[[link removed]]Dear John,
Today, at last, was my daughter Rosa’s first day of her senior year in high school. It’s an understatement to say that it’s not what she expected. An even bigger one to say that we’re immensely grateful to her teachers and school staff. And maybe the biggest one of all to say that Meg and I couldn’t be prouder of her, in dark times and bright ones.
Rosa’s first day in-person corresponds, sadly, with the last one in-person for a while at PS 131 (where students were finally able to use their yard again yesterday, thanks to the tireless work our team, as part of our ongoing “outdoor learning” advocacy) and the West Brooklyn Community High School -- the two schools in our district (both are located in Borough Park) that are among the 100 that are closing today. I’m really saddened by it, because the staff in both schools have been working unbelievably hard to show up for their kids, and because they have not yet had any cases in either school.
Still, I believe the targeted closures starting today in nine zip codes [[link removed]] (including 11219) are something we have to do.
These nine zip codes have the highest COVID-19 positivity rates in New York City, above (and some far above) the 3% threshold. It makes sense to take a data-driven, targeted approach to restrictions in areas where COVID-19 cases have been spiking. The significant expansion of testing (soon to be taking place in schools as well) is one critical element of a more effective response than we could achieve in the spring. If we don't act now, we'll likely need a much broader shutdown soon (after more preventable cases & deaths).
So I support the decision, painful as it is, to close public and private schools in these nine zip codes, including locally 11219 (Borough Park). Another 11 zip codes, including locally 11218 (Kensington/Windsor Terrace), are on a watch list. Hopefully, we can get and keep the rates down, and they can reopen soon. Zip codes are not a perfect geography of course, and it would be great if we could get an even more targeted approach. As school testing comes online in the coming days, it will help us get more precise.
If rates keep rising, we’ll have to do more. Honestly, I think that opening indoor dining the same week as schools was a mistake, and should be on hold, not just in those zip codes but citywide, along with gyms, and larger religious gatherings. It is hard to imagine that school closures will have the intended effect without also tackling the spread in these institutions and small businesses locally, which the Governor and Mayor are still disagreeing over. The ongoing lack of communication and alignment between city and state leaders has left small businesses, including many child care providers, facing confusion and uncertainty, in a time of so much stress already.
I don’t take any of these closures lightly. I know that many schools have worked hard to make reopening happen safely, many families are adapting to new realities, and many small businesses are struggling. Religious observance is fundamental to many people, and of course constitutionally protected. But being aggressive now is what we can do to prevent a second wave and, hopefully, avert the need for wider closures.
A broader collective failure has led us to this point. We must take the rise in cases seriously, and act as proactively as possible to prevent the need to move to a more widespread lockdown, which may again become necessary.
None of us ever want to go back to those traumatic months in March and April, with stay-at-home orders, sirens in the streets, and closures of all non-essential businesses. We’ve known since the spring that a second wave of this virus was possible, and that the challenge would come once the weather started getting colder and more activities, including school, were happening inside. We are facing that challenge now.
It’s going to take a collective effort to make sure that we can keep the virus rates low, far more diligent mask-wearing and distancing, and dedicated resources and partnerships with local community leaders. The challenge is not made easier by the hyper-polarization of our politics nor the failures that have diminished trust in city and state leadership. It will not be easy, but I still believe we can do it.
Brad
In this email:
Updated and Resources
Upcoming Events
Updates and Resources
*
Latest
Virus
Data:
In
NYC,
there
were
472
new
cases
identified
yesterday.
We
have
lost
23,861
people
in
NYC
from
the
virus,
including
sadly
9
in
the
last
few
days,
and
251,591
total
cases
have
been
identified
in
the
city
since
the
start
of
the
pandemic.
The
citywide
7-day
rolling
average
of
positive
test
rates
ticked
up
this
week,
it
was
close
to
1%
citywide
yesterday
but
still
alarmingly
high
in
the
hotspot
zip
codes.
*
Last
Week
To
Register
to
Vote:
The
deadline
to
register
to
vote
in
New
York
is
this
Friday,
October
9.
Visit
voting.nyc
[[link removed]]
for
guidance
on
how
to
register.
If
you
think
you
are
registered,
check
your
registration
[[link removed]]
to
make
sure
nothing
has
changed.
Absentee
ballots
are
being
mailed
out,
you
can
request
yours
here
[[link removed]]
.
*
Get
Tested:
You
can
get
a
free
test
with
quick
turn
around
at
any
Health
and
Hospitals
site,
look
up
a
site
here
[[link removed]]
.
*
Participatory
Budgeting:
Submit
your
ideas
[[link removed]]
for
how
to
help
our
neighborhoods
recover
and
rebuild
from
this
crisis.
The
projects
that
feel
most
urgent
this
year
may
be
different,
but
we
are
glad
to
still
have
the
opportunity
to
work
together
on
this
most
democratic
of
processes
to
make
collective
decisions
about
how
to
invest
in
our
neighborhoods.
*
Complete
the
Census:
If
you
have
not
yet,
please
complete
the
Census
at
my2020census.gov
[[link removed]]
and
tell
your
friends
and
family.
If
you
want
to
volunteer
to
call
or
text
New
Yorkers
to
encourage
them
to
fill
it
out,
visit
here
[[link removed]]
.
*
Debt
Suspension
Renewed:
Attorney
General
Tish
James
yesterday
renewed
the
suspension
of
the
state’s
collection
of
student
and
medical
debt
again
until
November
3rd.
The
order
also
halts
the
accrual
of
interest
and
the
collection
of
fees
on
outstanding
debt.
For
more
information,
call
800-771-7755
or
visit
the
AG’s
website
[[link removed]]
.
*
Utility
Moratorium
Extended:
The
statewide
moratoria
for
all
gas,
electric,
water
and
telephone
utility
shut
offs
will
continue
uninterrupted
for
another
thirty
days,
until
November
3rd.
Consumers
falling
behind
on
their
electric,
gas,
water
or
telephone
bills
are
strongly
encouraged
to
contact
their
utility
NOW
and
“self-certify”
to
receive
an
additional
180
days
of
protection
from
service
terminations.
Upcoming Events
Tuesday, October 13 from 7 to 8:30 PM: Participatory Budgeting Neighborhood Assembly. Register here [[link removed]] .
We will be gathering on Zoom next week to talk about ideas for how to spend our district’s participatory budgeting dollars to help our neighborhoods recover from this crisis. Come learn about participatory budgeting and discuss ideas with your neighbors.
456 Fifth Avenue, 3rd Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11215
718-499-1090
[email protected]
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