All photos courtesy of Green-Wood Cemetery

A massive new public art memorial at Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery honors lives lost during the Covid-19 pandemic. Curated by Naming The Lost Memorials and City Lore, the “The Many Losses from Covid-19” memorial is made up of personalized tributes to the 79,000 New Yorkers lost to the virus, as well as those suffering from long Covid. Created by 20 local community groups, the month-long display will be located alongside the cemetery’s historic wrought-iron fence near the main entrance at Fifth Avenue and 25th Street.

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Image courtesy of Marcela on Flickr

After falling behind on rent and closing its doors due to the pandemic, Little Italy’s historic cheese shop has found a new home in New Jersey. Alleva Dairy, the 130-year-old cheese shop that was forced to close in February, will move to a bigger location in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, as first reported by NBC New York. The new location is currently under construction and is expected to open to customers in August.

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Image courtesy of Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

New York City businesses on streets closed to cars under the Open Streets program reported better sales than those located on streets with car traffic, according to a new study. The city’s Department of Transportation on Tuesday released a report that highlights for the first time the positive economic impact of the Open Streets program, which was established at the start of the pandemic as a way for New Yorkers to remain safe and later grew into a lifeline for restaurants and bars. According to the report, Open Streets saw more new businesses open during the pandemic, stronger sales, and a higher number of restaurants and bars stay open than on similar commercial corridors not participating in the program.

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Image courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit on Flickr

Masks are no longer required on public transportation in New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday. During a press conference in Harlem, the governor said masks are now optional for riders traveling on New York City’s subways and buses, as well as MetroNorth and Long Island Rail Road. The state’s mandate has been in place since April 2020 at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Image courtesy of Gerardo Romo/NYC Council Media Unit on Flickr

As New York City faces a sixth Covid wave, Mayor Eric Adams is expanding the city’s network of at-home test distribution sites. Starting Wednesday, New Yorkers will be able to pick up a free rapid Covid test from 57 NYC Parks locations, including parks, pools, nature centers, and recreation centers. With these new NYC Parks distribution sites, the city’s at-home test distribution program includes 1,220 sites.

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Photo courtesy of Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

New York City will provide antiviral medication for New Yorkers who test positive for Covid at certain mobile testing sites, Mayor Eric Adams announced last week. Clinicians at participating mobile testing units will be able to write prescriptions for those who test positive–and are eligible for– Paxlovid, an oral antiviral treatment that reduces the chance of severe illness caused by the virus. The new test-to-treat program is the first of its kind in the United States.

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Photo by Luca Bravo on Unsplash

Masks will no longer be required at all of Broadway’s 41 theaters next month, the Broadway League announced Tuesday. Starting July 1, masks will be optional for audiences at shows. The League said masking protocols for August and beyond will be reviewed on a monthly basis, with an updated decision made in mid-July. While masks will not be required, audience members are still encouraged to wear them.

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 Photo by Danny Avila for NYC Parks

The New York City Parks Department on Tuesday announced that a number of the city’s outdoor swim programs would not be returning for the summer season due to a “national shortage of lifeguards.” Lap swim, senior swim, water aerobics, swim team and day camp, and Learn to Swim are among the programs that will not be returning for a third consecutive year.

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Photo by Jason Tester on Flickr

The Covid-19 pandemic, among its many impacts, has drastically underscored the need for ways to mitigate steep commercial rents, such as rent regulation and temporary rent relief. Several local politicians have suggested solutions, including the temporary suspension of commercial rent tax. This week, New York City Council Majority Leader Keith Powers, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, and Council Member Gale Brewer introduced legislation that would accomplish the latter.

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Photo by Jenna Day on Unsplash

Subway ridership has nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels in New York City’s working-class neighborhoods. During the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s monthly board meeting on Wednesday, MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said in most working-class neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs, subway ridership has climbed back up to 70, 80, and for some, 90 percent of pre-pandemic ridership levels. But in the city’s major business districts, subway ridership remains way below pre-Covid-19 levels.

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