Mask and Hand Sanitizer Giveaway Monday July 27, 2020

Mask & Hand Sanitizer Giveaway

Monday, July 27 from 2pm-4pm (while supplies last)

Corner of East 233rd Street & Carpenter Avenue

• Bring Your Own (Clean) Bottle/Container •

Nayor de Blasio Daily Update July 24, 2020

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Good morning, everybody. Well, I want to talk to you about a couple of quick updates today, but I especially want to focus on our young people. The kids in this city have been through so much in the last few months, and I've talked about it a lot, because I think it's something we really need to focus on. Every one of us has dealt with the strain of this crisis, but our young people, imagine, for so many of them, trying to make sense of this, dealing with a lot of pain around them. The reality of being cooped up, not getting to see their friends, so many challenges – but look, there's some good news starting to emerge here, because with every step we take forward, we're able to open up more and more opportunity for our young people. You go back to March and April, things were very dire. We didn't know what we'd be able to do this summer, but because we've made so much progress, thanks to all of you, we're now able to do a lot more to engage our young people positively and productively this summer and, of course, beyond. So, I want to talk about that. I want to talk about the ways we're going to help them not only have a fun summer, but also have a summer where they grow and they develop and they prepare for their futures.

But before I do that – first, something we should all be celebrating, because this is another sign of rebirth and renewal, opening day of baseball. For so many of us, this is one of the great symbols each year that tells us, you know, good things are ahead – little delayed this time, but, you know, it did happen and I think it's a blessing. For all of you, whether you're a baseball fan or not – I'm a huge baseball fan, but even if you're not, it's something to celebrate. So, congratulations to the New York Yankees, winning their first game of the season. And Dr. Fauci was there, and I want to really celebrate him – a great new Yorker, a great Brooklynite. Look at that, I think he's 79 years old – good form there, Dr. Fauci, that looks pretty good. So, what a great moment for New York City to see a New Yorker celebrated there and the first game of the season in this way and how much he has done for us. It's been absolutely amazing. Well, today, opening day here in New York City. Dr. Fauci thew out that pitch in Washington, but today it's opening day in New York City. Four o'clock at Citi Field, the New York Mets take the field. And yeah, it'll be different – there won't be fans in the stands, it'll feel a little weird, but still what a wonderful thing. And I'm wishing a great season for the Mets as well. And this is something we can really feel good about as New Yorkers, baseball is back.

So, now, let's go back to our young people. And you know, sports is going to be a part of their summer again, because, finally, we're able to open stuff up, and the things that we do to support our young people, like we know baseball is a great tradition. Another tradition in this city is that every summer we do a lot to help our young people have a better summer and to support them. Summer Youth Employment, a longstanding tradition in this city that's done a lot of good for so many tens of thousands of kids each year. This year, the Summer Bridge program, a specially designed program for the reality that we're dealing with now – it begins on Monday, and 35,000 teens and young adults will benefit. And then, they’ll get the kind of support and training that's going to help them with their future. So, this is great for them now, but also for what it means for where they're going. The young people who will be part of this program, they'll be building career skills, there'll be a part of workshops. They'll really be learning and they'll get compensation to help them and to help their families in the middle of everything we're dealing with. A lot of the young people come from public housing, a lot were referred by social service organizations. These are kids who need the most support and the most help, and they're going to get it through the Summer Bridge program.

Now, another great thing – play streets. You know, when you think about all the things that kids have been through, and, again, not being able to get as much physical activity and play, not being able to see their friends as much, a lot of things have been on hold. Well, we're going to open up something – again, a good New York City tradition that has been so great for kids – Play Streets coming back. And that is going to be an important step forward for kids and families to have something to enjoy. We're also going to be opening up 1.5 additional miles of Open Streets, which have been something great for our communities as well. So, more and more opportunities for kids to engage. And on the Play Streets program, the Open Streets with kids, what we're talking about is having a lot of specific things for them to do – arts and crafts, and sports activities, reading corners, dance classes, everything done the smart way. And here's an example, that, that you see on the screen is a touchless obstacle course. So, that's an obstacle course for the age of COVID, but it's still going to give kids a lot of fun and a lot of exercise, and it's going to be great for them.

So, this is the reality of today, but we're going to make it work. We're going to make it work with the right face coverings, social businesses, all the things that we need to do while still giving kids a really rewarding experience. Now, a lot of great activities as you see there. We're going to do them a little bit differently in many ways, but still so many great activities for kids. And I want to thank the partners who would be running these streets for us and providing these great activities for the kids. Street Lab, thank you; Fresh Air Fund, thank you; and the Police Athletic League, thank you. Great activities coming this summer for our kids.

Now, a small, but important matter – I bring it up regularly – and this is an announcement that's actually going to have longer ramifications. Many, many New Yorkers care deeply about alternate side parking because it affects so many people's every-day lives. So, first, for next week, alternate side parking will be suspended next week through Sunday, August 2nd. So, no, alternate side parking anywhere next week. But then, after that, starting Monday, August 3rd, we're going to resume alternate side parking on an ongoing basis. So, we're going to take another step towards something a little more normal, go back to having alternate side parking on a regular basis. That will go all the way from Monday, August 3rd to Saturday, September 5th – the Saturday right before Labor Day. So, for the whole month of August, and the beginning of September, alternate side, parking back the way it was, but with an important change that we're now saying, if you're on one of those streets that has multiple times a week that you have to move your car on your side of the street, we want to address that issue, make it easier for you, make it clear you can only do that one time a week, going forward, and you do that on the last day. We're going to get a lot more information out. But, again, if you're on a street that you have to park your car or honor alternate side multiple times during the week on your side of the street, it will be during this period for this next month only once per week and it will be the last day noted on your side of the street. We'll get a lot more information out on it. And this is – again, why do we do alternate side parking? We do it to be able to clean the curbs, keep our streets clean, keep our sidewalks clean, keep our communities clean. So, we're going back to it, but we're going to try and do it in a way that makes sense and makes it easier for the people of this city.

Now, everybody, I want to tell you, in the midst of this crisis, so many people have been helping out New York City. It's really wonderful. It's really powerful to see. And I want to always give thanks to folks – a particular thanks today to Bank of America that donated $250,000 to provide 100 high school students with college and career readiness and paid internships in the fall. So, this is the kind of thing we want to see our colleagues in the business sector do more and more of, support our young people. Here's a tangible way of doing it. So, thanks to everyone at Bank of America. And then, just want to note some other donors who have been really great and generous. One is a proud New York City public school graduate – his name is Jo-Vaughn Virginie Scott. You may not know that name, but you may know the name of the rapper, Joey Bada$$. So, that's who actually made the donation. We are so appreciative for that. And it's great to see a New York City kid, remember his city and give back. Crown Castle, Meevo, and Jessica Seinfeld and the Good Plus Foundation all have made generous donations. So, again, so many people helping out – always like to show our appreciation for the people helping New York City come back.

Now, let's do the indicators. And let me tell you, a lot to be proud of again today. So, this is such an example of what New Yorkers have achieved together. Day after day, we see this progress. So, daily indicator number one, daily number of people admitted to hospitals for a suspected COVID-19, threshold is 200 patients – today's report, 72. Indicator number two, daily number of people in Health + Hospitals ICU’s threshold 375 – today's report, 295. And percentage of people testing citywide who are positive for COVID-19, threshold 15 percent – today, once again, two percent. That's very extraordinarily consistent. Let's keep it that way and let's see if we can go even farther together.

Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress During COVID-19 Pandemic July 22, 2020

State Launches New Testing Site in Partnership with Good Samaritan Hospital in Town of Ramapo

Hospitalizations Down to 714 — New Low Since March 18

1.04 Percent of Yesterday's COVID-19 Tests were Positive

9 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday

Confirms 705 Additional Coronavirus Cases in New York State - Bringing Statewide Total to 408,886; New Cases in 42 Counties

  Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The number of new cases, percentage of tests that were positive and many other helpful data points are always available at forward.ny.gov.

The Governor also announced the State has launched a new diagnostic testing site in the Town of Ramapo, a community heavily impacted by COVID-19 in partnership with Good Samaritan Hospital. The clinic, open today between noon and 5 p.m., is at the Town of Ramapo Cultural Arts Center at 64 North Main Street in Spring Valley. The clinic will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

"Every day, we see the hard work of New Yorkers reflected in our numbers, which continue to steadily decline even as every part of the state has entered Phase Four of our phased, data-driven reopening," Governor Cuomo said. "New Yorkers accomplished that - 19 million people working together because they cared about each other. If we are not careful, we could end up back right where we started, and all that hard work will have been for nothing. We cannot go back to the hell we experienced three months ago, so we must protect the progress we've made and continue to be New York Tough."

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

• Patient Hospitalization - 714 (-10)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 81 (+21)
• Hospital Counties - 31
• Number ICU - 179 (+16)
• Number ICU with Intubation - 96 (+5)
• Total Discharges - 72,386 (+84)
• Deaths - 9
• Total Deaths - 25,068

MAYOR DE BLASIO ON CITY ISSUES AND COVID-19 JULY 20, 2020

  Well, good morning, everybody. We've got a lot to talk about today. First day of phase four, and obviously a very hot day. We're going to talk about the heat advisory. But first take a moment to remember a true American hero, Congressman John Lewis. And all over New York City, all over this country, people are remembering this great man and taking inspiration from him. And this is just what I want to talk about for a moment, because the amazing thing about John Lewis is that for almost 60 years, he was a consistent beacon to all of us. Of what it means to work to make this a better country and to overcome our painful history and take us to some place better. The amazing energy, the hopefulness, the resolve of this man is so much of what bonded all of us to him. No matter what he went through, he found a way to find a hopeful place, to find a north star that moved him forward. And it's something we all need to remember right now. So, we're mourning, but there is something I think even more important. I think he'd say it to us, which is to remember to always stay inspired and focused on the next thing we can make better.

Now, a few months back, in December, I had an incredible honor with my family, of spending time with John Lewis. He spoke at the New York Historical Society. And I asked him how he got inspired originally. And in that picture you see, he's telling the story and he uses the phrase, good trouble. That's his signature phrase, that of how you can make trouble for a positive end. You can fight against something unjust. But he talked about starting out as a kid in a rural area with very little that told him about the outside world. And how teachers and mentors and clergy members started to open his eyes, not just to what was going on and what needed to change, but to what he could do about it. So, this young man who had – he was very clear, no reason to believe that he personally could change the world. He got inspired. And became one of the crucial figures of the Civil Rights Movement and everything since. So, what an honor to have spent time with him.

And let me tell you his legacy lives on, in so many people right now, including a lot of young people that I spent time with over the last few days. And on Friday, I was in Harlem for a town hall meeting with young people. And the spirit of John Lewis was clearly in the room, in the sense that these young people were learning about their own abilities, their own power to make change, their own value, what a different world they could help create. It was very, very moving to hear their voices. And there were voices of pain and they talked about some very difficult experiences they had had, including with police. But they also talked about how they knew that community and police had to come together. They talked about – they knew how we had to create a different relationship, a more human and humane relationship. It was inspiring to hear these voices and realize that they are our future. And our future can be in very good hands if we support them. So those young people in Harlem on Friday inspired me.

On Friday evening, I was in Bed-Stuy with an Occupy the Corners effort, community members taking back their neighborhood, not allowing the gun violence to take over, but reclaiming their own streets. Elected officials, clergy, Cure Violence folks all together. And again on Saturday with the Ceasefire Peace March in Bed-Stuy. I was out there and I saw the incredible energy and commitment. Community members making very, very clear their community, their streets. They would stop the violence, they needed the partnership with NYPD for sure, but they also knew the community had to come forward and the community has come forward. Not just in Bed-Stuy, not just in Harlem, but all over the city. And you're going to see a lot more of that in the coming weeks.

Now, this is all part of our Violence Prevention Plan that Commissioner Shea and I outlined on Friday. And it will work with the combination of pinpointed police efforts and key police deployments where needed most. But also a closer working partnership with communities. That's the key.

Okay. So, I said up top, we should talk obviously about the momentous nature of this day. And I got to tell you, I think a lot of us would have said that it would have been a really, really big challenge, maybe an unlikely possibility that New York City and its comeback from the coronavirus, having been the epicenter of the crisis in the very beginning, that we would get to phase one, phase two, phase three and now phase four exactly on schedule. And we have. And again, credit to all of you, the heroic efforts of New Yorkers fighting back this disease, have made this possible.

So, phase four begins today. A lot of wonderful things. We see sports coming back, baseball back this week, professional baseball, Major League Baseball. That's going to be incredible. Media production starting again, a big part of the life of the city, a big part of people's livelihoods. Some wonderful outdoor activities opening up again, botanical gardens, zoos at more limited capacity, but they will be open and that's going to be great. So many things are moving forward, heavy emphasis on outdoors, but when it comes to certain indoor activities, that's what we keep holding back. So, we're holding back indoor dining, museums, malls, things that we're still not certain can be done right. And a reminder that even though we think there's a lot of evidence of a huge difference between outdoor and indoor and outdoor always being better. And that's why we extended the outdoor dining all the way to October 31st. Let's take maximum advantage of that. It's an amazing thing. But outdoors doesn't mean that people should forget all of the tough lessons that we've learned. And overwhelmingly let's be fair, overwhelmingly around the city, folks who own restaurants, bars, and their customers have been responsible, have been smart, have remembered to follow the rules, but not everywhere.

We saw some real troubling overcrowding in Astoria this weekend, we will not tolerate it. Let's really clear. It's not widespread, but where we find it has to be stopped. There's one restaurant in Astoria that was a focal point for this overcrowding. They've been shut down. And no one wants to shut down bars or restaurants. But if they do not cooperate in our efforts to contain the coronavirus, they will be shut down. We don't want to give out summonses. Everyone's hurting right now, financially, economically. But if we have to, we'll give out summonses. So, there'll be heavier enforcement efforts by the Sheriff's Office and when needed, by the NYPD as well, around bars and restaurants. I want it to be very, very clear when we agreed to let this part of our life come back, it was not meant to be business as usual. It was meant to be with the understanding we all gained the hard way, of why we need social distancing, why we need face coverings, why we need to understand some limits to stop this disease and to never let it come back. So, you'll see, as I said, a very aggressive effort to enforce. And look, I think it's as clear as this – we don't want to shut down restaurants. We don't want to shut down bars, but if we have to shut down a few of those, it is a hell of a lot better than seeing the coronavirus start to surge again in this city.

And we know in other places it was a reckless disregard in the way that bars and restaurants were handled. That was one of the causes of a resurgence of the coronavirus. We will not let that happen here. So, everyone, remember, we've got to keep to those rules, keep educating everyone around you. Face coverings, social distancing work. Now that's the importance of doing that, including when you're outdoors.

And while we're talking about outdoors, let's talk about this very hot week we're going into. And particularly today, today is a day to be very concerned about the heat index could reach 100 today. So everyone remember as we get into these very hot temperatures, take it seriously. Do not minimize the challenge. Stay hydrated, stay cool. When you can stay in air conditioning, check on your neighbors. If you know there's a neighbor who might be a little more vulnerable, a senior or someone with a health condition that might make them more vulnerable, check in on them, make sure they have enough water or anything they need. Now there's going to cooling centers, open all over the city. They'll be smart in the terms, the way they run them. There'll be social distancing, face coverings within the cooling centers, but they'll be available to anyone who needs them for free. And you'll see on your screen, a variety of efforts, outdoors and indoors in our parks and all around to keep people cool. Anyone who needs to know about that? You can call 3-1-1 for locations near you, or go to nyc.gov/beattheheat, get all the information you need.

Okay. I'm about to turn to our daily indicators, but before I do, we have an important milestone in our city's recent history that I want to note. And it's a good one. There is good news, no matter what challenges we face, New Yorkers, keep creating good news. And here's one about Citi Bike. This is quite amazing, just in the last week, a hundred millionth Citi Bike trip in New York City, a hundred million trips on a Citi Bike, all about making sure people can get around, can get around in a way that is friendly to the environment, no emissions, no pollution. This is a fantastic development and also the 1,000 Citi Bike station installed. So, Citi Bike being expanded. This has been proven to be a really good thing in the midst of this pandemic. It has been a great option for a lot of New Yorkers who wanted a different way to get around. And we're going to keep expanding in the Bronx, in Upper Manhattan, folks at Department of Transportation are working every day to make sure there's more and better options. And they are safe options.

Now as do our indicators. Number one daily number of people admitted to hospitals for suspected COVID-19, the threshold is 200, today's report, 74 patients. Number two, daily number of people in Health + Hospitals ICUs, threshold 375, today's report 311. And number three, percentage of the people testing citywide positive for COVID-19, threshold of 15 percent, today's report once again, two percent. So a very good day.

Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress During Covid-19 Pandemic - JULY 19, 2020

Hospitalizations Continue to Drop—New Low of 722 Since March 18

1.08% of Yesterday's COVID-19 Tests were Positive

Confirms 502 Additional Coronavirus Cases in New York State Yesterday

  Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The number of new cases, percentage of tests that were positive and many other helpful data points are always available at forward.ny.gov.

"We're continuing to progress forward through the COVID-19 pandemic in the face of a continued explosion of cases throughout the United States, and that's reflected in today's hospitalizations—the lowest number since March 18—and rate of positive cases," Governor Cuomo said. "During these confining and frustrating times, I know it's tempting to be tired of the many rules and guidelines the state has issued, but I reiterate that this pandemic is far from over, and the incredible compliance and fortitude of New Yorkers are key parts of our ability to fight COVID-19. Socially distance, wear a mask, wash your hands and stay New York Smart."

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

• Patient Hospitalization - 722 (-21)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 79 (+14)
• Hospital Counties - 30
• Number ICU - 160 (-12)
• Number ICU with Intubation - 96 (-4)
• Total Discharges - 72,161 (+97)
• Deaths - 13
• Total Deaths - 25,048

Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress During COVID-19 Pandemic - July 12,2020

New York's Numbers Remain Low and Stable with 1.08% of Yesterday's COVID-19 Testing Positive

COVID-19 Deaths Match Previous Low with 5 Reported in New York State Yesterday

New York State Closely Monitoring Uptick in COVID-19 Cases in Rensselaer County

Confirms 677 Additional Coronavirus Cases in New York State - Bringing Statewide Total to 401,706; New Cases in 40 Counties

  Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The number of new cases, percentage of tests that were positive and many other helpful data points are always available at forward.ny.gov.

"New York State continues to move forward combatting COVID-19 with its phased, data-driven reopening in the face of alarming increases in cases throughout the country and in the nationwide death rate," Governor Cuomo said. "What's happening elsewhere in the United States is very concerning to us here at home, and our ability to avoid the same fate rests on New Yorkers' willingness to wear masks, socially distance and wash their hands, and local governments' willingness to enforce state guidelines. Today's numbers remain low and stable, but it is up to us to keep it that way. Being New York Tough isn't easy, but New Yorkers have shown the nation that we can effectively fight the virus when we all come together, and I urge them not to give up any ground now."

New York State is closely monitoring an uptick in COVID-19 cases in Rensselaer County, a number of which are being investigated as being linked to several individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 after traveling back to New York from Georgia. They are in isolation and the New York State Department of Health and Rensselaer County Health Department are conducting contact tracing.

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

• Patient Hospitalization - 801 (+2)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 75 (+0)
• Hospital Counties - 28
• Number ICU - 174 (-3)
• Number ICU with Intubation - 102 (+2)
• Total Discharges - 71,565 (+88)
• Deaths - 5
• Total Deaths - 24,979

Of the 62,418 tests conducted in New York State yesterday, 677, or 1.08 percent, were positive. Each region's percentage of positive tests over the last three days is as follows:

Mayor de Blasio Daily City update July 2, 2020

  Mayor Bill de Blasio: Good morning, everybody. Well, what we've seen during this crisis is people innovating, people coming up with ingenious ideas to address the challenges we face. New Yorkers doing what New Yorkers do best, being creative, being resourceful. And so, we've seen some great ideas, and sometimes one great idea meets another great idea and they come together and create something even better, something really, really special. And that's what we're going to talk about to begin today, the idea of Open Streets meeting the idea of Open Restaurants, coming together to create something very special for this summer in New York City. So, we have two initiatives that have been tremendously successful. Open Restaurants, fantastic – the impact it’s had helping restaurants come back, bringing back their employees, giving people a livelihood, allowing New Yorkers to enjoy our amazing restaurants again. Open Streets, free space for kids to play, families to come out. Both have come together wonderfully.

Now, let's remember we made a decision that we could not go ahead with indoor dining, given everything that we're seeing around the country, all the problems, really troubling realities in other parts of the country, and a lot of it connected to bars and restaurants. So, we have to double down on Open Streets and Open Restaurants and bring them together to address the situation and give maximum options to our restaurants, to their employees. And also, we know the people want it. We've seen an incredible, incredible response from the people in New York City. So, starting this weekend, 22 Open Streets will also have Open Restaurants on them. And some of them will be existing Open Streets, some will be new, but it's going to be amazing because it’s going to key into some of the places in our city where we have extraordinary restaurants, concentrated in one place. People love to go there in any time, but now imagine being able to enjoy it all alfresco. Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, Fifth Avenue in Park Slope, Little Italy Mulberry Street here in Manhattan.

Think about what is possible, if we could make them centerpieces of outdoor dining – taking a tough situation, turning into something good. We're going to do it all over the five boroughs. We're going to work with Business Improvement Districts and local alliances and associations that have been key partners in the Open Streets. And this will be for Friday nights and weekends, the times when people most want to come out to the restaurants and we think it's going to be something very special. So, 2.6 miles of Open Streets will be part of this dining initiative. And this is some initial ones I mentioned, more are coming in places like Dyckman Street in northern Manhattan, others to come as we go along. So, we're very excited. It is going to open up a world of possibilities and get a lot of people back to their jobs. We want to help working people.

This is going to help a lot.

I'm knocking on wood, but we know that if all goes the way we're doing it now we're making steady progress on the health care front. We're making steady progress on the restart. We can bring it together and have a really strong fall, but a lot of it hinges on our schools, reopening our schools safely, successfully. We've said, I believe it, it's going to have to be the greatest school year in the history of New York City public schools. And everyone shares that goal. And you could see the emotion earlier this week when we had the citywide graduation ceremony, how much people are feeling this moment in history, how much we have to support our kids.

We are doing the work right now to make September successful, to make the new school year successful. I want to thank the unions who represent the people who do the work that includes, of course, UFT, CSA, DC 37, all the unions that represent the people working in our school system. They have been at the table every day, literally, in the planning of the new school year. And it's been a very cooperative approach. On top of that, we've asked for the voices of parents to guide us. So, this is astounding. The DOE did a survey of parents and they got 400,000 responses – that is not a small sample size – 400,000 people answered the survey. And here's the most important fact, 75 percent of our New York City public school parents want to send their kids back to school in September. They feel ready now. They know that's what they want to do.

So, we're full steam ahead for September – the goal, of course, to have the maximum number of kids in our schools as we begin schools. And we know that there's going to be a lot of challenges. We know there's just sheer logistical challenges with schools that were overcrowded before the coronavirus and now have to practice social distancing. But we're going to make it work to the maximum in each school and we're going to work with the scheduling realities to find a way. And we're going to hope and pray in the meantime that the scientific community makes progress on this disease because that's what will really opened up the ability to get back 100 percent.  But in the meantime, a lot of work going on. Chancellor Carranza, meeting later today with principals to hone their plans specifically on how much each school will be able to bring back its kids. What's the number each school can hit in terms of bringing back kids safely with distancing. And, of course, the goal and the focus will always be health and safety first for our kids, for our families, for all the people that work in our schools.

Now we are going to, of course – as part of the school reopening, what will you see? You'll see daily cleanings – deep cleanings after each day to make sure the schools, top to bottom, are safe. You're going to see constant use of face coverings. They'll be provided for free for anyone who needs them – kids, adults alike. Everyone will be expected to wear face coverings. You'll see social distancing. That six-foot rule will be in effect. You'll see a lot of features to make it easy for kids and adults in the school building to stay safe, hand washing stations, hand sanitizer all over the building. These are the kinds of things that we need to do to give people confidence, make sure they're safe, and we'll be doing that and preparing for that in the months ahead and continuing to stay close to the folks who do the work and parents as we prepare these plants.

Okay. Now I'm going to switch gears quickly and go to another topic that brings out a lot of passion in New Yorkers. Anybody who experiences this has a strong opinion about it. Yes, I'm talking about Alternate Side Parking. So, this week was the first week of a brand new approach in which we are only going to require folks, when alternate side parking is in effect, we're only going to require you to move your car once a week. No more twice a week, which has been the case in some neighborhoods. I think that's just unfair to everyone. It's going to be once a week from now on. Biggest change to Alternate Side Parking in the last two decades. This week has been a cleanup week. We've overall seen the city has stayed pretty clean. A couple of times we've had to do a cleanup. We're doing it this week. And then we will suspend the Alternate Side again the following week. So, from Sunday, July 5th through Sunday, July 12th, Alternate Side Parking will be suspended. And then we'll decide in the meantime if we need to pick it up again and when we need to pick it up again.

Now, I want to talk about one of the really painful stories within the very overall painful story of the coronavirus crisis in the city. When the coronavirus started to be on the minds of New Yorkers, one community already started to feel the pain of this crisis before it manifested for so many of the others, so many of the rest of us. We saw discrimination and bias against the Asian American community very, very early on. It was unfair. It was horrible. It was destructive. It was painful for members of the Asian American community. And we had to fight it then and we have to fight it now. We also know that a lot of the stores, the restaurants, the parts of the community that people depend on, they started to suffer. People weren't going to those stores and restaurants. They were suffering from discrimination early on in an economic way as well. 

Let me just conclude and say, I do want to take a brief moment to pay tribute to two great public servants who will be leaving the administration after long and distinguished stints. Freddi Goldstein, my press secretary after four years on our team and four great years and Wiley Norvell after nine years. So that takes him back to the time I was public advocate. He has been a mainstay of this team and both of them have contributed really, really greatly, not just to this team and the work we do here every day when we're talking to the press and talking to the people, but to helping run New York City in one of its toughest moments in our entire history. So to Freddi and Wiley, thank you on behalf of all of the people of New York City, and it is a reminder and I hope all of you just take a moment to appreciate our public servants because the folks here at City Hall from March 1st to today, the vast majority of them have not even thought about taking a day off. It has been nonstop and very, very long days, people around here 15-hour day is not new to them, and throughout the coronavirus crisis, it's been typical. Our public servants, our healthcare heroes, our first responders and so many more have kept the city running no matter what's been thrown at them. So a lot of times in the public discourse, you know, it's a cheap shot to put down people who work for the government and public servants. But I think our public servants have really, really stepped up in this crisis and they deserve our thanks more than ever. So please take a moment today to be thankful for all who do so much for us. Thank you, everyone. 

Mayor Bill de Blasio on State of the City and COVID-19 July 1, 2020

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Well good morning, everybody. It is hard to believe it, but we are now in the month of July, now beginning the fifth month that we've been fighting together against the coronavirus. So, it's been a long battle and it will continue to be, but as we enter the month of July, it begins with thinking about July 4th and the meaning of it, thinking about the pride we feel in our city, in our country, in each other, as we fight together in common cause. It is a reminder of what July 4th is all about – one of the most profound concepts underlying what happened in 1776 was the fight for freedom. We are fighting shoulder to shoulder in a fight for freedom from the coronavirus and the people of this city have been earning, every day, more and more of that freedom through hard work and work together. So, we today can talk about some additional steps forward we're going to make.

Today we can talk about some of the things that are going to advance because we've been doing the right thing together, but there is also some tough news today. And as I've said before, I want to always start with the bad news and then go to the good news. And the bad news is regarding a situation that we've seen now all over the country. Look, all of us in leadership at this moment in history, we have to be willing to make tough decisions and we have to be willing to look at the facts and act on the facts. Let the facts take us to the right decision. We know a lot of other parts of this country, very sadly, made decisions based on something other than the data and in the heat of the moment. And now what we're seeing in Florida, what we're seeing in Texas, even California that tried really hard to get it right, slipping backwards. We see a lot of problems and we particularly see problems revolving around people going back to bars and restaurants, indoors. And indoors is the problem more and more, the sciences showing it more and more.

So, I want to make very clear. We cannot go ahead, at this point in time, with indoor dining in New York City. Look, even a week ago, honestly, I was hopeful we could, but the news we have gotten from around the country gets worse and worse all the time. We're going to work with the State of New York and we have been working together throughout this crisis. We're going to work with the State of New York to figure out what is the exact right way to do this, how to postpone indoor dining until the right moment, what the approach would be to determine when it makes sense to go about it again. As I said, we have been in absolute unity with the State on the focus on data. The data in this city and this state's been getting better all the time, but the data around the country has been getting worse and worse and worse – in the last few days, shockingly worse. And what Dr. Fauci said about the potential in other parts of the country, for the surge that gets so bad, that we could be talking about 100,000 cases a day in the United States. We've got to honor those facts and it is not the time to forge ahead with indoor dining.

But it is the time to double down on outdoor dining. And so far, we have 6,600 restaurants that have taken advantage of our Open Restaurants initiative. I believe there are many more that could benefit from it. We're going to have a huge outreach effort. It's been going on for days, but it's going to deepen over the next few days with Small Business Services, that department and the Department of Transportation, going out into communities, helping to show restaurants that qualify that they can take advantage of this right away, get a lot more business and do it in a safe way, which is outdoors. So, I am very convinced we can help restaurants survive, we can help bring in a lot more revenue to them. We can help bring back a lot of jobs, but do it safely and do it outdoors. Now, outdoor dining unquestionably has been a great hit. And I think the bottom line is that outdoors is working period. This is one of the things we've learned. Outdoors is where we need to be to the maximum extent possible this summer as we fight back this disease. Face coverings are working. We've learned some things that actually make sense. Social distancing works. We now have seen through experience the power of doing things outdoors, the power of the face coverings, the power of the social distancing. So, let's double down and let's make sure that New Yorkers can do as much outdoors as possible going forward.

So, that begins with today's very good news. We announced it before, but today is the day our New York City beaches open today. We are ready for a great holiday weekend. The lifeguards are ready to go. New Yorkers can stay cool. This is something people have been waiting patiently for – maybe not always patiently for, but it's here and that's going to help a lot. But now we're going to go the next step with the outdoor pools. And we were not sure before whether we got available to open some of them, but now we will be able to open some of our biggest outdoor pools and some of the outdoor pools in the communities hit hardest by the coronavirus. And for families, for kids in particular, this is going to be so important, something to look forward to and to enjoy this summer and a place to stay cool. Fifteen outdoor pools will open in the next few weeks. There's a list on your screen. Three open on July 24th, the remainder open hook – excuse me – on August 1st. Now it's not all of our pools. The truth is we had to choose the ones that we thought would have the maximum benefit for the communities hit hardest, the largest pools that we could open, the ones for folks who were the farthest from the beaches. We had to make some choices, but I think these 15 pools are going to make a big, big difference for people in communities all over New York City. Now, again, we're going to do it the right way. There will be social distancing, there will be face coverings when you're not in the pool. We're going to do this with all the standards the State has rightfully set for keeping people safe. And, yeah, there are restrictions. It's going to be different. There's going to be spacing when people are waiting in line to go in, there's going to be a lot of things to make sure we really hold on to the progress we made on health care, but it will all be worth it. And for our kids, in particular, it's going to help for them to have a better summer.

Okay, speaking of young people, they've been through a lot. I've talked about this a lot. They have been through so much. We have to be there for them and a very good result of the budget process, working with the City Council that really prioritized young people and I give them credit for that – $115 million will now be invested in summer programming. And that's going to reach 115,000 young people in this city. And I want to tell you about a couple of the pieces. One, so important, we're going to use young people as social distancing ambassadors and ambassadors for our Test and Trace program, getting the word out in communities. They'll get paid to do this good work, give them meaningful productive work to do, rewarding work to do, and they'll help us to keep people safe. We're also going to have summer camps, combining our pre-existing efforts, the COMPASS initiative, Beacon programs, Cornerstone programs, we're going to have a summer camp initiative. A lot of it will be online. Some of it will be outdoors. All of it will be done safely, but it'll be very enriching for kids. And then the Summer Bridge program, this takes what we have done, historically with summer youth employment, makes a variation on that for the coronavirus moment, makes sure that our young people will get financial support, that they'll be able to work on career readiness and be able to explore the future and do important community service. A lot of that again will be online, but it will be very positive and rewarding for our kids. They'll make a difference in their communities. They'll prepare themselves for their future. It will help our kids on the right path and help them to get compensated because we want our young people to have a positive and productive summer.

Now let's turn to our indicators. And again, today, good news in New York City, which you have earned. Indicator number one, daily number of people admitted to hospitals for suspected COVID-19, that threshold is 200 and today there are 61 patients. Indicator two, daily number of people in Health + Hospitals ICUs, that threshold is 375 – today, 293 patients. And most importantly, the percentage of people testing positive citywide for COVID-19, threshold of 15 percent – today, two percent. That's the number we've been at most of the time in the last few weeks and that is a very, very good number. 

MAYOR DE BLASIO on COVID-19 and How NYC Stands - June 23, 2020

  Mayor Bill de Blasio: Good morning, everybody. Yesterday, beginning of phase two, and, by everything that we’re hearing here at City Hall, a great start for this city. A lot of excitement out there, a lot of energy as New York City takes a big step forward towards our recovery. So, phase two began. I celebrated with Chirlane last night, we went to Melba’s Restaurant in Harlem. It was amazing to – I have to tell you – to be, once again, connected with the life, the energy, the culture of our city, through our restaurants. And a beautiful night, and outdoor dining, an amazing experience. Thank you, Melba. And thank you to the whole team at Melba’s. You were wonderful, wonderful hosts. And look, this is the beginning of something very big. As of this moment, 4,136 restaurants have applied for and been immediately approved to do outdoor seating. That number is growing all the time. And, as Melba told me, it took her something like five minutes to complete the application successfully. So, to all the restaurants out there looking to get going again, bringing back thousands and thousands of workers and starting up their livelihood again, it is fast and easy. Please jump on board. And we know that hundreds of thousands of people are now back to work and families are going to have a paycheck again, and life is going to be so much better for them. We also know that people are finally going to get to do a lot of things we've been waiting for. Some of us have been waiting for a haircut for quite a while. So, this week we can able to go back to barbershops, beauty salons. It's going to be a great, great feeling.

So, a very good start to phase two. As always, you know, when we celebrate the good things happening and we really need to take time to do that, we also recognize the challenges. We also recognize that we're dealing with so many problems simultaneously in this coronavirus crisis. So, we know our families have been cooped up. Young people have been cooped up and we know that on beautiful summer nights like we're having now, unfortunately some young people are turning to the wrong approach, and that's illegal fireworks. And we have concerns about this from all over the city. This is a real problem. It is not just a quality of life problem, and a noise problem. And it's certainly that. And it's all five boroughs, and we take that seriously, but it can also be dangerous. So, we need to make sure that young people know, all people know, some of it's adults too, that illegal fireworks are not only illegal, but they can be dangerous. We need to get that message across. And that's what we intend to do. And we also intend to go to the root cause. And that is the people who are supplying the fireworks. The folks who are profiting off of illegal fireworks. We're going to start a huge sting operation to go and get these illegal fireworks at the base. Meaning everywhere they're being sold around New York City, and even where they're being sold in surrounding States that we know are flowing into New York City. The Sheriff's Office, the FDNY, the NYPD have come together in an illegal fireworks task force. We will have over 40 officers from each of those three organizations, including 12 FDNY fire marshals. The NYPD Intelligence Bureau will be a part of this effort to help us track down where the fireworks are coming from to begin with. Deputy Sheriffs will be out there addressing this at the root. So, what do we do? We go at the suppliers. There'll be all sorts of actions taken. Undercover buys, sting operations, finding where the supply is and cutting it off at the knees. And there's going to be a big public safety campaign to led by the FDNY. The FDNY has done amazing work, educating New Yorkers on so many ways that they need to stay safe, whether it's smoke alarms or the ways to avoid setting a fire accidentally, the FDNY is going to take the lead. Public service announcements, social media aimed at all New Yorkers, but particularly young people to help us root this out. This is a beginning there's a lot to do, and we have to do it quickly, but this is an issue we can confront. It's not entirely new. It's more than we've ever seen it and earlier, but it's not entirely new city agencies have been able to root out this problem in the past. We're going to go at it hard now and address it immediately.

So, those are the fireworks we do not ever want to see the illegal fireworks, but let's talk about something more positive. Let's talk about something that brings us actually a lot of joy. And that is the professional fireworks. The ones that we wait for each year that Macy's gives us. A wonderful thing Macy's does for the people in New York City, every July 4th, the fireworks display is something people look to all year around here in the city. And it's actually looked at all over the nation, all over the world. And this July 4^th’s going to take on added meaning. We've all been through so much and we are finally making sustained progress. Knock on wood. We got a lot more to go, but every one of you who has worked so hard on the social distancing, the shelter in place, the face coverings to get us to this day, we're celebrating you. We’re celebrating this city. We're celebrating this country at a moment where we all need to take stock and be proud of what we have done together. So, we need this, and it's going to be done by Macy's and thanks to everyone's everybody at Macy's. Jeff Ganette, the CEO has been a great partner in this, and I know for him and everyone at Macy's, this is a labor of love. They really care about New York city, and they want to do something special. So, this year is going to be different. Let me start with that crucial point. It will not be like the past where there's one big giant show. We do not want a lot of people out watching. There's not going to be a single focal point. In fact, we're only going to let out information about specific points very close to the actual moment when these shows happen. it's going to be a series of shows, only five minutes each. Why? Because we want to get the shows around the five boroughs where people can see them from their own homes, from their own rooftops, from nearby parks, but not something where people go to a single location in group, in large numbers. This will be happening this coming Monday, June 29th through Wednesday, July 1st weather permitting.

So, the idea is very brief bursts, brief, but mighty. And this is not like what you see with the illegal fireworks. You'll know this is a very professional, beautiful show. People get a moment to experience it, feel good about it, and then it'll all be pulled together on Saturday, July 4th in a show. it'll be live on NBC with the different pieces of each night together on tape, but also music from leading cultural figures. There'll be tributes to our heroes who got us this far, the healthcare workers, the first responders, everyone who fought through March, fought through April all the way to today to make this city come back and something very special that night at the empire state building as well. So, people will be able to see different pieces at different points. It’s going to be something that's going to be special for the city different, but very special, very powerful, very moving, but also very safe. And again, thank you to everyone at Macy's for being such great partners.

Now, we think about the things that, you know, we need to be inspired at this difficult time. The things that remind us, we can come back. We are coming back. We think about those things that give us hope, but at the same time we think about what people are going through every single day. And I'll tell you something from the beginning of this crisis, one of the things I've said, and all my colleagues here at city hall have said, we understand that people are not only hurting, families hurting, families who have lost loved ones, but folks have lost their livelihood. They don't have money for the basics. And that begins with food. This needs more attention that millions of New Yorkers have suffered from food insecurity. That is not normal in this city. So many people have had to worry where the next meal is coming from. And no New Yorker gracing the world, no New Yorker should ever have to ask the question, where am I going to find my next meal? So, what we've said from the beginning is we're going to go right at that, with everything we’ve got. The city of New York to make sure that anyone who needs food gets it when they need it, where they need it distributed so far. This is an amazing number. The city of New York has distributed 70 million meals since March for free to people who need them in New York City. We're now doing approximately 1.5 million meals per day – again, for free. Whether it's meals that people pick up at sites or meals delivered right to the door of a senior who can't get out, but needs that good, healthy food on a regular basis. This has been an unprecedented effort and everyone involved has done a remarkable job. And now there's going to be an additional element of this effort for the summer, because we will not let anyone go hungry this summer. 

Okay, let's talk about the thing we talk about every day, this is the essence of everything we're focused on the health of our people. What do our indicators tell us? Today is a very good day, that's what our indicators tell us. Indicator one, daily number of people admitted to hospitals for suspected COVID-19, the threshold is 200 and today's report only 45. Indicator two, daily number of people in Health + Hospitals ICU’s – threshold of 375, today only 320. And indicator number three, percentage of people positive for COVID-19 – citywide threshold of 15 percent, today's report, once again, only 2 percent. Excellent, excellent report today. Congratulations to all of you. And you know, I'm going to say next, keep doing what you're doing, let's keep tight, disciplined, focused, so we can keep these numbers down and keep reopening and restarting

MAYOR DE BLASIO on COVID-19 and The State bof the City June 17, 2020

  Mayor Bill de Blasio: Good morning, everybody. Years from now, we're going to look back, we're going to see this as a turning point in the history of our city and certainly the history of our nation as well. We're going to look back and see this as a moment where things changed, many of which seemed impossible to change. We're going to recognize this as a moment where the pain that people were feeling, the anger, the frustration came out in a new and powerful way and change happened because the people's voices were heard. And in that is a positive notion, unquestionably. The notion that in a democracy, the voices of people can and will be heard. And when they are heard, when change comes, in a sense there is a rebirth as a reminder of what we are capable of, what our potential is and a free and democratic society. A rebirth for this city, because we come to grips with our contradictions and our pain, and we act on it. Our people have been demanding something better. People have felt that what they have lived through isn't right, isn't fair. There's not respect. There's not decency. They deserve better. And they are right. And their city is listening. Their city is acting. I'm listening. I'm acting. I feel what people are saying. Things have to change. They are changing and they will change more. And together we get an opportunity to re-envision our city, and decide that we can do something better and something different than said that in this moment, not only where we're dealing with the profound issues of structural institutional racism, but we're dealing with the disparities that have come up because of the coronavirus that we can and will create a different city that we're not just going to bring back a broken status quo, but something better and fairer. That's what we will do over the next year and a half. And today I will provide further evidence that change is starting right now.

One of the bellwethers for a fair and just society is whether there is accountability across the board. Whether there's one standard for everyone. Whether our officers in uniform or government officials are treated the same way as everyday New Yorkers. Whether justice is the same for everyone. We have seen in these last days, profound actions to prove that it can be that way. It has not been in the past. It can be, it must be. The action the legislature took on the 50A law, ending a fundamental interference with transparency, and openness, and democracy. That action has now opened up a world of possibilities for us. Yesterday, I announced that we are releasing all audio and video from body worn cameras worn by police officers in key moments, key instances. That will be released as a matter of course, going forward. And I want to be clear that I talked about that policy in terms of what's going to happen from this point on, but I also want everyone to know, we will apply that new policy retroactively going back to the first day that we used body worn cameras for our officers here in New York City. So, all audio and video from cases that meet the standards I discussed yesterday will be retroactively released in the coming weeks.

That is an important step forward, but what I want to announce now, I think is a profound step, because it goes to what real transparency looks like and how the end of the old law in Albany has now opened up a world of real opportunity to show people what's going on, and to give people faith that the truth is there for them to see. The things we're going to talk about today literally would have been very hard to imagine just weeks ago. But it comes down to this, if we're going to have trust between police and community, you have to have that transparency, because think about what it feels like. I've heard the voices of people who say this, if they feel they were mistreated, but they don't think there's going to be any consequence for the person who has mistreated them, think what that feels like. Now, again, I've talked a lot about white privilege lately. I've talked a lot about what some of us have experienced and others haven’t. Many of us have not experienced the reality of feeling disrespected by a police officer or feeling like our rights were violated, or we weren't heard, or we weren't seen, or we were treated in a manner that was totally inconsistent with what was going on. We haven't gone through that, a lot of us, but many millions of New Yorkers have in one form or another. If you're that person who feels wronged, if you’re that person who feels disrespected or devalued, you want to know that there's going to be some consequence for that. You want to know there's going to be actual due process. You want to know that your voice is heard, and it's painful to think it might not be. And too often, that's the reality that people simply felt no matter how right they were, no matter how wrong was the thing that happened to them, nothing would be a consequence. There would be no consequence for what happened. When people don't think there's going to be justice, how is there going to be trust? So, we have to restore trust, and the best way to restore trust is to show that the accountability is there. That the internal disciplinary process of the NYPD will be fast, will be fair, will be transparent. When you believe that the process is actually about justice. It opens up the pathways of trust and communication.

Now, we know for too long within the NYPD even when justice was served, it took a very, very long time, and that corroded trust in and of itself. The internal affairs Bureau charged with rooting out misdeeds of all kinds is given by law and by policy months and months to do investigations, years for any internal judicial process. And every day that passes the people who felt victimized feel more and more pained, because it doesn't feel like justice is coming. It doesn't feel like there's an honest process. It causes a deeper loss of faith, it causes more frustration, more anger. The very process that’s supposed to bring justice in many cases has made the situation worse. And this has been particularly true when someone got hurt, when someone got killed. Any time where an individual civilian was harmed, that's where people are watching especially. And they want to know there will be speedy justice. And I mean justice, which means following the facts wherever they may lead. Sometimes those facts show that officers did exactly the right thing. Sometimes it shows they did not, or any point in between, but it has to be a process that people can see openly and that moves speedily and that people have faith in because they see results. Everything comes down to consequences and results. When they actually exist, people start to have faith again.

Today, I'm announcing two major changes for the justice system within the NYPD, involving any case where there's substantial injury to a civilian. First, on the immediate decision, in any such case of whether an officer will be modified, meaning that their badge and gun will be taken away or suspended fully, that decision in cases where there's substantial injury to a civilian, that decision will be made by the police commissioner within 48 hours. I will note that, of course, there will be exceptional situations. When for example, a district attorney gets involved or there are other very particular dynamics that might cause more time, but the standard will be 48 hours for that initial decision. And then the standard for the Internal Affairs Bureau will be to finish its full investigation for immediate decisions about the disciplinary process in two weeks or less. People deserve to know that if an officer has done something wrong, that the action involving their immediate status is very quick, and that the decision about whether there will be further disciplinary action happens in a meaningful timeframe. Internal Affairs Bureau will be given two weeks to come to that initial decision on what needs to happen next with a judicial proceeding. It has never been this quick in the history of this city, and it has never been based on an open, transparent timeline like I'm discussing now. This is what we have to do in this city today and in our future. This is what we need to do everywhere to show people there will be real accountability.

Now, another piece that's crucial. With the 50-a law repealed, we now are able to ask the question, what can we do with this new ability to share information with the people. Today, we're going to start a massive effort to make public information regarding to police discipline. And this information will move very quickly and ultimately all of it will be available online. I'm going to describe to you three phases that we'll undertake immediately. First, as immediate action, all trial decisions now will be published. This was not allowable under 50-a, now it will be.

Second by July, we will publish information on every pending case within the NYPD. Every case where charges have been filed – that is 1,100 cases – those are the ones in the pipeline now – we will publish the officer's name, charges, the hearing date and the ultimate resolution when it occurs. Third phase, and this is a longer-term phase, but it will allow us to do something historic to create a comprehensive, publicly available set of disciplinary records. This is historic because it will cover every active member of the police force— all records for every active member available in one place, online, publicly, all past trial decisions will be available. And any other formal actions that came out of those disciplinary proceedings, it'll be online, it will be easy to use and to access. This is the nation's largest city, we have the nation's largest police force, for the nation's largest police force to take these actions, sends a message, not only to the people in this city, but to people all over this country, that we can do things very differently. And transparency is not something to fear, but something to embrace because that's where trust and faith will deepen, when people see that all this information is out in the open, just as it would be for any of us as citizens. Every officer will be held accountable, and for so many officers who every single day do the hard work, do the right thing, they will know that the work that they do, the fact that they're out there protecting people will be honored and respected. And for folks to do the wrong thing, just like the rest of us they'll know that the consequences will be clear, but the goal is to move us all forward. The goal is to use that transparency, to build a sense of trust again, to build a sense that we can work together, that it's not one standard for some of us, another standard for others, but a single standard, and that is the basis for a new and better relationship.

So, I have fundamental belief that accountability is the way forward. These standards will now change the entire discussion right down to the grassroots right down to every block of New York City, and give us a foundation from which to move forward. I said in the beginning, the voices of people are being heard, not just the voices from the recent protests, the voices of people I've heard over years and years in this city. And it's so important to always listen to those voices, and I also hear people in the city talking about their fears of all of the other challenges that they're facing this moment, as I've been out around neighborhoods and the city, people are talking about their fears about what's happening to their livelihoods, to their jobs, to their families. What about their health? What about the future health of their families? What about the coronavirus and what it means now and going forward? These are the things that people are talking about. We have to hear those concerns; we have to act on them. One of the biggest concerns has been the desire for more information for each person, and that means testing. Coming back to that key concept again, people want testing, they want it to be easy, they want it to be fast, they want it to be free, they want it to be very near where they live. And that's our mission to give more and more testing to the people of New York City opening this week, five new community testing sites, two in Staten Island, one in Queens, one in the Bronx, one in Brooklyn. And I, myself experienced testing yesterday at the Health + Hospitals Gouverneur Clinic. I want to thank everyone at the clinic, wonderful people, who've been doing this work now for weeks and weeks. And I talked to them about how people in the community are responding and they say there's been a lot of gratitude. Folks are coming in realizing how fast and easy it is spreading the word, I want to urge all New Yorkers, go get tested. It is fast, it is easy, it is free, and I want to emphasize that it is free. We now have over 200 sites citywide to find out where you can get tested, go to nyc.gov/covid-test. And we're bringing testing to the people wherever they may be. Today, in the Bronx, we're going into parks outside the Clinton playground, in the Bronx, today. And on Thursday and Friday, outside the Gouverneur playground in the Bronx. Staten Island, today through Friday, at 1441 Richmond Avenue, mobile testing trucks, easy to find, easy to use. And we're going to keep ramping things up in July, there'll be 10 testing trucks available, 800 tests per day, everywhere New Yorkers are, we're going to just keep building and building. So, everyone knows they can always get a test when they need one, and again, for free.

Let's talk about our indicators. Number one, daily number of people admitted to hospitals for suspected COVID-19 the threshold 200 patients, today's report 55. Number two, daily number of people in Health and Hospitals, ICUs, that threshold is 375, and today the number is 333. And most importantly, the percent of people testing positive citywide for COVID-19, that threshold is 15 percent, today – another very, very good report, only two percent. Everyone knows what I feel that is because of the hard work you have all done and are still doing and need to keep doing so we can move forward to phase two and beyond.