Essential Updates from the City of Mount Vernon

Dear Mount Vernon Community,

As of today, we have 188 confirmed cases and several deaths in Mount Vernon; Westchester County has 7,187 cases. According to Governor Cuomo, New York State will hit the apex of the curve in the next 21 days. As there is currently no vaccine or specific medication to treat COVID-19, the only way to flatten the curve is through collective action. I am urging residents to continue to stay home, practice social distancing, and to wash their hands.

I call on all of you to thank every health-care worker and all frontline workers — at pharmacies, grocery stores, take-out restaurants, gas stations, etc. — to thank them for their service. These individuals are risking their personal health — and the health of their loved ones for you. The City of Mount Vernon is thankful to our first responders in Police, Fire and Public Works, as they continue to keep our city safe, clean and secure.

On March 25, we launched the Social Distancing Task Force which includes Police, Fire, Recreation, Office of Emergency Management departments. Over the next few days, the taskforce will be encouraging people not to congregate in groups, practice social distancing and proper sanitary measures.

Census Updates

· As of March 27,2020, our city has the lowest response rate in Westchester County at 16.2 %.

· Mount Vernon stands to lose $800,000,000 in funding over the next ten years if we are undercounted again.

· This Federal funding directly impacts many City programs, including emergency response services. For this reason, I encourage everyone to complete the US Census while at home with your family and to call their neighbors, friends and other family members and urge them to complete the 2020 US Census. The deadline has been extended to August 14.

· Complete it online by following this link: Census Response

· Complete it over the phone 7 days a week from 7am-2am at 1–844–330–2020.

· Complete and mail the US Census Form if you receive one in the mail.

Important Updates from The City of Mount Vernon

· For COVID-19 Updates you can visit the City Website at https://cmvny.com/covid19/

· City Hall remains closed to the public. All departments will continue to operate at full service by phone or email.

· All essential city services are operating as normal, sanitation schedule remains the same.

• Alternate side parking and parking meters have been suspended until further notice; all other parking rules are in effect.
• To pay your taxes you can pay them online at: https://cmvny.com/pay-a-fee/. Call the Comptroller’s Office for more guidance on taxes.
• Mount Vernon Hospital has increased its capacity in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• For those small businesses who need assistance there is a county hotline at 914- 995–2900. You can also find more information at esd.ny.gov. You can also seek more information from 211.

· The City of Mount Vernon will continue to provide FREE Grab & Go Lunches at different sites. Please call 914–665–2420 for more information or check us out on social media. Last week, we delivered over 130,000 pounds of food, nearly 3,000 bags of meals to seniors, families and those in need.

Important Updates from Governor Andrew Cuomo

· 100% of the workforce must stay home, excluding essential services

· New York has issued specific guidance on what businesses are deemed essential or not & all non- essential construction sites must cease further developments. Construction is mentioned in section nine of this link: Essential Business List.

· All non-essential gatherings of individuals of any size for any reason are temporarily banned

· Schools will remain closed statewide until April 15, the Governor’s office will evaluate whether continued closure is necessary.

· The presidential primary election will move from April 28 to June 23, aligning it with the congressional and legislative primaries in New York.

• Governor Cuomo announced today that the state will suspend collection of mortgage payments for 90 days to those who are affected by the current pandemic. This will not affect your credit rating or result in any penalties.
• Governor Cuomo and Attorney General Letitia James temporarily suspended state debt collection in response to coronavirus. The state will temporarily halt the collection of medical and student debt owed to the State of New York and referred to the Office of the Attorney General for collection, for at least a 30-day period, in response to growing financial impairments resulting from the spread of 2019 novel coronavirus, or COVID-19.
• Governor Cuomo issued an executive order to enable the tax filing deadline for personal and corporate taxes to be pushed back to July 15. The Federal government took similar action earlier this month.
• More than 10,000 professional Mental Health Volunteers have signed up to provide free online mental health services. If you are a Psychologist or Therapist and are willing to volunteer please visit: www.health.ny.gov/assistance
• New Yorkers without Health Insurance can apply through NY State of Health within 60 days of losing coverage.

· Testing is free for all eligible New Yorkers as ordered by a health care provider, contact your local primary care provider for more information on testing. The City of Mount Vernon does not have a testing site.

Helpful Resources

· As rumors continue to surface, I encourage all of you to look to government sources as verified resources. The following links are great resources: New York State Department of Health Westchester County Department of Health Center for Disease Control and Prevention and City of Mount Vernon Website.

· Westchester County has created an email address to respond to inquiries regarding the Coronavirus: COVID19FAQ@westchestergov.gov

o Note: You should expect an expert response within 24 hours of your message. These emails are monitored and answered by County DSS.

· New Yorkers can call the COVID-19 Emotional Support Hotline at 1–844–863–9314 for mental health counseling.

· COVID-19 has caused extreme financial hardships on many families and businesses. The following links will have information on unemployment applications and paid sick leave.

Please continue to utilize the city website to find information on other issues you may have during this State of Emergency.

We will get through this together, Mount Vernon.

Best Regards,

Mayor Shawyn Patterson Howard