New York Capital Brief:

Cuomo v. Trump: Rising Tensions

The complicated relationship between Governor Cuomo and President Trump has become increasingly exacerbated by the pandemic and upcoming elections. For the last couple of days, the two New York natives have been sparring over the President’s call for the federal government to review potential cuts for cities that have allowed for “lawless” protests. According to the memo released by the White House, New York City is explicitly referenced as one of the cities permitting “anarchy, violence, and destruction.”

HHS Announces Assisted Living Private Pay Relief

On Tuesday,  HHS formally announced a private pay distribution from the CARES Act provider relief funds for licensed assisted living providers. As anticipated based on recent discussions, the distribution model mirrors that of the Medicaid distribution previously announced and will be based on 2 percent of annual gross revenue for private pay providers that submit an application and are validated by HHS.

Assisted Living to Receive Point-of-Care COVID-19 Tests

The federal government is purchasing 150 million new BinaxNow COVID-19 Ag Card tests from Abbott Laboratories with the intent to begin distribution to states and congregate care facilities, including assisted living communities in mid-September.

Cuomo and Labor Leaders Press Congress for Action

In a press conference this week, Governor Cuomo announced that he and prominent State labor leaders sent a letter calling on Congress to provide $59 billion to address catastrophic budget shortfalls that impact the jobs and livelihoods of thousands of workers in New York.

NYC Schools Reopening Delayed

On Tuesday, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that in-person classes would start on Sept. 21 — 10 days later than initially planned. The shift came as pressure to change those plans intensified this week, when the City’s powerful teachers’ union was poised to authorize an illegal strike for its 75,000 members.

Now, instead of starting a mix of in-person and remote learning on Sept. 10, the City’s more than 1 million public school students will start remote-only classes Sept. 16 and in-school instruction will begin Sept. 21.

COVID & Travel Advisory Update

On June 25th, Governor Cuomo, along with CT Governor Lamont and NJ Governor Murphy, implemented a tri-state travel advisory which requires anyone who is returning from a “restricted state” to quarantine for 14 days. This week, Alaska and Montana were added to the list.