NYS PAUSE Extended for Further Two Weeks

By Síle Moloney

Gov. Andrew Cuomo at the Buffalo GOTV Rally on Nov. 3, 2018.
Photo via Governor Cuomo’s Flickr account.

Further to the announcement of the initial New York State PAUSE executive order by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on March 20, the order has since been extended for a further two weeks, a measure that signals the ongoing necessity to halt the spread of the deadly disease among New Yorkers. “I don’t care how smart, how rich or how powerful you think you are. I don’t care how young, how old,” the governor said during his daily press briefing on March 31, the day it was announced his brother, CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, tested positive for COVID-19.

“This virus is the great equalizer. Remember who is vulnerable here,” he added. “You want to go out and act stupid? That’s one thing, but your stupid actions don’t just affect you. You can cause a serious illness or even death. People have to really get this and internalize it because it can happen to anyone.” The governor estimates the peak of the crisis to occur in 7-21 days from March 31.

The following is a list of the latest provisions detailed in the executive order as of March 31, 2020 at 5:35 p.m.:

Governor Cuomo has directed the state non-essential workforce to continue to work from home for an additional two weeks through April 15.
In-person workforce restrictions, which have been implemented through various executive orders are also extended until April 15.
Statewide school closures are extended by two weeks until April 15.
The first 1,000-bed temporary hospital at the Javits Center is open and accepting patients.
A new Central Coordinating Team will help implement a public-private hospital plan to share information, supplies, staff and patients among hospitals across the state.
A new online portal will connect hospitals to volunteer healthcare workers and help prioritize deployment to hospitals with the greatest need.
There is a new mobile testing site at the Bay Plaza AMC Theater at 2210 Bartow Ave. in the Bronx. Site hours are Monday to Sunday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. by appointment only.
Three new sites have been identified to serve as a place for emergency beds – South Beach Psychiatric Center in Staten Island, Westchester Square in the Bronx, and Health Alliance in Ulster County, adding 695 more available beds.
The federal government has approved four new sites for temporary hospitals – the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, the Aqueduct Racetrack facility in Queens, CUNY College of Staten Island, and the New York Expo Center in the Bronx, adding an additional 4,000 beds.
New Yorkers can call the COVID-19 Emotional Support Hotline at 1-844-863-9314 for mental health counseling.
New Yorkers without health insurance can apply through NY State of Health within 60 days of losing coverage.
Department of Motor Vehicles offices are temporarily closed for in-office visits. Online transactions, including for license renewals, are still be available. License and permit expirations will be extended.
Testing is free for all eligible New Yorkers as ordered by a health care provider.
Your local health department is your community contact for COVID-19 concerns.

As of March 31 at 6 p.m., the citywide total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 stood at 38,087 while the city has lost 914 New Yorkers to date from the virus. The Bronx has the third highest number of positive cases per borough after Queens and Brooklyn, with 6,925 recorded cases according to the City’s health department.

Meanwhile, the statewide total number of confirmed cases stood at 75,795 as of March 31.

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