor said.Mayor de Blasio has stressed the need for the country to be operating on a wartime basis in order to fight the coronavirus threat.He said in New York City, healthcare professionals are “fighting a war against an invisible enemy.”"America is a place where we look out for each other," de Blasio said. "This is a war with many many fronts and the only possible way of getting through this is through the support of our government." The city also sent out an alert to every New Yorkers' phone with a note asking licensed health care workers to help out. More than 1,500 people in the five boroughs have died from coronavirus and there’s been over 57,000 confirmed cases of the virus.Over 10,000 people have been hospitalized and while the city is working to dramatically expand hospital bed capacity by utilizing city dorms and hotels, the mayor said the bed space will mean nothing if there’s not enough personnel.The mayor is also putting out an urgent call for more ventilators, which he said the city will need between 2,500 and 3,000 of by next week."To get through April, May, to get through the worst of it, to save every life that can be saved, we will need 15,000 total ventilators; 15,000 more than we started the month of March with," the mayor said. "We have gotten some ventilators but right now we're struggling to have enough for next week."The mayor is also authorizing the NYPD, fire department, and sheriff's office to immediately support efforts to acquire ventilators and PPE from private sources in tandem with an order put through by the governor on Friday. Law enfrocement agencies will also help secure and deliver supplies to hospitals with the greatest need.The Bronx Zoo's parking lot is also now home to a fleet of 250 additional ambulances that arrived this week to help the city's first responders on the front lines of the coronavirus. Approximately 500 out-of-state EMTs have also been added to the city's ranks. The zoo has been closed since March 16. Zookeepers remain on site to care for the animals. The mayor says the city's EMT workers will not be getting a raise just yet days after emergency medical calls surpassed records set on 9/11."We want to take care of these workers and support them, of course have their backs, but this is a bigger issue in the labor dynamics of this city. It's not the time to make something up on the fly in the middle of a crisis. We'll figure this out when we get through this crisis," de blasio said on his weekly morning show on wnyc.About 23 percent of all EMS members were out on medical leave because of the virus or other ailments as of Sunday. Last week, medical calls were up to around 6,500 per day — hundreds more than the city’s busiest day of the year.On Monday, the USNS Comfort arrived in the city to ease the burden off city hospitals. The ship is treating non-COVID patients in order to free up hospital space on land. However, a report Friday said the ship is only treating around 20 patients currently.Meanwhile, the city is still working to help those who are without resources due to lack of work or schooling because of the virus. The mayor said beginning Friday, all New Yorkers – both children and adults – will have access to three free meals a day at more than 400 hubs throughout the city run by the Department of Education.On his WNYC broadcast, the mayor said no one will be turned away and there will be a variety of dietary offers – including vegetarian and halal options.“You can get breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s all to go. No one’s sitting down, obviously,” he said. “But, you can go in there and say ‘my family needs food.’ You’ll get breakfast, lunch and dinner for as many people as you indicate you need it for.”Those in need can go to NYC.gov to find a site near them.Additionally, coronavirus testing is being made available for all health care workers at city-run hospitals. This comes after many front line doctors and nurses raised concerns that they could have the virus and are unknowingly spreading it to at-risk patients. The free testing will roll out in phases over the next month. The tests are available by appointment at any of the city's 11 hospitals and seven health centers. Results are expected to return within two days.Stay informed, stay connected — follow WCBS 880 on Facebook and Twitter. Download the RADIO.COM app + favorite WCBS 880 for breaking news, traffic and weather alerts.

April 03, 2020

‘These Numbers Are Sobering’: Nassau Sees Spike In COVID-19 Cases Overnight

Sign up for WCBS 880's daily newsletter for the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic.MINEOLA, N.Y. (WCBS 880) — Nassau County Executive Laura Curran on Friday announced 43 additional deaths overnight, bringing the county total to 138.Curran also announced there were 1,437 new COVID-19 cases – the largest increase in the county since the beginning of the pandemic – bringing the countywide total to 12,024.“These numbers are sobering,” Curran said. “We are on the upswing of the curve. We have not reached apex yet.”On Thursday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the rise in COVID-19 cases on Long Island was “troubling” and noted that the state would continue to watch both Nassau and Suffolk.Curran said the new deaths included 29 men and 14 women ranging in age from 33 to 93 years old.She stressed that the county is continuing to do everything to track the pandemic and stop the spread of the virus.However, officials says hospitals and healthcare workers are exhausted and quickly running out of supplies as they continue to deal with the uptick in cases.To ease some of the pressure, Curran says they will be opening a temporary facility at SUNY Old Westbury. The facility is set to be up and running next week to treat COVID-19 patients.“We know it should be opening in stages, perhaps as early as this time next week. I am advocating very strongly that it is a COVID facility,” she said.She called people who are staying home and away from others heroes and says, in Eisenhower Park, they are still collecting protective gear for medical workers.“We’re still accepting donations in the county. We’ve gotten an amazing amount of donations still we opened our donation center,” Curran said.The county has received over 185,000 pairs of gloves, more than 7,000 N95 masks, more than 8,000 surgical masks and more than 1,700 gowns.Curran says there is a big need for people to donate blood and assured residents that the centers knows how to protect individuals from the virus.There’s been 101 Nassau County police officers have tested positive for the virus, though many have been cleared and are back to work. Stay informed, stay connected — follow WCBS 880 on Facebook and Twitter. Download the RADIO.COM app + favorite WCBS 880 for breaking news, traffic and weather alerts.

April 03, 2020

New Jersey To Fly Flags At Half-Staff To Honor COVID-19 Victims

Sign up for WCBS 880's daily newsletter for the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic.TRENTON (WCBS 880) — The number of coronavirus cases in New Jersey soared towards 30,000 on Friday with over 110 new deaths reported.Gov. Phil Murphy said the state was a total of 29,895 cases, up by 4,372 from Thursday. He also noted there were a total of 646 fatalities.#BREAKING: New Jersey @GovMurphy reports 4,372 new COVID-19 cases and 113 new deaths, bringing statewide total to 29,895 cases and 646 deaths.More: https://t.co/ZByu2gjJrb pic.twitter.com/YijAwRkVE0— WCBS Newsradio 880 (@wcbs880) April 3, 2020 To honor the victims of the virus, Gov. Murphy has ordered all flags in the state to be flown at half-staff indefinitely.“This virus has affected every corner of our state, and as we continue to work to break the back of this pandemic, we recognize those who have been lost to this terrible illness and all those affected by it. Many families cannot hold funerals for their loved ones at this time. By doing this, we remind them that their losses are not forgotten,” the governor said.I'm signing an Executive Order directing that all flags across NJ be lowered to half-staff indefinitely in honor of those we have lost – and those we will lose – to #COVID19.This is one of the greatest tragedies to ever hit our state. We must have a constant & visible memorial. pic.twitter.com/2LOcEr1aPz— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) April 3, 2020 Calling the coronavirus “one of the greatest tragedies to ever hit our state,” Murphy stressed that New Jersey is a “week-ish behind New York” in terms of the apex of cases.Murphy notes that the hospital system is already becoming overwhelmed and they are working rapidly to open new field hospitals. The first one is expected to open Monday at the Meadowlands Convention Center.The governor stopped short of advising New Jerseyans to wear a face covering when they are in public, as New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio advised on Thursday.Citing a new study that shows asymptomatic people have been unknowingly spreading the disease, the mayor told all New York City residents to wear a scarf, bandanna or article of clothing over their nose and mouth when in public.RELATED: New Jersey Authorizes Commandeering Of Medical Supplies Amid CrisisNew Jersey Gov. Murphy said wearing a mask is “not a replacement for flattening the curve” and stressed that “we have to avoid using up these precious supplies.”“Social distancing is both our best offense but also our best defense,” the governor said.He said New Jersey residents should continue to stay at home and practice safe respiratory hygiene with frequent hand washing.“We need 100% compliance,” Murphy said. “Behave as though you got it. Behave as through you tested positive.”"This is a war," said Murphy, stressing the importance to keep a safe distance. "Wars like this are not won in one day, one month or not even a few months."North Jersey has been the hardest-hit area in the state and has the most deaths and most cases.Stay informed, stay connected — follow WCBS 880 on Facebook and Twitter. Download the RADIO.COM app + favorite WCBS 880 for breaking news, traffic and weather alerts.

April 03, 2020

Nassau Sees Uptick In Kitchen Fires Since Beginning Of Quarantine

Sign up for WCBS 880's daily newsletter for the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic.MINEOLA, N.Y. (WCBS 880) — Fire officials on Long Island are seeing an uptick in a certain type of fire because people are staying at home.Amid the coronavirus pandemic, people are told to stay at home, where many people are preparing their own meals. Because of this, there’s been a significant uptick in kitchen fires since the beginning of quarantine, according to Nassau County Chief John Murray, instructor at the Firefighters Museum.“In some cases, the ovens haven’t been cleaned in a long time,” he explains. “And they’re seeing some incidents where there’s small fires within the ovens.”Murray says if a fire forms in the oven, the best bet is to close the oven and turn the heat off. Typically, the fires will burn out without causing much damage.He stresses that it’s important to clean ovens regularly, and most are self-cleaning, making the process much easier.Murray says if someone is cooking in a frying pan and a grease fire starts, avoid water at all costs.“You should never throw water on a grease fire because it will explode. The water will turn to steam and the droplets will burn out.”He recommends everyone be familiar with how to use a fire extinguisher before its used, as well.“Fire extinguishers, I have mix feelings on that. If you’re familiar with how to use it and you know where it is, that’s fine,” Murray said. “But it can be used improperly, and it can actual spread the fire.”Stay informed, stay connected — follow WCBS 880 on Facebook and Twitter. Download the RADIO.COM app + favorite WCBS 880 for breaking news, traffic and weather alerts.

April 03, 2020

Real Estate Agents Deemed Essential Workers Worry About Spread Of Coronavirus

MINEOLA, N.Y. (WCBS 880) — Real estate agents are being considered essential workers in the state of New York amid the coronavirus pandemic, but some say the ruling is putting lives at risk.Real estate operations had previously been considered nonessential under Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s PAUSE order.However, Empire State Development on Wednesday revised that order saying real estate showings, appraisal services, home inspections and back-office real estate work are essential businesses.While some real estate brokers took the revision as a call to service, others were not happy about the designation.“I mean how can they consider showing houses an essential service,” says Lisa Kennedy, a real estate agent for 20 years from Eric G. Ramsey and Associates on Long Island.She believes after thousands of agents filed for unemployment benefits the agents went from non-essential to essential workers.‘There will always be agents that will not really care and go out and do it. Especially if we’re not gonna get unemployment benefits and somebody is really suffering. They are going to go out and they are going to show these houses and the virus is going to spread,” Kennedy said.In a statement the Long Island Board of Realtors says agents still have to comply with social distancing guidelines and agents do not have to conduct any functions if they believe they are putting themselves at risk.Kennedy says that still doesn’t prevent people from leaving germs in a home where people may still be residing.“Like they’re doing drive-by Happy Birthdays to grandma, but you’re asking me, a stranger, to go into grandma’s house,” she said.Agents are not automatically eliminated from unemployment benefits, the board also says.

April 03, 2020