Jul 23, 2020
I have a message for young people: This is not the time to fight for your right to party. We are seeing a statistically significant increase in the COVID infection rate in 21- to 30-year-olds. Remember: Young people can get seriously sick and some will die from the virus. Young people can bring it home and give it to others inadvertently. To deliver the message, we launched a social and PSA campaign to communicate the hard facts to young people. If you treat COVID lightly, you may not live to regret it. Watch the ad here.
1. The State released the results of a testing initiative within state correctional facilities to test incarcerated individuals 55 years and over. Of the nearly 4,000 individuals tested, 77 tested positive, resulting in a low 1.9 percent infection rate. We are committed to ensuring the safety of every facility.
2. To crack down on social distancing violations at restaurants and bars across the state, the State is creating a multi-agency task force. The New York State Police and State Liquor Authority will lead the effort, which will employ real-time data to enhance enforcement efforts by rapidly deploying investigators to respond to dangerous social distancing violations as they happen.
3. The number of total hospitalizations continues to drop. Yesterday there were 706 total hospitalizations. The State conducted 69,698 tests, of which 811, or 1.16%, were positive. Sadly, we lost 13 New Yorkers to the virus.
4. Yesterday marked the completion of improvements at both Southwick and Westcott Beach State Parks. The first major improvements to the popular beachfront parks in 50 years, upgrades at Southwick Beach feature a new bathhouse and concession building, as well as restored dunes and new "green" parking lots that enhance resiliency and protection of water quality. At Westcott Beach, eight new accessible cottages, with fully equipped kitchens and full bathrooms, were built on a bluff with a commanding view of the lake. Cottage reservations are expected to become available starting August 1 through Reserve America, which can be found online at https://www.reserveamerica.
Tonight's "Deep Breath Moment": To help their country deal with the pandemic, the Afghan Robotics Team of seven young girls developed an inexpensive new ventilator. The model developed by the all-girl team costs only $700 and can run for ten hours on battery power.
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