Sep 22, 2020
Today the United States crossed a tragic milestone — 200,000 Americans have died of COVID. It is an immeasurable loss: These Americans were mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, brothers and sisters, friends and neighbors. We mourn the gaping hole in the hearts of their loved ones and for the wound inflicted on the soul of our country.
Across the nation, we are seeing other worrying reminders that the pandemic is far from over. New cases have increased more than 15 percent in the last ten days nationally — which makes it all the more urgent that we stay vigilant. I urge New Yorkers to continue to wear masks, socially distance and take other precautions. We can get through this crisis by staying New York Tough, but we cannot let our guard down now.
Here's what else you need to know tonight:
1. New York has now conducted ten million COVID tests. New York continues to lead the nation in testing, having conducted more than ten million tests in total (for context, the population of New York State is about 19 million). Remember that any New Yorker can get tested for COVID for any reason. Find a testing site near you.
2. Five states have been added to New York's travel advisory. Individuals traveling to New York from Arizona, Minnesota, Nevada, Rhode Island and Wyoming must quarantine for 14 days upon arriving in New York. No areas have been removed. See more info here.
3. The positive infection rate remains under one percent. Yesterday, there were 470 total hospitalizations. Of the 83,997 tests reported yesterday, 754, or 0.89 percent, were positive. Sadly, we lost three New Yorkers to the virus.
4. Today is National Voter Registration Day. I encourage all New Yorkers who have not already done so to register to vote and make your voice heard. To register to vote you must be a U.S. citizen; a resident of New York State and the county, city or village in which you are applying for at least 30 days before the election; and be at least 18 years of age by or on November 3rd. The deadline to register to vote in New York State is October 9th. Learn how you can register to vote here or check to make sure you are registered.
Tonight's "Deep Breath Moment": Troy, NY has been chosen as the filming location for Amazon Studios' upcoming series "Modern Love." The new series is based on the popular New York Times column of the same name. It's not the first time the city of Troy has been used for filming; Troy's downtown was also one of the filming locations for the 1993 Martin Scorsese film The Age of Innocence and the 2002 sci-fi film The Time Machine.
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