New York State Of Emergency: What Does It Mean?

NEW YORK, NY — On Saturday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency in New York as the number of cases of the new coronavirus grew across the state. Many have wondered what a state of emergency entails and why it was declared.

The declaration lifts certain regulations to allow the state government to more quickly respond to an escalating public health issue, Cuomo said. The state can also send resources — such as money and hand soap — to communities in need, as was the case in the Hudson Valley community of New Rochelle, which emerged as a hot spot for coronavirus, or COVID-19, as the disease is known. In that case, a containment area is planned and the New York National Guard will be deployed to the area to help disinfect and hand out supplies. State of emergency powers include bypassing purchasing regulations so the state can swiftly buy essential supplies and hire additional workers to help health departments track, monitor and treat cases of the novel coronavirus.

The full declaration of Cuomo's emergency is available to read here. The state of emergency will extend until September, and some specific state law changes will last until April 6, unless circumstances require them to be extended further.

Follow the latest developments on the spread of coronavirus on Long Island.

New York is one of thirteen states that declared a state of emergency as of Wednesday. Specific changes to laws include: the suspension of some regulations to allow agencies and schools to bypass bidding processes to quickly obtain additional cleaning supplies; temporarily allowing more practitioners to conduct the coronavirus tests; and widening the state health commissioner's ability to change the state's sanitary code.

Although the word "emergency" may sound alarming, the designation is intended mostly to marshal resources and allow states to receive federal aid. According to CNN, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other lawmakers are drafting a letter to ask President Donald Trump to issue an emergency declaration for coronavirus that would free up to $40 billion in disaster relief money to help states.

With the number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus now over 1,000 in the United States, communities across the country are scrambling to counteract the growing outbreak. There have been 29 deaths as of Wednesday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The outbreak has forced numerous schools, colleges and universities to close in New York and across the country. Businesses are making major changes, including telling employees to work from home, canceling business trips and advising them to avoid public transportation during peak hours. Long Island businesses in the food and service industries are among those announcing new policies, joining Starbucks.

Medical providers are also using a variety of triage protocols to curb the spread of the virus.