Policy

New York releases preliminary plan for distributing COVID vaccine to the general public

Photo of a Pfizer vaccine vial by Scott Heins/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

December 16, 2020

New York releases preliminary plan for distributing COVID vaccine to the general public

Photo of a Pfizer vaccine vial by Scott Heins/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo On Monday, the first COVID vaccine in the nation was administered to Sandra Lindsay, an ICU nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens. New York's initial allotment of Pfizer vaccines includes 170,000 doses earmarked for those included in the first phase of distribution. Once these groups have received vaccinations, the state moves to phase two, which includes essential workers and priority general public (those with underlying health conditions, etc.). In a press conference today, Governor Cuomo said he expects phase two to begin in late January if the vaccine supply continues. He also outlined more details about this phase, including the establishment of Regional Vaccination Hubs and the launch of a new vaccine-focused website.
More details here

Policy

NYC shuts down outdoor dining on streets ahead of major snowstorm

Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

December 15, 2020

NYC shuts down outdoor dining on streets ahead of major snowstorm

By Devin Gannon

Outdoor dining on New York City streets will be suspended Wednesday afternoon ahead of an impending snowstorm, the city's Department of Sanitation announced. The "Snow Alert" issued by the DSNY says "roadway dining" must end by 2 p.m. and be shut down for the duration of the alert. The latest forecast from the National Weather Service predicts between 8 and 14 inches of snow in the city starting late afternoon on Wednesday.
Details here

NYC nurse is first in the nation to receive COVID-19 vaccine

Photos by Scott Heins/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

December 14, 2020

NYC nurse is first in the nation to receive COVID-19 vaccine

By Dana Schulz

This morning, Sandra Lindsay, an ICU nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens, received the first COVID-19 vaccine in the nation. She received the Pfizer vaccine, which was approved by the FDA on Friday, following which the first shipments arrived in New York City. "I feel like healing is coming and this marks the beginning of the end of a very painful time in our history. I want to instill public confidence that the vaccine is safe," said Ms. Lindsay.
Watch a video of the momentous occasion

Policy

74% of New York’s COVID spread is coming from at-home gatherings

Photo by Kelsey Chance on Unsplash

December 11, 2020

74% of New York’s COVID spread is coming from at-home gatherings

By Dana Schulz

Or "living room gatherings," as Governor Cuomo likes to call them. In a press conference today, just before announcing that indoor dining in New York City would shut down on Monday, the governor provided an outline of how the coronavirus is being spread throughout the state. Based on 46,000 data points gathered by contact tracers between September and November, 74 percent of the state's COVID spread is coming from household gatherings. And with the holiday season in full swing, this number is expected to grow.
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Policy

Indoor dining in New York City will shut down next week

Photo by Billie Grace Ward on Flickr

December 11, 2020

Indoor dining in New York City will shut down next week

By Devin Gannon

Indoor dining in New York City will end on Monday as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations continue to climb, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Friday. Outdoor dining, delivery, and take out can continue. According to the contact tracing data from the governor's office, restaurants and bars account for 1.43 percent of the spread of the virus in the state of New York. Indoor household gatherings making up nearly 74 percent.
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‘Open Culture’ program will bring outdoor art and live performances to NYC this spring

The Museum of the City of New York opened an outdoor photo installation this summer titled “New York Responds,” Photo courtesy of MCNY

December 11, 2020

‘Open Culture’ program will bring outdoor art and live performances to NYC this spring

By Devin Gannon

The New York City Council on Thursday passed legislation permitting cultural institutions to use public outdoor space for events and performances. Sponsored by Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer, the bill requires the city to create the "Open Culture" program, modeled after the city's successful outdoor dining initiative, which lets restaurants set up seating on sidewalks and some streets closed to cars. The program is set to be established by March 1, 2021.
Get the details

13-tower project proposed for Flushing as part of rezoning gets City Council approval

Rendering: FWRA LLC

December 10, 2020

13-tower project proposed for Flushing as part of rezoning gets City Council approval

By Devin Gannon

Plans to rezone parts of the Flushing waterfront to make way for a 13-tower mixed-use development were approved by the New York City Council on Thursday. The approval of the zoning changes and the project, which calls for 1,725 units of housing, a hotel, offices, and retail space across 29 acres, came after elected officials reached an agreement this week with union groups SEIU 32BJ and the Hotels Trade Council to provide good-paying jobs for service workers, as well as hire public housing residents in the area.
Find out more

Policy

Here’s how many COVID vaccines each New York region will be allocated

A slide from Governor Cuomo’s 12.9.20 press presentation

December 9, 2020

Here’s how many COVID vaccines each New York region will be allocated

By Dana Schulz

If all goes according to plan, Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine will be approved by the FDA tomorrow, at which time the New York State panel will immediately convene to review and approve it. Under those conditions, the state could begin receiving its first vaccine shipments as early as this weekend. In a press conference today, Governor Cuomo further explained the distribution priorities--high-risk hospital workers followed by nursing home residents and staff--and for the first time outlined the estimated number of doses each region will receive based on their populations of these groups.
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Policy

To help fund MTA, proposed bill calls for $3 fee on packages delivered in NYC

Photo by Raidarmax on Wikimedia

December 9, 2020

To help fund MTA, proposed bill calls for $3 fee on packages delivered in NYC

By Devin Gannon

A state lawmaker is calling for a new surcharge on packages delivered in New York City as a way to raise money for the cash-strapped Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Assembly Member Robert Carroll revived a bill he first introduced last February that would impose a $3 fee on all online delivery transactions, except for essential medical supplies and food. Facing its worst financial crisis in history because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the MTA has said without the $12 billion in aid from Congress it has requested, subway and bus service could be cut by 40 percent.
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New York City will receive 480,000 COVID vaccine doses by early January

Photo courtesy of the Governor’s Office

December 4, 2020

New York City will receive 480,000 COVID vaccine doses by early January

By 6sqft

On Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state of New York expects to receive its first allocation of COVID-19 vaccine doses from the federal government by December 15. If all safety and efficiency approvals are granted, enough doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be available for 170,000 New Yorkers. Additional vaccine doses from Pfizer and Moderna are expected to arrive in the state later this month. And of this allotment, New York City expects that it will receive 480,000 doses by early January, mayoral spokesperson Bill Neidhardt told the New York Times.
Find out more

Policy

Fauci says Broadway could return next fall if ‘large proportion’ of nation receives COVID-19 vaccine

By Devin Gannon

Broadway theaters could reopen as soon as late summer or early fall next year, Dr. Anthony Fauci said during an interview on Tuesday. When asked by WNBC anchor David Ushery about the possibility of The Great White Way shining bright again, the nation's top infectious disease expert said it depends "on the uptake of vaccines by the people of the country and specifically the people of New York." All 41 Broadway theaters closed on March 12 because of the coronavirus pandemic and ticket sales have been suspended until at least next May.
More here

With COVID hospitalizations increasing, New York outlines new plan to avoid overwhelming the system

Photo by SJ Objio on Unsplash

November 30, 2020

With COVID hospitalizations increasing, New York outlines new plan to avoid overwhelming the system

By Dana Schulz

As of Sunday, November 29, 3,532 New Yorkers were hospitalized for COVID, the highest since May 29. The increase is steep; on October 29, just 1,085 people were hospitalized. In his press conference today, Governor Cuomo referred to this as "a new phase" in "the war on COVID," attributing it to colder weather, increased travel, and small gatherings, which now account for 65 percent of all new cases statewide. With these numbers expected to increase during the holidays, the state is turning its attention to hospitals. To prevent overwhelming the system as we saw in the spring, the governor announced a new five-point plan to slow the spread of the virus.
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Policy

NYC will reopen some schools for in-person learning next week

Photo courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

November 30, 2020

NYC will reopen some schools for in-person learning next week

By Devin Gannon

New York City pre-kindergarten and elementary public school students can return to in-person instruction starting December 7, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Sunday. The news comes just two weeks after the mayor shuttered public school buildings, citing the citywide coronavirus positivity rate of 3 percent on a seven-day average, a metric established as part of the administration's reopening plan. But after criticism over allowing indoor dining and gyms to remain open but not schools, de Blasio said Sunday he would ditch the 3 percent threshold and look at the number of cases at each school instead.
Details here

Policy

Washington Heights will become first COVID micro-cluster zone in Manhattan

Map courtesy of the Governor’s Office

November 23, 2020

Washington Heights will become first COVID micro-cluster zone in Manhattan

By Dana Schulz

Since last week, many New Yorkers have been anticipating an announcement that the entire city will become an orange zone. This has been avoided at least for another day, but Governor Cuomo did announce that Washington Heights will become a precautionary yellow zone, hitting a 3.30% positivity rate. This is the first micro-cluster zone in Manhattan and the fifth and final borough to join this map. The governor also announced a dire situation on Staten Island in which an emergency overflow facility for COVID patients will open at South Beach.
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Policy

MTA considers ditching unlimited MetroCards, cutting service amid budget crisis

Photo credit: Billie Grace Ward via Flickr

November 19, 2020

MTA considers ditching unlimited MetroCards, cutting service amid budget crisis

By Devin Gannon

Subway and bus service could be cut by 40 percent, thousands of workers laid off, unlimited MetroCards eliminated, and fares increased under a budget proposed by the Metropolitan Transportation on Wednesday as the agency faces the worst financial crisis in its history. The grim 2021 budget comes as the MTA faces a tremendous deficit amplified by the coronavirus pandemic, with no federal relief in sight. The agency on Wednesday projected a deficit of $15.9 billion through 2024.
Details here

NYC schools will close tomorrow as Cuomo warns of a partial lockdown

Photo by Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.

November 18, 2020

NYC schools will close tomorrow as Cuomo warns of a partial lockdown

By Dana Schulz

In his press conference this afternoon, Governor Cuomo announced that all of New York City would become an orange zone if its city-wide positivity rate hits 3 percent. Under this micro-cluster strategy, indoor dining and high-risk non-essential businesses like gyms and personal care services would close. Schools would also close, but during the governor's press conference, New York City Chancellor Richard A. Carranza sent an email to principals that schools would close and go to virtual learning as of tomorrow, as the New York Times first reported.
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Policy

Landmarks designates first historic district in East Flatbush

Photo courtesy of Landmarks Preservation Commission

November 17, 2020

Landmarks designates first historic district in East Flatbush

By Devin Gannon

East Flatbush now has its first historic district. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to landmark a section of the Brooklyn neighborhood on East 25th Street between Clarendon Road and Avenue D, home to 56 cohesive limestone and brownstone properties. As 6sqft previously reported, local residents led the landmarking effort of the block, which has been named the "greenest block in Brooklyn" by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden four times.
Find out more

Policy

NYC releases map of positive COVID cases by ZIP code

Courtesy of the NYC Department of Health

November 13, 2020

NYC releases map of positive COVID cases by ZIP code

By Devin Gannon

New York City's health department this week released real-time data on new coronavirus cases by ZIP code and borough for the first time. An interactive map and a table show the percent of people who tested positive by ZIP code for the most recent seven days of available data and the rate of people tested during the last week. The detailed data comes as the city faces a surge of new cases of the virus in every borough, with an 89 percent increase in cases citywide compared to two weeks prior.
Learn more here

Policy

New York will close restaurants and gyms at 10pm, limits gatherings to 10 people

Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim via Flickr cc

November 11, 2020

New York will close restaurants and gyms at 10pm, limits gatherings to 10 people

By Dana Schulz

With the COVID positivity rate rising across the state, and with neighboring states of Connecticut and New Jersey seeing major spikes, Governor Cuomo today put in place new restrictions to curb the spread. Restaurants and bars will have to close at 10pm; after that time they can offer curbside takeout and delivery for food only. Gyms will also have to close at 1opm. And both indoor and outdoor gatherings at private residences will be limited to no more than 10 people. These are the three main spreaders that were identified by state contact-tracers. The rules go into effect at 1opm this Friday, November 13th.
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Policy

Can NYC stave off a second COVID wave? Positivity rate nears 3%

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.

November 10, 2020

Can NYC stave off a second COVID wave? Positivity rate nears 3%

By Dana Schulz

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office. For the sixth straight day, New York City's COVID positivity rate has been above 2 percent, today hitting 2.88 percent. Though this is lower than surrounding states (New Jersey has recently hit 8 percent), Mayor de Blasio's education plan has set a threshold of 3 percent for keeping schools open. And according to the city's data, the number of new daily infections has nearly doubled since August from roughly 300 to a whopping 976 last Wednesday. Yesterday, Mayor de Blasio said the city was "getting dangerously close" to a second wave, setting off an alarm among New Yorkers, and today he said, "this is our last chance to stop [it]."
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New Jersey adds new COVID restrictions as infection rate climbs

View of Jersey City, photo by Gautam Krishnan on Unsplash

November 9, 2020

New Jersey adds new COVID restrictions as infection rate climbs

By Dana Schulz

With infection rates throughout the Garden State continuing to climb, Governor Phil Murphy has been hinting for the past week at new restrictions, and today they came. Aside from prohibiting all indoor interstate games for youth and high school sports, the rules focus on indoor dining, including stopping restaurants, bars, and casinos from serving food or drink between 10pm and 5am and prohibiting barside seating. Murphy's announcement came as New Jersey saw its fifth-straight day of 2,000+ cases, with 3,207 cases reported on Saturday, the highest since the height of the pandemic on April 27.
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Policy

Here’s what New Yorkers can expect from Joe Biden’s COVID-19 plan

Photo by Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons

November 9, 2020

Here’s what New Yorkers can expect from Joe Biden’s COVID-19 plan

By Dana Schulz

Even before he was officially declared President-elect, Joe Biden began briefings about the pandemic, and since Saturday's celebrations, his comprehensive, federally led strategy to combat COVID-19 finally feels within reach. Today, President-elect Biden announced the 13 members of his COVID-19 advisory board, made up of public health experts, scientists, and doctors. This group will help Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and him carry out their plan to not only beat the virus, but to prepare for future global health threats. Ahead, we take a closer look at the intricacies of the strategy and how it will benefit the entire nation, as well as New Yorkers, from a nation-wide mask mandate to an increase in testing centers to the establishment of a Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force.
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New York will deploy additional National Guard and NYPD to enforce COVID rules at airports

Photo by Kevin Dellandrea on Unsplash

November 6, 2020

New York will deploy additional National Guard and NYPD to enforce COVID rules at airports

By Dana Schulz

With the pandemic roaring around the nation and in nearby New Jersey and Connecticut, Governor Cuomo today announced that he'd be deploying additional National Guard and NYPD members to state airports to enforce the state's COVID entry requirements as the holidays approach. In a conference call this morning with reporters, the governor said, "You should not land if you do not have proof of a negative test," referring to the new travel rule that he announced on Monday, which says that most travelers who were in another state for more than 24 hours must obtain a test within three days of departure from that state.
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Travelers to New York must test negative for COVID-19 to avoid quarantine

Photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

November 2, 2020

Travelers to New York must test negative for COVID-19 to avoid quarantine

By Devin Gannon

Most travelers to New York must get tested for the coronavirus before and after arriving in the state, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Saturday. The new rule replaces the travel advisory put in place in June that required a 14-day quarantine for travelers coming to New York from places with significant community spread. Under the new guidelines, which will go into effect on Wednesday, visitors will be able to "test out" of the mandatory quarantine if both COVID-19 tests come back negative.
Get the details

Policy

Face masks, health screenings now required at all NJ workplaces

Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

October 29, 2020

Face masks, health screenings now required at all NJ workplaces

By Devin Gannon

As New Jersey continues to see an uptick in coronavirus cases across the state, Gov. Phil Murphy on Tuesday mandated new health and safety rules for all workplaces. Starting November 5, workers at private and public sector companies must wear face masks, maintain at least six feet from one another, and undergo daily health screenings. Murphy's executive order comes as the state continues to fight against the spread of COVID-19. Last Saturday, nearly 2,000 new cases were reported statewide, the most recorded since May.
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Policy

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