Governor Hochul: "Businesses, my desire, my objective with this mask or vax mandate has been to keep you open, to keep your doors open, so you can continue to resume what you do every single day. You're a critical part of our state's economy. You're an important part of our communities, you’re a place that people have their jobs. And so this mask mandate simply gives you the option, if you are already a facility that has a vaccination requirement, fully vaccinated and you're enforcing it, no one even has to wear a mask in your establishment. If you do not want to have a vaccine requirement, then simply ask people to wear a mask and you can stay open.”
Hochul: "But even though we've had 31 million shots in arms here in the State of New York, we still have 30 percent of New Yorkers who are not fully vaccinated. 30 percent. This is a crisis of the unvaccinated, did not have to be, totally preventable. So if I sound a little frustrated, perhaps I am, this did not have to be the case one year after this life saving vaccine arrived on the scene right here in New York State."
Earlier today in New York City, Governor Hochul held a COVID-19 briefing.
VIDEO of the event is available on YouTube here and in TV quality (h.264, mp4) format here.
AUDIO of the event is available here.
PHOTOS of the event are available on the Governor's Flickr page.
A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks are available below:
Good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining us in person and across Zoom. This is my regular update on the status of where New York State is with respect to dealing with this pandemic, as well as our recovery and the issue I'll be happy to start off with is our new mask mandate. We announced on Friday, after consultation with many individuals, including a call to the head of the association of counties that I placed myself, who said they support what we're doing and they understand it, as well as my calls to individual county executives, as well as a call that my staff did as well as calls to the Business Council of the State of New York, the partnership for New York, as well as the council of mayors and many, many calls were put out on Thursday to give the heads up of what we were thinking of doing at the time in light of the numbers that we saw continuing to escalate upward.
Therefore, on Friday, after consultation with many individuals, including our Department of Health, Dr. Mary Bassett, we determined that my priorities will be continued to be furthered by having a statewide mask requirement. And the objective is, as I've said all along, it is two-fold, protect the health of New Yorkers and protect the health of our economy.
This is a short term measure. It has a timeframe associated with it. And if you want to contrast what we dealt with in the past, it was open-ended, there was a lot of uncertainty, and I believe that given that we're in a very different place now, that we have the ability to let people know that this has a deadline on it.
I'm going to be assessing our numbers and hopefully progress that has been made by January 15th and the whole purpose of this, protect individual's lives, particularly during what we're experiencing right now, which is a holiday surge. I'll show you some numbers in a couple of moments that will confirm in everyone's minds that we are experiencing a surge.
This is something that other states have done, a number of states, I think seven now have done this. Let me walk through the metrics for anybody who may be confused as to why we did this. We've been talking about this. This is not a surprise. We talked about this in the fall, and I said, I'm worried about Halloween, Thanksgiving, of course, is a huge point of vulnerability. We get through Hanukkah, now we have Christmas, Kwanzaa, other holiday gatherings. Certainly New Year's Eve is something that is a day of celebration together, but it's also a concern of ours.
So let's look at the cases number one. Our statewide New York State average has gone up 58 percent since Thanksgiving. When I spoke to you last week, it had gone up 43 percent. That was the trigger I used to say that that is enough. Look at where we are today. 43 percent to 58 percent. And what we look at, not the individual percentages because that's more reliant on how many people are getting tested in an area, which we don't have control on. People do home testing now, they do testing at their workplace, so we don't have a clear picture always of getting those results in real time. So, we look at the cases per hundred thousand and those numbers are up 58 percent.
You can see the various regions that have been hit so hard. Southern Tier, 85, it looks like the highest there. Mohawk Valley, 74. So these are not trending in the right direction. You can see the cases by county. We broke it out and you can see on a map where they mostly are. And I will take note that places like Erie County had been worse. It's trending a little bit better. They've had a mask mandate in place for a number of weeks. Again, I thank County Executive Mark Poloncarz, I thank the other county leaders who've stepped up to do this on their own, and they are certainly appreciative now that the state will give them, as I mentioned, air cover in a sense, to make sure that we know that this is a statewide policy based on what is a statewide phenomenon. My original objective was to do this any surgical way, county by county, and when we see cases going up statewide, that's what called the necessity of seeing a statewide situation here.
Also, cases going up, hospitalizations are going up. Hospitalizations are up 70 percent since Thanksgiving. When I announced this on Friday, they'd gone up 29 percent. To me, that was the trigger I needed. Look what's happened just in that short time. We've warned this, we anticipated a spike after Thanksgiving, and it has arrived. And so this is an alarming jump statewide.
Also, the vaccinations, this has always been our ticket out. If people got vaccinated, got boosted, did the right thing, we would not be having these conversations. In fact, if 100 percent of new Yorkers had done this, I'm not even sure I'd be having to give COVID updates because this would be in the rear view mirror.
And you think about how far we've come. Literally one year ago today, we had Sandra Lindsay become the first person in our stat - the first one in the U.S. was done right here in New York State. This is a significant anniversary. And to all of us who were watching this so closely, this was a turning point in our war against COVID because back in March of 2020, in the depths of this dark, dark experience, we were told that normally it takes anywhere from two to four years for the pharmaceuticals to develop a vaccination that would work, that the protocols requirements to get through, were years down the road. And when this happened, literally nine months after the first case in New York, it was an extraordinary accomplishment. Everyone was so excited. We said, yes, this is how we're going to get through this pandemic. We have a vaccine that works.
Remember that moment. It was the turning point. And today I should be able to say that it's over because everyone took advantage of this opportunity created by science. And the smartest people on this planet who gathered to help save lives. And I have such respect for them and they don't get the credit they deserve for the speed at which they brought this to market and how effective it has been.
But even though we've had 31 million shots in arms here in the State of New York, we still have 30 percent of New Yorkers who are not fully vaccinated. 30 percent. This is a crisis of the unvaccinated, did not have to be, totally preventable. So if I sound a little frustrated, perhaps I am, this did not have to be the case one year after this life saving vaccine arrived on the scene right here in New York State. It has been available based on age, based on health, based on occupation early on, and then it became wildly available to everyone.
So, the other thing I was looking at cases, hospitalizations, I told you I'm watching the vaccinations. If we had a hundred percent vaccinated, we wouldn't be here. We only had a two percent increase in New Yorkers fully vaccinated since Thanksgiving. Two percent increase. Compared to other states, these are not bad numbers. To those who got vaccinated, I thank you. But two percent increase since we started talking about how vulnerable we all were to this indoor holiday surge, particularly Northeastern states. This is not just New York. This has been a Northeastern state phenomenon because of the cold, people heading indoors and you realize a lot of people have left the Northeastern states. So they come back from their other states to join family during the holidays, perhaps bringing the virus as well. So there's a lot of factors at play here.
Thank you to the 82 percent of New Yorkers that we have, but when you look at the whole scale, that's 18 plus we still have to get to our children. The number of children, who have now had the ability to get vaccinated, is not where it should be. And I've asked school districts and schools to have in-school pop-up sites. We'll make sure that all the resources they need are available. And we just have to stimulate more interest in protecting these kids. Not that I'm saying there's a huge number of children hospitalized, but they are the spreaders to their vulnerable grandparents, aunts, uncles, and others in the community.
So those are the three metrics I looked at. None of them were satisfying to me and in combination it spells a very challenging situation for us. And I know this has not been easy on businesses. I've told many times the story of how I helped my mom start a small flower shop. I know the struggle as you sit there and wait and wait and wait for that little bell to ring that means someone walked into your door. I was there. I know how hard it is. And I've had constant communication with people in the restaurant industry. We're still down 120,000 jobs right here in New York City, from the restaurant hospitality industry already. We've had an impact in every corner of the state, the restaurants, the gathering places, the convention centers, the, venues, we have had a huge impact.
And so I want to thank the business owners who understood that despite our desires to have this behind us that we're not quite there yet. And they also know that this is not an overreaction. It took us a while to get to a point where I could actually point to a number and say my friends, we're not turning in the right direction.
We have to take what, in contrast to the steps that had to be taken in the past, is truly a minor infringement. Your children are already wearing masks. They're very adaptable. They're fine. At some point we'll be able to announce that time is over. We're not there yet. And the people who last year, were told that you couldn't gather with family and in your own home with groups larger than 10, and you could not go out to restaurants and you could not have that wedding. You cannot go to that funeral. We've come so far since then.
We also know the cataclysmic effect that all of this had on the psyche of Americans and New Yorkers. And I know it's been tough. We've seen hard numbers. In terms of children who are isolated, did not get a quality education during that timeframe, literally almost two years of a genuine education lost. Black and brown communities already hit the hardest by this pandemic, their children, most vulnerable, they're the ones falling hardest behind, and it's something we have to address and we are addressing.
But businesses, my desire, my objective with this mask or vax mandate has been to keep you open, to keep your doors open, so you can continue to resume what you do every single day. You're a critical part of our state's economy. You're an important part of our communities, you’re a place that people have their jobs. And so this mask mandate simply gives you the option, if you are already a facility that has a vaccination requirement, fully vaccinated and you're enforcing it, no one even has to wear a mask in your establishment. If you do not want to have a vaccine requirement, then simply ask people to wear a mask and you can stay open.
That's what this is about. Keeping you open, not having the devastating effect on our economy that we experienced over the past 20 some months. So we are trying to be as helpful as we can to the business owners, we put out frequently asked questions on our website. We're giving people signs that they can put in their businesses.
And also at this point, I do want to thank some individual business owners and I've mentioned the elected leaders who've stepped up. I also want to recognize some business leaders and elected officials who have stepped up. And let me introduce some interesting friends here we have. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for hanging in there with us and doing the right thing to protect not just your patrons, but also your employees.
So, first of all, I'd like to introduce Mayor Billy Barlow, Mayor of the City of Oswego, incredible leader. I want to have him give a few reflections and then I'll introduce our other participants, Mayor Barlow.
Mayor Barlow: Well, thank you for having me, governor. I'm happy to participate in sharing today's message. And I'd like to thank you, governor for your leadership on COVID-19 and a whole host of other issues since taking office.
I do think the mask mandate does strike a fair balance as you described between protecting our citizens and allowing businesses to safely stay open and operate successfully.
Here in Central New York and in the Oswego county, city of Oswego, we're in a bit of a severe situation that we have not been in since the pandemic started, we have regional hospitals in Syracuse becoming at capacity. We even now have community hospitals reaching capacity levels. And that was really the primary fight from the get-go against COVID, is to not overwhelm the local healthcare system and unfortunately, that is what is happening here in Central New York. So your mask mandate and message today is entirely appropriate at this time and will certainly help us slow the spread here in Oswego County.
Also, as you mentioned Governor, the holidays are coming up. That is a major concern in the holiday surge that we see post holidays and the new strain. It's also a major concern. So all of these things make today's situation entirely unique and something that here in Central New York, we have yet to experience throughout the pandemic thus far. So again, I think your messaging and actions on masks and COVID to date are certainly appropriate and will help slow the spread and Governor, I look forward to having you back here in the city of Oswego when times and conditions allow. It's great to see you and thank you for your help and advocacy.
Governor Hochul: Thank you, Mayor Barlow and tell my friends, my favorite bookstores and all the locations we frequent when I visit, I'll be back and tell them to hang in there. Thank you very much.
Now we'd like to hear from Tracy Vicory-Rosenquest, who is the owner of Chapter One Coffee and Tea. I believe you're up in Plattsburgh. How are things in Plattsburgh?
Tracy Vicory-Rosenquest: We're doing great up here. You know, we, back in the end of August, when the spread really hit our county hard and it was a time that we decided just as a staff, you know, myself and my employees to go masked again, and to have our customers mask again.
So things, you know, our customers have been really respectful about it. You know, it's difficult when people forget their masks, but we've been supplying them. And it's important as a mom, it's important as a business owner for my employees to be safe and protected. And for my customers as well.
Governor Hochul: Tracy, thank you.
I look forward to having a good cup of tea when I come visit up in Plattsburgh again. And, really, we know you're on the front lines and your courage and stepping forward even months ago really helps normalize the situation. People understand it's an expectation to go into your business and they know that when they want to go out and have coffee or tea and they'd be safe, they will come to Chapter One.
So thank you for all you do for us, Tracy. Danny Deutsch is also with us today, the owner of Abilene bar and lounge, and that is in Rochester, Danny, how are things going in Rochester?
Danny Deutsch: Things are going well, governor, thank you. We are a small live music venue. We hold less than a hundred people and we do music every night that we're open.
We went to a policy that required proof of vaccination in May of this year. We felt it was the right thing to do for our staff, for our customers, certainly, and for all the musicians, both local and national who play here. And the response has been very, very good. We still get some people that ask, even after showing the proof of vaccination, if they have to wear a mask, they can if they'd like to, but they are aware that everyone in the building has been vaccinated and we're going to keep that going. And we think it's the right thing to do. And we certainly hope that more people get vaccinated.
Governor Hochul: Danny. Thank you. Thank you for continuing to create an environment where people can gather safely and enjoy music and look forward to seeing you on a return trip to Rochester. So thank you, Danny. Last, we'll hear from Jason Sidle, Director of Operations at Coltivare Restaurant, which is in Ithaca and I've stopped there before as well. Jason.
Jason Sidle: Thank you governor. I really appreciate you having us on today. And more than anything, I just really want to thank you for taking the bold action of requiring everyone to be vaccinated or to wear a mask to come into indoor public spaces, such as restaurants, being the Director of Operations for the Coltivare Culinary Center, which is owned by the TC3 foundation.
I really care about my employees. I care about my customers. We care about our community. We are embedded in our community and we want to do everything we can to help make sure everybody stays safe. And if that's wearing masks, requiring people to give vaccinations in order to come out to wonderful restaurants and wonderful places in the community, in order to participate and keep the economy going and keep businesses open, then I think that's what we should do.
And again, I just thank the Governor and I thank your office for supporting all of us and helping protect all of us.
Governor Hochul: Thank you, Jason. Hang in there my friends, I want to thank all of you for really doing what's right. I know your customers appreciate it. I appreciate it. And certainly as the Mayor, thank you for your leadership and we will be talking to you very soon. So thank you. Thank you everyone.
And with respect to leaders like Mayor Billy Barlow, we've done a quick survey, it's not scientific, of the individuals from various counties who stood up in support of our position on the mandate. And if you want to do a quick analysis, I believe they represent 73% of New Yorkers.
So thank you to all those leaders and counties throughout our state for what you've done to support this and those who've done it on your own or those who are able to do it now, I thank you for your leadership.
I will say to the extent that there's criticism and there certainly is. I wake up every single day and read the “In the Arena” speech by one of my favorite presidents, Theodore Roosevelt.
And hopefully that'll give you some inspiration that you are in the arena. Sometimes you get bloody and marred, but it's not the critics who count, it's those who are in the arena doing the right thing. And so I think all these leaders for what they're doing to keep people safe and to save lives.
I also want to thank some of our healthcare institutions who have answered the call for help. Northwell, Northwell Health you've done an extraordinary job helping us deploy more resources to our hard hit areas. Going up to ECMC in Buffalo and University of Rochester, Strong Memorial. You sent in a number of clinical teams, 16 to be exact, with some lead teams as well and a two week mission. So I know there's a lot of excitement and energy when Northwell's teams arrived. The calvary has arrived, and we thank them for this all one state approach to battling this pandemic. And, we mentioned about the hospitals. You know, I stay up late at night thinking about hospital capacity and how we can continue to increase capacity and make sure people get all the necessary healthcare they need.
So just to recap, we did sign an executive order that expanded our healthcare workforce. We have EMTs, we have National Guard, and National Guard are going to be trained. Those who are not trained will be now trained in case this ever happens again. Allowing to have more healthcare workers. We had 120 members of the National Guard deployed to nursing homes. I mentioned this before. They've been embraced, everybody's happy to see them. They feel safer, we're told, when they see the National Guard onsite, and also just making sure that we've paused some non-essential elective procedures, but making sure that important treatments, particularly related to cancer and others are not disrupted. I want to make sure that that was very clear.
Department of health is going to continue working with all the healthcare systems to bring them back. And that's really important. Here's some of the - get this out to everybody so they know that they're still covered and all these elective surgeries can continue. We'll reassess this. Again, giving dates, telegraph that this is not a permanent situation. We're working very closely every day with people who are affected and letting them know that we are optimistic and hopeful that more people will get vaccinated now. And that the only increase of two percent from Thanksgiving until now will change. And that it starts going up quickly. And then we can make some dramatic changes, protecting the health of new Yorkers.
And we talked a lot about the bed capacity overall. The measures are working. They're starting to take hold, which is great news. Nine ICU bed availability is up ten percent across is up ten percent across the regions. ICU bed available is also increasing. Overall beds, and I've watched this, are up one percent, but that's to stem the downward trajectory, which was concerning that we were heading downhill quickly. And we certainly were, but we're working around the clock to bring more relief to hospitals and to free up more beds. So trending a little bit in a better direction because of the steps we've taken, not where we want to be, but again, at least not heading downwards anymore.
So, what we're doing is focusing on the vaccines, not a newsflash, you’re not going to make a headline I'm sure, but this is going to continue to be our paramount priority through the holidays. We have holiday theme vax sites. We’re going to find people where they are. We're going to go outside places of worship after services. We're going to malls where people are shopping, shopping centers, larger town holiday events. We're trying to make it easier for people to have that access where they just walk by somebody and say, yeah, why not? Why don't I just get this done? And while the kids are there, they can as well. So we've scheduled these all over the state. We continue to ramp them up.
And we talk about the booster shots. We're starting to see that, again, not determined by our federal entities, the CDC, but booster shots are looking very effective against Omicron and we have about 38 cases in the state of New York right now and if that changes during this event, I'll let you know. But we're still learning about this variant. And I want to be crystal clear that the reasons we instituted our mask mandate, this is more of a side issue. You saw the three metrics that I was focused on, but this is just an issue that we're watching closely. It seems to be spreading more in the Northwest part of our country. My first question is, is it putting people in hospitals? Or are they self-resolving at home? And this is something that's still being determined, but we're watching what's happening around the world and other parts of our country. So we're still learning a great deal about this.
Boosters starting to tick up. We have 50 percent of those 65 and up population. The most vulnerable population is our seniors. Number one, think about this, we had the first dose in New York one year ago. Senior citizens were the ones who got the early doses. They got them in nursing homes and senior centers last December, January, February. And to the extent that they have a lifespan and all this is to be determined, and I'm not seeing anything official here, but to the extent that they are effective for a certain period of time, the seniors are the ones who are more likely to have it wearing down. The efficacy of it. So that's why they need to get boosted.
And we also have had, 70 percent of people in nursing homes, long-care facilities, have had their booster shot. And this is because we've had an intense coordination with our nursing homes over the past few months. And to date we've had over 5,000 vaccination events in 1,100 long-term care facilities. Again, a year ago, and today our most vulnerable remain are senior citizens. So you can see the number of doses that have gone up. I think it could be higher. I'm challenging New Yorkers, no excuses. You'll feel a lot better this holiday season. Thank you for getting the vaccine in the first place. The booster is what you need for that extra layer of armor against this pandemic.
And I mentioned, Omicron real quickly here. We have 38 cases. The most are New York City, 23 there, and one scattering between a Westchester, foreign Suffolk, one in Broom, three in Nassau, Oneida, and Onondaga at one as well. Suffolk, as I mentioned has four. So that's our update. This is not what's driving our policies. It is a factor over here. The factors I look at, you've all heard me say many times. So, we know what to do, get vaccinated and get the booster, stay home when you're not feeling well. And don't assume you’re protected because you've had one dose of vaccination. You are not, we need to get everybody to get that second dose and get the vaccine. So that's our report for today. I thank our business leaders and our elected leaders for participating remotely.