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LATEST NYC CORONAVIRUS NEWS

NJ’s Rising COVID Numbers Cause Concerns In NYC

NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – New Jersey’s coronavirus numbers are heading back into dangerous territory—and setting off alarm bells in New York as well. In New Jersey, the coronavirus transmission rate stands at 1.49—its highest mark in months. On Friday, Gov. Phil Murphy threatened to roll back some reopening measures.New York’s case numbers are still staying flat, but Denis Nash, an epidemiology professor at the CUNY School of Public Health, wonders how long those numbers can stay that way.“I hope we don’t have to go on lockdown again, but I think there’s a good chance that we may,” Nash said.There are still around 300 new cases reported in New York City every day, and Nash is wondering where they’re coming from, given the reality of social distancing, mask wearing, outdoor dining and so many other precautions.“How is it that these 2,000 New Yorkers are becoming infected every week?” Nash said.He said the city should be doing more to get the word out. “My understanding with what's going on is that we can do a better job at plugging holes in the prevention safety net, so that we can feel better about moving into another phase of reopening,” Nash said.He thinks the city should be releasing more information about where transmission is taking place and how it’s happening.Nash said he’s worried about a second wave but that he doesn’t expect one to be worse than the peak in the New York City area earlier this year.

August 02, 2020

Cuomo: Parents Need Assurance Before NY Schools Reopen

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — It’s crucial that parents and teachers feel comfortable for schools in New York to open successfully this fall, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday.Local districts were required to submit their reopening plans to the state Friday, and initial decisions on the plans were expected from New York officials this week. But the Democratic governor stressed Sunday that there needs to be a “full conversation” that answers parents’ questions about reopening safely.“If the parents don’t feel comfortable, they’re not going to send their children,” Cuomo told reporters during a telephone briefing. “And we’ll accomplish nothing if we open the schools but a significant number of parents decide to keep their children home.”Similarly, Cuomo said “no one wants to force teachers against their will to work.”Cuomo highlighted the need for better remote learning and proper COVID-19 testing capacity. He stressed the need for fast turnaround times for results, which has been a problem around the country.New York has contained the virus recently even as it surges in other parts of the country. The state recorded three new deaths on Saturday and 556 people hospitalized, a decrease of 25 patients from the previous day.

August 02, 2020

Schumer: Progress On Massive COVID Relief Bill, But Still No Timeline

NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – Republicans and Democrats both said Sunday that progress was being made in Washington on a massive coronavirus relief package—but there are still some big disagreements and no timeline yet.One thing both Democrats and Republicans agree on right now—there is still a lot of negotiating to do.Democratic leaders are eager for an expansive agreement, as are President Donald Trump and top Republicans like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. But perhaps one half of Senate Republicans, mostly conservatives and those not facing difficult races this fall, are likely to oppose any deal.“We’re not close to an agreement yet, but we are making progress,” Sen. Chuck Schumer said Sunday.The Senate minority leader said he wants adequate funding for schools, but the two sides disagree on how much money.“There are huge expenses to opening up schools safely,” Schumer said.The senator also wants support for state and local governments to avoid layoffs and maybe the most contentious topic—the renewal of the $600-a-week unemployment benefit supplement.“It is estimated that one bright spot in the economy is consumer spending. A lot of that was because of robust unemployment benefits,” Schumer said.Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told ABC’s “This Week” that incentives need to be in place to get people back to work.“There’s no question in certain cases where we’re paying people more to stay home than to work, that’s created issues in the entire economy,” Mnuchin said.The Associated Press contributed to this report.

August 02, 2020

Cuomo: NY COVID Hospitalizations, 3-Day Average For Deaths Reach New Lows

NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday that New York state had marked two new milestones in its fight against the coronavirus—total hospitalizations and the three-day rolling average of deaths had dropped to their lowest levels since the outbreak began.The number of people hospitalized statewide for COVID-19 dropped to 556, the lowest number since March 17, Cuomo said.The three-day rolling average for deaths dropped to four, the lowest since mid-March, according to the governor.“The ICU numbers are down to 143. The number of intubated down slightly to 71,” Cuomo said in a conference call with reporters Sunday. “So all very good news. All very good news. The context is important. It’s all very good news. The numbers are just about where we want them to be, but we have to stay diligent.”Today's update on the numbers:Of the 58,961 tests reported yesterday, 531 were positive (0.9% of total).Total hospitalizations fell to 556.Sadly, there were 3 COVID fatalities yesterday. pic.twitter.com/VSjYfNAx3u— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) August 2, 2020 There were three new deaths in New York state on Saturday, with no new deaths reported in New York City. The state’s death toll is 25,170.A total of 58,961 tests were conducted in the state Saturday, with 531, or 0.9 percent, coming back positive.The 531 new cases bring the state’s total to 416,298 confirmed cases.Cuomo announced that the state had completed 6 million diagnostic COVID-19 tests.“We've now conducted over 6 million tests, and the numbers are just about where we want them to be, which is all very good news and says that our plan is working,” the governor said in a statement.Cuomo also said that the State Liquor Authority and State Police Task Force visited 1,070 establishments in New York City and Long Island on Saturday.He said 36 of those establishments were not in compliance with state coronavirus rules, including: 5 in the Bronx; 10 in Manhattan; 18 in Queens; 1 in Staten Island; and 2 in Suffolk.

August 02, 2020

Gym Owners Defy NJ Orders Again, Kick Down Plywood And Let Customers Inside

BELLEMAWR, N.J. (AP) — The owners of a New Jersey gym that has repeatedly defied Gov. Phil Murphy’s executive order to remain closed during the COVID-19 pandemic have once again reopened the facility less than a week after their arrests on contempt charges.After kicking down plywood boards covering Atilis Gym in Bellmawr on Saturday, the owners let 40 to 50 customers in for workouts, the latest move in a standoff over coronavirus-related restrictions. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that many customers waiting in line said they couldn’t wait to get back to their regular workouts.Owners Ian Smith, 33, of Delanco Township, and Frank Trumbetti, 51, of Williamstown had been arrested Monday and charged with contempt, obstruction and violating the Disaster Control Act.The gym opened its doors in May, starting a legal battle over whether Murphy’s order for non-essential businesses to remain closed was constitutional. The owners have said they have taken steps to ensure social distancing, including taping off workout stations and operating at 20% of capacity and were also taking patrons’ temperatures and requiring them to wear masks unless they were in the middle of lifting weights.Smith acknowledged that law enforcement would likely force them to close again, and he said he had received a letter indicating that Bellmawr officials are to consider Tuesday revoking the gym’s business license.On Saturday, Gov. Phil Murphy said in a message on Twitter that almost 400 new positive COVID-19 cases had been recorded in the state, pushing the total above 182,000, and another 11 deaths were associated with the virus, bringing the toll in the state to 13,955 lives lost.

August 01, 2020

Nearly 400 New COVID Cases In NJ, Murphy Extends Health Emergency

TRENTON (WCBS 880) – A day after Gov. Phil Murphy warned New Jersey was in a “very dangerous place,” the governor reported nearly 400 new coronavirus cases and extended the state’s public health emergency for another 30 days.Murphy said Saturday there were 393 new cases and 11 more deaths in the state.That brings the total number of cases to 182,029 and the death toll to 13,955, not including 1,875 probable deaths.#COVID19 UPDATE: New Jersey has 393 new positive cases of COVID-19, pushing our cumulative total to 182,029.Sadly, we must report an additional confirmed 11 #COVID19 deaths, pushing our total to 13,955 lives lost.Learn more: https://t.co/JW1q8awGh7— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) August 1, 2020 New Jersey averaged about 550 cases per day this past week compared to 350 per day in late June, according to NorthJersey.com. The state reported 699 new cases on Friday alone.Murphy extended the state’s public health emergency another 30 days Saturday. The move, which was expected, extends the governor’s coronavirus-related executive orders, including bans on indoor activities at restaurants and entertainment businesses.On Friday, Murphy said that New Jersey will lower its size limits for gatherings if its COVID-19 transmission rate keeps rising, warning the state was “standing in a very dangerous place.”New Jersey’s rate of transmission has increased to 1.35 and its spot positivity rate currently stands at 2.15 percent, Murphy said. Those numbers are “setting off alarms that we are taking very seriously,” he said.“Everyone who walks around refusing to wear a mask, or who hosts an indoor house party, or who overstuffs a boat is directly contributing to these increases. This has to stop, and it has to stop now,” he said.

August 01, 2020

NYC Bar Owner Petitions Against Cuomo Food Requirement

NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – A Manhattan bar owner has started an online petition to get Gov. Andrew Cuomo to amend his law requiring bars to serve “substantive” food with drinks in order to stay open amid the coronavirus pandemic.Abby Ehmann, who owns the East Village bar Lucky, created the petition “Seating not Eating.” It has nearly reached its goal of 2,500 signatures.“I don't think the way to fight that is by requiring everyone to eat food. I think that would be better to fight the crowding is that everyone be required to be seated,” Ehmann said.Cuomo’s recent mandate requires bars to serve meals—not just snacks like chips.Ehmann said that approach could potentially be riskier. “If you’re just drinking a beer, my exposure serving you that beer is very different than me serving you food, you sitting at a table full of people licking you fingers,” she said. “It’s just a lot more germs the way I see it.”She said simply requiring bars to have customers be seated at socially distanced tables is a “far more elegant solution” since some establishments have ignored social distancing rules and allowed standing crowds to gather.“The tables are supposed to be six feet apart, which is fine, but if you’ve got eight people standing around that table, those people are no longer distanced from the table next to them,” Ehmann said.

August 01, 2020

NY State Reports Record Number Of Tests 5 Months After 1st COVID Case

NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – Five months after the first coronavirus case was confirmed in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday that the state saw its largest number of tests conducted Friday as the infection rate remained below 1 percent.“Today is five months since we had our first case. Five months. Today we hit our record number of tests done on a single day,” Cuomo said in a conference call with reporters Saturday.There were 82,737 tests conducted statewide Friday. Of those tests, 753, or 0.91 percent, were positive. That’s slightly less than the 0.93 percent that tested positive Thursday.82,737 tests — the highest number of tests ever conducted in a single day in the state. https://t.co/clJ4AN6jmC— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) August 1, 2020 “Congratulations to the people of this state for what they did and for showing this country what can be done when you take this situation seriously,” the governor said.Four more people died from the coronavirus Friday, the governor said.Since the first coronavirus case in New York was confirmed on March 1, at least 25,164 people have died and 415,767 have been infected statewide. Daily new cases and deaths have dropped significantly since the peak in April.During his conference call, Cuomo also said he’ll make an initial decision next week about reopening schools in the fall.“We’re going to watch the overall infection rate before we make a decision,” Cuomo said. “I’m going to make a decision this week, an initial decision. At this point, schools should plan on reopening. And then we’ll watch to see what happens with the infection rate.”Cuomo said a big variable in reopening schools will be parents’ comfort level and confidence in the plan.“The discussion basically assumes if the schools open, all the parents will send their children back to school,” Cuomo said. “That is not the case.”The governor also said remote learning still has to be figured out from school district to school district.“Remote learning tends to work better in the wealthier school districts and tends to work less well in poorer school districts. The measures to correct that are vital to any reopening plan,” Cuomo said.Cuomo also gave an update on establishments being issued social distancing violations.He said 41 businesses were given violations Friday night: 2 in the Bronx; 1 in Brooklyn; 5 in Queens; 1 in Staten Island; 3 in Nassau; 2 in Suffolk; and 27 in Manhattan.“Twenty-seven in Manhattan,” Cuomo emphasized. “We need the NYPD to step up and do enforcement.”The governor said seven more bars and restaurants had their licenses suspended.

August 01, 2020

Is MLB’s Experience With COVID-19 A Signal Not To Open Schools, Businesses?

Sign up for WCBS 880's daily newsletter for the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic.NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Could Major League Baseball’s experience with coronavirus be a warning about reopening schools and workplaces?Professional baseball teams began playing games again in stadiums, without fans, this month. However, almost immediately, players began testing positive for the virus. The Miami Marlins had over a dozen players test positive for the virus after playing the Philadelphia Phillies, prompting both teams to postpone a number of games. WCBS 880 Mets broadcaster Howie Rose then speculated as to whether or not the season could continue with outbreaks beginning to occur. Dr. David Hirschwerk, an infectious disease specialist at Northwell Health, spoke with WCBS 880’s Lynda Lopez, saying what’s happening in the MLB could very likely happen if schools were to reopen. “One of the lessons I think that we learned is, that when you try to open things up, particularly in areas of the country that are experiencing such high levels of illness, that there's a great risk for that'd be really stymied by what happened to the Marlins. I think it's not a surprise that if you're going to take any team that would have been affected, it would be the team that is in the part of the country that is currently experiencing such high levels of illness,” Dr. Hirschwerk said. “I think that that type of experience could very well occur with other businesses or schools, if they are trying to open in parts of the country where they are also experiencing high levels of illness.”President Donald Trump had previously threatened to cut funds to schools that don't fully reopen for students and despite criticism from medical experts, schools across the country have been preparing to welcome students back in the fall.However, Dr. Hirschwerk says what is happening in the MLB is a sign that “we should not be trying to open up businesses or schools that are in the midst of incredibly high levels of illness.”He pointed to the fact that Florida has a higher rate if illness per capita than just about any other part of the world.“To think that you could open up schools or business widely in an area that is experiencing that, and not have a similar result, I think is just not realistic,” Dr. Hirschwerk said. While he says the New York area is “in very good shape right now,” there is some concern for schools as well.Just this week, a Westchester school that had reopened for in-person instruction during summer school was forced to close after three students and three staff members tested positive for the virus. “I think that it should be recognized that as things open up, there are going to be cases that occur and so long as there’s the ability to track those, to isolate the individuals that are infected, to trace their contacts and quarantine those people – that’s going to be the way that we live with this virus until we get to the point where there is a vaccine and we’re at a different stage,” Dr. Hirschwerk said.He suggests starting schools in a hybrid model is something that could be successful in areas that have the virus under control. 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.

July 31, 2020

Long Island School Districts Preparing To Reopen Schools Safely

Sign up for WCBS 880's daily newsletter for the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic.MINEOLA, N.Y. (WCBS 880) — Depending on the school district on Long Island different plans are being made to reopen schools safely. The main question for parents, however, is: will my child be safe?Many realize that until a vaccine is developed and distributed, the school year will look very different, and while there may be concerns about reopening the schools, administrators are preparing a school year around the safety of students and faculty.Dr. Robert Dillion, district superintendent for Nassau BOCES, says school administrators plans include both in the classroom and remote learning.“They’ve all taken a look at their individual classrooms, their facilities. They made adjustments and accommodations. They’ve removed furniture,” he explains.Dr. Christina Johns, a pediatrician and pediatric emergency physician from Maryland, told WCBS 880 anchor Steve Scott that some school districts “will have difficulty being able to successfully achieve the recommended safety guidelines that have been set out by the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics for safe reopening.”She has recommended a safety-first approach to reopening, and Dr. Dillion says the schools will be prepared.He says some parents have concerns about younger children wearing a mask for eight hours, and they are considering options to give kids a break.“We’re building in opportunities for the children to be mask free in a safe environment, socially distant,” he explains. “I think the peer pressure, in most of the cases, will have the children wearing the mask because it will be cool to wear a mask, because everyone will be doing it.”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.

July 31, 2020