New York – New York Governor Andrew Cuomo extended the moratorium on evictions related to the coronavirus outbreak by two months.
Cuomo had issued a moratorium that expired in June in March, but indicated that by extending it to August 20, it intends to reduce the anxiety of families affected by the closure of businesses amid the pandemic.
b, Cuomo said at his briefing on Thursday.
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The executive order also prohibits the application of fees for suspended payments and allows tenants to use their deposits as a form of payment, although they must pay it later.
New York reported 231 coronavirus-related deaths on Wednesday.
Shortly before, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that New York City will test 140,000 residents between next week and early June to find out if they have antibodies to the coronavirus.
The analyzes, which will reveal whether the person had the virus at a certain time, will be carried out free of charge, by prior appointment, in five establishments in the city, the mayor explained. The results will be delivered to the individual in one or two days and will also be used for epidemiological investigations, he added.
Experts warn that it is still unknown whether the antibodies offer immunity to the virus or whether a person who has tested positive for the antibodies can still be infected.
“We are not promising people a rose garden,” said De Blasio. “We are not saying that antibody testing is the end point, because it is not. But something tells us. “
City authorities will use tests done by BioReference Laboratories for the free test program.
Blood tests are different from swab swab samples that are currently used to detect an active COVID-19 infection. Blood cells look for blood proteins called antibodies, which the body produces days or weeks after fighting an infection. The blood sample is usually punctured on the finger.
Health officials in the United States and other parts of the world have suggested that the tests could help identify people who previously had the virus – whether they got sick or not – and developed some immunity. But scientists have yet to answer many unknowns about those tests, including how many antibodies it takes to be immune or how long that immunity lasts.
