COVID Live Updates: NY hospitalizations hit new low, Subway ridership up

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Coronavirus hospitalizations in New York dropped to their lowest level since March 18, with 13 deaths reported statewide.

Governor Andrew Cuomo also announced creation of a multi-agency task force to crack down on social distancing violations at restaurants and bars across the state and launched a new ad campaign aimed at young people.

"This is not your time to fight for your right to party," he said. "This virus can kill you."

Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that ridership on mass transit is up dramatically, and eight public pools are set to reopen Friday.

Here are more of today's headlines:

HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR BEATS COVID

A 90-year-old Holocaust survivor from Long Island survived the second major hurdle in her life after overcoming a bout with COVID-19.

Gita Shorr has faced tremendous adversity during her 90 years on earth, but this great grandmother always prevails. She is thrilled to be back home at The Bristal Assisted Living at East Northport after being diagnosed with COVID-19 back on May 1.

TRUMP CALLS OFF FLORIDA PORTION OF RNC

President Donald Trump's hopes to salvage a four-night celebration for his reelection campaign have been thwarted by spiking coronavirus cases across the Sun Belt, with the president announcing Thursday that he was calling off the public events of the Republican National Convention scheduled to be held in Florida.

CASES INCREASE AMONG YOUNG ADULTS IN NY

New York is seeing a troubling rise in COVID-19 cases among young adults over the past several weeks. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday, the only age group seeing a rise in cases over the last two weeks are 21 to 30-year-olds.

"There's an attitude that young people are immune ... you are not, 21 to 30 the virus can kill you," Cuomo said. "And if it doesn't kill you, you can bring it home and give it to someone inadvertently and it can kill them, so they're laboring under false pretenses."

The governor says 28 cases are linked to a July 4th party in the Albany area.

TESTING GOAL REACHED IN NYC

New York City has reached its goal of performing 50,000 coronavirus tests a day, and its contact tracing effort has potentially prevented thousands of new infections, officials said Thursday.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said four new clinics operated by the urgent care company MedRite will bring the total citywide daily testing capacity to 50,000.

NEW JERSEY RELIEF PROGRAM FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

Governor Phil Murphy announced a new relief program for small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Small Business Lease - Emergency Assistance Grant Program (SBL-EAGP) will allow businesses in 64 eligible municipalities to apply for grants of up to $10,000 for lease costs. The program will also assist landlords, many of whom are also small businesses.

EMERGENCY FOOD DRIVE HELD AT KEAN UNIVERSITY

An emergency food drive was held in New Jersey Thursday to help thousands of residents struggling during the coronavirus pandemic. Five tons of food were distributed at Kean University in Union, where thousands of people lined up hours before the Community FoodBank of New Jersey and Stop & Shop drive-up event was scheduled to begin.

8 NYC PUBLIC POOLS REOPEN FRIDAY

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that eight public pools in the city will reopen in all five boroughs on Friday. They are:

1) Mullaly - Highbridge, Bronx

2) Sunset - Sunset Park, Brooklyn

3) Kosciuszko - Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn

4) Wagner - East Harlem, Manhattan

5) Liberty - Jamaica, Queens

6) Fisher - East Elmhurst, Queens

7) Tottenville - Tottenville, Staten Island

8) Lyons - Tompkinsville, Staten Island

MASS TRANSIT RIDERSHIP INCREASING

Mayor Bill de Blasio said that ridership on mass transit is skyrocketing along with this latest phase of reopening.

Subway ridership is up 75%, bus ridership is up 57%, Staten Island Ferry ridership is up 70%, and traffic is up 23% on the East River Bridges and 17% on the Harlem River Bridges.

Mayor Bill de Blasio discusses the latest increases in mass transit ridership and vehicular traffic as the city's Phase 4 reopening continues.

LONG BEACH RESTRICTIONS

In Nassau County, Long Beach will begin shutting down its beach starting at 8 p.m. Thursday and barricade the boardwalk at 9 p.m., in response to last weekend's large crowds and dozens of water rescues. Police and lifeguards will begin closing entrances to the beach between Neptune Boulevard and New York Avenue, the main boardwalk stretch, and delivering warnings at 7:45 p.m.

CLUSTER AFTER PARTY IN NJ

Health officials in New Jersey are investigating a cluster of coronavirus cases all linked to a house party. The cluster of approximately 20 COVID-19 cases are connected through a house party on West Front Street in Middletown on July 11th. All of these new cases are teens between the ages of 15 and 19. Middletown Health officials say they are running into resistance while trying to track the cases.

WATCH THE SERIES: EYEWITNESS TO A PANDEMIC (Episode 6 below)

Suddenly, the brutal death of George Floyd while in the custody of police officers in Minneapolis filled the streets of a nation with rage and sorrow. New York was no different. Protesters put the fear of the virus aside and took to the streets by the thousands. Abandoning the safety and comfort of social distance, to demand social change.

abc7NY Phase Tracker:

COVID-19 Help, Information. Stimulus and Business Updates

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7 On Your Side Investigates: Up to 4,000 coronavirus cases prevented by NYC contact tracers

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio along with local health experts have repeatedly called contact tracing a key element in preventing another spike of coronavirus in the city.

REOPENING INFORMATION

What's Open, What's Closed

Reopening New York State

Reopening New Jersey

Reopening Connecticut

Total count of NYC, Long Island COVID-19 cases based on patient address