FT05012020 - Page 15

Almost a quarter of NYC residents test positive for COVID-19 antibodies: Cuomo Making Sense of the Census Check Your Mail TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | MAY 1-MAY 7, 2020 15 BY MARK HALLUM Governor Andrew Cuomo expanded on preliminary results to a statewide COVID- 19 antibody tested program that has found that 24.7 percent of New York City residents had the virus at some point in the course of the pandemic. The Monday announcement was a followup to last week’s update that said about 21 percent of city dwellers had antibodies out of statewide pool of about 3,000. These, however, were only preliminary results, according to the governor. The new pool consists of 7,500 New Yorkers from Buffalo to Montauk with men being more likely than women to be infected; 16.9 percent for males and 13.1 percent for females, according to Cuomo. That is with women consisting of 52 percent of the testing sample. “Testing tells you where we are, right? And whether the infection rate is going up or going down,” Cuomo said. “7,500 is a very significant number and it gives us a snapshot of where we are. It’s just a snapshot … but if you look at the different pictures and you have a movie at one point and you can track what is happening.” The percentage of New York state residents who tested positive for COVID- 19 antibodies differed based on their location: 24.7 percent tested positive in NYC; 14.4 percent tested positive on Long Island; and 15.1 percent tested positive in Westchester/Rockland. Compare these results to the “rest of state,” where only 3.2 percent had antibodies. NYC, Long Island, Westchester/Rockland and “rest of state” residents made up 43 percent, 14.4 percent, 6.6 percent and 35.9 percent of study subjects, respectively. On Sunday, Cuomo said New York could begin to un-PAUSE in two phases starting May 15. This came after the Centers for Disease Control advised governments that they could begin reopening after a 14-day decrease in hospitalizations, to which the Cuomo administration devised a two-phase plan. The first phase would mean bringing construction and manufacturing activities with low risk to come back online, and after a two week period of monitoring infection rates, grant businesses the opportunity to decide for themselves whether or not to ease back into operations. Whether or not businesses should reopen should be assessed on two planes, Cuomo said Sunday: “How essential a service does that business provide and how risky is that business.” As of Monday, 17,303 New Yorkers statewide have died from coronavirus including 337 since yesterday alone. But the numbers continue on the downward trend. Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhallum@ schnepsmedia.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo provides a coronavirus update during a press conference in the Red Room at the State Capitol. Mike Groll/Offi ce of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo By Julie Menin, Director of NYC Census 2020 Have you checked your mail lately? If you’re one of the New Yorkers that hasn’t responded to the 2020 Census yet, you might have noticed a postcard in your mailbox from the Census Bureau. Don’t worry — you’re not in trouble. But your community could be if you aren’t counted. These postcards and mailers are just another way the Census Bureau is trying to make sure every one of us is counted. After all, there’s a good chance you have other things on your mind. Now more than ever, we all have new and urgent priorities in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, so it might be easy to lose sight of things like the 2020 Census. But the COVID-19 pandemic also highlights just how much we all depend on our public services, and that we need a complete 2020 Census count to keep them fully funded and functioning for years to come. With that in mind, the Census Bureau sends reminders to help make sure no one gets left behind. And in fact, some of these latest mailers even contain the mail-in version of the 2020 Census form — so if you haven’t responded because of issues with your internet or phone, now you have a backup option. We encourage you to respond right away to ensure that you and your family are fully counted. So if you found a census mailer in your mailbox, let that be the inspiration you need to get counted. It only takes 10 minutes, and you can also do it online at my2020census.gov or call 1-844-330-2020 to complete it over the phone. Already filled your form out? The work doesn’t end there. Help make sure your families, friends, and neighbors are also getting counted. Remember, these resources are shared between all of us. We’re all in this together. Let’s make it count. “Making Sense of the Census” is a weekly column from Julie Menin, Director of NYC Census 2020. Every week we will be publishing pieces from Julie and guest authors laying out the facts and answering tough questions about this year’s census. Fill out the census now at my2020census. gov. �� Wheels For Wishes benefiting Make-A-Wish® Metro New York We’re still accepting donations and pick ups Your Car Donations Matter NOW More Than Ever! Free Vehicle Pick Up ANYWHERE We Accept Most Vehicles Running or Not WheelsForWishes.org 100% Tax Deductible Minimal To No Human Contact Call:(917)336-1254 �� THE PORT AUTHORITY OF NEW YORK & NEW JERSEY NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY Final Environmental Assessment Finding of No Significant Impact/Record of Decision JFK Redevelopment Program John F. Kennedy International Airport, Queens, New York In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), notice is hereby given that an electronic copy of the Final Environmental Assessment (EA) inclusive of the April 2020 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)/Record of Decision (ROD) for the proposed Redevelopment Program at John F. Kennedy International Airport is available for public review at: http://www.panynj.gov/studies-reports The EA includes comments on the proposed Redevelopment Program received from the public and the associated responses. If a member of the public is unable to access the electronic version of the Final EA and FONSI/ROD contact Kathryn Lamond at 212-435-3783. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will try to accommodate all reasonable requests to make the document available to the extent practicable, while maintaining consistency with social distancing guidelines and orders from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH). The Final EA and FONSI/ROD will be available for 60 days following date of the publication of this Notice.