Update On COVID-19

Outdoor Dining Will Resume Year-Round in New York City

New York City Council passed legislation allowing roadway and sidewalk outdoor dining structures to remain open year-round, reversing previous seasonal rules that forced restaurants to dismantle street setups every November.

The updated framework lets spots winterize spaces with weatherproofing while enforcing stricter sanitary guidelines and an 11 p.m. curfew.

Restaurants face fines ranging from $200 up to $500 if their outdoor spaces fail strict sanitation or rodent-control rules.

Source: NBC New York

Update On COVID-19

US sees cases of new COVID-19 variant linked to surge in China.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has detected multiple cases of the new COVID-19 variant NB.1.8.1, which has been linked to a spike in cases in China. A CDC spokesperson confirmed the findings to Fox News Digital, but said there had been too few cases for the strain to be included in the agency’s COVID Data Tracker.

"There have been fewer than 20 sequences of NB.1.8.1 in the U.S. baseline surveillance data to date, so it has not met the threshold for inclusion in the COVID Data Tracker dashboard," a CDC spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "We monitor all SARS-CoV-2 sequences, and if it increases in proportion, it will appear on the Data Tracker dashboard."

The cases were reportedly detected through the CDC’s airport screening program, according to CBS News, though the CDC spokesperson did not confirm this to Fox News Digital.

Source: FOX5 News

Update On COVID-19

Paid leave for COVID-19 will expire this month in New York state.

New York state's COVID-19 quarantine leave legislation was signed into law in March 2020 in response to the outbreak of coronavirus.

It provides job-protected paid leave for employees under a mandatory or precautionary quarantine or isolation order due to COVID-19.

Large businesses are required to provide at least 14 days of paid COVID-19 sick leave. The legislation is scheduled to expire on July 31.

Source: FOX5 News

Update On COVID-19

More than five years after the first cases of COVID-19 were detected in the United States, hundreds of people are still dying every week.

Last month, an average of about 350 people died each week from COVID, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

While high, the number of deaths is decreasing and is lower than the peak of 25,974 deaths recorded the week ending Jan. 9, 2021, as well as weekly deaths seen in previous spring months, CDC data shows.

Public health experts told ABC News that although the U.S. is in a much better place than it was a few years ago, COVID is still a threat to high-risk groups.

Source: ABC News

Update On COVID-19

Governor Kathy Hochul announced in October that $35 million in State funding is being distributed by the New York City Housing Authority to help address COVID-related rental arrears for NYCHA residents.

This funding secured by the Governor and State Legislature will provide up to 12 months of unpaid rent for NYCHA tenants and ensure these families maintain stable, affordable housing during recovery from the pandemic.

“We're continuing to support vulnerable New Yorkers who were hit hard by the pandemic and helping to ensure families remain in their homes,” Governor Hochul said.

New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) is expected to use these funds to address rental arrears accrued by NYCHA tenants. Qualifying households could be covered for up to 12 months of past due rent accumulated during the period of March 2020 – May 11, 2023.

Source: NY State Governor Office - www.governor.ny.gov/news

Update On COVID-19

Free COVID-19 tests are back for fall 2024.

As cases of a new COVID-19 variant tick upward across the U.S., the federal government is again offering Americans free at-home COVID-19 test kits. Individuals and households can begin ordering the test kits later this month, on the heels of a summer wave of COVID-19 cases.

The Biden administration restarted the same program last fall, too, after a brief pause to conserve test supplies. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the program, has started taking orders again for the at-home COVID-19 tests through the COVIDTests.gov website.

Last month, the Food and Drug Administration approved updated COVID-19 vaccine formulations from Pfizer and Moderna, which are currently being administered at pharmacies nationwide. The FDA later authorized Novavax's new protein-based COVID-19 vaccine, which is also available to patients.

Source: cbsnews.com

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