Andrew Cuomo

July 21, 2020

New York’s 14-day travel quarantine expands to more than half of the country

Individuals traveling to New York from ten additional states must quarantine for 14 days, bringing the total number of states under the travel advisory to 31, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Tuesday. The new states added to the list include Alaska, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Virginia, and Washington, all places with "significant community spread," according to the state.
The full list of states

Policy

Cuomo threatens roll back of outdoor dining in NYC amidst growing crowds

Photo of New Yorkers drinking on St. Mark’s Place in May by Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

July 20, 2020

Cuomo threatens roll back of outdoor dining in NYC amidst growing crowds

By Dana Schulz

After yet another weekend of social gatherings in New York City, Governor Cuomo said in his press conference this morning that the state may have to roll back the opening of bars and restaurants in the city if the local government and police department does not enact stricter enforcement. The governor emphasized the fact that the NYPD's task is not to inform young people about mask compliance but to enforce the law. "That is the only line between anarchy and civilization," he said." This weekend, Steinway Street in Astoria was flooded with people partying, and the Lower East Side once again saw large crowds.
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Photo (cropped) by Eden, Janine and Jim via Flickr cc

July 20, 2020

NYC (kind of) enters phase 4 today

By Dana Schulz

Governor Cuomo cleared NYC to enter the fourth and final phase of reopening on Monday, July 20. But just like with phase three, the city's reopening looks a bit different than the rest of the state. No additional indoor venues like malls and cultural institutions can reopen yet, and there's still no date for indoor dining. The governor also doubled down on bars and restaurants violating social distancing and face-covering rules in a new "Three Strikes and You're Closed" initiative. Any establishment that receives three violations will be immediately shut down, and walk-up bar service is no longer permitted.
READ MORE

Policy

July 17, 2020

322-unit affordable complex with healthcare center and courtyard planned for East Flatbush

By Devin Gannon

Another proposal has been chosen for a new affordable development in East Flatbush as part of the state's effort to revitalize neighborhoods in Central Brooklyn. Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday announced plans for a 322-unit complex called "Utica Crescent" that will be constructed on a lot next to the Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center. The project is part of the $1.4 billion Vital Brooklyn initiative that will ultimately bring 4,000 units of affordable housing, improved health and wellness options, jobs, and additional open space to underserved Brooklyn neighborhoods.
More here

How to apply for New York’s new COVID-19 rent relief program

Via CityRealty

July 14, 2020

How to apply for New York’s new COVID-19 rent relief program

By Devin Gannon

Update 7/31/20: The deadline to apply for the rent relief program has been extended by one week to Thursday, August 6. A new rent relief program launched Tuesday that provides subsidies to eligible low-income New Yorkers financially affected by the coronavirus pandemic. First signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo last month, the assistance program helps low-income households experiencing increased rent burden due to a loss of income because of COVID-19 by sending a one-time subsidy directly to landlords. The payment covers the difference between a household's rent burden on March 1 and the increase in rent burden for up to four months. Applicants must meet several eligibility requirements to qualify for the program.
More here

Section of the poster, courtesy of the Governor’s Office

July 14, 2020

For $14.50, you can own one of Governor Cuomo’s ‘New York Tough’ posters

By Dana Schulz

The term Cuomosexual has gone as far as to make it into the Urban Dictionary. But if watching Randy Rainbow sing about the New York governor's COVID-era following is not enough to satiate your Cuomo fix, you can personally own one of his creative albeit interesting "New York Tough" posters. Governor Cuomo revealed the piece, meant to evoke the turn-of-the-century poster art that he's so fond of, in his press conference yesterday; it's available for pre-order for $14.50. The poster depicts the coronavirus mountain that the state scaled and came down, with illustrations of everything from a nose swab test to his press briefing team to his daughter's boyfriend who briefly quarantined with the family. Oh yeah, and Donald Trump is featured as "the man in the moon."
See the full poster here

Policy

Travelers from states with COVID surges must provide contact info at New York airports

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

July 13, 2020

Travelers from states with COVID surges must provide contact info at New York airports

By Dana Schulz

This weekend was a grim time for the nation's struggle against the coronavirus pandemic. Thirty-nine states are seeing rising COVID infection rates, and on July 10, the country set a new record with 66,281 new cases on a single day. On July 11, Florida set a new record for an individual state, with 15,300 new cases. New York, on the other hand, has seen its numbers decrease since it began reopening. And in order to help preserve this progress, Governor Cuomo announced today that travelers coming from problematic states must provide local authorities with their contact information at all New York airports in order to enforce the previously implemented 14-day quarantine.
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To-go cocktails will continue in New York for at least another month

Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

June 30, 2020

To-go cocktails will continue in New York for at least another month

By Devin Gannon

Takeout alcoholic beverages will be legal in New York for at least one more month, under an executive order signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo last week. As mandated by the governor and the New York State Liquor Authority in March in response to the shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic, businesses can continue to sell to-go beer, wine, and liquor until July 26. The relaxed liquor rules, which have been extended every 30 days since instated on March 16, proved popular with restaurants and bars looking for alternative ways to bring in revenue.
Get the details

New York reopening guide: What’s open and what you need to know

Photo by Victor He on Unsplash

June 24, 2020

New York reopening guide: What’s open and what you need to know

By Dana Schulz

In early May, Governor Cuomo revealed that businesses across New York would reopen in four phases. He divided the state into 10 regions and created seven metrics that would determine when a region could begin the process. As of Monday, New York City finally entered phase two, which permits outdoor dining, in-store retail, hair salons, playgrounds, and more. To help make all the transitions a bit easier, we've put together a guide that breaks down what exactly is being monitored to determine reopening, what businesses are allowed to reopen in each phase, and other important info like transportation and testing.
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New York bars violating reopening rules could lose liquor license or be forced to close, under new order

Photo of New Yorkers drinking on St. Mark’s Place in May by Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

June 18, 2020

New York bars violating reopening rules could lose liquor license or be forced to close, under new order

By Devin Gannon

Any New York bar or restaurant found to be in violation of the state's reopening rules could now immediately lose their liquor license or be forced to shut down. Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday signed two executive orders that would allow for officials to revoke liquor licenses if state guidelines are not followed. The governor's second executive order holds bars responsible for the area in front of their establishment. The mandates come after Cuomo said he would reverse the reopening of some regions if the state's guidelines were not followed. According to the governor, more than 25,000 complaints about businesses in violation of the reopening plan have been filed statewide since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, with a majority of grievances made about restaurants and bars in Manhattan and in the Hamptons.
Find out more

Juneteenth to become New York State holiday

By Devin Gannon

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday signed an executive order recognizing Juneteenth as a holiday for state employees and said he will introduce legislation to make it an official New York State holiday next year. Juneteenth marks the end of slavery in the United States in 1865 and is celebrated annually on June 19.
Details this way

Pedestrian path on Mario M. Cuomo Bridge opens with public art, scenic overlooks, & food vendors

Photo courtesy of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

June 15, 2020

Pedestrian path on Mario M. Cuomo Bridge opens with public art, scenic overlooks, & food vendors

By Devin Gannon

The pedestrian-bike path on the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge officially opened to the public on Monday. The 3.6-mile shared path serves as the "gateway to the Hudson Valley," connecting Westchester and Rockland Counties, and is one of the longest of its kind in the country, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The path features six different scenic overlooks, 10 public art pieces, and three local food trucks.
See it here

Transit

Seven New York regions will be in phase 3 this week, gatherings of up to 25 now allowed

Slide from Governor Cuomo’s 6.15.20 press presentation

June 15, 2020

Seven New York regions will be in phase 3 this week, gatherings of up to 25 now allowed

By Dana Schulz

Last week, five New York regions entered phase three of reopening, which includes indoor dining and personal care services such as nail salons, tattoo parlors, and massage parlors. In addition to the North Country, Mohawk Valley, Central New York, Finger Lakes, and the Southern Tier, Governor Cuomo announced today that Western New York will enter phase three tomorrow and the Capital Region on Wednesday. He also modified phase three to increase gatherings from 10 to 25 people.
More details here

Policy

See inside LaGuardia Airport’s new Terminal B

Photos courtesy of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

June 10, 2020

See inside LaGuardia Airport’s new Terminal B

By Devin Gannon

The new arrivals and departures hall at LaGuardia Airport's Terminal B will officially open on Saturday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced. The 850,000-square-foot, four-level space measures roughly 50 percent bigger than the hall it replaces and comes equipped with more check-in kiosks, security lines, and new screening systems, all aimed at improving efficiency and reducing crowds. The new hall is part of the ongoing reconstruction of LaGuardia, an $8 billion project which first broke ground in 2016.
See inside

Transit

All New York regions other than NYC will be in phase two of reopening next week

An aerial view of Buffalo, NY, part of the Western region. Photo by formulanone via Wikimedia Commons.

June 5, 2020

All New York regions other than NYC will be in phase two of reopening next week

By Dana Schulz

As of Wednesday, seven of New York's 10 designated regions were in phase two of the state's four-part reopening plan--Central New York, Finger Lakes, Mohawk Valley, North Country, Southern Tier, Western New York (the Buffalo area), and the Capital Region. And yesterday, Governor Cuomo announced that the Mid-Hudson Valley is on track to enter phase two on Tuesday, June 9th and Long Island on Wednesday, June 10th. With state guidelines and social distancing measures in place, this allows office-based workers, real estate services, in-store retail shopping, outdoor dining, and some barbershop services to resume.
More details here

Policy

New York restaurants can open for outdoor dining during phase two of reopening

Photo via Flickr cc

June 3, 2020

New York restaurants can open for outdoor dining during phase two of reopening

By Dana Schulz

With seven of 10 regions across the state now in phase two of the reopening plan, Governor Cuomo announced today that he was adding outdoor dining at restaurants to the list of businesses and operations allowed during this second stage. Restaurants in these regions can begin this tomorrow June 4th, as long as outdoor tables are spaced six feet apart, all staff wear face coverings, and customers also wear face coverings when not seated.
Find out more

NYC will have 8 p.m. curfew until Sunday with no traffic south of 96th Street

Photo of a Black Lives Matter demonstration in 2016 by Nicole Baster on Unsplash

June 2, 2020

NYC will have 8 p.m. curfew until Sunday with no traffic south of 96th Street

By Devin Gannon

Mayor Bill de Blasio extended the citywide curfew to Sunday and said it will start three hours earlier at 8 p.m. following a night of looting. The mayor and Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday jointly announced an 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew and an increase of police enforcement following a weekend of protests. The NYPD announced that after 8 p.m. the only vehicles allowed south of 96th Street in Manhattan will be essential workers, buses, and delivery trucks. Likewise, Citi Bike has been required to shut down service for the duration of the curfew.
More here

Policy

New York adds 10 new testing sites in city’s COVID-19 ‘hot spots’

Photo by Payton Chung on Flickr

June 1, 2020

New York adds 10 new testing sites in city’s COVID-19 ‘hot spots’

By Devin Gannon

As New York City prepares to enter phase one of reopening next week, officials are targeting areas where the coronavirus continues to spread. Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Saturday announced that the state will open 10 new COVID-19 testing sites in zip codes considered 'hot spots,' which includes neighborhoods in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens. The 10 ZIP codes, which consist of predominantly low income and minority communities, have seen higher rates of infection, hospitalization, and death caused by the virus.
Details here

Policy

Photo by Daniel Lee on Unsplash

May 29, 2020

NYC is on track to start reopening week of June 8

By Devin Gannon

New York City is gearing up to begin the reopening process the week of June 8, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Friday. During a press briefing, the governor said the city should be able to join the state's nine other regions in reopening phase one businesses, which includes all construction, manufacturing, and some retail stores. "I am proud of the way New York is figuring it out," Cuomo said.
More here

Policy

9 of 10 New York regions have met reopening metrics, NYC still waiting

Screenshot from the State’s new Regional Monitoring Dashboard as of 5/28/20

May 28, 2020

9 of 10 New York regions have met reopening metrics, NYC still waiting

By Dana Schulz

After the New York PAUSE order was put into effect on March 22, all but one of the state's 10 regions have met the metrics to start phase one of reopening since it expired on Friday, May 15. As outlined on an interactive dashboard that monitors regional status, New York City is the only region not to have hit this benchmark. The city has not reached a 30 percent threshold of the share of total hospital beds available and has not gotten its contact tracing program up to the required level. As 6sqft reported, phase one allows construction, manufacturing, agriculture, forestry, fishing, and select retail that can offer curbside pickup to reopen.
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Policy

With Long Island and Hudson Valley cleared to reopen, MTA boosts train service

Photo by Phillip Capper via Wikimedia

May 27, 2020

With Long Island and Hudson Valley cleared to reopen, MTA boosts train service

By Devin Gannon

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is boosting service on the Long Island Rail Road and the Metro-North as two more New York regions are officially cleared to start reopening. The Hudson Vallery region and Long Island have met the state's metrics to begin reopening phase one businesses, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said this week. Starting Wednesday, the MTA will increase capacity by 26 percent on Metro-North with 18 additional trains during peak service, as well as add 105 Long Island Railroad cars to meet restored demand for service.
Details this way

Policy

Cuomo to fast-track NYC infrastructure projects, including overhauls of Penn Station & LaGuardia

Rendering of a new entrance on 8th Avenue to Penn Station, part of the Empire Station Complex via Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office

May 26, 2020

Cuomo to fast-track NYC infrastructure projects, including overhauls of Penn Station & LaGuardia

By Devin Gannon

The state will focus on restarting New York City's economy by accelerating work on major infrastructure projects, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Tuesday. "There is no better time to build than right now," Cuomo said during a press briefing. "You need to create jobs and you need to renew and repair this country's economy and its infrastructure." The governor said the state will fast-track infrastructure projects like the renovation and rebuild of Penn Station and LaGuardia Airport.
More here

Antibody testing shows coronavirus is still spreading in NYC’s minority communities

Photo by Chris Barbalis on Unsplash

May 20, 2020

Antibody testing shows coronavirus is still spreading in NYC’s minority communities

By Devin Gannon

The coronavirus continues to spread in lower-income communities and communities of color in New York City, according to antibody test results released by the state on Wednesday. New York earlier this month partnered with Northwell Health and city churches to test residents of low-income neighborhoods, with 8,000 antibody tests conducted to date. According to preliminary data from those tests, 27 percent tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies, compared to the city's overall antibody rate of 19.9 percent.
More here

Policy

New York launches interactive map to find COVID testing sites near you

A screenshot of the map taken on 5.17.20

May 17, 2020

New York launches interactive map to find COVID testing sites near you

By Dana Schulz

New York now has 700+ COVID testing sites across the state and is doing twice the amount of testing of the entire rest of the country. To make it easier for residents to get themselves tested, Governor Cuomo announced on Sunday the launch of a new interactive map that will show the testing sites closest to you. He also announced that the criteria to get tested has expanded to include those who would return to work in phase one.
READ MORE

Policy

New York joins New Jersey and Connecticut to open beaches for Memorial Day

Photo of Fire Island National Seashore by Pexels from Pixabay

May 15, 2020

New York joins New Jersey and Connecticut to open beaches for Memorial Day

By Dana Schulz

During his press conference on Friday, Governor Cuomo announced that he'd be joining New Jersey, Connecticut, and Delaware in opening state beaches by Friday, May 22, ahead of Memorial Day Weekend. The four states agreed that they will mandate no more than 50 percent capacity, prohibit group activities and social gatherings, enforce social distancing measures and mask adherence when needed, and keep concessions closed.
READ MORE

Policy

Andrew Cuomo

New York’s 14-day travel quarantine expands to more than half of the country

Cuomo threatens roll back of outdoor dining in NYC amidst growing crowds

NYC (kind of) enters phase 4 today

322-unit affordable complex with healthcare center and courtyard planned for East Flatbush

How to apply for New York’s new COVID-19 rent relief program

For $14.50, you can own one of Governor Cuomo’s ‘New York Tough’ posters

Travelers from states with COVID surges must provide contact info at New York airports

To-go cocktails will continue in New York for at least another month

New York reopening guide: What’s open and what you need to know

New York bars violating reopening rules could lose liquor license or be forced to close, under new order

Juneteenth to become New York State holiday

Pedestrian path on Mario M. Cuomo Bridge opens with public art, scenic overlooks, & food vendors

Seven New York regions will be in phase 3 this week, gatherings of up to 25 now allowed

See inside LaGuardia Airport’s new Terminal B

All New York regions other than NYC will be in phase two of reopening next week

For $995K, this two-bedroom Park Slope condo is a breath of fresh air

New York restaurants can open for outdoor dining during phase two of reopening

NYC will have 8 p.m. curfew until Sunday with no traffic south of 96th Street

New York adds 10 new testing sites in city’s COVID-19 ‘hot spots’

NYC is on track to start reopening week of June 8

9 of 10 New York regions have met reopening metrics, NYC still waiting

With Long Island and Hudson Valley cleared to reopen, MTA boosts train service

Cuomo to fast-track NYC infrastructure projects, including overhauls of Penn Station & LaGuardia

Antibody testing shows coronavirus is still spreading in NYC’s minority communities

New York launches interactive map to find COVID testing sites near you

New York joins New Jersey and Connecticut to open beaches for Memorial Day

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