What's Happening in the 81st Assembly District?
  • Breakthrough in USPS Package Backlog
  • More Information About COVID-19 Mortgage Relief
  • Budget Updates: School Aid & Paid Sick Leave Expansion
  • Happy Holidays
Breakthrough in USPS Package Backlog
My office received more than one hundred complaints in this week alone (even excluding social media) about mail that has not been delivered – including mail that contained paychecks, insurance reimbursements, unemployment debit cards, medications, and other essential items.

I am pleased to share that the United States Postal Service appears to have heard our frustration and have deployed additional carriers this weekend to address the package backlog at Kingsbridge Station. I am hopeful that this big push will clear up the whole pipeline and allow the post office to resume reliable mail service in our community during the coronavirus pandemic.

We are still waiting to hear a master plan from USPS about how they will protect the health and safety of postal workers so that reliable mail service can continue operating, but this is a wonderful first start. I hope that such a master plan addresses how frequently mail can be delivered and picked up, clarifies whether people should go to the post office to pick up mail or packages, and the status of satellite post offices (such as on Kappock Street and West 238th Street).

I also said I would give credit to the current White House administration if they deserve it, and I believe their involvement in this issue was very helpful in getting a response from USPS. My office contacted the White House Department of Intergovernmental Affairs earlier this week and they responded quickly and appear to have been effective. Thank you as well to my Northwest Bronx elected colleagues with whom I have been working together very diligently to get answers from USPS.

The underlying problems have not gone away, however. Postal workers are on the frontlines of this pandemic, and they are getting sick (or are afraid of getting sick) just like all of us. If you see a postal worker, please share your gratitude for their work to keep our mail moving during the pandemic and please be patient and kind with them, just as you would like them to be patient and kind to you.
More Information About COVID-19 Mortgage Relief
(and more questions, too)
As many of you are hopefully aware, Governor Cuomo included mortgage relief during the coronavirus pandemic in one of his Executive Orders. However, due to the nature of mortgage lenders, there are a lot of questions about who exactly this guidance applies to and who it does not.

My understanding of the applicability of mortgage relief guidance from NYS Department of Financial Services (which oversees financial lenders in New York State) is that there is legal precedent empowering New York State to require national banks to abide by applicable state laws (i.e. the Executive Order on mortgage relief) through the NYS Attorney General enforcing compliance with NYS DFS' written laws.

In short: all banks are supposed to comply with New York's mortgage relief guidance (which still only requires relief on a case-by-case basis), but if your bank wants to be difficult then it may require legal action from the NYS Attorney General's Office.

There should be more information coming soon, however. All New York State banks had until April 2 to release their New York-specific plans, which will be mandated by the state until April 20, 2020.

My office is also continuing to look into other specific questions about this:

  • Will this apply to mortgages for coops?
  • Where can people file a complaint if their bank refuses to cooperate with the mortgage relief guidance?
  • What will happen when the relief period ends end and the unpaid debts come due?

I believe that nobody should be forced out of their home due to a pandemic. The issue of mortgage debt (and rent debt) is not a problem that will be unique to New York either. This is going to be a national problem, and ultimately I believe it will require a national solution.
Thank you to our frontline workers!
While many of us are doing our part to combat the spread of novel coronavirus by staying home, frontline workers do not have that luxury. Every day, tens of thousands of people are going to work – knowing they are risking exposure for themselves and their families – to make sure that our community is able to remain healthy and safe.

I would like to use this space to say thank you to frontline workers who are continuing to put their health and safety on the line so that everyone can be better protected from the impacts of COVID-19. If you have any photos or messages to share with our frontline workers, please feel free to share them with my office and I will try to include them all in future emails.

This is from St. Catherine Academy in the Bronx:  I Stay Home Video
STATE BUDGET UPDATE
No Cuts to School Aid
When the year began, I was hopeful that we could make a huge dent in unpaid Foundation Aid (which is money that our local public schools are owed due to an illegal formula that New York State used to allocate school funding for many years). After many years of the Assembly Majority fighting alone to get fair funding for our schools in the Bronx, this was supposed to be the year that we join with the State Senate to atone for years of underinvestment and get a huge boost in Foundation Aid funding.

Instead, our economy has been devastated by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic – millions of New Yorkers are without jobs and business are without revenue. We have been forced to spend billions of dollars to bolster our healthcare system in anticipation of hundreds of thousands of sick New Yorkers, including trying to fulfill roles that the federal government is designed to perform. I hope that our economy will bounce back quickly and stronger than before once we are past the effects of COVID-19, but for now our revenue forecasts in New York State are bleak.

The approved state budget allocates $27.9 billion in school aid, using a combination of state support and funding from the recently passed federal stimulus package. This total figure includes $18.4 billion in Foundation Aid for School Year 2020-21, which is the same amount as last year. There is also funding for many important education programs including adult literacy centers, Teacher Resource and Computer Training Centers, bilingual education grants and teacher training programs, and more. The budget also restores $2.5 million in aid to public libraries, for a total of $94.1 million statewide.

I am proud that we were able to stave off cuts to school funding, despite uncertain fiscal times. I am concerned that the Governor's Office has increased power to change this funding allocation in a few months depending on the revenue we actually receive as a state. The Legislature retains our power to override a proposed change from the Governor's Office (we can pass an alternate plan within ten days of any announced decision), but there is no question that this is an unprecedented alteration in the balance of powers between branches of government.

One thing that this pandemic has laid bare is the vast disparities in educational access between families of different economic circumstances. While many students have ready access to computers and internet at home, access to three healthy meals per day, and parents who have the capacity to help them with schoolwork – many more do not. It is imperative that we regroup after the pandemic subsides and fight even harder for a massive investment in Foundation Aid funding in next year's budget.
Paid Sick Leave Expansion to All New Yorkers
The recently passed New York State budget includes an expansion of paid sick leave as well as anti-retaliation and job protections to all private sector employees beginning in January 2021.

The budget also clarified that sick leave must be granted for: physical or mental illness, injury, or health condition of an employee or employee's family member, regardless of whether such issues have been diagnosed; care, treatment, or diagnosis of such issues; when the employee of family member has been a victim of domestic violence; to obtain services related to domestic violence; to meet with social service providers; or to prepare or participate in civil or criminal proceedings.

No employer is allowed to require disclosure of confidential information related to mental or physical illness, injury, health condition, or domestic violence incident as a condition of providing sick leave.

*For details about paid leave in New York during the coronavirus pandemic, please refer to the developing summary below.
Have a Health and Safe Spring Passover and Easter
I want to wish all who observe a healthy and safe Passover and Happy Easter. Even though we can't be with all of our loved ones during this spring holiday season, we can still call and videochat with the people who matter most to us.
CORONAVIRUS: DEVELOPING SUMMARY
Call NYS Department of Health Hotline at
1-888-364-3065 for Information about Coronavirus
As COVID-19 takes hold in our state, including here in our own backyard, people are understandably getting more nervous and we are seeing changes in how our daily lives typically go. I believe one of the most important things we can do is to make sure everyone is on the same page in terms of disseminating accurate information.

The New York State Department of Health has set up a Novel Coronavirus Hotline so that you can get accurate, up-to-date information about COVID-19.  Please call 1-888-364-3065 with any questions.  You can also visit their website:  https://health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/coronavirus/

  • For your convenience, here is my running summary of information that is being put forward by Governor Cuomo and other government entities. Items that have been recently updated are marked with the date the new information was announced. Most new items are discussed in detail above, and marked as new below.
GENERAL INFO ON COVID-19
  • SYMPTOMS: Per the NYS Department of Health, the 2019 novel coronavirus may cause mild to severe respiratory symptoms like: cough, fever, trouble breathing, and pneumonia. The CDC believes at this time that symptoms may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 days after exposure to the virus. Anyone at high risk for complications should talk to their healthcare provider for more information.
  • *UPDATED 4/4/2020* SPREAD: Per the Center for Disease Control, the virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person. This happens in the following ways: between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet); through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks – these droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. Some recent studies have suggested that COVID-19 may be spread by people who are not showing symptoms.
  • *UPDATED 4/3/2020* PREVENTION (HEALTHY): The New York State Department of Health has recommended that everyone should: wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (especially before eating), avoid touching eyes/nose/mouth with unwashed hands, avoid close contact with people who are sick (keep a distance of at least 6 feet), cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue and discard it in a closed container, clean frequently touched surfaces and objects. The CDC also recommends covering your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others, but instructs that we not use facemasks that are meant for healthcare workers.
  • *UPDATED 4/3/2020* PREVENTION (SICK): The New York State Department of Health has recommended that people who are sick should: stay home (if there is a fever, stay home for at least 24 hours after the fever is gone without the use of fever-reducing medicines such as acetaminophen), keep sick household members away from others (separate room is best), and avoid sharing personal items. For cleaning purposes, NYS DOH recommends using soap and water, a bleach and water solution, or EPA-approved household products. You can make your own cleanser with a mixture of 1 cup of liquid unscented chlorine bleach in 5 gallons of water.
  • MENTAL HEALTH: If you are having trouble coping with things like stress, depression, anxiety, or drug and alcohol use, NYC Well is available 24/7 in 200+ languages by phone (1-888-NYC-WELL), text ("WELL" to 65173), or chat (here).
  • JOBS: The city's Workforce1 Career Center launched a Virtual Center (or call 718-960-2458) to help New Yorkers prepare for, and connect to, jobs across New York City's five boroughs and in every sector of the economy. The in-person Workforce Career Centers are currently closed. Current employment opportunities include Stop & Shop, Fresh Direct & PBM Guardian Industry Services.

TEMPORARY RULES FROM STATE, LOCAL, AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS
  • ELECTION POSTPONEMENT: Governor Cuomo has postponed the Presidential Primary election (originally scheduled for April 28) until June 23 (the same date as a previously scheduled primary election for state elections). I still have legislation which would temporarily expand eligibility for absentee balloting for the June primary, and believe that change should be made as soon as possible.
  • MASS GATHERING RESTRICTIONS: New York State (as well as Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) have ordered that non-essential gatherings of any size be cancelled or postponed. For more information, please see Governor Cuomo's press release here. In conjunction with city agencies, NYPD has begun enforcing these restrictions at places like parks, supermarkets, and more. Please let my office know about any problematic locations and we can refer them to the Mayor's Office for their attention.
  • WORKPLACE RESTRICTIONS: Non-essential businesses must closed. Exemptions will be made for essential service industries, including shipping, media, warehousing, grocery and food production, pharmacies, healthcare providers, utilities, banks and related financial institutions, and other industries critical to the supply chain. For more information, please read Governor Cuomo's guidance on what is considered an "essential" business here. If you believe your employer is violating existing labor laws or any current executive orders, please file a complaint with the NYS Attorney General's Labor Bureau at (212) 416-8700 or [email protected]. For a full list of employment protections offered by the NYS Attorney General, please visit their website here. If your employer is forcing you to work while you are sick, threatened or fired you for reasons related to COVID-19, or to report a non-essential business that is continuing to operate, please file a complaint with the NYS Department of Labor here.
  • CONSTRUCTION RESTRICTIONS: New York State has clarified the definition of essential construction activity. The only construction activity that is currently permitted is: roads, bridges, transit facilities, utilities, hospitals or health care facilities, affordable housing, and homeless shelters. For more information, please visit the Empire State Development website here.
  • UNEMPLOYMENT INFORMATION: New York State has waived their seven-day waiting period to apply for unemployment insurance. Claims can be filed online or by telephone. NYS Department of Labor is asking that last names starting with A-F file on Mondays, G-N file on Tuesdays, and O-Z file on Wednesdays. Anyone who missed their scheduled day should file on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Here are instructions on how to file a claim and a link where you can file online. You can also call the Department of Labor at (888) 209-8124 for Unemployment Insurance Claim Assistance during the following times: Monday through Thursday from 8am to 7:30pm, Friday from 8am to 6pm, and Saturday from 7:30am to 8pm.
  • *UPDATED 4/3/2020* PAID LEAVE & BENEFITS: For employers with more than 100 employees, employees are entitled to at least 56 hours of paid sick leave but no temporary disability insurance (TDI) and no paid family leave benefits. For employers with between 5 and 99 employees as well as employers with 4 or fewer employees that generate more than one million dollars in revenue per year, employees are entitled to at least 40 hours of paid sick leave followed by NYS paid family leave benefits and TDI. For employers with fewer than 5 employees and who generate less than one million dollars per year, employees are entitled to 40 hours unpaid sick leave as well as NYS paid family leave benefits and TDI. Employers can independently offer paid sick leave at any time. For more details and to apply, please visit the NYS Paid Leave website. If your employer is refusing to pay leave that you believe you are entitled to, please file a complaint with NYS Department of Labor here.
  • TAX FILING: The IRS has delayed the filing deadline for federal taxes until July 15, 2020. If you are expecting a refund, you are encouraged to file electronically in order to expedite the receipt of your refund. New York State will also extend their filing deadline until July 15, 2020. For more information from the IRS, please see this guidance here. For the specific authorizing language from NYS, please see Executive Order No. 202.12.
  • EVICTION MORATORIUM: Governor Cuomo has ordered a moratorium on all commercial and residential evictions for 90 days (starting March 20, 2020).
  • MORTGAGE RELIEF: The Department of Financial Services has issued a new directive to New York State mortgage servicers to provide 90-day mortgage relief to mortgage borrowers impacted by the novel coronavirus. This includes: waiving mortgage payments based on financial hardship, no negative reporting to credit bureaus, grace period for loan modification, no late payment fees or online payment fees, postponing or suspending foreclosures. PLEASE NOTE: This is not automatic and you must speak with your mortgage lender before adjusting any payments. For more information, please read Governor Cuomo's press release here.
  • ALTERNATE-SIDE PARKING: Alternate-side parking enforcement will be suspended until Friday, April 17, 2020). For more information: here. I have asked that alternate-side parking be suspended for the duration of this crisis.
  • DMV LICENSE EXTENSION: If your driver or non-driver ID (issued by the NYS DMV) expires on or after March 1, 2020, Governor Cuomo authorized an extension of that ID until April 19, 2020. Online DMV services are available but may experience delays. For more information, please reference Governor Cuomo's executive order: here. The Department of Homeland Security also announced that the REAL ID deadline has been extended until October 1, 2021.
  • VEHICLE INSPECTION EXTENSION: I've asked the state to extend the time motorists have for car inspections and I am pleased to say any vehicle with a safety or emissions inspection that was valid on March 27, 2020 can continue to operate until at least April 26, 2020. For more information, please see Executive Order 202.11.
  • *UPDATED 4/3/2020* SCHOOL CLOSURE: NYC DOE schools will continue remote learning over what was previously scheduled as Spring Break (4/9 - 4/17). NYC Department of Education school buildings have been closed since March 16. If your child needs a device for remote learning, please submit this form to NYC Department of Education: here. School buildings are currently scheduled to reopen following Spring Recess on Monday, April 20, 2020. I believe it will be necessary to extend school closings beyond that date. For more information, including about remote education and meals, please visit the NYC Department of Education website: here. All schools in New York State have been ordered to close until at least April 15, 2020. For more information on non-NYC DOE schools, please see Governor Cuomo's Executive Order 202.11: here.
  • PRICE GOUGING: Please report any incidents of price gouging to the NYS Attorney General via this online form. For complaints about price gouging of face masks or other items specifically covered in New York City's emergency price gouging declaration (list here), please report to NYC Department of Consumer Affairs via 311.

INFORMATION ON FOOD
  • RESTAURANT/BAR RESTRICTIONS: There is no on-premise service at restaurants or bars throughout New York State, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania as of 8pm on Monday, March 16, 2020. Takeout and delivery service is still allowed, and the New York State Liquor Authority has relaxed their rules to permit the sale of alcohol for takeout and delivery. See more information from the SLA here and the press release announcing the restaurant closure here.
  • *UPDATED 4/3/2020* MEALS FOR STUDENTS AND ADULTS: Three grab-and-go meals per person per day are available from more than 400 Meal Hubs throughout the city from Monday-Friday . Students and families can access Meal Hubs from 7:30am until 11:30am, and adults can access Meal Hubs from 11:30am until 1:30pm. No one will be turned away at any time. Vegetarian and halal options available at all sites. Parents and guardians can pick up meals for their children. No registration or ID required. To find a Meal Hub near you, please text “NYCFOOD” or “COMIDA” to 877-877 or click here. For more information about New York City's free meals effort, visit the NYC DOE website here.
  • *UPDATED 3/30/2020* DELIVERY MEALS FOR SENIORS IN NEED: There are several institutions in our neighborhood that are offering meals for seniors in need (delivery only, as able). Please contact the senior center directly or the NYC Aging Connect Hotline operated by NYC Department of the Aging at 212-244-6469 (212-AGING-NYC).
  • Riverdale Senior Services (2600 Netherland Avenue, 718-884-5900, website here): Contact Margie Schustack at RSS for more information at [email protected] or 718-884-5900.
  • Mosholu Montefiore Community Center (3450 DeKalb Avenue, Fort Independence Houses, and Marble Hill Houses, 718-882-4000, website here): Please contact the community center for more information.
  • Van Cortlandt Jewish Center (3880 Sedgwick Avenue, 718-549-4700, website here): Please contact the senior center for more information.
  • R.A.I.N. Nereid Neighborhood Senior Center RAIN Center (720 Nereid Avenue, 718-994-0132, website here): Please contact the senior center for more information.
  • Riverdale Y Senior Center (5626 Arlington Avenue, website here): Please contact the Senior Center Director, Sharon Asherman, for more information at [email protected] or (347) 913-4390.

WAYS TO HELP
As the pandemic continues to grow, our city is in need of help for things like meal delivery, supply sourcing and manufacturing, locations for additional hospital capacity, healthcare workers, mental health professionals, and more.

If you or anyone you know is able to help out, please share the information with our city and state entities who are working hard to boost our frontline workforce so that we can save as many lives as possible.

  • NYC Food Delivery Driver Portal: The City of New York is hiring licensed TLC drivers to deliver food to New Yorkers in need during the COVID-19 crisis. Food Delivery Help Link Here
  • Health, Mental Health, and Related Professionals: New York needs the help of qualified health, mental health, and related professionals to supplement our health care capacity on a temporary basis to treat seriously ill coronavirus patients including those that may need to be intubated. Information and Link Here
  • Technology SWAT Teams: New York State is launching technology driven products with leading global tech companies to accelerate and amplify our response to COVID-19. We are looking for impactful solutions and skilled tech employees to help. Individuals from leading global technology companies are being deployed across high-impact and urgent coronavirus response activities. There is a particular need for professionals with experience in product management, software development/engineering, hardware deployment & end-user support, data science, operations management, design, or other similar areas. Technology companies, universities, nonprofits, research labs, and other organizations with technology expertise are invited to submit an expression of interest. Information and Form Link Here
  • COVID-19 Emergency Supply Sourcing & Manufacturing: New York City and State are seeking businesses with the ability to source and/or make products to support the City’s COVID-19 response work. Information and Form (NYC) & Information and Form (NYS)
  • New York State COVID-19 Volunteer and Donation Assistance Program: NYS has created a form to offer any donated goods, services, or space for use in New York’s response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Information and Form Link Here
  • NYC Share Your Space Survey: The NYC Share Your Space Survey is critical to helping the City prepare for emergencies and outreach to all of the City's communities. Organizations citywide are encouraged to participate. Review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Information and Form Link Here
  • General Volunteering (NYC): It is best to affiliate with a recognized disaster volunteer organization before a disaster happens. Getting involved with a disaster volunteer organization before an emergency will increase your ability to help when help is needed. During emergencies with high volunteer demand, the City activates its Volunteer Coordination Task Force to help connect volunteer groups with disaster-related projects. Help Now NYC Link Here


TESTING
Please note that although New York State is taking steps to dramatically increase their testing capacity, there are still far more people who want to get tested than are capable of being tested.  The State Department of Health has a very specific protocol on who is a priority to get tested.  My office has been told we cannot intervene on anyone's behalf to get them moved up in the queue for testing.  Please contact the New York State Department of Health Novel Coronavirus Hotline with any questions: 1-888-364-3065.

There is a drive-up testing site located in the parking lot of Lehman College on Goulden Avenue (by appointment-only, walk-ups will be turned away). For people without cars, they are being directed to NYC Hospitals for testing (by appointment only, walk-ups will be turned away). For appointment information, please contact the NYS DOH Novel Coronavirus Hotline at 1-888-364-3065.

Please note the following guidance on COVID-19 testing from NYC Department of Health:

  • In line with New York City Department of Health recommendations, NYC Health + Hospitals is no longer testing patients for COVID-19 who do not require hospitalization.
  • If you are sick with fever, cough, shortness of breath, or sore throat, you must stay inside and isolate yourself from others.
  • Isolate yourself for at least 7 days from when your symptoms started. You must also be without fever during the last 3 days of your isolation.
  • Please only go to the emergency room if you are severely ill.
  • We are asking every New Yorker, regardless of symptoms, to stay inside your home.
  • Staying home can save the life of another New Yorker.

Together we can slow the spread and protect those at higher risk of severe illness.
REMINDER: Fill Out Your Census!
Over the past couple weeks, you should have received in the mail one or two mailings from the U.S. Census. That mailing includes a code where you can go online to complete your census online. I did it already, and it took only a few minutes (might take a few more if you have more residents in your home).

Please know that this information is highly protected and nobody is allowed to share it, even with law enforcement authorities (like ICE) or your landlord. You are free to answer honestly and completely. It is very important that we get an accurate count so that our community gets its fair share of federal resources and government representation.

The census can be completed (with or without your code) online at: https://my2020census.gov/
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Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz

Phone: 718-796-5345 | E-Mail: [email protected]