Kathy Hochul

January 12, 2022

New York’s eviction moratorium will end this week, Hochul confirms

New York's eviction moratorium will not be extended after it expires this weekend, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday. In the meantime, the state’s rent-relief portal will be reopened to give aid to New Yorkers facing eviction. The freeze on evictions was established at the beginning of the Covid pandemic by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo to give relief to struggling New Yorkers. Over the past two years, it has been extended multiple times, with Hochul extending it to January 15 during her first week in office.
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January 5, 2022

Hochul wants to make to-go cocktails legal again in New York

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Wednesday plans to introduce legislation permanently allowing the sale of to-go alcoholic beverages. First permitted at the start of the coronavirus pandemic to support the restaurant industry during the lockdown, the state ended takeout cocktails last June, coinciding with the lift of Covid-related restrictions. Legalizing the sale of to-go drinks will help local restaurants and bars recover from the pandemic, according to Hochul's proposal. "Cheers, New York," Hochul said Wednesday during her State of the State address.
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January 3, 2022

Hochul announces Covid ‘surge plan 2.0’ as New York sees record number of daily cases

On Friday, the state of New York recorded over 85,000 new cases of the coronavirus, the highest daily total since the start of the pandemic. Nearly 50,000 of those cases were reported in New York City alone. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced over the holiday weekend a "winter surge plan 2.0," an attempt to strengthen the state's fight against Covid with more testing, additional testing sites, and an increase in access to vaccines.
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January 3, 2022

Walk-in Covid testing now available at 7 subway stations across NYC

Pop-up coronavirus testing sites are now open at seven subway stations across New York City. After opening two walk-in PCR testing sites at Grand Central and Times Square stations last week, Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority opened additional sites at five subway stations, including Penn Station, Broadway Junction in Brooklyn, East 180th Street in the Bronx, and Roosevelt Avenue and Jamaica-179th Street in Queens. The state is currently experiencing a record surge in new Covid cases, which officials are attributing to the highly contagious Omicron variant.
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December 28, 2021

NYC schools will reopen in January with increased Covid testing

Despite a surge in new coronavirus cases, New York City officials said classrooms will reopen after winter break and stay open. Mayor Bill de Blasio and Mayor-elect Eric Adams announced on Tuesday public schools will reopen as scheduled on January 3 with new health and safety measures in place, moving away from the remote learning model which many schools across the country have shifted to due to the recent surge in cases. Put together by the de Blasio administration and incoming Adams administration, the “Stay Safe and Stay Open" plan utilizes a massive increase in testing that will allow classrooms to stay open even if students test positive.
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December 10, 2021

All New York businesses will mandate masks indoors unless there’s a vaccine requirement

As coronavirus cases and hospitalizations rise statewide, Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday announced a new mask requirement for all indoor public places in New York that don't require proof of vaccination for entry. The new measure comes as the state experiences a "winter surge." Since Thanksgiving, the statewide seven-day average case rate has jumped by 43 percent and hospitalizations have increased by 29 percent. "I have warned for weeks that additional steps could be necessary, and now we are at that point based upon three metrics: Increasing cases, reduced hospital capacity, and insufficient vaccination rates in certain areas," Hochul said in a statement.
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December 7, 2021

Hochul announces $539M fund to help New York homeowners who are behind on payments

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday that New York will be the first state to receive the U.S. Department of the Treasury's approval for its Homeowner Assistance Fund. The program offers up to $539 million to help low- and moderate-income homeowners affected by the Covid-19 pandemic avoid mortgage delinquency, default, foreclosure, and displacement.
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November 29, 2021

Hochul declares a state of emergency for New York to prepare for omicron variant

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday declared a state of emergency for the state of New York to prepare for the new omicron variant of the coronavirus. The order allows the Department of Health to stop non-urgent surgeries at hospitals with less than 10 percent of beds available. While the new variant has not yet been detected in New York, "it's coming," according to Hochul, who in her order said the state is now experiencing Covid transmission rates not seen since April 2020.
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November 4, 2021

Hochul wants to rename Penn Station as part of revised renovation plan

Would Penn Station still be as much fun to mock if it wasn't named after the commonwealth of Pennslyvania? Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday unveiled a revised redevelopment plan of the cramped transit hub, a pet project of her predecessor. In addition to redesigning and upgrading the existing facility and adding public space to the surrounding area, Hochul is also calling for the notorious train hall to be renamed.
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November 1, 2021

New LIRR concourse at Grand Central unveiled as part of long-awaited East Side Access project

The project that will bring direct Long Island Rail Road service to Grand Central Terminal hit a major milestone this weekend. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday rode the first passenger LIRR train into the new concourse at the Midtown East transit hub and gave the public a first look at the terminal. Expected to officially open in December 2022, the East Side Access project will provide direct service to Manhattan's east side for Long Island and Queens commuters, while also reducing crowds at Penn Station.
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October 18, 2021

NYC subway ridership topped 3.2 million riders in one day for the first time since Covid

For the first time since the start of the pandemic, the New York City subway saw over 3.2 million riders in one day. Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Friday announced 3,236,904 customers rode the subway on October 14, passing the previous record made a week prior by 50,000 customers. The record set last week still remains far below pre-pandemic levels; average weekday ridership regularly exceeded 5.5 million trips before Covid.
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September 27, 2021

New York rolls out Covid-19 booster shot plan, launches new website

With an amended emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week, certain groups of people are now eligible for a booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. On Monday, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a plan to vaccinate New Yorkers who qualify for a booster dose and rolled out a new website with dedicated information about the additional dose. Booster doses are currently only approved for those who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and should be administered at least six months after their second dose.
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September 27, 2021

New York announces $27M in Hurricane Ida aid for undocumented residents

Nearly a month after the remnants of Hurricane Ida brought record rainfall, more than $50 million in property damage, and claimed the lives of 13 city residents, New York officials announced a plan to provide financial assistance to undocumented residents affected by the storm. Announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Bill de Blasio on Sunday, the fund includes $27 million in city and state grants for New Yorkers who are ineligible for federal help because of their immigration status.
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September 15, 2021

See the elevated pedestrian pathway that will connect the High Line to Moynihan Train Hall

Governor Kathy Hochul has unveiled designs for a 1,200-foot-long elevated pedestrian pathway that will connect the High Line to the recently opened Moynihan Train Hall. The $50 million project will also connect Chelsea with other West Side destinations like Hudson Yards, Manhattan West, Penn Station, and the Javits Center. The plan was first floated by former Governor Andrew Cuomo in January as part of his extremely ambitious agenda to redevelop Midtown West. Under the direction of Governor Hochul, the pathway is expected to be completed by Spring 2023.
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September 7, 2021

Here’s how New Yorkers affected by Hurricane Ida can get help

President Joe Biden on Monday approved a major disaster declaration for New York, making federal funding available to residents and businesses in counties affected by flooding last week caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida. According to an early estimate from state officials, Ida caused $50 million in damage to public property and to more than 1,200 residences. In addition to the financial relief provided by FEMA, there are several resources available to New Yorkers who need help in the aftermath of the storm, including temporary shelter, food and basic needs, and cash assistance.
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September 2, 2021

Hurricane Ida brings historic flash flooding across NYC, second record rainfall in 10 days

Less than two weeks ago, New York City experienced the most rainfall ever recorded in a single hour with 1.94 inches documented in Central Park on August 21. That record was smashed on Wednesday night when the remnants of Hurricane Ida hit the region, bringing 3.15 inches of rain to the park between around 8:50 p.m. and 9:50 p.m. The historic rainfall caused a flash flood emergency to be issued in the city for the first time ever, brought the subway system to a standstill, and ultimately left at least 12 New Yorkers dead.
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September 2, 2021

New York extends eviction moratorium until early 2022

The New York State Legislature on Wednesday extended a temporary freeze on evictions until early next year during a rare special session. Expected to protect hundreds of thousands of tenants who have faced financial hardships as a result of the pandemic, the move comes one day after the state's eviction moratorium expired and a week after the United States Supreme Court overturned the federal moratorium. Lawmakers also modified the moratorium so it complies with the court's decision, which found it inconsistent with due process laws. Most evictions in New York will now be on hold until January 15, 2022.
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August 24, 2021

Governor Hochul calls for mandatory vaccine or testing for all New York public school staff

On her first day in office, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that all public school staff in New York State will be required to either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or participate in weekly testing. The news comes just one day after Mayor Bill de Blasio put a similar mandate in place for all teachers and staff, though there will be no test-out option in New York City.
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