Jun 16, 2020
The data continues to look very good, with infection rates holding or decreasing and hospitalizations and deaths at all-time lows. Out of the 60,568 COVID tests conducted in New York State yesterday, 631, or 1.05 percent, were positive, which is great news. So today we are excited to announce that the U.S. Open will be held in Queens this August — one of the first major sporting events to return. No fans will attend and the U.S. Tennis Association will take extraordinary precautions to protect players and staff.
We must stay the course. New York has the lowest rate of transmission in the country and the phased reopening is working. We need to stay smart and responsible. The Capital Region begins Phase 3 tomorrow and it's important that employers be smart; store owners be smart; employees be smart; individuals be smart; and local governments be smart and do their job. It's Up to Us, New York.
Photo of the Day: Last night, the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge was illuminated in blue in honor of my father's birthday. Happy birthday, Pop.
(Photo by Don Pollard)
1. Hospitals and group homes will be allowed to accept visitors at their discretion. Any facility that chooses to allow visitors must follow state guidelines, including time-limited visits and requiring visitors to wear PPE and be subject to symptom and temperature checks. Details here.
2. New York expanded our antibody testing survey. The state conducted antibody tests on 12,000 individuals across the state over a six-week period. The results show 13.4 percent of the population have COVID-19 antibodies, compared to the 12.3 percent that tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies during a statewide antibody testing study from May 1st.
3. New York has conducted over 3 million COVID tests to date. That is more than any state or country per capita. Even as we have tested more people in recent weeks, the positive rate has gone down — which is very good news.
4. The total number of COVID hospitalizations continues to hit record lows. Total hospitalizations fell to 1,538 yesterday, from 1,608. Sadly, 24 people in New York passed away on Monday due to COVID-19, which is the lowest number on a three-day average since the pandemic began.
5. Take a look inside New York's effort to reimagine services for survivors of domestic violence. Amid an uptick in reports of domestic violence during the Coronavirus pandemic, New York is turning toward innovative strategies to rethink a 40-year-old system that will put the individual needs of survivors first.
Tonight's "Deep Breath Moment": The 2020 Special Olympics New York was set to celebrate 50 years this month, but unfortunately the Summer Games were canceled due to COVID-19. To keep athletes engaged and celebrate the milestone, the organization hosted a virtual Season at Home, where athletes could compete safely from their homes and go up against other competitors from around the state.
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