By Dana Schulz, Mon, August 9, 2021 A relatively short CityMD line in November 2020. Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim via Flickr cc
Back in December 2020, CityMD instituted a “virtual line” for people seeking Covid-19 tests, which allowed patients to check-in at the front desk and then receive a text when their time was close. The move came in response to complaints about hours-long lines as New Yorkers rushed to get tested before the holidays. Now, with the Delta variant causing a steep rise in cases across New York City, CityMD announced that today it would be reinstituting the virtual line, a stark reminder that the pandemic is not yet over.
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By Dana Schulz, Tue, August 3, 2021 U.S. Army National Guard photo by Specialiat Li Ji via Flickr cc
New York City is taking the national lead on Covid vaccine mandates. Last week, both city and state governments said they would require employees to be vaccinated. And today, Mayor de Blasio announced that New Yorkers will need to show proof of vaccination to enter restaurants, gyms, and entertainment venues, the first such policy in the U.S. Many private companies, both local and national, are also following suit and requiring employees to be vaccinated. Some, like developers Durst and Related, say they will fire those who do not get inoculated. Others, like Google, Twitter, Lyft, and Uber, have also extended their work-from-home policies. The following list will be updated as more companies implement vaccination mandates.
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By Dana Schulz, Mon, August 2, 2021 Photo by Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office
Following the CDC’s new guidance last week on indoor mask-wearing, Mayor de Blasio and Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi are recommending that even vaccinated New Yorkers start to once again wear masks in public indoor settings. The CDC made their recommendations based on a national rise in cases tied to the Delta variant and findings that vaccinated people can spread the variant. In New York City, the number of new cases has risen by nearly 20 percent in the last month.
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By Dana Schulz, Fri, July 30, 2021 Photo by Raph_Ph via Wikimedia Commons
The Broadway League is the latest group to join a growing number of government agencies and businesses that will implement a Covid vaccine mandate. The League, which represents theater owners and show producers, put out a statement today saying that all 41 Broadway theaters will “require vaccinations for audience members, as well as performers, backstage crew, and theatre staff, for all performances through October 2021.” In addition, audience members must wear masks indoors, given the CDC’s new guidelines surrounding the Delta variant.
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By Devin Gannon, Wed, July 28, 2021 Pigpen Theatre Co. performs in “The Amph”; Photo courtesy of Little Island
A month-long arts festival featuring more than 160 events and 460 artists will take place in New York City’s newest public park next month. Called NYC FREE, the celebration will bring a variety of music, dance, and comedy performances to Little Island, the offshore park in Hudson River Park that opened this spring, over four weeks starting in August. The festival is the culmination of the state’s “NY PopsUp” initiative, which launched earlier this year to revive New York’s art and culture scene.
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By 6sqft, Tue, July 27, 2021 After last year’s summer-that-wasn’t, New Yorkers are spending extra time outdoors with beach trips and outdoor sports. And a great way to get the most out of the warm weather is to combine those two activities. Thanks to the city’s long list of available watersports, you have quite a few aquatic choices in the summer months, from kayaking to sailing, to surfing in the Rockaways. Ahead, we’ve rounded up eight of our favorite options.
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By Devin Gannon, Tue, July 27, 2021 Global Citizen Festival in Central Park on September 23, 2017.Photo by Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr
More than a dozen iconic musicians will take the stage in Central Park next month as part of a mega-concert celebrating the city’s recovery from the coronavirus. Announced on Tuesday, the lineup for the concert, dubbed “WE LOVE NYC: The Homecoming Concert,” includes major stars like Andrea Bocelli, Wyclef Jean, Barry Manilow, Earth, Wind & Fire, Jennifer Hudson, The Killers, LL COOL J, Carlos Santana, Paul Simon, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Rob Thomas, and more.
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By Dana Schulz, Mon, July 26, 2021 Photo by Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office
Last week, Mayor de Blasio implemented a new city policy that will require city health workers to either show proof of vaccination or participate in weekly Covid testing. Today, he announced that the protocol, called the Covid Safety Mandate, will apply to the entire city workforce, including teachers and members of the NYPD and FDNY, by September 13. In addition, any city employee who does not get vaccinated will be required to wear a mask indoors. Though 71 percent of NYC residents have received at least one vaccine dose, the number is lower among some city agencies, and concerns about the Delta variant and a potential third wave are looming.
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By Devin Gannon, Thu, July 22, 2021 Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks at the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park on September 23, 2017. Photo credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr
New York City will host five huge free concerts in every borough next month to mark the city’s recovery from the pandemic. Earlier this summer, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced plans for a “mega-concert” on Central Park’s Great Lawn in August and later revealed the show’s three major headliners: Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, and Jennifer Hudson. On Thursday, the mayor said there will be four additional free concerts, one in each borough, as part of a weeklong celebration dubbed “Homecoming Week.”
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By Devin Gannon, Mon, July 19, 2021 Photo by Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit on Flickr
As New York City sees an uptick in coronavirus cases for the first time in months, an elected official is calling for the renewal of an indoor mask mandate. Council Member Mark Levine, who also chairs the Council’s Committee on Health, plans on asking the state Health Department to reinstate the face-covering rule, even for those fully vaccinated, as the New York Post first reported.
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