Families of NY workers who died fighting coronavirus will get death benefits

The families of New York’s public workers who gave their lives fighting the coronavirus will receive death benefits from the state and local governments, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday.

“I feel a grave responsibility to our frontline workers, our essential workers who understood the dangers of this COVID virus, but went to work anyway, because we needed them to,” said Cuomo in a somber press briefing at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum on Manhattan’s West Side.

“Today, we’re saying we honor that service, and we’re going to make sure that every government in the state of New York provides death benefits to those public heroes who died from COVID-19 during this emergency.”

The office of Mayor Bill de Blasio, who last week joined a growing chorus of calls for the benefits, was quick to take credit for the idea.

“Thank you @NYGovCuomo for endorsing our plan to provide line of duty benefits to city workers lost to COVID-19,” tweeted City Hall press secretary Freddi Goldstein within minutes of Cuomo’s announcement. “Everyday, but particularly on Memorial Day, it’s so important to stop and remember those we’ve lost, and do all we can to support the families they left behind.”

The benefits, for which Cuomo has long signaled support, will be paid out of state and local pension funds, and go to the families of publicly-employed responders including health-care workers, cops and firefighters — “the people who showed up,” the governor said.

Other details of the initiative, including the projected cost and when benefits would first be disbursed, weren’t immediately announced.

Cuomo also called on the federal government to go one step further by approving hazard pay for responders.

“It’s a way of saying thank you, we understand what you did, we appreciate what you did,” said Cuomo. “And it’s a way of showing Americans that when there is a next time — and there is a next time — that we truly appreciate those people who show up and do their duty.”

Cuomo announced the move during a solemn briefing that began with his tossing a memorial wreath into the Hudson River, the playing of “Taps” and a moment of silence.

As America mourned its fallen military heroes, another 96 New Yorkers succumbed to the coronavirus, raising the state’s overall confirmed death toll to 23,488.

“Ninety-six is still painfully high,” said Cuomo of the fatalities logged in the 24-hour period ending at midnight Monday. “But only in the relative absurdity of our situation is that relatively good news.

“We remember those 96 families today.”