Dear John,
For those of you who started distance learning with your students today, congrats on making it through your first day as teachers (makes you extra grateful for the ones we usually have, doesn’t it). I hope you and your family are doing OK as we enter our second full week of this rotten new reality. I’m writing today with updates, resources, and more information about volunteering.
As of last night, Governor Cuomo’s executive order requiring all non-essential businesses to shutter, and people to stay home except for trips to the grocery/pharmacy and solo exercise is in effect. You can find the list of essential businesses and services here [[link removed]] . While alternate side-parking has been suspended, sanitation pick up goes on as usual, so give a thank you to the hard working sanitation employees who are helping to keep our city clean and healthy.
New York City has now reported 12,339 positive cases of coronavirus, more than 1,800 people hospitalized, including 450 in intensive care units. There have been 99 fatalities in the city. (NYC Health is now providing a daily breakdown of those cases by age, borough, gender, and date [[link removed]] ).
And I just learned a few minutes ago that while my friend Mark Levine [[link removed]] (Chair of the Council’s Health Committee, who had done so much to share good information and push our city to get ready for this crisis) is not one of those official statistics, he has a fever and a dry cough. He assumes it’s coronavirus … but he’s not going to get tested. He plans to shelter-at-home, rest up, and get better in several days. I really appreciate his example, and hope others will follow it.
We need to use testing locations to help divert patients from hospital emergency departments, and to preserve masks and personal protective equipment as our hospitals start to be overwhelmed. People with mild symptoms of COVID-19 are advised to stay indoors and only seek hospitalization if they are severely ill. If you or a loved one is sick, you can first seek help through NYP’s COVID-19 hotline at 646-697-4000 or contacting Virtual Urgent Care [[link removed]] .
Hospitals and public health officials are pleading with us to stay home as much as possible, and to stay 6 feet apart when we are outside. I know that heading to the park for some exercise and fresh air is critical for many of us to feel calm during this crisis, but we really need to do better collectively with physical distancing in our public spaces, at parks, grocery stores and farmer’s markets. Solitary exercise like walking and running is good, but please stay away from playgrounds and contact sports. I joined Assemblymember Robert Carroll in calling [[link removed]] for playgrounds (which cannot be easily disinfected) to be closed, and have joined calls for turning many streets over to pedestrians to create more space for walking and exercise.
New York City and State are working hard to identify and build increased hospital capacity. Construction is beginning already on federal hospital facilities at the Javits Center. Here in Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn Methodist Hospital has set up a tent outside the emergency department to expand capacity to screen low-risk patients as they prepare for increased visits.
Rent, Unemployment, and Food Assistance: As more and more people are losing work due to the pandemic and response, we need a just stimulus plan from the federal government that doesn’t leave anyone behind. The state has implemented a moratorium on evictions for the next 90 days, and advocates are calling for a rent freeze. At the state level, lawmakers are working to expand unemployment insurance. The City has compiled resources here [[link removed]] to apply for unemployment, food, rent, Medicaid, and other assistance. More resources for individuals and small businesses are compiled on our website here [[link removed]] . If you have reached out to my office for individual support, we are working hard to get you help and information as soon as possible.
Schools: The DOE Regional Enrichment Centers opened today for the children of frontline workers. In our area, the Regional Enrichment Center is Bishop Ford Pre K / PS 130. Students can pick up 3 meals a day from school sites across District 15. Visit here [[link removed]] for more on the DOE’s remote learning and other resources for parents.
The crisis in our jails: Public defenders, advocates and doctors have been warning for weeks that the virus will spread like wildfire in our jails and prisons. In the last few days at least 39 people incarcerated at Rikers and 20+ staff have tested positive. The City has now released 75 people and is considering a few hundred more, out of the more than 600 people who are over 50 and have chronic health conditions. This slow pace by the City and the State flies in the face of alarm bells rung by medical workers, corrections staff, advocates and many others. The Mayor and the NYPD have repeatedly said they will not change their policing strategy, continuing to arrest people for low-level offenses, putting officers and the general public at risk.
This weekend the first federally incarcerated person tested positive for COVID-19. I held a virtual press conference with Congressmembers Nadler, Velazquez, and Jeffries, public health officials, corrections union leader Anthony Sanon and federal defender David Patton calling for [[link removed]] the release of at risk people and an end to nonviolent arrests that are endangering the lives of people imprisoned, guards, doctors, and the general public.
Volunteer Opportunities:
Thank you so the hundreds of you who have already signed up to call homebound seniors with our partners at Heights and Hills. We had an overwhelming number of volunteers, and are working to scale up this program and find more ways to support our neighbors.
The “pilot” phase of this program is working really well. So far, over 200 people have received check-in calls, and about 15 percent needed and received follow up from Heights and Hills to address food, medicine, or other needs. Heights and Hills has been able to follow up with all Seniors needing assistance within one day. Heights and Hills is continuing to add seniors to the call list, and working on ways to deepen volunteer engagement where appropriate.
Sign up here [[link removed]] to learn about other volunteer opportunities as they become available (and give us your ideas for volunteer projects). A few things you can do now:
Sign up with Invisible Hands: Deliver groceries and other supplies to elderly and immunocompromised people in your neighborhood. More information and sign up here.
Census outreach: Due to the pandemic, the U.S. Census has paused field operations, but it is no less critical that we make sure all New Yorkers are counted. The next 10 years of federal resources and representation for our community are on the line. Fill out the Census here if you haven’t already, and sign up to join a text-a-thon to encourage others to do so.
Donate blood: Health officials are saying there will soon be a blood shortage becuase of how many blood drives have been cancelled. To donate, call 800-933-2566 or go to www.nybc.org.
Support a just recovery: Congress is negotiating this week on a stimulus package. We need #AJustStimulus plan that puts money in the pockets of those who need it the most, including immigrants, small businesses, and freezing student debt. We cannot afford to bail out companies with no strings attached while working people struggle. Share a video with the hashtag #AJustStimulus to help amplify support for a recovery package that starts from the bottom up. Take action with Make the Road NY to make sure immigrant communities are not left out.
Be well,
Brad
Lander for NYC
456 Fifth Avenue, 3rd Floor, Suite 2
Brooklyn, NY 11215
[email protected]
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