With the coronavirus wreaking havoc on the economy, the State of New York has taken drastic steps to help its residents. Wednesday night Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a law guaranteeing paid sick leave for residents under mandatory or precautionary quarantine.
“In New York we stand with our workers in sickness and in health,” Cuomo said in a tweet about the law that included a photo of him signing the law.
Tuesday the state also halted debt collections for 30 days to ease the financial burden on its residents, reported Business Insider. The announcement about suspension of payments was made by Cuomo and NY Attorney General Letitia James.
“As the financial impact of this emerging crisis grows, we are doing everything we can to support the thousands of New Yorkers that are suffering due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Governor Cuomo said. “This new action to temporarily suspend the collection of debt owed to the state will help mitigate the adverse financial impact of the outbreak on individuals, families, communities and businesses in New York State, as we continue to do everything we can to slow the spread of the virus.”
According to reports, the payment freeze will include medical debt, student loan payments, other types of state-owed debts and accruing interest.
“New Yorkers need to focus on keeping themselves safe and healthy from the coronavirus, and therefore can rest assured that state medical and student debt referred to my office will not be collected against them for at least 30 days,” James said. “This is the time when New Yorkers need to rally around each other and pick each other up, which is why I am committed to doing everything in my power to support our state’s residents.”
New York has been among the hardest hit states in the U.S. with the coronavirus pandemic. The state has over 2,300 cases and climbing, reported Newsday. New York City’s Mayor Bill de Blasio announced they now have over 800 cases in his city alone Tuesday.
“We are deeply concerned about the direction and trajectory” of coronavirus infections, De Blasio said, according to The Hill.
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De Blasio’s statements came just hours after Cuomo said the state’s cases may not peak for another 45 days and they may require up to 110,000 hospital beds to deal with the virus.
The governor encouraged all New Yorkers to do their part to help stop the spread.
“We are seeing the enemy on the horizon and they are approaching very quickly. What we do between now and then matters gravely. Do everything you can. Do everything you can to flatten the curve. It’s up to all of us,” Cuomo tweeted.
