COVID Brief for the week of May 9, 2021

Last week, Tioga County announced another death due to COVID-19, bringing the county’s total since the beginning of the pandemic to 76; up one from 75 a week prior. Positive COVID cases, to date in Tioga County, increased by 42 last week – bringing the total on Friday morning to 3,676 since the pandemic began in March of 2020.

In the meantime, restrictions continue to be lifted by the governor of New York, and as vaccine rollout continues. Vaccine availability is becoming easier to access, as the governor continues to distribute throughout the state, and is lowering the age limit in order to get more individuals vaccinated.

Beginning on May 19, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut will lift most industry capacity restrictions. Also, business capacity limits will be replaced with space available to maintain six-feet of social distancing.

Outdoor social gathering limits increase to 500 on May 10 in New York, and indoor social gatherings will increase to 250 on May 19. 

Outdoor residential gatherings, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo, will increase to a capacity limit of 50 on May 19 in New York, while large-scale indoor venues will increase in capacity to 30% and large-scale venue capacities will increase to 33% on May 19 in both New York and New Jersey. Proof of being fully vaccinated or a negative test will be required in New York.

Also last week the governor signed an extension of the COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2020.

In a press release the governor wrote, “The legislation extends protections prohibiting residential and commercial evictions, foreclosure proceedings, credit discrimination and negative credit reporting related to the COVID-19 pandemic until Aug. 31, 2021. The legislation adds to New York State’s efforts to protect tenants and homeowners from the economic hardship incurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic at a critical time in the pandemic’s trajectory as the State begins to lift restrictions on public gatherings and businesses.”

Governor Cuomo also announced that in large-scale outdoor event venues, fully vaccinated attendees might be spaced next to one another, instead of 6-feet apart, in assigned, seated sections that are designated solely for fully vaccinated individuals. Individuals seated in these sections will have to provide proof of full immunization status, which can be provided through paper form, digital application, or the State’s Excelsior Pass, located online at https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/excelsior-pass. 

By June 19, the State will begin to pilot reduced social distancing at large-scale indoor event venues in assigned, seated sections that are designated solely for fully vaccinated individuals. Young adults and children under the age of 16 who are not yet eligible for the vaccine may accompany and be seated with a vaccinated adult in a fully vaccinated section.

You can visit https://covid19.tiogacountyny.com for County reporting or call the Coronavirus Hotline at 1-888-364-3065 for general questions or information about COVID-19. 

To find out if you are eligible, and to view the state run clinics and their vaccine availability, visit https://am-i-eligible.covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov or call 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829).