Dear John
I hope everyone made the most of their snowy weekend! The dreary rain has washed away most of the slush but as I heard from folks this week, some slush took longer to wash away than others. This storm highlighted how our City’s “every person for themselves” approach toward snow removal can leave pedestrians, and people with disabilities like me, out in the cold (no pun intended). As climate change worsens, we can’t just accept that parts of our city will be unnavigable for thousands of people. We need a publicly funded corps for snow removal because our sidewalks and bike lanes are a public good and their accessibility is a collective responsibility. I’ll be working with my Council colleagues to make this happen so when the next snowstorm comes we’re not, once again, left out in the cold.
COVID-19
Some big COVID-19 milestones! This week was the first since last December that the City recorded under 2,000 cases of COVID-19 in a single day. Now, this is still a high number (we’re technically still at “very high” community transmission) but there are signs we are continuing on a downward trend. Additionally, we hit 75% full vaccination across the state which is one of the highest in the country! While the Omicron wave was a startling reminder that this pandemic is not yet over, we can thank our state’s high vaccination rate for our low number of hospitalizations and deaths compared to states across the country. We are certainly not out of the woods yet, but we are seeing some promising signs that this wave is coming to an end.
Many of you have probably already read about the BA.2 sub-variant. We don’t have more information about this new strain of the virus but we do know that while it is more contagious, the differences are not as stark as they were between Delta and Omicron. We’ll provide you with more information when we have it.
One last thing, there were a lot of complicated flow charts on what to do after you’ve been exposed but NYC Health + Hospitals has released a very helpful survey you can use instead! If you’re exposed, please use this resource to help figure out what’s the best course of action for you and those around you.
City Resources
Every day, our office receives emails to share important city resources with our constituents. We share a lot of them on our government Twitter, but we also want to make sure we’re sending them directly to your inbox when we have the chance. We want our emails to be helpful but also take you less than an hour to read!
- Do you want regular updates from the City on COVID-19, the weather, and more? Sign up for 311 updates here (if you're viewing this email on your phone use this link instead).
- If you encounter someone who is unhoused and in need of assistance, you can use this link to notify DHS (Department of Homeless Services).
- The Mayor’s office has recently put out a survey asking for feedback on City priorities! I’d highly encourage everyone to fill it out.
- Medicare Rights, a non-profit consumer organization, has a free multilingual hotline (800-333-4114) to help you and your family navigate Medicare. Whether you need help understanding coverage changes or accessing home care, they are here to help.
- The non-profit group Witness is collecting donations to supply incarcerated individuals on Rikers with hats and gloves during these cold winter months. You can donate here.
In The News
Last but not least, it’s been a busy week in the news for me! Last Friday, I was on Brooklyn Magazine's podcast to discuss my first month in office (we’ve done so much that, to be honest, it feels like it’s been longer). This past Sunday I was a guest on WBAI’s City Watch discussing my plans as Chair of the City Council's Immigration Committee. And finally, on Tuesday night I was a guest on Inside City Hall with the one and only Errol Louis to talk about the Mayor’s Blueprint on gun violence!
I have a wonderful team that helps me prepare for these press opportunities but I’ll be honest with you all, sometimes I still get nervous! I’m working on my deep breaths and prepping my notes, but imposter syndrome never really goes away. I know we have some of these wonderful hosts on this email list, so I wanted to give them a special thank you for being so gracious and extending the opportunity to join them in conversation.
Before I go I wanted to let you know it’s my birthday this weekend! I’m usually someone who doesn’t make much of their birthday and last year between campaigning and having COVID-19, my 30th birthday flew by without much attention. But this year, I’m being intentional about taking a moment to reflect and surround myself with friends and family. Here’s to 31!
In Solidarity,
Shahana
P.S. The DOT (Department of Transportation) will be performing maintenance on our beloved Third Street Bridge this month! Sunday, February 6th through Friday, February 11th from 11 pm to 5 am, one lane will be closed and flaggers will be directing two-way traffic through one lane. Make sure you 👋 hello!
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