Governor Cuomo giving an update on COVID-19 in the state.
Currently, the state has a 4.84% positivity rate. Hospitalizations are increasing in the state, but New York has the fourth lowest positivity rate in the nation. Cuomo also announcing the reopening of the application window and expanding the eligibility requirements of the rental assistance program by executive order. The state is seeing nearly 9,900 new cases of COVID-19 in the state on Thursday. Meanwhile, Governor Cuomo continued to push Congress to pass a "first down payment" of 908-billion dollars, a stimulus measure that extends the pandemic aid, and he wants it to happen before the Christmas break. Cuomo says vaccine-distribution training is underway, and he had a chance to show off how the whole thing will be packaged during his press briefing Thursday. There are specific requirements for the vaccine in terms of temperature, and Governor Cuomo explains each shipment is packed with dry ice and has a GPS tracker. The first round of vaccines would go to medical workers and high-risk patients. The governor has said that 170,000 doses could arrive by December 15th.