Jun 19, 2020
Today is Juneteenth, the day we commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. I hope it was a day of both celebration and reflection for New Yorkers.
After 111 long days, I gave my final daily Coronavirus briefing this morning. Together we flattened the curve and now as reopening expands and more people move about and more businesses reopen robustly, we continue to see positive numbers trending in the right direction. This is an unimaginable achievement. I'm incredibly proud of what we all did together, as one family and one community. This success isn't about what government did. This is about what you and everyone else in our state did. So while I will not be seeing you every day anymore—rest assured that we will share information in a transparent way. After all, it's how we got to this point and I truly am in awe of the way New Yorkers listened to the facts and did the right thing. It really was beautiful. And it continues to be Up to Us, New York. Wear a mask, stay smart and stay #NewYorkTough.
Here's what else you need to know tonight:
1. New York City has been cleared to begin Phase 2 of reopening on Monday, June 22nd. Business guidance for Phase 2 of the state's reopening plan is available here.
2. The New York State Department of Financial Services has reached an agreement with credit reporting agencies to provide free credit reports to consumers and help reduce negative consumer credit reporting. This agreement will help New York consumers facing hardship caused by COVID-19 to avoid unjustified negative impacts on their credit reports. DFS also urges New York State-regulated financial institutions to furnish credit information in ways that minimizes negative impacts on consumers.
3. Yesterday, the State tested a record number of people. Out of the 79,308 tests conducted in New York State yesterday, only 796, or 1.0 percent, were positive for COVID-19.
4. All New Yorkers need to respond to the Census. New York' s Census response rate is at 56.7%, well below the national average. It is vital for our future that every New Yorker takes a few minutes to complete the Census form. It's safe, easy and can be done online from the comfort of your own home. Let's make sure every New Yorker is counted. Complete the Census today at my2020census.gov. You can also see the response rate of your town or city here.
5. The total number of COVID hospitalizations hit another record low yesterday. Total hospitalizations fell to 1,284, from 1,358.
Tonight's "Deep Breath Moment": Tomorrow is the first day of New York Cider Week Hudson Valley. Celebrating its 10th year, this event celebrates cider crafted from fruit grown in orchards across the Hudson Valley, and this year's programming is completely virtual so you can learn about New York cider from home.
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