The Council held an oversight hearing on the vaccine roll out yesterday 

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Dear Friend,

As I write, the U.S. House of Representatives is gearing up to pass Articles of Impeachment, for the second time during this Presidency. And quite rightly so, given Trump’s incitement of a violent insurrection against the government, designed to prevent the peaceful transfer of power, one of the most fundamental elements of a functioning democracy. So it’s an understatement to say this is a tumultuous moment, and that the remaining days until the inauguration of President-elect Biden feel anxious and uncertain. It is urgent that we have accountability now, and that we deepen our democracy for the long run.

Closer to home, we have another urgent task: rapid distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine, necessary for protecting people’s health, saving lives, and making it possible to re-open our economy, our schools, and our lives. Vaccine roll-out has been far slower and clunkier than we need, but it is getting started (I’ve already talked to quite a few of you who have been vaccinated, or been able to make an appointment for your parents).

Yesterday, the City Council held an oversight hearing, where we heard from NYC Health Commissioner Dave Choskshi, asked questions many of you had submitted to our office, and pushed hard for a dramatic ramp-up of vaccination. Out of that hearing, my team and I have put together this Vaccine FAQ, which is available on our website as well. (This information will continue to change and shift, and we will be sure to communicate those changes with you here and on our website.) ([link removed])

Who is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine now?

For a full and updated list of vaccine eligibility, please refer to NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’svaccine eligibility web-page ([link removed]) . Here’s a summary of who is eligible as of today (January 13th, 2020):
* Health care workers
* Nursing home & congregate care facilities staff & residents
* People 65+ (just lowered yesterday from 75)
* Teachers, school staff, and child child care workers
* First responders
* Mass transit employees
* Public-facing grocery store workers

I believe that current eligibility should include all essential workers (e.g. food-delivery, Amazon warehouse), as well as prisoners in correctional facilities, and will keep pushing to make that happen soon. And of course, the goal is to vaccinate everyone as quickly as we possibly can.

Current eligibility covers well over 2 million NYC residents, and so far we have only given the first dose to 239,000 people, so we have a long way to go and have to work hard to speed up our vaccination rate.

How do I find and make an appointment?

Start here, at NYC’s Vaccine Finder ([link removed]) , a one-stop site for NYC residents to find their nearest Covid-19 vaccination location and then schedule an appointment. All sites are currently by appointment, and are not accepting walk-ins at this time.

The network of sites can be confusing, Some are run by New York City, some by other health care providers, some by pharmacies. Each site has its own system for making appointments. It really makes me wish that the U.S. had a national, universal health care system, which would make this all a lot easier and a plan at the Federal level. I am hopeful this will change with the Biden administration. Still, I’ve talked to a lot of people who have found appointments, and even gotten their first dose.

If you need help with the online form, NYC has set up a vaccine appointment hotline at 877-VAX-4NYC between the hours of 8:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M., seven days a week. Someone will assist you to set up an appointment. We are aware of the long wait times for the help line. I asked about the long call times at yesterday’s hearing, and the City’s Health Department is actively working on a call-back system so that callers do not have to wait on the phone for hours, and so that you will be notified as appointments become available.

Are there enough appointments?

Not even close. Millions of NYC residents are now eligible, and hundreds of thousands of people are trying to make appointments. Last week, about 91,000 people were vaccinated at sites around New York City. The NYC Health Department says that will be increased to 400,000 per week by the end of the month. They are working aggressively to open new locations (like the new 24/7 vaccine hub at the Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park, which I visited on Sunday ([link removed]) ).

As the City rolls out more vaccination hubs in the coming weeks, appointments will be more available. For now, only about 5,000 to 10,000 appointment slots are available at City-operated sites. At the hearing yesterday, the City said they are aiming to adjust the registration system so it lets you know when new appointments are available, rather than you have to keep checking back in. But for now, if there are no appointments available at nearby locations when you check the portal, we recommend that you try checking back the following day when more slots get added.
What should I do before I go to a vaccination site?

You need to complete the NYS COVID-19 Vaccine Form ([link removed]) before your appointment. The person administering the vaccine is required to check that you completed the form before you can get vaccinated. If you are eligible for vaccination based on your job, you must bring proof of employment, such as an employee ID card, a letter from your employer or affiliated organization, or a recent pay stub to your appointment. If you are eligible for a vaccine based on your age, you must be able to show proof of age. And of course, wear a mask when you go.

How many doses of the vaccines are available for New Yorkers?

As of yesterday (1/12/20):
* 885,325 doses allocated to NYC by the Federal government
* 669,175 have been delivered to us
* 39,324 have been administered (36% of those delivered), including 216,104 first doses, and 23,310 second doses.

Right now, the Federal government is shipping between 100,000 to 200,000 doses to New York City each week. Right now, because we don’t have enough distribution sites set up, that means we have more doses than appointments.

But if we get to 400,000 appointments per week, we will run out of doses of the vaccine very quickly. So we need the Federal government and the drug manufacturers to ramp up production quickly. I’m glad to see that President-elect Biden and his Covid-19 task force (which includes some great people) are focusing aggressively on this.

You can keep track of the doses delivered and administered via theCOVID-19 Vaccine Tracker ([link removed]) . My office and I will be watching this tracker carefully.

Shouldn’t we have a much more expansive outreach program for seniors (and everyone else?)

Yes, of course we should. Not everyone is a savvy internet user, has nearby family members or strong social ties, or gets their information from a reliable source. And of course, New Yorkers speak hundreds of languages, and have widely varying perspectives. We want everyone to get vaccinated. So we are going to need a massive public health outreach program.

At yesterday’s hearing, the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene talked about how they would be standing this up. They are beginning to have City staff and nonprofit partners call seniors (and we are looking into how volunteers could aid in this effort, perhaps through The Neighbor Network ([link removed]) , which many of you have participated in). They are working with community-based organizations involved in Test + Trace outreach, and talking to the many additional CBOs who were part of the City’s aggressive and successful census outreach.

Do I have to get my second dose of the vaccine at the same location?

Yes. When individuals go in for their first dose of the vaccine, they will be given an appointment date for their second dose at the same hub. The efficacy of the vaccine depends on your second booster shot, so we strongly recommend that you follow up with your second vaccine appointment.

Is the vaccine free?

Yes. The vaccine is free for everyone, including uninsured or undocumented individuals. If you have health insurance, your health insurance will cover any costs.
Why should I get vaccinated?

By getting vaccinated, you are helping protect yourself, your family and your friends. You are also helping make your community safer. In clinical studies, both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were more than 94% effective at protecting participants from COVID-19. They were also shown to be safe and that you cannot get COVID-19 from them. Learn more about the safety and effectiveness of the authorized vaccines ([link removed]) .
Do I need to keep taking precautions after I am vaccinated?

Yes! Even after you are vaccinated, you will still need to practice these important COVID-19 prevention steps: staying home if you are sick, washing your hands regularly, wearing a face covering and keeping physical distance from others.

We are still amidst a very serious second wave ([link removed]) , and we all need to keep up our mask-wearing and social distancing.

My spouse is eligible, but I am not yet. Can I get vaccinated?

No. At this time, the vaccine is available only to eligible individuals. Members of the same household must be individually eligible to get vaccinated. We understand the concern that even vaccinated essential workers may risk spreading the virus to their families. The science suggests that vaccinated people are not asymptomatic carriers. However, keep in mind that no vaccine has a 100% efficacy rate. We strongly encourage people to continue to practice social distancing, hand washing, and wearing masks in public.

If some vaccine hubs are open 24/7, shouldn’t the subway be open 24/7?

Yes, it should! I asked the Health Commissioner about this at yesterday’s hearing, and he agreed. Evidence shows that the possibility of contact based transmission on the subway is much lower than what the CDC initially predicted ( We are pushing for the MTA to restore overnight service.

Is there any way I can volunteer to help the vaccine rollout process?

Lots of you have asked whether you can volunteer to help out with vaccine distribution. Health care workers and City employees have opportunities to participate in distribution, but we are not aware of opportunities for the general public yet. We are looking into the possibility of enabling people to call older neighbors to make sure they are aware of the vaccine and make an appointment, and we will keep you posted.

Getting the vast majority of New Yorkers vaccinated is the answer to saving lives, enabling businesses to open back up, getting our kids back in school full time, and getting all of us back to the activities and the city we love. We can do it, and we must do it.

Stay safe, and keep looking out for each other,

Brad

Updates and Resources:
* Latest Virus Data: In NYC, 55,071 new COVID cases were reported January 12th. We have lost 25,689 people in NYC from the virus, including sadly 63 reported on January 12th, and 450,658 total cases have been identified in the city since the start of the pandemic. The citywide 7-day rolling average of positive test rates is 8.39%

* Donate blood: Health officials say the city needs 14,000 New Yorkers to donate blood before the end of the to bolster blood supplies. You can make an appointment at www.nybc.org/donate.

* Get Tested: Even with these new vaccines in circulation it is still so important to get tested. For information about testing sites around the city, visit the City’s Covid-19 testing website here ([link removed]) .

* Vaccine Updates: For more information on the vaccines available, vaccine locations, and data please visit the NYC Vaccine Command Center’s Website here ([link removed]) .
* CHiPS needs a new refrigerator and PPE: Our beloved community soup kitchen and residence for homeless mothers and infants has been serving the neediest amongst us throughout the pandemic. So many of you have already donated money, prepared food, and toiletries to support their efforts, but now CHiPS is in urgent need of a new refrigerator and additional PPE. To help fund these needs and allow CHiPS to continue on with their incredibly important work you can make a direct donation here ([link removed])
* Participatory Budgeting Town Hall: Thursday 1/14, 7:30-8:30 PM, RSVP here: bit.ly/2021PBTownHall. Get updates on what's going on with PB right now in Districts 39, 33, and 38 and learn about the future of PB in NYC from CM Lander, CM Levin, CM Menchaca, and representatives from the NYC Civic Engagement Commission and district and youth committees.
* DOE will redesign G&T: The Mayor announced today that this will be the last school year for the current elementary school Gifted & Talented system (through which students have been placed in separate schools based solely on a high stakes test administered to four year olds). Each year, out of 65,000 kindergartners, 15,000 take the G&T test and just 2,500 get placed in the program. We cannot continue with a system that finds just 2,500 out of 65,000 deserving of academic enrichment. As the DOE moves generally toward more individualized modes of learning, they will do an extensive re-evaluation of the G&T program involving community outreach, to design an inclusive program that brings enrichment to academically advanced students and to every student at whatever level is appropriate. Details will be announced next fall. The G&T test this year will be given in April; families will receive the results over the summer in time for placement next fall.

* Upcoming Admissions Dates: After much delay public school admissions are ramping up. Here are a few upcoming key dates. For more grade specific information please visit the DOE enrollment website ([link removed]) .

SHSAT registration deadline

January 15

MS application launches

January 11

HS application launches

January 18

Kindergarten application closes

January 19

Administer the SHSAT to all interested students

January 27; makeup date February 10

MS application closes

Week of February 8

HS application closes

Week of February 22

Auditions submission deadline

March 2

Schools upload the scores of internal
assessments to MySchools

March 14
* New middle-school coming to our District: We are happy to announce that a new public middle school has been sited in Kensington. The vacant lot at 4002 Ft. Hamilton Parkway is currently serving as one of the City’s COVID-19 testing site. Once it is finished being used for testing, a 475 seat middle school will be built there.

* Open Streets (and Parks) for Schools Program Extended: DOE’s Outdoor Learning Initiative ([link removed]) has been renewed through the end of the school year. We are grateful that schools will have continued access to these spaces, even through the winter months and especially as spring weather returns, to hold recess, lunch and class with plenty of COVID safe space.

* Eviction Moratorium: On December 28, 2020, Governor Cuomo signed into law the COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2020 (L. 2020, c. 381; “Act”). The Act provides immediate relief to respondents and defendants in residential eviction proceedings and foreclosure actions in New York State, including a stay of pending proceedings and a stay of eviction actions filed within thirty days for sixty days. This also provides a stay over eviction proceedings until May 1st. If you are experiencing hardships paying your rent due to COVID and are at risk of eviction you can apply for this reliefhere ([link removed]) .

* We are still collecting Fresh Direct Bags! You can drop your (folded!) Fresh Direct bags at any of the locations and times below
+ Kensington: 3 Avenue C, Saturdays at 4 PM
+ Park Slope: 256 13th St, M-F, 9 AM to 6 PM
+ Carroll Gardens: 71 3rd Pl, M-F, 8 AM to 6 PM
+ Cobble Hill: 359 Henry St, Mon-Wed, 9 AM to 6 PM

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Contact us:
District 39
456 5th Ave Ste 3
Brooklyn, NY 11215-4076
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718-499-1090

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