• New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is holding his daily press conference on the COVID-19 outbreak.
• The coronavirus has infected more than 131,800 people in the state as of Tuesday morning.
• On Monday, Cuomo said he is doubling the fine for violating the state’s strict social distancing rules to $1,000.

Noah Higgins-Dunn | @higginsdunnPublished 21 Hours Ago  Updated 21 Hours Ago

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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is holding his daily press conference on the COVID-19 outbreak, which has infected more than 131,800 people in the state as of Tuesday morning.

On Monday, Cuomo said he is doubling the fine for people who violate the state’s strict social distancing rules to $1,000. He said too many New Yorkers are not taking the rules seriously, only one week before Easter and two days before the start of Passover at sundown Wednesday.

“You don’t have the right, frankly, to take health-care staff and people who are literally putting their lives on the line and be cavalier or reckless with them. You just don’t have the right,” Cuomo said on Tuesday.

The coronavirus has infected more than 368,400 people in the U.S. and has killed at least 11,000. Globally, the virus has infected more than 1,363,000 people and has killed at least 76,000.

1. State Extends “NY PAUSE:” Governor Cuomo today extended school and non-essential business closure through April 29, with continued social distancing guidelines. 
2. COVID Counts:  The Dutchess County website shows 994 active COVID-19 cases in our county, of which 68 are in Beacon.  
3. City Bills:  The community is doing great with paying bills by mail, online, drop box in front of City Hall, or M&T Bank’s drive-up window.  Keep going – keep everyone safe.
4. Groceries:  For those in need, free groceries are coming again Wednesday 10-11 AM.  Drive-up at Rombout Middle School; walk-up only at South Avenue School. For deliveries, contact mutualaidbeacon@gmail.com or (845) 288-2559 by 5 PM Tuesday. Kudos to Beacon School District, Beacon Mutual Aid, Common Ground Farm, Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Green Teens, Fareground, Food Bank, and Hudson Valley Seed.
5. Census:  Don’t forget the census – it’s easy and important. 

Thank you all; stay well. 

Here’s today’s update from County Executive Molinaro announcing Wednesday’s Facebook Live town hall, and how we can come together as a community to support each other on Takeout Tuesday!

In Dutchess County as of April 6, 2020 there have been:

– 1064 confirmed cases of COVID-19

– 4,475 tests administered

– 61 recovered

www.dutchessNY.gov

FREE Groceries are coming to Beacon again this Wednesday, April 8th. There will be free boxes of groceries available for pick up for anyone who needs them. This food is brought to you by the following organizations and groups: Beacon City School District, Beacon Mutual Aid,  Common Ground Farm, Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Green Teen Program, Fareground, the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley, and Hudson Valley Seed.

There will be some changes this week and the locations will be slightly different.

*At Rombout Middle School from 10:00-11:00am

*At South Avenue Elementary school from 10:00-11:00am for pedestrians only–no car pickups please

Mutual Aid Of Beacon will be providing deliveries again, however there will be a cap on the # of deliveries and the time they can be placed.  All delivery orders will need to be placed by Tuesday at 5:00pm. If you are in need of a delivery please call or text 845-288-2559 or email mutualaidbeacon@gmail.com.

Check out today’s update from County Executive Molinaro about how those who need assistance during this pandemic can get food and basic supplies through our website at DutchessNY.gov/DutchessResponds

In Dutchess County as of April 3, 2020 there have been;

– 700 Confirmed Cases of COVID-19

– 3,330 tests administered

– 42 people recovered

www.dutchessNY.gov

• A list of Hudson Valley SBA PPP Loan Program Providers is now available.
• Get local assistance in applying for SBA relief funds.
• The SBA has released a PDF copy of the “Interim Final Rules for the Paycheck Protection Program.”
• In Governor Cuomo’s press conference today (Friday), the governor announced he has signed an Executive Order that will allow him to take ventilators from parts of the state that are not hard hit by COVID-19, and send them to areas that are current hot spots.
• The New York State Workers’ Compensation Board has expanded the definition of “serious health condition” to include COVID-19.
• The FBI has released guidance on how individuals and organizations can protect themselves against video-teleconferencing hijacking and “Zoom-bombing.”
• Walmart is hosting a series of webinars to invite small businesses to supply Walmart Stores and its e-commerce platform. This is a great opportunity for small businesses looking to reach new customers in the current environment. Register online.
• WMCHealth has established a program called Meal Train at each of their network hospitals in response to an outpouring of support for their front-line workers. Meal Train harnesses the generosity of our community members who are focused on honoring and supporting those working in the hospitals, while driving support to area restaurants, who, are major contributors to our local economy. To learn more, at the WMCHealth website.

If you have any questions regarding the information in this notification or any other business related concerns and suggestions, please email Contact@DutchessBNN.com. Please do NOT contact elected officials regarding information in this email as they are currently inundated with handling the government response to this crisis. This network was created to help coordinate responses and share the burden, and we ask that you please contact us with any questions or concerns so our elected officials can focus on their task at hand. Thank you for your continued support through this time.

If you were forwarded this email, but would like to be added to the email list, please let us know by emailing contact@DutchessBNN.com

Update for Thursday, April 2, 2020:

• The State today announced the NY State of Health insurance marketplace will remain open until May 15.
• The Governor also asked any company that can create personal protective equipment for hospital or emergency response personnel, to please call 212-803-3100 or email covid19supplies@esd.ny.gov. The State will pay a premium for the supplies and help finance any factory conversion costs.
• The IRS has released an FAQ page to answer questions on how the COVID-19 paid leave tax credits will work for small and medium sized businesses.
• The New York Power Authority put out a press release explaining they will offer a relief program for their Economic Development Power Customers.
• The New York Department of Health has released initial guidance on cleaning and disinfecting numerous types of businesses or facilities. It can be found at the bottom of the State’s Coronavirus/COVID-19 website.
• The FFCRA Employee Notice Requirements are now in effect, meaning your business must either post the informational poster at your work place, or digitally send the poster to your employees if they are not on site.
• Guidance for essential classification for landscapers was released today by the State.
• The New York Council of Nonprofits and Nonprofit New York will host a webinar on Friday, April 3, 1-2pm, to discuss how the new federal legislation will impact nonprofits in New York. Register for the webinar online.
• Also on April 3, at 2pm, Cornell University School of Hotel Administration and the Cornell Institute for Food and Beverage Management will bring together restaurant executives and faculty experts to offer solutions to the challenges operators, employees, and guests are experiencing. Register for the webinar online.
• A reminder to all who will be applying for the Paycheck Protection Program: 75% of the money received must go towards payroll. “Forgiveness is based on the employer maintaining or quickly rehiring employees and maintaining salary levels. Forgiveness will be reduced if full-time headcount declines, or if salaries and wages decrease.” The loan will mature in 2 years at an interest rate of .5%. More information is available on the SBA website.
• Read the SBA’s Borrower Fact Sheet online.

If you have any questions regarding the information in this notification or any other business related concerns and suggestions, please email Contact@DutchessBNN.com. Please do NOT contact elected officials regarding information in this email as they are currently inundated with handling the government response to this crisis. This network was created to help coordinate responses and share the burden, and we ask that you please contact us with any questions or concerns so our elected officials can focus on their task at hand. Thank you for your continued support through this time.

If you were forwarded this email, but would like to be added to the email list, please let us know by emailing contact@DutchessBNN.com

www.dutchessNY.gov

Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time using your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your address to log in.  If you have any questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact support@dutchessny.gov.

This service is provided to you at no charge by Dutchess County, NY.

Lee:

1. Dutchess Website:  At www.dutchessny.gov, the county posts COVID-19 counts by community.  Beacon has 44 positive tests of COVID-19 out of a county total of 550.
2. Water Bills:  Pay your bill by mail, drop box in front of City Hall, M&T Bank’s drive-up window, or the city’s website.  For everyone’s safety, please pay your bill remotely by one of these methods.
3. Census:  Don’t forget the census.

George:

1. Unemployment Insurance:  The state’s unemployment office is inundated – keep trying. All benefits will be paid retroactively from the last day of employment.
2. Small Business Help:  The most comprehensive and intelligible resource to help you navigate applying for relief is at www.dutchessbnn.com.  Sign up for daily emails; they have more and clearer information each day.
   
   The Federal CARES Act has small business funding – including immediate emergency loans up to $10,000, which are forgivable if used for payroll or other specific expenses.  Applications are through local lending institutions – there’s a list on dutchessbnn.com, and more details at benefits.gov.

Thank you.  Be safe; be well; be generous. 

Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health (DBCH) has confirmed four additional Dutchess County resident deaths relating to COVID-19 as reported by local hospitals and the Dutchess County Medical Examiners Office. All patients had underlying conditions that were risk factors, none were under DBCH monitoring.  

Age and gender of the deceased are as follows:

• 83-year-old female
• 79-year-old male
• 82-year-old male
• 28-year-old male

County Executive Marc Molinaro said, “Today brings more heartbreaking loss for Dutchess County and we extend our prayers and condolences to the families and friends of these four neighbors. We have a long battle ahead of us and we must all do our part to end this pandemic. Dutchess County Government, healthcare professionals, first responders and other essential workers are fighting on the front-line to support those who need health during this crisis. We need the support of every citizen to keep doing their part – stay home; stay healthy; stop the spread.”

Behavioral and Community Health Commissioner Dr. Anil Vaidian said, “Testing is more widely available in our community. If you believe you have symptoms, especially if you have other health risk factors, please contact your primary-care physician to be tested and ensure follow-up monitoring. Just as importantly, for all those who are healthy – stay home to stay healthy and keep others healthy. It is possible to have COVID-19 and not be experiencing symptoms, which is why staying home is critical – so you don’t pass it along to someone with a weaker immune system. Stay home and save lives.”

There are now more than 590 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Dutchess County. There have been a total of 9 deaths to date as well as nearly 40 people confirmed as recovered (individuals who have resolved symptoms and are no longer being monitored by DBCH).

Dutchess County Government continues to provide residents the most current information on its COVID-19 Community Impact Dashboard, and further updates and guidance are available on its website, www.dutchessny.gov/coronavirus, its Coronavirus hotline, (845) 486-3555, and its Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Click the video above to watch today’s update from County Executive Molinaro about our #DutchessResponds efforts to secure and distribute food, PPE, and sanitizing supplies.

In Dutchess County as of April 1, 2020 there have been

– 466 Confirmed Cases of COVID-19

– 2,578 tests administered

– 9 people recovered

To learn more about how you can help, visit www.dutchessny.gov/DutchessResponds