NYS Dept. of Health Issues Report on COVID-19 in Nursing Homes
On July 6th, after months of media scrutiny and concerns expressed by legislators and advocacy groups, NYS Department of Health Commissioner Howard Zucker, MD released a report: Factors Associated with Nursing Home Infections and Fatalities in NYS During the COVID-19 Global Health Crisis.
Later this summer the NYS Assembly and Senate plan to hold a joint hearing the COVID -19 impact on nursing home residents.
With a record number of absentee ballots requested for the June 23rd primary contests, absentee ballot counting by the New York State and City Board of Elections began this week. The NYC BOE has reportedly received about 50% of the total absentee ballots that were distributed.
Many State Primary results remain unofficial, pending the conclusion of absentee ballot counts.
New York’s Legislature will Return in Late July
Despite the conclusion of the traditional legislative session on June 2nd, and the closure of the State Capitol to the public, State lawmakers are planning to reconvene on July 20th in Albany for a rare summer session conducted via social distancing, masking, occupancy limitations, and remote voting.
This announcement was not unexpected, as nearly 180 bills have been introduced or amended since the beginning of July – all focusing on a range of issues from health and consumer protections to more law enforcement reforms.
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 voluntarily quarantine for 14 days. This week, Delaware, Oklahoma, and Kansas were added to the list, bringing the total to 19 states.