Andrew Cuomo

Hospitalizations in New York due to COVID-19 have more than doubled over the last month, with the state reporting more than 1,000 hospitalizations due to the virus Friday for the first time in four months.

Hospitalizations were up to 1,023 on Thursday, according to data released by Gov. Andrew Cuomo Friday. Exactly one month ago Friday, hospitalizations were at 490 in New York.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A rise in COVID-19 cases in New Jersey and Connecticut has landed both states on New York’s quarantine list, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo says New York won’t enforce the rules against those residents.

The three states had announced the joint travel advisory this summer at a time when the Northeast was seeing relatively low rates of infection while other parts of the country saw spikes.

But the governor said Tuesday he doesn’t expect residents from Connecticut or New Jersey to follow New York’s rule requiring self-quarantine for 14 days for states on the list.

New details emerged Sunday on how health officials in New York could administer a future vaccine for COVID-19, with essential workers and high-risk individuals slated to receive the injection first, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.

Individuals living in areas with a high prevalence of the virus would receive the vaccine first, according to a draft plan shown by Cuomo during a press conference in New York City.

NEW YORK (AP) — Movie theaters in New York state can reopen beginning Oct. 23 with restrictions on audience size and other precautions in place, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday.

Theaters in New York City aren’t included, and counties must have a positivity rate below 2% on a 14-day average and have no “cluster zones.”

Audiences will be restricted to 25% of capacity with a maximum of 50 people per screen, Cuomo said at his briefing. Masks will be required and there will be assigned seating to ensure social distancing.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s new book was released Tuesday, and simultaneously serves as a definitive chronicle of decisions made by officials in New York to address the COVID-19 pandemic and a sharp rebuke to the federal government’s perceived failure to act.

Cuomo’s noted, more than once, that the book is not a signal that the pandemic is over, but a retelling of the height of the crisis in New York, where the virus has killed more than 33,000.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is not planning to make any “irreversible” cuts to the state budget over the next month after hopes of a relief package from the federal government were dashed this week when simulus talks stalled between President Donald Trump and Congress.

Trump, in a series of tweets Tuesday, said he wanted to pause negotiations on a federal stimulus package, including aid for state and local governments, until after Election Day.

New York state will implement a new series of restrictions in areas of the state that have experienced spikes in the COVID-19 infection rate in recent weeks, including new limits on houses of worship, nonessential businesses and schools.

The plan, announced in Albany by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, will divide those hotspots into three categories, each of which vary in the severity of those restrictions.

Local governments in New York could be fined up to $10,000 per day by the state Department of Health if they don’t enforce the agency’s guidelines concerning COVID-19 precautions and protection, like cracking down on mass gatherings and people not wearing masks.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday that the Department of Health would be sending a letter to municipalities warning them of the fine if they don’t ramp up enforcement.

"If the local governments don't step up the compliance, they will actually be in violation of the law and they can be fined," Cuomo said.

New York state has launched a new app that will tell its users when they’ve been in close contact with individuals who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 by using bluetooth technology with other users who download the service, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday.

The application does not collect any personal information, or identifying information, from its users, and instead only tracks other users who you’ve come in contact with.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Health inspectors found safety shortcomings at 77 New York nursing homes during the coronavirus pandemic, including basic infection-control violations like failing to have staff wear masks or wash their hands, according to records and state officials.

State and federal inspection records show that about half a dozen homes were cited for failing to isolate COVID-19 patients from residents who didn’t have the virus.

The state’s largest teachers union filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state Division of Budget over more than $5 billion in state spending that’s expected to be withheld from school districts as the state grapples with an unprecedented budget crisis.

New York state is considering the possibility of making the flu vaccine mandatory for students attending school this year for in-person learning, state Health Commissioner Howard Zucker said Thursday, as public health officials urge the public to get vaccinated for the disease.

As the state enters this year’s flu season, public health officials have encouraged vaccinations to cut down on the number of flu tests that will have to be conducted.

The war of words between Gov. Andrew Cuomo and President Donald Trump escalated again Monday, with both accusing the other of attempting to destroy the economic viability of New York City, and the state, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump, in a tweet, urged Cuomo to reopen the rest of New York City, which still remains closed to indoor dining, while Cuomo called on Trump to support federal aid for the five boroughs.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York state marked a milestone of progress in fighting coronavirus infections on Monday, with a full month of fewer than 1% of virus tests coming back positive.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the 30-day stretch of good news while urging people to remain cautious during Labor Day weekend get-togethers. He attributed the state’s progress to its statewide mask mandate and an approach to reopening that’s been slower than in many other states.