Schools, Towns With High COVID-19 Rates Need Drastic Steps: Cuomo

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — With new cases of the coronavirus up more than 700 percent in New York over the past month, Gov. Andrew Cuomo called for "aggressive" action Wednesday.

Cuomo urged school district officials in areas where the numbers are high and vaccination rates low — including 13 communities in the Hudson Valley — to take more aggressive action. "Schools can become super spreaders and in September, it will happen," he said. "This is an intense and pivotal moment and we all have to work together ... We have to go further."

Schools themselves can mandate vaccinations for teachers, staff, and bus drivers, because schools are employers, he said. If numbers continue to rise, schools should consider "dramatic action," he said.

Meanwhile, he set two new rules for state employees. All will soon have to be vaccinated or tested regularly. In state hospitals, all front-facing employees will face a mandatory vaccination, with no testing option. The changes will be implemented as of Labor Day, he said.

That includes all front-facing workers at the Montrose Veterans Home in Cortlandt and the Helen Hayes Hospital in West Haverstraw, according to a list published by the governor's office.

While 75 percent of adults have been vaccinated in New York, 25 percent, or 3.5 million — a number larger than the population in 21 states — have not.

"Denial does not work," he said. "The virus feeds on our lack of action, apathy, and fear."

He again pinpointed 117 communities in the state with high positivity rates and low vaccination rates, calling it a "dangerous connection." SEE: Number Of New NY Coronavirus Cases Jumps.

Cuomo said local governments in those areas should consider following the CDC guidance and urged them to take more steps to get people there vaccinated.

The zipcodes in the Hudson Valley on that list:

• Westchester County: three neighborhoods in Yonkers, plus Bedford Hills, Mohegan Lake and Valhalla (10703, 10704, 10705, 10507, 10547, 10595)
• Rockland: Tomkins Cove, West Haverstraw, Stony Point (10986, 10993, 10980)
• Orange: Highland Mills, Middletown, Washingtonville (10930, 10940, 10992)
• Dutchess: Lagrangeville (12540)

Westchester County Executive George Latimer told Patch that the health department wants to analyze the data almost to a census-tract level, and talk with local government officials about setting up and promoting satellite clinics where they see unvaccinated people can be most directly reached.

"That's job one," Latimer said. "Also important is getting people with standing in those communities to help."

The county is also resuming its 2020-21 school year routine of weekly pandemic phone calls with district leaders, he said.

Rockland County spokesman John Lyon said the Department of Health worked with local school districts to offer vaccinations and information during all of the recent outdoor graduations at Palisades Credit Union Park in Pomona. The county is ready and willing to host specific events for any school districts, businesses, non-profits and municipalities which are interested, he said. "We continue to urge people to get vaccinated if they have not done so already."

While county government does not oversee or direct the actions of local school districts, Rockland will continue to provide access and availability to vaccines while sharing information with community groups about the importance and safety of vaccination, Lyon said.

The state recently awarded $15 million in funding for community groups that will help tackle vaccine hesitancy through outreach; new ads were also unveiled. But Cuomo said reaching people in these 117 communities where the coronavirus is spreading most rapidly will "take more than television ads."

The number of new cases across New York has risen from 275 to 2,203 in one month. That's an increase of more than 700 percent.

Of the vaccination mandate for front-facing state hospital workers, Cuomo said: "It's an aggressive step. There will be pushback." Cuomo said he will be having conversations with the unions. "But we know what we are dealing with. You have public-facing people who the public must, by definition, be exposed to. That person has the added responsibility of not transmitting the virus and I don't have a problem, as an employer, saying it. It's appropriate that government takes the first step. I'm on legally sound ground."

State-run hospitals and facilities include:

• SUNY Stony Brook
• SUNY Upstate
• SUNY Downstate
• Long Island Veterans Home at Stony Brook
• Helen Hayes Hospital
• SUNY College of Optometry
• Montrose Veterans Home
• St. Albans Veterans Home
• Oxford Veterans Home
• Batavia Veterans Home

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised its guidance Tuesday to say that in areas where the delta variant is causing a spike in numbers and vaccination rates are low, even fully vaccinated people should be asked to mask up indoors. The CDC on Tuesday also recommended that everyone in schools from K-12 wear a mask, whether or not they are vaccinated.

Cuomo said the state is going to do a "full review" of the new CDC guidance and also look to international health experts.

He urged businesses and the private sector to play a major role in fighting the spread of the Delta variant, either opting to admit only vaccinated individuals to establishments, giving incentives, or even mandating vaccinations.

Employers are able to mandate vaccinations for employees, Cuomo said. He urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to grant final approval for the vaccinations — they are currently being administered under an emergency use authorization.

If the vaccines are federally approved, the state has more authority to mandate vaccinations for state schools and colleges and even for local governments in areas with a high number of cases.

At the same time, New York City's economy is lagging and "everyone needs to get back to the office," Cuomo said, urging employers to suggest that employees return by Labor Day.

"We've seen the movie. We had front-row seats and we paid the highest price of admission to see 'COVID I, The Movie.' he said. "I don't want to see the sequel."

Patch staffer Lisa Finn contributed to this report.