April 30th Community Update
April 30, 2020
Dear Friends:
We are nearing six weeks since Governor Andrew Cuomo issued the NYS on PAUSE Executive Order requiring all non-essential workers to work from home. We owe immense gratitude to the healthcare workers and first responders on the frontlines of this crisis, as well as other essential workers like grocery store employees and postal workers. I appreciate the leadership of Governor Andrew Cuomo during this very challenging time—his strong leadership and reliance on science and facts has been extraordinarily important, and I thank him.
Based upon the reported numbers of new confirmed cases of the coronavirus, it seems that we are on the other side of the apex. I urge you to continue using social distancing best practices and wearing a mask when you go out in public. We will continue to listen to the science and recommendations from public health experts as we plan next steps.
This week, the Governor announced that New York will reopen in phases, with construction and manufacturing being the first industries to restart. There will be a two week delay between the phases to monitor potential increases in coronavirus cases. Click here to read more from the Governor's New York Forward plan to reopen.
My office has been helping hundreds of constituents applying for unemployment benefits. I know the process has been quite slow, and it has been particularly difficult for those most in need of income. My staff and I have been doing all that we can to help applicants through the process. If you need help in this regard, please feel free to email me at smayer@nysenate.gov.
Last week, I collaborated on a letter from NYS Senators to our Congressional Delegation urging them to continue to fight for additional funding for our state and local governments, as well as lower and higher education, in the next stimulus bill. Read more about this effort in the section below.
Throughout this time, I have hosted and participated in multiple town halls on Zoom and Facebook to ensure I hear my constituents and others. I hope you follow me on Facebook to get notice of these events. Additional events are listed below.
As always, my office is available to assist with any issue you might be facing. Please do not hesitate to contact us at 914-934-5250 (leave a voicemail) or email smayer@nysenate.gov. We will try our best to answer you within 24-hours.
Kind regards,
Shelley B. Mayer