On Friday, a statewide association for nursing homes wrote the governor to ask that New York’s requirements for nursing-home visitors and COVID-19 testing be recast to match federal rules released this week.

Cuomo and the governors of New Jersey and Connecticut — all Democrats — issued a joint statement on Thursday, saying, “This 180-degree reversal of COVID-19 testing guidelines is reckless, and not based on science and has the potential to do long-term damage to the institution’s reputation.”

While the news, statewide and locally, on controlling the spread of coronavirus continues to be good, the fiscal news — a report on state tax receipts shows a 10-percent decline —  continues to be bleak.

Sweeping voter reforms and an extension for protecting tenants were part of the governor’s pandemic response on Thursday.

Sept. 11 is the day classes begin for students in kindergarten through 12th grade, while Sept. 14 is the first day of pre-kindergarten classes. 

Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy cited statistics on two leading underlying health issues of New Yorkers who had died from COVID-19: 13,000 with hypertension and 9,000 with diabetes. Regular physical activity, McCoy said, could improve or prevent these conditions.

The fall flu season looms as schools plan to reopen while facing a drastic decline in state funds.

Two more states — Alaska and Delaware — meet the metrics to qualify for the travel advisory requiring people traveling from the listed states, all of which have significant community spread, to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in New York.

Today, Governor Andrew Cuomo called his June 12 executive order — the New York State Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative — ambitious, and urged addressing the crisis. “Very little has been done. Today I’m sending a letter to 500 jurisdictions in New York State that have a police department and the letter is explaining that it is imperative that we address this urgent crisis,” said Cuomo.

The Guilderland School board set tax rates and approved putting about $1.2 million into reserves.