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State investigating 85 reported cases in New York
Issues executive order mandating all nursing home staff be tested for COVID-19 twice per week
Governor proposes ‘Americans First Law,’ stating a corporation cannot receive government funding if it does not rehire same number of employees pre-pandemic
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Sunday announced New York is notifying 49 other states across the country of emerging cases of COVID-related illness in children. The state is currently investigating 85 reported cases in New York where children – predominantly school-aged – are experiencing symptoms similar to an atypical Kawasaki disease or a toxic shock-like syndrome possibly due to COVID-19. The illness has taken the lives of three young New Yorkers and an additional two deaths are currently under investigation.
"We are learning new things about the COVID-19 virus every day, and one of the most frightening new developments has been cases of COVID-related illness in children that has already taken the lives of three young New Yorkers," Cuomo said. "The State Department of Health is alerting all 49 states across the country about this evolving situation as New York continues to investigate the illness and get the facts quickly so we can help prevent any more children from getting sick."
•The governor also proposed the "Americans First Law," which states that a corporation cannot be eligible to receive government funding if it does not rehire the same number of employees that the corporation had before the COVID-19 pandemic.
•Cuomo announced he will issue an executive order mandating all nursing homes and adult care facilities test all personnel for COVID-19 two times per week and report any positive test results to the State Department of Health by the next day. The executive order also mandates hospitals cannot discharge a patient to a nursing home unless that patient tests negative for COVID-19.
All nursing home and adult care facility administrators will be required to submit a plan on how they will accomplish this testing and a certificate of compliance with this executive order to the Department of Health by Friday, May 15.
Any nursing home or adult care facility found to be in violation of the executive order may have its operating certificate suspended or revoked or may be subject to a penalty for noncompliance of $2,000 per violation per day. Additionally, any personnel who refuse to be tested for COVID-19 will be considered to have outdated or incomplete health assessments and therefore will be prohibited from working in the nursing home or adult care facility until testing is performed.
•The governor also announced the Department of Health and Human Services is distributing a promising treatment called Remdesivir that has been shown to help patients infected with COVID-19 recover more quickly. The DOHHS has sent New York enough antiviral to treat 2,900 people at 15 hospitals and will send more doses in the coming weeks to treat 500 more patients, including children, at additional New York Hospitals.