New York's Empire State Building will glow blue tonight to honor MTA workforce
The Empire State Building illuminated in blue for Health Workers movement in New York City on April 09. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
The Empire State Building will be lit up with blue lights tonight to honor workers from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. It starts at 7:51 p.m. ET.
“Our employees are working tirelessly to keep the city moving and get essential employees to where they have to go during the COVID-19 pandemic,” MTA Chairman and CEO Patrick J. Foye said in a statement.
He added: “They are among the heroes of this moment in history. We honor them every day for their dedication and tonight everyone within view of the Empire State Building will know others are joining us in honoring and thanking our employees.”
The building's tower lights will display different colors each night to honor essential workers and first responders.
Blue is the official color of the MTA, according to an MTA statement.
12:38 p.m. ET, April 29, 2020
Here are the latest coronavirus updates from Washington, DC
From CNN's Nicky Robertson and Alex Marquardt
Washington, DC, officials held a news conference this morning to give updates on the coronavirus pandemic in the city.
Here's the latest from the nation's capitol:
The latest numbers: There have been 4,106 confirmed cases and 205 deaths in Washington DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser said.
Hiring contact tracers: The DC government is posting contact-tracing jobs today. They will be 13-month term positions, and there will be three types of jobs: Investigators, lead investigators and program managers. Last week, Bowser announced that the district will eventually need up to 900 contact-tracers.
Michelle Obama on the phone: Bowser said on CNN's New Day yesterday that former first lady Michelle Obama would record a robocall public service announcement for the city. DC Attorney General Karl Racine said he received it — and it was like a “good cup of coffee and a warm hug."
12:42 p.m. ET, April 29, 2020
Cuomo says he ordered MTA to come up with a plan to disinfect trains at night
From CNN's Adrienne Vogt
An empty MTA subway train in Queens, NY during coronavirus pandemic on April 27. John Nacion/NurPhoto/Getty Images
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he told the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), which is responsible for public transportation in the state, to come up with a plan by tomorrow on how to disinfect trains and buses.
“Any essential worker who shows up and gets on a train should know that that train was disinfected the night before. We want them to show up. We don't want them to stay home. We owe it to them to be able to say the train you ride, the bus you ride, has been disinfected and is clean,” he said.
In yesterday’s briefing, Cuomo called the state of subway cars "disrespectful.”
“To let homeless people stay on the trains in the middle of a global health pandemic with no masks, no protective equipment, you're not helping the homeless. Letting them endanger their own life and endanger lives of others is not helping anyone,” Cuomo added in today’s briefing.
When pressed further on a specific schedule for cleaning, Cuomo said the agency is responsible for that.
"I told the MTA, give me a plan whereby you will clean and disinfect every train every night so that I can say to the essential workers who are killing themselves for our state, we're keeping the subways open for you, and when you get on the subway in the morning or in the afternoon, know that that car was disinfected the night before," he said. "... I'm not going to do a cleaning schedule. I don't do that."
Cuomo said the state today will begin testing of transit workers to further determine the spread of the coronavirus.
12:15 p.m. ET, April 29, 2020
Vermont reports no new cases of coronavirus since Monday
From CNN's Shawn Nottingham
Vermont hasn’t reported a new case of coronavirus since Monday, according to the data from the state's health department.
Vermont reported 862 cases of coronavirus on April 27 and the number of cases hasn’t risen since.
This marks the first time the state has reported zero new cases since the state health department reported its first cases in March.
12:30 p.m. ET, April 29, 2020
New York will test 1,000 transit workers for antibodies, governor says
A Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) driver wears a protective mask while driving a bus in the Bronx borough of New York on April 2. David Dee Delgado/Bloomberg/Getty Images
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state will begin antibody testing on an initial 1,000 transit workers today in an effort to further understand the spread of coronavirus among frontline workers.
Preliminary findings of an antibody study show 17.1% of those tested within the FDNY tested positive for having antibodies, and 10.5% of those tested within the NYPD tested positive for having antibodies, the governor said Wednesday.
The FDNY may be higher because it includes EMT front line workers who are assisting people “in the closest contact in many ways,” he said.
The downstate average of the general population is around 18%.
The state will conduct further analysis – including by race and gender – in the future, Cuomo added.
12:16 p.m. ET, April 29, 2020
Cuomo thanks Americans who who sent New York state masks
Gov. Andrew Cuomo poses with wall of masks during daily press briefing on April 29. New York State
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo unveiled a "self portrait of America" — a wall covered in masks Americans across the US donated to New York to help fight coronavirus.
The homemade masks were unsolicited and many came with "beautiful" notes, Cuomo said.
"And this is just people's way of saying 'we care' and 'we want to help,'" Cuomo said.
He added:
"A little bit more of this and a little bit less of the partisanship and the ugliness and this country would be a better place."
Watch:
12:00 p.m. ET, April 29, 2020
Here's what New York will monitor before it reopens, governor says
From CNN's Adrienne Vogt
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo outlined some specifics that the state needs to have in place before it starts to reopen.
At least 30% of hospital beds and 30% of ICU beds must be available after elective surgeries resume, Cuomo said.
“We can’t go back to where we were, where we overwhelmed the hospital systems,” he said.
Additionally, the diagnostic testing rates and hospitalization numbers will be monitored for any sharp increases. “You see that number start going up — worry,” he said.
Watch:
11:54 a.m. ET, April 29, 2020
These New York counties will soon be allowed to resume elective surgeries
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he'll sign an executive order today allowing some counties in the state to resume elective surgeries.
Those counties are mostly in upstate New York. Areas that have been hard-hit by the coronavirus will not be allowed to begin elective procedures "until we know we're out of the woods" on coronavirus, Cuomo said.
Here's a look at the New York counties that will be allowed to resume elective surgeries:
Watch:
11:48 a.m. ET, April 29, 2020
New York death rate is declining slowly but "still disgustingly high," governor says
At least 330 people died across New York state on Tuesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced at a news conference, calling the rate "terrible news."
That's down just slightly from the 335 people who died on Monday and the 337 who died on Sunday.
"You see the decline has been slow at best, and still disgustingly high," he said.
