TOWN
TOWN HALL. >> WE WELCOME YOU ONCE AGAIN TO
OUR CORONAVIRUS VIRTUAL TOWN HALL.
THINGS FOR JOINING US.
>> IS THE WORST REALLY OVER AND
WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?
PLUS, WHICH ZIP CODES IN ERIE
COUNTY HAVE THE MOST CASES PER
CAPITA.
WE WILL GET TO ALL OF THAT AND
MORE COMING UP.
LET'S START WITH THE THREE
THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW.
>> ANOTHER 11 PEOPLE IN ERIE
COUNTY HAVE DIED SINCE
YESTERDAY.
THE DEATH TOLL IN ERIE COUNTY
IS NOW AT 84.
>> A LATE UPDATE FROM THE CITY
OF BUFFALO SHOWS THAT 16
FIREFIGHTERS ARE POSITIVE FOR
CORONAVIRUS.
39 FIREFIGHTERS AND OFFICERS
HAVE RETURNED TO WORK.
THE MAYOR SAYS EMERGENCY
SERVICES ARE FULLY OPERATIONAL.
>>> AND NUMBER THREE, A STUDY
RELEASED TODAY THAT WILL GET
YOUR ATTENTION.
HARVARD RESEARCHERS FOUND THAT
SOME OCCASIONAL SOCIAL
DISTANCING MAY BE NEEDED UNTIL
THE YEAR 2022 UNLESS WE GET A
SPEEDY AND EFFECTIVE VACCINE
SOONER.
>> THAT DOES GET YOUR
ATTENTION.
>>> TO OUR FIRST QUESTION NOW,
WE GOT THIS FROM A VIEWER.
THE GOVERNOR SAYS THE WORST IS
OVER.
I KNOW HE IS USING THE NUMBERS
ON HOSPITAL VISITS AND THE
PLATEAU.
BUT WHAT DO THE HEALTH EXPERTS
ANY?
IS THE WORST OVER?
WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE WITH DR.
TORRES PROVIDE US WITH HIS
INSIGHTS ALMOST DAILY.
HERE IS WHAT HE SAID ON THIS
TOPIC TODAY.
>> NEW YORK GOVERNOR CUOMO HAS
DECLARED THE WORST IS LIKELY
OVER AS WE SEE HOSPITALIZATIONS
DECLINE, PATIENTS COME OFF
VENTILATORS AND THE DEATH RATE
MRS. OWE IN NEW YORK, THE
EPICENTER OF THE PANDEMIC.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE CRISIS IS
OVER.
IF WE STOP PRACTICING SOCIAL
DISTANCING MEASURES TOO SOON,
WE COULD SEE ANOTHER SURGE.
THE BIG QUESTION IS HOW DO WE
REOPEN SAFELY.
CUOMO AND OTHER GOVERNORS IN
THE NORTHEAST HAVE FORMED A
TASK FORCE.
WE ARE SEEING THIS ON THE WEST
COAST WITH CALIFORNIA,
WASHINGTON STATE AND
AND/OR OR.
TESTING CONTACT TRACING,
TREATMENT AND SOCIAL DISTANCING
ARE REQUIRED.
AS GOVERNOR CUOMO SAID, IF WE
DON'T REOPEN CORRECTLY, YOU
WILL SEE THE VIRUS NUMBERS GO
UP AGAIN AND MORE PEOPLE WILL
--
>> AND HIS POINT IS WELL TAKEN.
I MEAN, THE GOVERNOR AS WELL AS
DR. TORRES.
THAT'S WHY THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE
TO WATCH WHAT HAPPENED IN
CHINA.
BUT ALSO MORE IMPORTANTLY IN
ITALY WHERE THEY, AGAIN, SAW
THE SPIKE HAPPEN AND THAT'S
WHAT WE REALLY WANT TO AVOID
HERE.
>> JUST TO GO BACK, YOU
MENTIONED THAT STUDY OUT OF
HARVARD TODAY THAT IS GETTING
EVERYONE'S ATTENTION.
YOU WONDER IF THERE WILL BE
MEASURES THAT WILL LAST FOR
QUITE A WHILE.
IS IT A FULL REOPENING?
I THINK MORE AND MORE PEOPLE
ARE THINKING NOT.
>> I THINK IT WILL BE A LONG
PROCESS AND A LOT OF DEBATE
ABOUT IT.
>>> MOVING ON, FOR ABOUT A WEEK
NOW YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GO ON
TO ERIE COUNTY'S WEBSITE AND
SEE HOW MANY CASES ARE
CONFIRMED IN EACH ZIP CODE.
WE HAVE REPORTED ON WHICH ONES
HAD THE MOST.
BUT SOME HAVE POINTED OUT A
BETTER METRIC IN SEEING WHERE
THE VIRUS MAY BE MOST PREVALENT
IS LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF
CASES PER CAPITA.
>> YEAH.
SO THAT IS WHAT WE DID JUST
TODAY.
SO WE USED THE DATA FROM ERIE
COUNTY AS OF 11:00 THIS MORNING
AND FACTORED IN EACH ZIP CODE'S
POPULATION BASED ON CENSUS DATA
FROM 2015 ESTIMATES.
AND YOU'RE LOOKING RIGHT NOW AT
WHAT WE FOUND OUT TODAY.
THE ZIP CODE WITH THE HIGHEST
CORONAVIRUS RATE PER CAPITA IS
14209 IN THE CITY OF BUFFALO.
YOU CAN SEE ON THE FAR RIGHT OF
YOUR SCREEN, THERE ARE MORE
THAN FIVE CASES PER 1,000
PEOPLE IN THAT ZIP CODE.
IT IS ALMOST TRIPLE THE COUNTY
AVERAGE OF 1.8 CASES.
YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE OTHERS
THAT MADE IT INTO THE TOP TEN
THERE.
>>> A FEW THINGS TO KEEP IN
MIND.
THE MUNICIPALITY LISTED ON THAT
CHART IS BASED ON WHAT IS
LISTED WITH THE POSTAL SERVICE.
FOR INSTANCE, YOU MAY LIVE IN
DEPEW BUT HAVE BUFFALO ATTACHED
TO YOUR ZIP CODE.
ALSO THE CASES FOR EACH ZIP
CODE ARE BASED ON PATIENTS WHO
LIVE THERE, NOT WHERE THEY WORK
OR NECESSARILY WHERE THEY MAY
HAVE CONTRACTED THE VIRUS.
>> YEAH.
IT IS INTERESTING THOUGH
BECAUSE WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT
ZIP CODES WITH THE MOST CASES.
BUT THEN YOU GO AND LOOK AND IT
IS BECAUSE THE ZIP CODES HAVE
DOUBLE THE POPULATION OF MOST
OTHERS.
AND SO WHEN YOU DO IT ON THAT
PER CAPITA BASIS, IT GIVES US
BETTER INSIGHT.
I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE TO GIVE
THIS CAVEAT EVERY TIME.
THIS IS JUST CONFIRMED CASES.
AND OUR TESTING IS STILL JUST
SUCH A SMALL PART OF THE
POPULATION.
>> THAT'S TRUE.
AND THEN THERE'S HOSPITAL
POPULATIONS TOO AND NURSING
HOMES.
AND THAT HAS ADDED MORE
CONFUSION I THINK TO THE WHOLE
METRIC.
DECIDING HOW RESIDENCY IS BEING
DETERMINED.
WE'RE NOT SURE IF THAT IS BEING
DONE THE SAME WAY IN EACH
INSTANCE.
>> INTERESTING STUFF THERE.
ALL RIGHT.
SOMEBODY NAMED MARK TWEETED TO
US WITH A PRETTY GOOD QUESTION.
PLEASE CAN YOU HELP WITH
INFORMATION FOR PEOPLE WHO
EXHAUSTED BENEFITS BUT WHOSE
CLAIM HASN'T EXPIRED.
TALKING ABOUT UNEMPLOYMENT.
HE SAID I USED UNEMPLOYMENT
LAST YEAR, GOT A NEW FULL-TIME
JOB.
AND THEN GOT LAID OFF DUE TO
COVID-19.
PLEASE HELP.
SO KELLY HAS BEEN COVERING THE
UNEMPLOYMENT SITUATION PRETTY
EXTENSIVELY AND SHE TACKLED
MARK'S QUESTION FOR US.
KELLY.
>> Reporter: HI, MICHAEL.
I SENT MARK'S QUESTION TO THE
NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF
LABOR PRESS OFFICE AND ABLE TO
GET AN ANSWER.
THE LABOR DEPARTMENT SAYS THAT
IF YOUR BENEFIT YEAR HAS NOT
EXPIRED BUT YOU HAVE EXHAUSTED
26 WEEKS OF BENEFITS, YOU WILL
GET A LETTER TELL YOU TO START
CERTIFYING TO GET THOSE
ADDITIONAL 13 WEEKS.
THERE'S ALSO A SECOND SCENARIO.
IF YOUR BENEFIT YEAR HAS NOT
EXPIRED BUT YOU STOPPED
CLAIMING BENEFITS BEFORE THAT
26 WEEKS WAS UP, SO SAY YOU
WENT BACK TO WORK, THE LABOR
DEPARTMENT SAYS YOU NEED TO
START CERTIFYING FOR YOUR
BENEFITS AGAIN.
I'VE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF
QUESTIONS ABOUT FILING FOR
UNEMPLOYMENT FROM PEOPLE FROM
ACROSS THE STATE.
KEEP THOSE QUESTIONS COMING.
AND I WILL KEEP TRYING TO GET
ANSWERS FOR YOU.
MICHAEL.
>> THANK YOU, KELLY.
>>> YOU KNOW WHAT HAS BEEN
INTERESTING, THERE'S A REALLY
GOOD FAQ SECTION ON THE LABOR
DEPARTMENT'S WEBSITE.
THEY HAVE A LOT OF COMMON
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TO THEM.
THERE ARE SO MANY SPECIFIC
CIRCUMSTANCES LIKE WHAT THIS
GUY HAD THERE.
AND JUST NOT ALL OF THE ANSWERS
OUT THERE FOR THESE PEOPLE.
>> I GOT ONE OF THOSE QUESTIONS
TODAY.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT, IF IT IS NOT
IN THE FAQ, TRY AND MAKE A
PHONE CALL AND GET AHOLD OF A
REAL LIFE PERSON.
THAT IS DIFFICULT AND YOU HAVE
TO BE DILIGENT.
BUT THE STATE SAYS THEY HAVE
MORE PEOPLE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER
THE CALLS.
YOU JUST HAVE TO BE PATIENT AND
KEEP AT IT.
>> NOW THEY'RE CALLING BACK AS
OPPOSED TO YOU MAKING THE CALL.
THAT IS MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR
PEOPLE TO GET ANSWERS TOO.
WE KNOW THAT EVERYBODY IS SO
CONCERNED ABOUT UNEMPLOYMENT.
WE'RE TRYING TO STAY ON TOP OF
IT AS WELL.
>> ELF DID.
HERE IS A REAL LIFE QUESTION
THAT WE GOT TODAY.
I SEE A LOT OF FRIENDS AND
FAMILY ASKING HOW TO REGISTER
AND GET PLATES FOR A NEW OR
USED VEHICLE NOT PURCHASED
THROUGH A DEALERSHIP AT THIS
TIME.
PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD CARS
TOTALED AND NEED A NEW OR USED
BUT CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO
REGISTER THEM UNLESS IT IS
DIRECTLY PURCHASED FROM A
DEALER.
WELL, THIS COULD VARY DEPENDING
ON YOUR COUNTY.
WE REACHED OUT TO ERIE COUNTY
CLERK MICKEY.
>> THIS IS THE RESPONSE THAT WE
GOT FROM HIS OFFICE.
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
GOVERNOR'S EXECUTIVE ORDER IN
THE WAKE OF THIS PANDEMIC, ALL
STATE DMV AND AUTO BUREAU
OFFICES, ROAD TEST SITES AND
TRAFFIC VIOLATION BUREAUS ARE
CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC AND
CERTAIN DMV SERVICES ARE
TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE.
WE KNOW THAT.
AS A RESULT THEIR ABILITY TO
SUPPORT CUSTOMERS IS LIMITED
THEY SAY.
HERE IS THE QUOTE,
UNFORTUNATELY AT THIS TIME
REGISTERING A MOTOR VEHICLE
PURCHASED THROUGH PRIVATE SALE
DOES REQUIRE AN OFFICE VISIT.
WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE
INCONVENIENCE AND LOOK FORWARD
TO ASSISTING THE RESIDENTS OF
ERIE COUNTY ONCE IT HAS BEEN
DEEMED SAFE TO REOPEN TO THE
PUBLIC.
THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO DO
IN PERSON YOU CAN'T DO IN ERIE
COUNTY.
>> BUT IN NIAGARA COUNTY, THE
CLERK'S OFFICE HAS PUT IN PLACE
A MAILING SYSTEM SO YOU CAN
REGISTER A VEHICLE, GET PLATES
OR TRANSFER PLATES.
BUT THAT IS ONLY AVAILABLE TO
NIAGARA COUNTY RESIDENTS.
THERE IS AN IMPORTANT STEP BY
STEP PROCESS LAID OUT ON THE
COUNTY'S MOTOR VEHICLE
DEPARTMENT WEBSITE.
MAYBE MR. KEARNS CAN CHECK THAT
OUT.
>> YEAH.
WHEN WE GOT THAT RELEASED FROM
NIAGARA COUNTY THEY SAID
CLEARLY WE CAN ONLY DO THIS FOR
NIAGARA COUNTY RESIDENTS.
THEY WOULD BE BOMBARDED IF
EVERYBODY IN THE WHOLE REGION
WERE ASKING THEM.
>> IT WOULD BE A GOOD MONEY
MAKER BUT PROBLEMATIC.
>>> TRUE.
>>> SO MANY OF OUR SMALL
BUSINESSES ARE SUFFERING.
WE KNOW THAT.
ONE VIEWER ASKED US THIS LEGAL
QUESTION.
WILL SMALL BUSINESSES WILL BE
ABLE TO FILE FOR BANKRUPTCY TO
REORGANIZE THEIR DEBT AND
PROTECT THEMSELVES TO AVOID
HAVING TO SHUT DOWN INSTEAD?
WE TALKED WITH A BANKRUPTCY
EXPERT ABOUT THIS.
RAY FINK IS HERE IN BUFFLY.
I ASKED HIM IF HE EXPECTS TO
SEE AN UPTICK IN SMALL BUSINESS
BANKRUPTCIES.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT IS REALLY
FORTUITOUS BECAUSE IN NOVEMBER
OF LAST YEAR, CONGRESS AMENDED
THE BANKRUPTCY CODE,
PARTICULARLY CHAPTER 11 WHICH
IS COMMONLY A REORGANIZATION
PROVISION IN THE BANKRUPTCY
CODE.
THEY AMENDED IT TO MAKE IT MORE
ACCESSIBLE, LESS EXPENSIVE AND
MORE FLUID FOR SMALL
BUSINESSES.
THERE HAD BEEN A LOT OF
PRESSURE ON CONGRESS TO DO THIS
FOR SOME TIME BECAUSE
TRADITIONAL CHAPTER 11 HAS BEEN
PRETTY UNATTAINABLE FOR MOST
SMALL BUSINESSES.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE FACT
THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF
BUSINESSES IN THIS COUNTRY ARE
SMALL BUSINESSES AND THEY
EMPLOY ABOUT 50% OF THE
WORKFORCE IN THE UNITED STATES,
IT IS CRITICAL THAT THEY HAVE
ACCESS TO CHAPTER 11.
SO THEY PASSED THE STATUTE IN
NOVEMBER.
IT TOOK EFFECT FEBRUARY 19th.
RIGHT ON THE CUSP OF OUR
COUNTRY VIRTUALLY SHUTTING DOWN
AS WE CURRENTLY KNOW AND ARE
EXPERIENCING IT.
SO IT REALLY COULDN'T HAVE COME
AT A BETTER TIME.
NOW, I EXPECT WHEN THE ECONOMY
STARTS TO OPEN UP AGAIN AND WE
DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT IS
GOING TO BE, THE SMALL BUSINESS
REORGANIZATION ACT WILL BE A
MAGNIFICENT VEHICLE FOR SMALL
BUSINESSES TO REORGANIZE AND
CONTINUE TO OWN THEIR COMPANIES
THROUGH WHAT IS REALLY A VERY
TRUNCATED PROCESS.
>> I THINK I HEARD A COLLECTIVE
SIGH OF RELIEF FROM A LOT OF
SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS.
WHAT A STRESSFUL TIME FOR THEM,
MICHAEL.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ESPECIALLY THE NEWER ONES
STRUGGLING TO GET STARTED AND
GET SOME FOOTING.
BUT REALLY IT IMPACTS
EVERYBODY.
>> YEAH.
WE HAD A LONG CONVERSATION
ABOUT THIS WHEN I WAS TALKING
TO HIM.
HOW INTERESTING THAT THE TIMING
OF THIS WORKED OUT SO WELL THAT
THIS TOOK EFFECT.
AND I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT IT
WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR
SMALL BUSINESSES TO FILE FOR
REORGANIZATION BANKRUPTCY
CHAPTER 11 BEFORE THEY MADE
THIS CHANGE.
THEY MADE THE CHANGE.
HE THINKS IT IS GOING TO BE
EASIER.
OF COURSE NO SMALL BUSINESS
WANTS TO GO THROUGH BANKRUPTCY.
BUT THE LONGER THE SHUTDOWN
LASTS, THE MORE LIKELY WE WILL