News

- New York is pushing forward to conduct more tests, add hospital beds and make it easier to get the COVID-19 vaccine across the state, but we need New Yorkers to stay vigilant and take safety precautions as the virus is still spreading. Unfortunately, vaccine supply from the federal government…

SBA Re-Opening Paycheck Protection Program to Small Lenders on Friday, January 15 and All Lenders on Tuesday, January 19Lenders with $1 Billion or Less in Assets Will be Able to Submit First and Second Draw PPP Applications on Friday – Continuing Dedicated Access for…

- Today, the Jacob K. Javits Center, Westchester County Center and New York State Fair Expo Center opened at 8 a.m. to begin administering vaccines to eligible New Yorkers. These are the first three state-run sites to open. A site at Jones Beach will open tomorrow, January 14th, and a site at SUNY…

- Following new guidance from the CDC, New York is now including individuals age 65 and up as eligible to schedule appointments to receive the vaccine. Immunocompromised New Yorkers are also eligible to receive the vaccine. We are working with the CDC on how to best define the immunocompromised…

- Today I delivered my annual State of the State address. There are moments in life that can change a person fundamentally, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. Likewise, there are episodes in history that transform society and COVID is one of those moments. New York sees this moment…

- Starting on Monday, New York State will begin scheduling vaccinations for "Phase 1b" groups—the next category of people eligible for the vaccine. This group includes: People aged 75 and up; education workers (pre-K through 12 teachers and education workers, licensed and…

- The increase in infection rate post-holidays is here and is problematic in and of itself, but when combined with the newly found UK strain in NYS and with the federal government's refusal to contain more cases by instituting common sense testing requirement for international travelers, our work…

- I know that many New Yorkers are eager for information on the vaccine's distribution. In fact my mother, Matilda, keeps asking me when she can get vaccinated. Much of the timeline depends on how quickly the federal government can distribute supplies to states, and we expect the supply to increase…

- In New York we are working hard to distribute vaccines to eligible groups as fairly and expeditiously as possible. Planning is well under way in preparation for widespread vaccination as more groups become eligibile. We are working with the public and private sectors across the state to develop a…

- Unfortunately, the Wadsworth Laboratory in Albany has confirmed the first known case of the U.K. variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 in New York State. An individual from Saratoga County, NY, with no known recent travel, tested positive for the strain, which scientists say is more contagious…

- Thursday, January 7, 2021 at 12:00 PM - Understanding and Accessing COVID-19 Relief for the Travel IndustryU.S. Travel wants to help you understand what is provided in the recently enacted COVID-19 relief legislation, how to access relief and when funds will be made available.U.S. Travel's…

- There will certainly be new challenges in 2021 and New York will meet them head on. I want to take this moment to extend my heartfelt thanks to each and every New Yorker who did their part to get us through this traumatic and unprecedented year. We showed the entire world the meaning of New York…

- As the year draws to a close, the vaccination distribution program continues to ramp up with more priority groups added as supply becomes available. As the vaccination process continues to build in the weeks ahead, know that you can look to this newsletter as an accurate in-depth source for…

- Last night, I signed the COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act, which extends the moratorium on COVID-related residential evictions until May 1, while also providing foreclosure protections to homeowners and small landlords. Many New Yorkers have faced economic hardship as…

- As we continue to distribute the vaccine throughout New York, we've come across a new issue—possible fraud by a health care provider. The State Department of Health was made aware of reports that an Orange County health provider may have fraudulently obtained COVID-19 vaccines…

- We're in a footrace between the vaccination program and the growing spread of COVID. So far, 89,000 New Yorkers have received their first COVID-19 vaccine dose. 22,000 New Yorkers received their first dose at 90 nursing home facilities, during just the first two days of a federal-private…

- With Christmas and Kwanzaa coming up this week, followed by New Year's Eve, we all need to do our part to stop the spread. And we can do so by celebrating in different ways this year. This year I encourage New Yorkers to celebrate smart so the virus doesn't spread to the point where the hospital…

  - It's no secret that we are facing very difficult days, perhaps the most difficult of the pandemic. It is vital that we embrace a strategy that will support and strengthen our communities in the near term while setting the stage for a robust recovery in 2021! Anyone following the industry…

- As we roll out our vaccination program, it's critical that underserved communities are not left behind. These communities, which are predominantly communities of color, got hit the hardest during the pandemic, which laid bare existing disparities in our health care system. We're doing everything…

- I am incredibly pleased that through tremendously hard work and our collective voices calling on Congress, DMOs and tourism offices will now have the ability to access critically important PPP loans included in the just-announced congressional relief package. Our message to Congress and the…