— IN THE PAST WEEK —

Working Through the

Coronavirus Outbreak Together

Dear Neighbors,

As our City collectively works to limit the spread of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), my District Office in Bayside will remain CLOSED. My staff will continue to operate and provide constituent services remotely and can be reached via email at [email protected] or by phone at 718-619-8611. Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns. Any emergencies should be referred directly to 911.

During the last week, State officials have made the following determinations:

Effective at 8PM on Sunday, March 22, all non-essential businesses statewide will be closed.
Non-essential gatherings of individuals of any size for any reason (e.g. parties, celebrations or other social events) are canceled or postponed at this time;
Casinos, gyms, theaters, retail shopping malls, amusement parks and bowling alleys are closed until further notice. Bars and restaurants are closed, but takeout can be ordered during the period of closure.
All non-essential gatherings of individuals of any size for any reason are temporarily banned.

For the duration of the outbreak, the following precautions are strongly encouraged to keep you and your family healthy:

Wash your hands with soap and water often, for at least 20 seconds every time, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Do not touch your face unless you recently washed your hands.
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or sleeve when sneezing or coughing. Do not use your hands.
When in public, practice social distancing of at least six feet from others.
If you are an older adult or have a chronic health conditions, avoid unnecessary gatherings.
Most importantly, #StaySafeStayHome!

Testing is free for all eligible symptomatic New Yorkers, as ordered by a health care provider. If you wish to be tested, FIRST call the NYS Coronavirus Hotline at 1-888-364-3065. You must call ahead. If you need help finding a health care provider, call 311.

Healthy or sick, all New Yorkers must stay home unless they are essential workers or need urgent health care.

We will continue to share the latest updates and resources with the community as they are reported to help ensure everyone stays informed. Follow our Facebook and Twitter for the latest.

Please sign up to get email updates from New York State on the evolving COVID-19 situation at https://now.ny.gov/page/s/coronavirus-updates.

Thank you and stay well,
Council Member Paul Vallone

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Get Involved: How You Can Help

"New York State is doing all it can to keep New Yorkers safe and stop the spread of COVID-19. But we’re stronger if we all work together.

Governor Cuomo is calling on health care professionals, schools of public health or medicine and PPE products providers and manufacturers to come forward to support the state’s response. It's going to be hard, it's going to be disruptive, but we will get through this together."

Visit https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/get-involved-how-you-can-help to find out how you can help combat COVID19 today

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NYC Public School to Begin Remote Learning

The DOE will commence Remote Learning this Monday.

If you are a family in need of a device, please use the resources below and visit the NYC Department of Education website

Visit http://schools.nyc.gov and schools.nyc.gov/coronavirus for the latest official DOE updates.

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Grab and Go Meals for Students

Beginning Monday, March 23, meals will be distributed at more than 400 DOE sites across the city.

Three meals a day, including breakfast, will be available to all NYC children Monday through Friday 7:30 am to 1:30 pm at locations across the city.

District 25 and 26 locations include PS 21, PS 169, MS 379, MS 158 and Bayside High School.

Find a location near you here

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Assistance & Guidance for Businesses Impacted by Novel Coronavirus

The City is offering relief for small businesses in the five boroughs seeing a reduction in revenue because of COVID-19. Businesses with fewer than 100 employees who have seen sales decreases of 25% or more will be eligible for zero interest loans of up to $75,000 to help mitigate losses in profit.

The City is also offering small businesses with fewer than five employees a grant to cover 40% of payroll costs for two months to help retain employees.

Eligible owners who would like to learn more about these programs should fill out the Department of Small Business Services' COVID-19 Business Assistance Survey.

Additional resources can be found on the NYC SBS webpage

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COVID-19 Emergency Supply Sourcing & Manufacturing

NYC EDC is seeking businesses with the ability to source and/or make products to support the City’s COVID-19 response work.

Support can include:

Sourcing or production of medical supplies and equipment (e.g., masks, gowns, face shields, ventilators, and other products as needed)
Production or distribution of food
Sharing connections to people willing and able to work on response efforts

Complete the Info Form

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— MORE NEWS —

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SUSPENDED: Participatory Budgeting

Due to recent developments and concerns regarding COVID19, the NYC Council is temporarily suspending Participatory Budgeting until further notice. This was a difficult decision to make, but the health and well-being of our communities is priority number one.

Updates to come!

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POSTPONED: MTA Workshops

The April 2nd MTA Workshop has been POSTPONED.

As is the case with the postponed March 18th & 19th Workshops in Whitestone and North Shore Towers, the MTA has assured us these dates will be rescheduled. Please stay posted.

In the interim, we are encouraging Northeast Queens residents to share their specific concerns about the draft plan directly to the MTA here and to sign our petition to improve, not slash service.

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POSTPONED: Spring Rain Barrel Events

The spring Whitestone, College Point and Little Bay Park Rain Barrel events have been postponed.

Please stay posted for rescheduled dates.

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Complete the 2020 Census!

It's quick and easy. The 2020 Census questionnaire will take about 10 minutes to complete.
It's safe, secure, and confidential. Your information and privacy are protected.
Your response helps to direct billions of dollars in federal funds to local communities for schools, roads, and other public services.
Results from the 2020 Census will be used to determine the number of seats each state has in Congress and your political representation at all levels of government.

Visit My2020Census.gov to complete the census online today

— IMPORTANT RESOURCES —