Aug 26, 2020
Today we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment's adoption into the U.S. Constitution, giving women the right to vote. We honor the suffragists and activists who fought for equality and paved the way forward—and we stand united in the fight to break down remaining barriers to full equality for Americans.
On the numbers, we continue to make good progress in the fight against COVID. Our hospitalization rate remains low and for the 19th straight day now the infection rate is below 1 percent. This is all a reflection of New York's hard work and determination against COVID and we must keep moving forward.
Here's what else you need to know tonight:
1. The total number of COVID hospitalizations remains low. Yesterday, there were 492 total hospitalizations. Of the 71,189 tests reported yesterday, 566, or 0.79%, were positive. Sadly, we lost 3 New Yorkers to the virus.
2. We continue monitoring an uptick in cases in Western New York. Earlier this week we noticed the infection rate was rising slightly and has been above 1.0% for six days. Yesterday, the rate was 1.4%. The case increase is driven in part by clusters at two manufacturing plants and among seasonal farm workers. There is no cause for alarm—we are continuing to monitor, test and track to prevent additional spread in the region.
3. Get tested if you have been in close contact with someone who is positive for COVID-19. When in doubt—get tested. Despite a baffling reversal of CDC guidance on this matter, the State Department of Health continues to recommend that anyone who has had close contact with someone who is positive get tested, whether or not they are exhibiting symptoms. In New York, anyone who wants a COVID-19 test can get one.
4. Gender equality is a public health issue. On Women's Equality Day, Melissa DeRosa, Secretary to the Governor and Chairwoman of the NYS Council on Women and Girls, published an article detailing New York State's response to the specific challenges that women have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic—from an uptick in domestic violence incidents to going through labor in challenging circumstances. Read the piece here.
5. Mental health resources are still available to those who need it. We can't underestimate the impact this pandemic is having on mental health. New Yorkers can call the state's hotline at 1-844-863-9314 to get free emotional support, consultations and referrals to a provider or visit headspace.com/ny for free meditation and mindfulness resources.
Tonight's "Deep Breath Moment": Paulo Luardo is an emergency department nurse at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. His fiancee Carrie Wan works across the street as a gyncelogy surgery nurse at Memorial Sloan Kettering. The couple were set to marry in 2020, but when COVID hit New York City, the two nurses postponed their wedding to fight on the frontlines of the pandemic. They credit the kindness of strangers to helping them get through the worst of the surge. Notes of appreciation slipped under under their apartment door by neighbors inspired them, as did the resounding daily cheers at 7 p.m. in support of essential workers on Manhattan's Upper East Side. On behalf of all New Yorkers, I thank them for their sacrifice and dedication to their patients, and wish them the best on their upcoming nuptials.
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