Update, April 7, 2020

What’s New Today

Governor Cuomo Press Briefing

• The Governor announced this morning that there are now 138,836 confirmed COVID-19 positive cases in New York State.

• On April 6th 731 people passed away – the largest single day increase to date after two days of the number of deaths being flat. The Governor said this metric lags behind the total number of hospitalizations and number of daily ICU admissions – both of which are down over the last few days.

• The Governor will be issuing an Executive Order today to address all of the announcements he has previously made, including increasing fines for violating social distancing protocols and moving ventilators from upstate to downstate.

• The Governor is working with New Jersey and Connecticut to develop a regional plan for restarting life. The plan will not be “like a light switch” – it will be an incremental approach to returning to work and normal life.

• NYS Department of Health has approved an anti-body test. If the FDA approves the test, the State will start working with the private sector to bring the test to scale. The test will be used to determine who has caught coronavirus, recovered, and can return to work.

• The Governor has extended “New York on Pause” until April 29^th, which means schools and non-essential businesses will remain closed and social distancing measures will remain in place.

Up-To-Date Guidance

• New York State Education Department:

• Cancellation of the June 2020 Administration of the New York State (NYS) High School Regents Examination Program in Response to COVID-19 Related School and District Closures

• Extension of the Subject Area Certification Requirement Effective Date and Statement of Continued Eligibility (SOCE) Application Deadline for Special Education Teachers Who Teach One or More Subject Areas in a Special Class in Grades 7-12 Due to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak in New York State

• New York State Unified Court System: Virtual Courts Up and Running Statewide

• New York State Office for the Aging: Guidance Against Government Grant Scams

• Empire State Development:

• GUIDANCE FOR DETERMINING WHETHER A BUSINESS ENTERPRISE IS SUBJECT TO A WORKFORCE REDUCTION UNDER RECENT EXECUTIVE ORDERS

• There have been no changes to this guidance since our last update.

• According to reports there will be an update made to this guidance that will classify real estate showings, appraisal services, home inspections and back-office real estate work as essential functions.

• New York City: Agency Suspensions and Reductions

• Changes since our last update:

• Updated: Administration for Children’s Services (ACS)
• Updated: Civic Engagement Commission (CEC)
• Updated: Department for the Aging (DFTA)
• Updated: Department of Buildings (DOB)
• Updated: Department of Transportation (DOT)
• Updated: Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD)

Attached please find a comprehensive document with guidance from across government agencies. We will be updating this document as information becomes available and including it in our daily updates.

In addition to our regular email updates, Ostroff Associates has established two dedicated webpages that will be updated in real time with any new information from government sources relating to COVID-19. Please use these websites as a resource and share with others who would benefit.

Update Page: https://www.ostroffassociates.com/covid-19-updates/

News Page: https://www.ostroffassociates.com/category/covid-19/

CLICK HERE TO VIEW GOVERNANCE GUIDANCE UPDATE APRIL 7