WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Last Updated: May 9, 2020 at 2:44PM • Nonessential businesses will stay closed through May 15th. • All K-12 schools and college facilities statewide will remain closed and continue to provide distance learning, meal delivery and childcare services for the remainder of the school year. • Governor Cuomo issued executive orders 202.17 and 202.18 requiring all people in New York to wear masks or face coverings in public, including when taking public or private transportation or riding in for-hire vehicles. • New Yorkers without health insurance can apply through NY State of Health through June 15, 2020; must apply within 60 days of losing coverage. • The State Department of Health is investigating several cases of severe illness in children and child deaths that may be related to COVID-19. • At the request of the CDC, the state is helping to develop the national criteria for identifying and responding to COVID-related illness. • Due to a reduction in court services caused by COVID-19, the state is extending the window for victims to file time-barred cases under the Child Victims Act for an additional five months until January 14, 2021. • New York State is partnering with Northwell Health to establish 24 temporary testing sites at churches in predominately minority communities in downstate New York to build on the state’s network of downstate testing sites. • The preliminary results of the state’s antibody testing survey of more than 1,300 transit workers in the New York City region show 14.2 percent have COVID-19 antibodies, compared to 19.9 percent of the general population in New York City. • A new contest asks New Yorkers to create and share a video explaining why wearing a mask in public is important. Interested applicants can go to wearamask.ny.gov. • Health care workers can text NYFRONTLINE to 741-741 to access 24/7 emotional support services. • New Yorkers can call the COVID-19 Emotional Support Hotline at 1-844-863-9314 for mental health counseling. • 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. SOURCE: https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home