NYS MICROCLUSTER GUIDANCE ENFORCEMENT

The Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) is providing the following statement related to enforcement of NYS Microcluster Guidance.

After consultation with our legal counsel, and based solely on the preliminary injunction issued by NYS Supreme Court Justice Henry J. Nowak on January 13, 2021, ECDOH public health sanitarians will apply “yellow zone” criteria to all permitted food service facilities that are currently located in “orange zones.” Practically, this means all restaurants in Erie County will be able to offer indoor dining at 50% capacity, as long as yellow zone measures including a maximum of four people per table and six feet of distance between tables are maintained.

This action is only effective as long as Judge Nowak’s preliminary injunction is in place. If an appellate court of law should rule differently, ECDOH will follow such new judicial order.

Also, restaurants and bars must end on-premise food and beverage consumption at 10 p.m. pursuant to current New York State regulations.

All permitted food facilities should be aware this action only applies to ECDOH’s enforcement of cluster zone regulations. It does not apply to enforcement that may be taken against any entity permitted by the New York State Liquor Authority.

ECDOH public health sanitarians are continuing educational outreach to permitted facilities along with complaint investigations and inspections as appropriate.

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‘I will run right over you’: New FEMA boss hurls aggressive greeting at staff



The new head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency greeted his staff Friday with an aggressive promise to "run right over" anyone who doesn't get with his program, according to a new report by Reuters.

"Obfuscation, delay, undermining. If...you think those tactics and techniques are going to help you, they will not, because I will run right over you," David Richardson said during an all-hands call. "Don't get in my way... I know all the tricks."

Richardson, a combat veteran who previously served with DHS's office for countering weapons of mass destruction, was appointed to replace acting FEMA chief Cameron Hamilton.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem canned Hamilton this week after he told a congressional hearing "he did not support eliminating the agency," according to the report.

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Noem and President Donald Trump "have called for the agency to be shrunk or even abolished, arguing that many of its functions can be carried out by the states, a stance that is already leading to decreased federal aid for disasters."

According to Reuters, Richardson said he would "look to narrow the agency's operations to only actions that 'are within the law' and 'within our mission,'" but gave no details.

Richardson sent memos to staff Friday directing them to "begin collating lists of FEMA tasks and authorities" so he could identify redundancies and achieve "Trump's vision for the agency," Reuters reported.

"We're going to find out how to do things better," Richardson said during the staff call. "We're going to find out how to push things down to the states that should be done at state level. Also we're going to find out how we can do more cost sharing with the states."

Reuters noted that the leadership change comes just before hurricane season gets underway June 1.

Read the Reuters article here.




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