Governor Cuomo Announces Moratorium on COVID-Related Evictions will be Extended Until August 20th

State is Banning Late Payments or Fees for missed Rent Payments During Eviction Moratorium and Allowing Renters Facing Financial Hardship to Use Security Deposit as Payment

$25 Million Nourish New York Initiative Has Helped Nearly 50 Food Banks, More Than 2,100 New York Farms and More Than 20,000 Households Across the State

Results of State’s Antibody Testing Survey of Health Care Workers Show Infection Rate Among Health Care Workers is About the Same or Lower Than General Population

Confirms 3,491 Additional Coronavirus Cases in New York State – Bringing Statewide Total to 327,469; New Cases in 47 Counties‍

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Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the state’s moratorium on COVID-related residential or commercial evictions will be extended for an additional 60 days until August 20th. The Governor also announced the state is banning late payments or fees for missed rent payments during the eviction moratorium, and allowing renters facing financial hardship due to COVID-19 to use their security deposit as payment and repay their security deposit over time.

Governor Cuomo also announced the state’s $25 million Nourish New York Initiative has purchased food and products from more than 2,100 New York farms and provided support to nearly 50 food banks, soup kitchens and food pantries to date. Within the next week, more than 20,000 households across the state will receive Nourish New York products. First announced by the Governor on April 27th, the Nourish New York Initiative provides relief by purchasing food and products from Upstate farms and directs them to the populations who need them most through New York’s network of food banks. The state is also asking any philanthropies or foundations that would like to help the state’s food banks to contact COVIDPhilanthropies@exec.ny.gov.

The Governor also announced the results of state’s antibody testing survey of health care workers. The survey tested approximately 27,000 employees from 25 downstate health care facilities and found that the infection rate among health care workers is about the same or lower than the infection rate of the general population.

• 8 percent of health care workers in Westchester County tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies, compared to 13.8 percent of the general population in Westchester County
• 2 percent of health care workers in New York City tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies, compared to 19.9 percent of the general population in New York City
• 1 percent of health care workers on Long Island tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies, compared to 11.4 percent of the general population on Long Island

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“During these incredibly difficult and stressful times we must protect New Yorkers who are facing financial hardships due to COVID-19,” Governor Cuomo said. “The majority of people in the state live paycheck to paycheck, and all of a sudden the paychecks have stopped for these individuals but the rent bill keeps coming in. In March we issued a moratorium on all residential and commercial evictions, and we are going to extend that moratorium until August 20th to provide some relief to those New Yorkers who are struggling.”

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Finally, the Governor confirmed 3,491 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 327,469 confirmed cases in New York State. Of the 327,469 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows: