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Dear Friends,

As you may have heard earlier this week, the Federal government announced that the deadline for the Census count is a month earlier, from October 31 to September 30. The loss of a month risks an undercount and the loss of our proportionate share of billions of dollars of federal funding. New York City’s participation is currently at 54.8 percent. Now more than ever, we need 100% participation in the Census. If you haven’t already done so, please fill out your Census and urge your friends, colleagues and neighbors to do the same at my2020census.gov or by calling 844-330-2020. For more information about how you can assist with outreach efforts, visit nyc.gov/censuscalls and sign up to help get your fellow New Yorkers counted.

The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) remains committed to providing the latest updates on New York City’s reopening and ongoing response to the COVID-19 emergency.

MEDIA PRODUCTION

The Film Office is currently accepting applications for Phase 4 production activity. The latest Commissioner’s Directive No. 9 includes updated guidance for Phase 4 film permitting. Directive No. 9, along with a plain language explanation and FAQ are now available on the Film Permit website. Please check the website for updates frequently and review the guidelines and FAQ before submitting permit applications. The Film Office is operating remotely, so please allow additional time for Film Permit processing.

All production activity, whether it requires a Film Permit or not, must comply with New York Forward Industry Guidance. For more information see, please refer to the State Department of Health’s Interim Guidance for Media Production During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.

OUTDOOR DINING

New York State has extended the Executive Order that allows restaurants and bars to sell alcohol for takeout and delivery through September 4, 2020.

New York City’s Open Restaurants program continues until October 31. Selected corridors will be operational on Friday from 5-11pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 12-11pm. Information about Restaurant Reopening is also available at nyc.gov/restaurantreopening or by calling the SBS hotline at 888-SBS-4NYC.

To assist businesses participating in outdoor dining, the Office of Nightlife has made the following guides and informational materials available for download at www.nyc.gov/nightlife:

• ”What to Expect When You’re Inspected”

• “Multi-agency Reopening Toolkit for Restaurants and Bars”

• It’s Up to You, New York social distancing guides and graphics

• Take Out, Don’t Hang Out posters

The NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) has compiled a list of event production companies that rent or sell the equipment needed to safely transition to outdoor dining while complying with safety and accessibility regulations. Using this list, restaurants can contact several vendors directly to compare prices and find the best deal available.

RESOURCES FOR BUSINESSES

Information and guidelines for businesses reopening in Phase 4 are available at NYC.gov/nycbusiness. Under the State’s New York Forward plan, each business must develop a written Safety Plan for preventing the spread of COVID-19. Businesses may fill out this template or develop their own Safety Plan, which must be conspicuously posted on site and made available to the New York State Department of Health or New York City health or safety authorities in the event of an inspection.

The NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) is hosting Small Business Resource Fairs to provide information about requirements and guidelines to re-opening, safety plans, financial assistance, regulatory changes, employee support, licensing, inspections, and more. They also have a small business hotline—888-SBS-4NYC or 888-727-4692—to answer questions about the latest guidelines and regulations.

The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) offers information about reopening requirements and health and safety guidelines for the workplace, including FAQs for NYC Workers and an update about workplace laws for employers and employees to stop the spread of COVID-19. In addition, they have set up a Worker Protection Hotline at 311 or 1-212-436-0381 for questions about reopening or to report an employer that is not following reopening requirements.

DCWP and SBS also are working with business-serving partner organizations throughout the five boroughs to distribute free face coverings citywide to small businesses and their employees. If you are a small business looking to secure free face coverings for your employees, information is available here.

The NYC PPE + Reopening Supplies Marketplace provides a one-stop-shop for easy-to-access suppliers of (i) face masks and coverings, (ii) face shields, (iii) gloves, (iv) cleaning and disinfectant products, (v) physical barriers and portable furniture, and (vi) other supplies needed for re-opening. It represents both local and national suppliers and manufacturers to provide a wide range of order minimums.

New York State’s COVID-19 Travel Advisory remains in effect. Travelers from 33 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are required to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival to New York. The State Department of Health issued an emergency health order mandating that travelers from designated high infection states provide local authorities with contact information upon entering New York to help enforce quarantining. For more information, visit the New York State website at https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/ or call the New York State hotline at 888-364-3065.

* * *

Today, we celebrated the work of the fourth cohort of our Sound Thinking NYC program in partnership with the CUNY Creative Arts Team. Forty-five high school students from across the city participated in the three-week summer intensive in music and sound production.

We also are proud to announce the release of the latest anthology from DREAMing Out Loud, a program of PEN America with support from MOME and NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA). The program offers a series of tuition-free writing workshops for young, undocumented students from the City University of New York, to build a diverse talent pipeline for these publishing and writing industries and empower DREAMers to use their voices to counter misinformation about immigrants. Participants develop original short stories, poetry, and/or personal essays, which they shared at a virtual public reading last week.

Next week from August 10-16, we invite you to play with us at Play NYC, an annual celebration of games. For the first time, this year’s Play NYC will be online and free to attend, and feature over 70 games from developers in New York and around the world, as well as 50 talks, panels and demos.

In addition, our Virtual NYC Curator Collections, launched in partnership with the NYC & Company and DCLA, continues online. The collection features a series of virtual experiences of New York City attractions, arts institutions and entertainment venues handpicked by some of the city’s leading cultural influencers.

As the city continues to reopen, we encourage you to join the #AllinNYC social media campaign that showcases New York stories of resilience. All in NYC invites residents and businesses to share their love for their neighborhoods, elevating a diverse range of voices across channels to celebrate the locals who make the City so engaging and encourage visitors to enjoy a deeper, authentic experience in NYC’s many enclaves. Information on how to participate is available here.

For the latest updates, sign up for MOME’s newsletter, follow our social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, or visit our website at www.nyc.gov/mome.

As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions, concerns or for support.

Stay safe,

Anne del Castillo

Commissioner

Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment

www.nyc.gov/mome

@NYCMOMECommish

Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment

nyc.gov/mome

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