COVID NUMBERS: New York adds more deaths, billions in rent relief still held up

Recently released numbers have led to two shocking revelations: More people in New York have died of COVID-19 than previously reported, and there are still billions of dollars in rent relief being held up by states and cities.

In her first daily COVID briefing since taking over the New York governorship, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office reported Tuesday nearly 55,400 people have died of COVID-19 in New York. That’s up from the roughly 43,400 deaths Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo reported to the public on his last day in office Monday.

By Wednesday, the state’s website included the higher tally.

“The public deserves a clear, honest picture of what’s happening. And that’s whether it’s good or bad, they need to know the truth. And that’s how we restore confidence,” Gov. Hochul said.

The count used by Former Gov. Cuomo in his news media briefings and on the state’s COVID-19 fatality tracker included only laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 deaths reported from hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities. These numbers exclude people who died at home, in hospice, in prisons or at homes for people with disabilities. It also excluded people who probably died of COVID-19 but never got a positive test to confirm the diagnosis.

A day after Hochul’s announcement, the Treasury Department reported states and cities have only given out 11 percent of the tens of billions of dollars set aside for federal rental assistance.

Earlier this year, lawmakers approved $46.5 billion for rent help. Most states are still working on getting out the first chunk of $25 billion.

Wednesday’s Treasury Department numbers show states and cities have given out $5.1 billion through July. That’s up from $3 billion at the end of June and $1.5 billion at the end of May.

In an encouraging note for those who are looking for rent relief, the latest data shows the pace of distribution increased in July over June. Nearly 1 million households have been helped.

However, the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey said as of Aug. 16 about 3.5 million people said they face eviction in the next two months. That timeframe lines up with when the new eviction moratorium is set to run out.