MAYOR DE BLASIO AND MAYOR’S FUND ANNOUNCE COMPLETION OF 50 SOCCER PITCHES BUILT IN NEW YORK CITY IN 5 YEARS

 

 

New York City Soccer Initiative transforms city landscape, brings soccer and safe play space to thousands of youth in all five boroughs

 Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray today announced the completion of the 50th soccer pitch built as a part of the New York City Soccer Initiative (NYCSI), a project of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City. The new mini-pitch, located at PS 184 Shuang Wen in Manhattan, was completed on schedule along with the 13 mini-soccer pitches that were built around the city this year.

 

“Investing in recreational spaces for our children builds stronger communities,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “I am grateful to the Mayor’s Fund and our partners for their commitment to provide more youth with opportunities to participate in sports and programs where they can develop life skills to succeed on and off the pitch."

 

“These soccer pitches are a tremendous contribution to the mental and physical fitness of our young people. The skills they learn and the games they play provide opportunities for them to learn teamwork and empathy,” said First Lady Chirlane McCray. “I thank the Mayor’s Fund and community partners for fulfilling a promise to bring 50 new soccer pitches to neighborhoods all across New York City."

 

The new mini-pitch is one of 13 installed this calendar year, marking the completion of 50 mini-pitches installed across all five boroughs in just five years–even amid the many challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the new play spaces, NYCSI is enabling more than 10,000 New York City youth to have free access to soccer programming in historically underserved communities—including the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s Soccer for Success program run by the Department of Youth & Community Development (DYCD) and New York City Football Club’s (NYCFC) City in the Community (CITC) Foundation soccer programming.

 

Launched in 2016, NYCSI is a first-of-its-kind $3 million public-private partnership between the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, NYCFC, the U.S. Soccer Foundation, adidas, and Etihad Airways to create and maintain 50 mini-pitches across the City and expand free soccer programming to the next generation of New Yorkers. The initiative helped spur other cities– including Chicago and Newark–to launch their own initiatives to create mini-pitches and expand access to free, high-quality soccer programming. For more information on NYCSI and pitch locations visit https://www1.nyc.gov/site/fund/initiatives/city-soccer.page.

 

“After five years of dedicated partnership, the New York City Soccer Initiative delivers its promise of building 50 soccer pitches on which young New Yorkers can play, learn, and grow into future leaders," said Daniele Baierlein and Jorge Luis Paniagua Valle, Co-Executive Directors of the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City. "Thanks to the unwavering support of the New York City Football Club, the U.S. Soccer Foundation, adidas, Etihad Airways, Astoria Energy, the Staten Island Foundation, and countless community partners across the five boroughs, thousands of children will receive free soccer programming on these pitches for years to come." 

 

“Since our inauguration, we have been working to build a Club that is part of the fabric of this great City and one that will leave a lasting, tangible and positive impact across the five boroughs,” said Brad Sims, CEO of NYCFC. “Along with our incredible partners, we’ve made a significant step in realizing this vision by completing this ambitious 50-pitch project that will provide safe spaces for all New Yorkers to learn and play soccer. After just five years, we are tremendously proud to fulfill our promise, see these 50 pitches already having a huge impact on local communities and to know that they will forever be a part of New York City.”

 

“New York is a city of big ideas and I’m thrilled to see this big idea come to life in a way that transforms the soccer landscape and benefits thousands of young people across all five boroughs,” said Ed Foster-Simeon, President & CEO of the U.S. Soccer Foundation. “I’m grateful for all our partners who helped make these 50 mini-pitches a reality over the past five years and who continue to ensure they are open for free play and high-quality programming at no-cost to children and their families.”

 

“Sport has the power to change lives, providing young athletes with the opportunity to learn valuable skills to support their future. Everyone should have a safe place for sport in their communities and we are incredibly proud of our partnership with the New York City Soccer Initiative to introduce the city’s next mini-pitch,” said Skate Noftsinger, Director of Soccer Sports Marketing at adidas.

 

“Etihad Airways is proud to be part of this initiative, and we hope these pitches will continue to bring to the children of New York City the joy of soccer and the valuable life lessons team sports teach for a long time to come," said Vincent Frascogna, Vice President, Americas, Etihad Airways.

 

“The New York City Soccer Initiative is near and dear to me, and it is with great joy that we celebrate with our partners the completion of this successful 5-year initiative and the 50^th soccer pitch built as part of the program,” said Gabrielle Fialkoff, NYC Parks Commissioner. “Public private partnerships help change lives, and these new, vibrant fields are a testament to this successful collaboration, expanding recreational opportunities and improving health outcomes for some of the city’s most historically underserved. This latest addition at P.S. 184 advances greenspace equity in the Lower East Side, and will enhance the lives of city residents for years to come.”

 

“The NYC Soccer Initiative not only provides world class soccer pitches for our young people, but it is also a community-wide commitment to ensuring that our young people have caring adults and athletic programming that keeps them engaged in school and their community. We are so appreciative of all of the partners who came together to make this a reality,” said Chancellor Meisha Porter, NYC Department of Education.

Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - NOVEMBER 9, 2021

 

62,550 Vaccine Doses Administered Over Last 24 Hours  

36 COVID-19 Deaths Statewide Yesterday

New State Website Providing Helpful Info About Child Vaccination 

 Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combating COVID-19.  

 "With temperatures dropping and New Yorkers spending more time inside, it's vital we all get vaccinated," Governor Hochul said. "With five to 11 year olds now eligible, all school-aged children are now able to get vaccinated and we are doing everything we can to ensure they do. Not only will it protect the community, but there are numerous incentive programs in place that provide added benefits of getting your shot."

 

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

• Test Results Reported - 115,506
• Total Positive - 4,108
• Percent Positive - 3.56%
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 2.65%
• Patient Hospitalization - 1,878 (+84)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 250
• Patients in ICU - 378 (+2)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 215 (-4)
• Total Discharges - 210,208 (+148)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 36
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 45,860

The Health Electronic Response Data System is a NYS DOH data source that collects confirmed daily death data as reported by hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities only.

• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 58,413

This daily COVID-19 provisional death certificate data reported by NYS DOH and NYC to the CDC includes those who died in any location, including hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, at home, in hospice and other settings.

• Total vaccine doses administered - 27,863,643
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 62,550
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 548,874
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 84.9%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 77.2%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 88.5%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 79.4%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 72.0%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 65.3%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 75.1%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 67.2%

BRONX MAN INDICTED FOR FATALLY BEATING AND SEXUALLY ABUSING GIRLFRIEND’S ONE-YEAR-OLD CHILD

 

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has been indicted on Murder and additional charges in the death of his girlfriend’s one-year-old son. 

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant, Keishawn Gordon, allegedly carried out monstrous acts against defenseless one-year-old Legacy Beauford. Gordon allegedly inflicted blunt force trauma on the child, leaving him with a lacerated liver, and allegedly sexually abused the infant. We will seek justice for the innocent child, who suffered so much.” 

 District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Keishawn Gordon, 24, of 420 East 169th Street was arraigned today on two counts of second-degree Murder, first and second-degree Manslaughter, and first-degree Aggravated Sexual Abuse before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Efrain Alvarado. The defendant was is due back in court on January 24, 2022. 

 According to the investigation, between September 8 and September 9, 2021, the defendant was allegedly in the home he shared with his girlfriend and was babysitting her son, Legacy Beauford, 1, while the child’s mother was not home. The defendant allegedly violently squeezed the baby and threw him up in the air and hit him in the face because the child would not stop crying. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the child sustained multiple blunt force trauma injuries to the torso, which led to a lacerated liver and internal bleeding. The defendant also allegedly sexually abused the child with a toothbrush.

 District Attorney Clark thanked NYPD Detectives Michael Best of the 42nd Precinct Squad and Robert Cintron of Bronx Homicide Task Force.

An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

Attorney General James Protects Supermarket Choices and Competitive Prices for Upstate New York Residents

 

Sale of 11 Stores Will Preserve Competition in Affected Cities

 New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced an agreement that will help upstate New York residents of several cities maintain choices and competitive prices when shopping at supermarkets. In an agreement with the companies that run the Schenectady-based Price Chopper supermarket chain and the Williamsville-based Tops Friendly Market supermarket chain, Attorney General James secured the divestment of 11 stores located in New York in connection with the companies’ proposed merger. This agreement resolves an eight-month investigation that the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) conducted alongside the Federal Trade Commission, which announced a similar settlement today.

“It’s simple: More choices and competition at the supermarket mean better prices and more savings for consumers,” said Attorney General James. “As many New Yorkers continue to suffer the financial impact of the COVID-19 public health crisis, the last thing that should be happening is for supermarkets to let an anticompetitive merger cut choices and raise prices. The agreement that we’re announcing today not only ensures that residents of multiple cities across upstate New York will continue to have choices when grocery shopping at Price Chopper and Tops — protecting their wallets from unrelenting price hikes — but it also preserves existing union contracts — protecting workers’ rights and their benefits. My office will continue to do everything in its power to help keep markets competitive for all New Yorkers and protect our workers.” 

The companies operating Price Chopper and Tops announced their proposed merger in February 2021. While both companies have a large presence in the state — with approximately 150 supermarkets each — the companies largely do not compete head-to-head in most areas.

However, in the regions where the divestitures will occur — the Capital Region, Central New York, the Mohawk Valley, North Country, and the Southern Tier — the OAG found that the merger would have eliminated a direct supermarket competitor; leaving a single supermarket in three cities and, at most, one to two other supermarkets in the remaining cities. 

By requiring the parties to sell the Tops stores in those cities to C&S, the largest private wholesale grocery distributor in the country, the OAG will help maintain competition in those areas. Additionally, today’s agreement includes notice provisions that will enable the OAG to monitor additional acquisitions by the companies and help avoid future harm to competition.

Attorney General James also considered the effects of the merger on New York’s labor market. During the investigation, the OAG met with representatives of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), the union which represents thousands of Tops employees. The UFCW has not only come out in support of the merger, but also the agreement secured by Attorney General James today that protects workers’ rights and benefits. 

“We believe that this merger will be a positive for our membership, preserving union jobs and strengthening the company’s prospects into the foreseeable future,” said Frank DeRiso, president, UFCW Local One. “We are pleased that we have an agreement with the new owner and they are committed to retaining all of the existing union jobs and contracts. We would like to thank the Office of the New York Attorney General, Senator Chuck Schumer, and our UFCW International Union for their guidance, assistance, and cooperation during this complicated process. This merger will be successful for both consumers and union members.”

Governor Hochul Launches New 'Vaccinate, Educate, Graduate' Vaccine Incentive Program for 5- To 11-Year-Olds for a Chance to Win A SUNY or CUNY Full Scholarship

 

Parents and Guardians of 5- To 11-Year-Olds Who Receive Their First Vaccine Dose by December 19 Can Enter Into the Random Drawing Here

Scholarship Includes Tuition, Room And Board 

10 Winners per Week for Five Weeks with First Winners Announced November 24; Drawing Schedule Available Here

Parents, Guardians, And Communities Encouraged To Visit Ny.Gov/Vaxforkids;

New Posters, Stickers and Other Assets Available For Providers on the Ground Here

 Today, during a COVID-19 briefing at the Mount Vernon Neighborhood Health Center in Westchester County, Governor Kathy Hochul announced new efforts to support vaccinating 5- to 11-year-olds, including the launch of a new vaccine incentive program - 'Vaccinate, Educate, Graduate' - for young New Yorkers. Parents and guardians of children ages 5 through 11 who receive their first vaccine dose by December 19th can enter the State's incentive program for a chance for their child to win a full scholarship to any two- or four-year SUNY or CUNY college or university; the scholarship includes tuition, room, and board. Ten winners will be announced each week beginning November 24th, with a total of 50 winners being selected over the five-week period.

"Finally, the COVID-19 vaccine is here for young New Yorkers age 5 through 11, "Governor Hochul said. "Our critical work to make the vaccine accessible and available to all eligible children and their families is underway - and we will creatively support and celebrate those who get vaccinated. The 'Vaccinate, Educate, Graduate' program is an extraordinary opportunity for children to win free tuition to a SUNY or CUNY college or university, and I urge parents and guardians to help their children get vaccinated and enter into this once-in-a-lifetime program." 

Winners of the State's incentive program will receive two or four years of full-time study in any SUNY or CUNY Associates or Bachelor's degree program, which includes the following:

• Tuition: The full cost of in-state tuition at a New York State or City University.
• Non-tuition Costs: Room and board and allowances for books, supplies and transportation up to the average cost at SUNY colleges.
• Residence: Students living on campus will receive a higher room and board allowance than commuter students. If housing is not available for students on campus, they will receive the same allowance as students living on campus.

BRONX DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE REACHES $2.35M IN CIVIL SETTLEMENT INVOLVING CIGARETTES SOLD AT JFK AIRPORT THAT WOUND UP IN NYC BODEGAS, WHERE THEY WERE SOLD WITHOUT TAXES

 

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark, along with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance and The City of New York, today announced a $2.35 million civil settlement with duty free retailer International Shoppes following an investigation of the sales of cigarettes at John F. Kennedy Airport to passengers traveling to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, who then brought the cigarettes back to New York where they would sell them without paying required taxes. 

 District Attorney Clark said, “We have reached a civil settlement which restores a significant portion of revenue to the city. This settlement and our previous investigation show we will zealously work to dismantle the untaxed cigarette trade in this County—which deprives the state of considerable tax revenue—and stop the sources of supply in such schemes. I thank our partners for working with us in this investigation that involved millions of dollars.”

 International Shoppes denies having knowledge that the cigarettes were flown back to New York. It has fully cooperated with the investigation into these passengers, and shared documents with the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, including legal authority that they believe permitted the sale of cigarettes to individuals travelling to Puerto Rico, which sales they had reported to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for many years. The company has voluntarily stopped selling cigarettes to individuals travelling to Puerto Rico. Based on International Shoppes’ cooperation and enhanced compliance policies, all parties have agreed to resolve any dispute as to whether such sales were taxable with a civil settlement whereby International Shoppes will pay $2.35 million in satisfaction of all claims.

 Ricky J. Patel, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, New York, said, “Enforcement of America’s customs laws is one of the many critical areas in which Homeland Security Investigations secures our nation. Through this scheme, the State of New York was cheated out of millions of dollars in revenue. Working with our partners at the Bronx District Attorney’s Office and the New York City Police Department, HSI New York remains dedicated to protecting the people in New York State and our country.”

 The settlement stems from an investigation in 2017 by the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, the New York City Police Department Intelligence Division, and Homeland Security Investigations which led to 21 individuals convicted for various crimes related to selling untaxed cigarettes in the Bronx. During the investigation, the Bronx District Attorney’s Office and its partners became aware that individuals who were part of that investigation purchased cigarettes from International Shoppes, brought those cigarettes to Puerto Rico, and then brought the cigarettes back to New York City.

 District Attorney Clark thanked NYPD Detective Jonathan Dubroff, Detective Joseph Petrosino, Detective Brett Topping and Sergeant Timothy Jaycox, under the supervision of Lieutenant Christopher Ward of the NYPD Intelligence Division.

 District Attorney Clark thanked the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance, and Homeland Security Investigations, Division of Affirmative Litigation, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, Office of Chief Counsel Attorney Advisor Keith Q. Sullivan, and Dyana Lee, Senior Counsel, Office of Inspector General of the Port Authority.

Representative Adriano Espaillat Attends United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow

 

Espaillat Joins Congressional Delegation Led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi on behalf of the United States House of Representatives

 Today, Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) joined Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a Congressional delegation to the United Nations Climate Change Conference, or “COP26,” in Glasgow, Scotland on behalf of the United States House of Representatives. 

In Glasgow, the delegation will participate in bilateral meetings, panel discussions and other engagements with global leaders on top climate priorities, including the recent IPCC report, gender equity and public-private sector coordination on climate action. 

"We can no longer ignore the climate crisis and I commend President Biden's leadership during this year's United Nations Climate Change Conference following the backtracking by the previous administration to remove the United States from the Paris Agreement,” said Rep. Espaillat. "I look forward to working with climate justice champions to ensure international commitments to combat the impact of global warming, and I remain committed to ensuring the effects of the climate crisis on poor, developing populations and people of color across the world remain at the forefront of our policy discussions with international leaders in attendance during this year’s conference.”

The CoDel comes shortly after the House passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Act which rebuilds America’s infrastructure, tackles the climate crisis, advances environmental justice, and invests in communities that have too often been left behind. Following the Members' return, the House is expected to pass the Build Back Act, President Biden’s signature social safety net and climate change bill. The Build Back Better Act will invest more than $550 billion to deliver the largest effort to combat climate change in American history.

 

“The climate crisis is the existential threat of our time, and America must continue to bring our boldest ambitions to the table to meet and beat our climate action goals,” said Speaker Nancy Pelosi.  “Together with this outstanding, experienced and diverse delegation including Committee Chairs, Members of the House Select Committee on Climate Crisis and respected Members of Congress, I am honored to once again return to the United Nations Climate Change Conference to convey the strong commitment of the U.S. Congress in addressing this crisis and doing so in a way that puts justice and equity – particularly for indigenous communities – first.”

 

A champion of climate and environmental justice, during the 116th and 117th Congresses, Espaillat has introduced his Green Climate Fund Authorization Act (H.R.2774), which authorizes $4 Million for the GCF for two consecutive years to help support the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to help developing countries limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change.  Additionally, Espaillat introduced the Secure E-Waste Export and Recycling Act (SEERA) Act (H.R 3036), a bipartisan, bicameral climate and national security priority in Congress to further demonstrate good faith and U.S. leadership to combat the flow of electronic waste (e-waste) internationally. Last Congress, Espaillat passed his environmental justice amendment H.R. 9 – the Climate Action Now Act, the first congressional vote in a decade to address the threats of climate change that would ensure that the United States follows through on its Paris Agreement commitments.

The United Nations Climate Change Conferences are yearly conferences held in the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). They serve as the formal meeting of the UNFCCC parties (Conference of the Parties, COP) to assess progress in dealing with climate change, and beginning in the mid-1990s, to negotiate the Kyoto Protocol  to establish legally binding obligations for developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition to Rep. Espaillat, other Members of the delegation are:

• Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Chair, House Committee on Energy and Commerce
• Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Chair, House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
• Chairman Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Chair, House Foreign Affairs Committee
• Chairman Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), Chair, House Committee on Natural Resources
• Chairwoman Kathy Castor (D-FL), Chair, House Select Committee on Climate Crisis
• Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), House Committee on Ways and Means
• Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN), House Committee on Appropriations
• Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME), House Committee on Appropriations, House Agriculture Committee
• Congressman Bill Keating (D-MA), House Foreign Affairs Committee,
• Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, House Select Committee on Climate Crisis
• Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA), House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House Select Committee on Climate Crisis
• Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA), House Select Committee on Climate Crisis, House Committee on Natural Resources, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
• Congressman Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), House Committee on Natural Resources, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
• Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA), Chair, United States Joint Economic Committee, House Committee on Ways and Means, House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology  
• Congressman Brendan Boyle (D-PA), House Committee on Ways and Means
• Congressman Sean Casten (D-IL), House Select Committee on Climate Crisis, House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
• Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (D-TX), House Select Committee on Climate Crisis
• Congressman Mike Levin (D-CA), House Select Committee on Climate Crisis, House Committee on Natural Resources
• Congressman Joe Neguse (D-CO), House Select Committee on Climate Crisis, House Committee on Natural Resources
• Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), House Committee of Oversight and Reform, House Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth

NEW YORK CITY ANNOUNCES AID FOR GHANA’S COVID-19 RESPONSE

 

City is providing medical supplies to Tamale Teaching Hospital in Northern Ghana, a collaborating partner of the NYU Grossman School of Medicine

 As part of the City’s COVID-19 humanitarian relief efforts, Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced the City of New York has donated medical supplies and personal protective equipment to Tamale Teaching Hospital in Northern Ghana. Tamale Teaching Hospital provides highly specialized tertiary medical care to over 100,000 patients each year and is a teaching hospital for undergraduate and postgraduate medical students and other health professionals. NYU Grossman School of Medicine’s Section for Global Health leads the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) Consortium of academic health centers in the AMPATH Ghana partnership with the University for Development Studies School of Medicine, Tamale Teaching Hospital, and other affiliated institutions in northern Ghana.

 

Delivery of the donation will be aided by the Afya Foundation, which brings donated medical supplies to underserved and compromised health systems globally. Donated supplies will include test kits, N95 masks, isolation gowns, and face shields.

 

“Early on during the COVID-19 crisis, communities across the nation and the world stepped up to help to New York City,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Now, it’s our turn. This donation to our partners in Ghana is another example of New York City’s commitment to helping communities across the world fight against COVID-19.”

 

“Just like New York City received assistance when we needed it most, it is our moral duty to assist others facing the threat of COVID-19 around the world,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Melanie Hartzog. “I thank NYU, the Afya Foundation and our City agencies for coming together to make this donation to Ghana possible.”

 

“New York City was the epicenter at the beginning of the pandemic, and the world came together to help us in getting lifesaving PPE to our medical workers,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Chokshi. “We continue to stand in solidarity with our friends in Ghana and with other communities around the world in the global fight against COVID-19.”

 

“The global challenge of COVID-19 requires all of us to come together to help save lives,” said Lisette Camilo, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services. “New York City was very fortunate in the support we received during the early days of the pandemic, and we are proud to pay it forward and help those who are most in need today.”

 

“Several layers of collaborations and partnerships at different levels have helped culminate in these donations from Afya and the NYC to help in Ghana’s Covid-19 fight,” said Dr. Kareem Mumuni, Ag. CEO - Tamale Teaching Hospital. “As a healthcare facility, the Tamale Teaching Hospital is excited because, not only will we be beneficiaries of this support, but more so because we will serve as conduit for these items to reach other healthcare facilities within the hard-to-reach areas of Northern Ghana, as well as other sister teaching, secondary and primary healthcare facilities in other regions of the country. We are grateful to all our partners and collaborators. Together, we can indeed achieve more!”

 

"We are delighted that our Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) Ghana partnership has catalyzed this donation, and we hope it will strengthen Ghana's response to the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Rajesh Vedanthan, Executive Director of AMPATH Ghana and the Director of the Section for Global Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. “It is a wonderful example of how we can leverage the power of academic institutions to improve population health and advance global health equity.”

                                                                             

“We were proud to connect NYU-Langone with DCAS in pursuit of this critical initiative,” said Danielle Butin, Founder and CEO, Afya Foundation. “With over a decade of experience delivering surplus medical supplies to communities in need all over the world, we are honored to lend our logistics expertise to this initiative. This donation is a beautiful example of what can happen when we work together and are generous with our resources.”

 

“Our AMPATH partnership with NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Tamale Teaching Hospital is guided by the principle of leading with care," said Professor Stephen Tabiri, Dean, University for Development Studies School of Medicine, Tamale. "Therefore, we are excited to see our partnership generate this substantial donation of medical supplies to augment our COVID-19 response, both locally and across the country."

 

“CalBank PLC, Ghana, is excited to be part of this PPE donation project as a partner responsible for financing the shipping cost,” said Mr. Philip Owiredu, CEO CalBank. “We recognize that our continued existence and success is dependent on working together with the right partners to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. CalBank will continue to deliver on its responsibility, concern and commitment towards our society’s sustainability and development.”

 

Donated items were recently shipped to Ghana and should arrive in early December. The donation includes 1.2 million test kits, nearly 150,000 N95 masks, 30,000 isolation gowns, and 7,500 face shields, with a total value estimated at over $4.7 million.

 

The donation announced today follows COVID-19 response-related donations the City made to India in May, and to Indonesia in August 2021.