Dear Colleagues:

An update of Governor Cuomo's webpage at 5:11pm has most up to date information: What ASNY has been trying to determine still needs to come definitively from the Acupuncture Board at the NYSED. We are seeking to find out if L.Acs are essential services in healthcare. We talked to NYSED Board of Medicine who could only answer for MDs. We are STILL WAITING TO HEAR BACK from the Acupuncture Board. It's a legal definition, not a judgment call on our end. We know how essential you are to your patients. Currently the Governor's Definition of Essential Services in Healthcare are:

Essential Health Care Operations, Including:
  • research and laboratory services
  • hospitals
  • walk-in-care health facilities
  • emergency veterinary and livestock services
  • elder care
  • medical wholesale and distribution
  • home health care workers or aides for the elderly
  • doctor and emergency dental
  • nursing homes, or residential health care facilities or congregate care facilities
  • medical supplies and equipment manufacturers and providers

We need clarification on walk-in health facilities and home health care workers. We will let you know as soon as we hear back on this.

Secondly, while we would VEHEMENTLY disagree that practitioners of this medicine would ever fall into the same category as related personal care services, because there are needles in consideration for others, we need to MAKE SURE...as there is a different date for shutting down (Saturday vs Sunday.) LET US REPEAT: We would disagree with the designation, but we need to know authoritatively on the definitions. We are seeking clarity on both Essential Services AND Personal Care Services.

We also want to remind practitioners of the CALL FOR HELP from the NYS Department of Health with regards to retired and ancillary health care professionals. We do not know if L.Acs are included in this call, but we know we have a diversified profession with varied skill sets and they seem to need personnel.

For everyone who has emailed your concerns, your needs and your desire to help, please know we hear you and are working around the clock to provide the most updated information as things unfold. We will be pulling from the Governor's page directly and highly encourage all of you to bookmark their page as the authoritative source . Information during this time is a moving target, so forgive the many updates we may need to send out. We hope everyone is safe and well.

LAST UPDATED: MARCH 20, 2020 5:11PM
What You Need to Know
 
  • New York State on PAUSE: In New York we know that Policies Assure Uniform Safety for Everyone
  • Governor Cuomo will sign an Executive Order mandating that 100% of the workforce must stay home beginning Sunday, March 22 at 8PM, excluding essential services. 
  • All non-essential gatherings of individuals of any size for any reason are temporarily banned.
  • Enacting Matilda’s Law to protect New Yorkers age 70+ and those with compromised immune systems 
  • Remain indoors
  • Can go outside for solitary exercise
  • Pre-screen all visitors by taking their temperature
  • Wear a mask in the company of others
  • Stay at least 6 feet from others
  • Do not take public transportation unless urgent and absolutely necessary
  • All barbershops, hair salons, tattoo or piercing salons, nail salons, hair removal services and related personal care services will be closed to the public effective Saturday, March 21 at 8:00PM.
  • New York will implement a 90-day moratorium on evictions for residential and commercial tenants.
  • Casinos, gyms, theaters, retail shopping malls, amusement parks and bowling alleys are closed until further notice. Bars and restaurants are closed, but takeout can be ordered during the period of closure.
  • 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.