Manhattan Borough President Levine - A busy start at the MBPO

 

I’ve now been on the job as your new Manhattan Borough President for about a week and half. What a busy time it's been. I have been focused intensely on the fight against NYC’s ongoing omicron wave. Thankfully it appears we are now plateauing, but the enormous number of New Yorkers still getting sick—and hospitalized—is continuing to disrupt our city in profound ways. That’s why last week I released a 16-point plan to battle omicron. I’m calling for vastly expanding the number of testing and vaccination sites; testing all DOE school students and staff on a weekly basis; extending mandates to redefine being fully vaccinated as having been boosted; and requiring vaccination and a negative test for domestic flights. You can read more about the plan below.  My office will be focused intently on working toward Manhattan’s comeback. In this spirit, this week I announced the creation of our Covid Response Task Force, which will bring together experts in health care, public health, and key industries critical to our economy to identify strategies in our battle against Covid and to lay the foundation for our borough’s recovery. I’m proud to announce that former Manhattan Deputy Borough President Aldrin R. Bonilla will helm the task force as the office’s “Covid Czar.” You can read more about the taskforce below. My team has already been hard at work bringing vital Covid resources to the communities in Manhattan that have been hit hardest. My Northern Manhattan office, at 431 W. 125th St., is now operating a free PCR testing site in partnership with SOMOS Community Care. The site is open Mondays–Fridays, 9 am – 2 pm, no appointment necessary. I am also thrilled that my office has been able to secure and distribute 9,000 at-home rapid tests to our community partners throughout Manhattan. Finally, we’ve begun the annual Manhattan Community Board application process. Community Boards are the ultimate grassroots form of local government, and I hope you’ll apply to represent your neighbors on critical issues like land use, municipal services, and City budget matters. Applications are due Tuesday, March 1. Learn more about how you can apply HERE.  You will find information on all that we have been up to in our first week and a half below.  Stay safe, Mark