MAYOR DE BLASIO EXPANDS TESTING TO COMMUNITIES HARDEST HIT BY COVID-19

Walk-in testing sites open today for high-risk patients in East New York, Morrisania, and Vanderbilt through NYC Health + Hospitals; One Medical will also offer appointment-only testing to frontline SEIU members, as well as other healthcare and essential workers beginning today in Brooklyn and Queens 

  Mayor de Blasio announced today the opening of three COVID-19 testing sites for communities hardest hit by the pandemic. Beginning today, NYC Health + Hospitals/ Gotham Health East New York, Morrisania, and Vanderbilt will offer COVID-19 testing on a walk-in basis, with a priority for those over the age of 65 with pre-existing conditions that put them at risk for serious illness. Two additional sites at NYC Health+ Hospitals/ Queens and NYC Health+ Hospitals/ Sydenham in Manhattan will open on Monday, April 20^th.

The City will also partner with One Medical, a national digital health and primary care provider, to offer COVID-19 testing and virtual care services. Appointment-only testing will be prioritized for frontline 1199SEIU members, including adult care employees or those who work with people with disabilities, as well as other non-member healthcare professionals, essential workers, and NYC residents who are 65 and older with preexisting conditions. With its five testing sites, One Medical will be able to conduct 3,500 tests per week throughout New York City

“Communities of color have been hardest hit by the COVID-19 crisis,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We know that widespread testing is a key part of containing the spread of COVID-19, which is why we are doing everything we can to bring more testing to our most vulnerable.”

The NYC Health+Hospitals community testing clinics will offer tests by walk-in from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM, Monday, through Friday at East New York and Morrisania. Testing at Vanderbilt will be available from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday. Two additional sites at NYC Health+ Hospitals/ Queens and NYC Health+ Hospitals/Sydenham will open on Monday, April 20^th. These five sites will initially be able to conduct a total of 2,400 tests per week. Patients' test results will be available within one to two days via phone call and electronically through MyChart.

Additionally, One Medical’s five testing sites—one in each borough—will be open 9:00 AM to 6:00PM -6PM by appointment only. One Medical will be able to do 3,500 tests per week throughout New York City. Brooklyn and Queens are open today and Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island will be open starting Monday, April 20^th. Those who meet the testing criteria and would like to schedule an appointment call 1-888-ONEMED1 OR go to onemedical.com and use code NYCCARE30

“On the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, we see clear disparities in communities of color, lower income populations, immigrants, and New Yorkers with multiple comorbid conditions,” said NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Mitchell Katz, MD. “Our public health care system has long provided high-quality care to underserved communities in New York City. The community testing clinics will support and improve our efforts to provide critical services to those most in need.”

Kingsbridge Armory Opens as Food Distribution Center for Bronx

  The Kingsbridge Armory was converted into a warehouse of boxed food to be given out to residents of the Bronx. Mayor Bill de Blasio arrived to see how pallets of boxed food were set up to be loaded into livery cabs with each driver given a list of names and addresses to deliver each box to. In the box were supplies for three days of breakfast, lunch, and dinner with bagged snacks. 

  On hand were various city agency staff including Sanitation Commissioner Katheryn Garcia, Parks Commissioner Mitchel Silver, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and members of the National Guard. Mayor de Blasio walked around to see all the boxes of food placed in the armory, and stopped to see how the operation was going before speaking. During his speech the mayor said 'We will not let any New Yorker go hungry'. Each box contains three days of breakfast, lunch, and dinner with snacks/ People in need are urged to call 311 to receive the free food from the city. 

  Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. explained that there was hope that the Kingsbridge Armory could be used as a field hospital, but that there was not enough electricity coming into the armory so that plan had to be changed into a food depot for delivery to people in need. 

Above - Pallets of boxes of food are lined up in the Kingsbridge Armory for distribution.

Below - the tag from the side of one box with the contents of the box listed.

Above - One box was opened to show what is inside.

Below - Lanes were set up for cars to pull into the armory to load up.

Above - Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr, demonstrated how the cars are loaded.

Below - Mayor de Blasio peaks about the use of the armory as a food distribution point, saying that the city will not let any New Yorker go hungry.

AG James Continues Enforcement Actions Against Companies that Take Advantage of COVID-19 Pandemic

Four Companies Receive Cease and Desist Orders to Stop the Selling and Marketing of Unauthorized Test Kits and Products

As Coronavirus Goes After People's Health, Attorney General James is Ensuring Scammers Can't Go After Their Wallets

  New York Attorney General Letitia James ordered Hong Kong Royal Resource Technology Company and Rightangled to immediately cease and desist the selling of unauthorized test kits for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The companies have been misrepresenting to consumers that the products can detect if an individual has contracted the virus. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved any COVID-19 tests for home use. The sale of unapproved home test kits may lead consumers to take inadequate quarantine measures placing the health of consumers — themselves and others — in jeopardy. 

Additionally, Attorney General James has ordered Sustainable Forestry Solutions and Genesis II Church of Health & Healing to immediately cease and desist marketing their products as tools that can cure or treat COVID-19. The companies are misleading consumers regarding the effectiveness of their products amidst the pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) has not identified any specific medicine which prevents or treats this disease, making any claim of Sustainable Forestry Solutions and Genesis II Church of Health & Healing products being effective at combatting and/or treating COVID-19 a violation of New York state law.

“Misrepresenting the effectiveness or authenticity of products relating to COVID-19 is extremely reckless, and puts vulnerable communities at an even greater risk,” said Attorney General James. “By giving consumers false information, all four companies are giving consumers a false sense of security, which can have an adverse effect on the containment and treatment of COVID-19. My office will continue to root out companies that attempt to illegally profit from this pandemic by prioritizing their bottom line over public health.”

Hong Kong Royal Resource Technology Company, Rightangled, Sustainable Forestry Solutions, and Genesis II Church of Health & Healing targeted consumers through a combination of their websites, podcasts, and social media. Each company is ordered to immediately cease and desist making misleading claims about COVID-19-marketed products, and must cease and desist the sale of unauthorized products.

Attorney General James has sent multiple cease and desist letters to individuals and companies selling and marketing certain products as preventative treatments or cures for the coronavirus, including TV host Wayne Allyn Root, Alex Jones, The Silver Edge company, Dr. Sherill Sellman, and televangelist Jim Bakker.

Attorney General James has also issued cease and desist notifications to hundreds of businesses in New York for charging excessive prices for hand sanitizers, disinfectant sprays, and rubbing alcohol — a violation of New York’s price gouging statute. That statute prohibits the sale of goods and services necessary for the health, safety, and welfare of consumers at unconscionably excessive prices during any abnormal disruption of the market. 

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) continues to surveil and monitor businesses across the state for potential scams and price gouging schemes designed to exploit public concern related to the spread of the coronavirus. Scammers commonly exploit real public health concerns and use heightened public fear to prey on consumers and profit from frauds related to those health fears. If you believe you have been the victim of a scam or have witnessed potential price gouging, please report these incidents to the OAG.

Attorney General James Cleanses Internet of Coronavirus-Related Scams

  New York Attorney General Letitia James announced a sweeping effort she initiated in March to scrub the internet of websites seeking to illegally profit and deceive millions of Americans and hundreds of millions more around the world off the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis. Over the last month, dozens of staff members in the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) have been reviewing domain names for potential scams attempting to take advantage of fearful consumers. Since March, the OAG has worked in cooperation with domain name registrars across the nation to — upon identification — remove websites selling, marketing, and promoting fraudulent goods and services. Additionally, the OAG has worked with these registrars to “lock” these domain names so they cannot be transferred to other registrars — ensuring they cannot be used to support any additional illegal activity. 

“Unfortunately, the world wide web is filled with criminals and nefarious actors looking to exploit the coronavirus pandemic and take advantage of innocent victims,” said Attorney General James. “The operators of these scam sites are not only stoking fear in the hearts and minds of Americans, but are illegally profiting from their fraudulent deception. Alongside our partners at different domain registrars, we are working to cleanse the internet of these illegal sites one at a time, but we need all consumers to remain vigilant. We must stop these scammers from peddling their fraudulent sites and swindling Americans out of their hard-earned money.”

On March 20th, Attorney General James contacted a number of domain name registrars, including GoDaddy.com, in an effort to stop the registration and use of internet domain names by individuals and companies trying to unlawfully and fraudulently profit off consumers’ fears around the coronavirus. The registrars have been cooperating with Attorney General James’ investigation, and have acted quickly to take down numerous domain names after receiving information from the OAG about illegal and deceptive activity on websites associated with those domain names. The entities behind these domain names are violating a number of New York State laws, as well as the registrars’ terms of service. 

To date, the OAG has had more than 20 fraudulent websites removed for marketing scams, including, but not limited to, sites:

• Selling Home Testing Kits: A number of websites have sold home testing kits to test for COVID-19, even though the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved any testing kits for home or other personal use.

• Phishing for Personal Information: A number of websites have tricked consumers into providing personal information, including credit card numbers, for fraudulent purposes.

• Selling Fake Cures and Remedies: A number of websites have sold products such as vitamin C and air purifiers, fraudulently and without any science-based research supporting claims that they can protect consumers from COVID-19. There is currently no FDA-approved vaccine or cure for COVID-19, and the World Health Organization has also said that there is no specific medicine to prevent or treat the coronavirus.

• Promoting Fraudulent Donation Sites: A number of websites have pretended to be legitimate charities — seeking donations for those in need — when, in reality, they have not been affiliated with any charity. 

Additionally, the OAG’s efforts over the last month have found that a number of websites have not delivered medical supplies and other items ordered by consumers. In one case, a purchasing manager for a hospital in China purchased over $40,000 worth of masks and other medical supplies from a company that not only failed to deliver the supplies, but then disconnected its phone lines. 

In another case associated with a telemarketing phishing scam, a website was created pretending to be a hospital in New York that did not exist. There were fake doctors on the website with made-up names and images pulled from widely-available stock photos of medical professionals. Language from the website was copied directly from other legitimate hospitals. There was an appointments page, where patients were asked to enter their name and contact information to "request" an appointment with a specific doctor or department, but no specific information was subsequently provided about the appointment.

To narrow down and remove the more than 20 sites in question, the OAG used both automated and manual processes to target the most suspect domains. The OAG then identified which domains were active, and then further narrowed down the list to which were deemed suspicious by analyzing website content. The remaining domains were subject to manual review and those selling, marketing, and promoting fraudulent goods and services were marked for removal.

The registration and creation of these fraudulent websites violate a number of laws, including, but not limited to, Executive Law § 63(12) and General Business Law § 349/350. These fraudulent sites have also violated the various domain name registrars’ terms of service for domain registration, which generally prohibit any deceptive or illegal products or services on the website associated with the domain name.

The Office of the Attorney General would like to thank the different registrars for their cooperation with the OAG in preventing bad actors from seeking to profit from the coronavirus pandemic.

Separately, in an effort to protect New Yorkers in the fight against coronavirus scams, Attorney General James sent a letter to Craigslist.com last month, calling on the company to immediately remove posts that attempt to price gouge users, or otherwise purport to sell items that provide “immunity” to the coronavirus or allow individuals to test for the disease.

If an individual believes they are a victim of a website-related COVID-19 scam, they should report it immediately to the OAG’s Bureau of Internet and Technology.

At this time, the OAG is not releasing the specific web sites taken down over the last month to avoid drawing attention to them and alerting the individuals behind these illegal operations to the investigation.

Statement from New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer on the FY 2021 Executive Budget

  “In this public health emergency there is nothing more important than providing for the most vulnerable New Yorkers – communities of color, immigrants, seniors, and those experiencing homelessness.

“The Mayor’s budget relies on a mix of savings, reserves, and federal stimulus funds to maintain a balanced budget.  A more robust savings program in prior years would have helped to build up a bigger cushion to protect against cuts that will be devastating in particular to New York City’s youth.

“What is abundantly clear, however, is that in order for us to get on our strongest fiscal footing, we need the federal government to step up. New York City is both the epicenter of this crisis and the financial capital of the country. The national recovery starts here, and the federal government needs to provide wide-ranging, robust financial support in recognition of our central role.

“We look forward to reviewing this budget and ensuring that it secures the social safety net, protects jobs, delivers for all New Yorkers, and sets the stage for our city to rebuild.”

Amid Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, Governor Cuomo Outlines Blueprint to Un-PAUSE New York

Blueprint Will Work to Control the Rate of Infection, Strengthen the Health Care System and Ramp Up Testing with Help from the Federal Government While Phasing an Economic Return to a "New Normal"

  Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today outlined a blueprint to un-pause New York, getting people back to work and easing social isolation without triggering renewed spread of the virus. The ultimate plan will be implemented in coordination with other states in the multi-state council.

1. Do No Harm - Step one is to continue controlling the rate of infection. This includes extending the NY Pause order until May 15th and implementing additional measures to reduce the rate of infection, including requiring masks in public when social distancing is not possible.
2. Strengthening the healthcare system - Step two is continuing the surge and flex strategy to ensure anyone who needs medical attention gets it, building out the strategic stockpile of PPE and other medical equipment, and sharing resources amongst states and localities.
3. Testing and Contact Tracing - The best tool to inform decisions and calibrate progress of any phased reopening of the economy is through both diagnostic and antibody testing. The states need the federal government to partner on this effort and bring it to the mass scale that is needed. With the help of an army of investigators, contact tracing needs to be done to help limit the virus spread.
4. Phased Return to "New Normal" -

• Evaluating Risk by Industry: The 'Un-Pause NY' approach is designed to open businesses in phases of priority. Businesses considered "more essential" with inherent low risks of infection in the workplace and to customers will be prioritized, followed by other businesses considered "less essential" or those that present a higher risk of infection spread. As the infection rate declines, the pace of reopening businesses will be increased.
• Precautions and Practices for businesses to consider to guide phased returnto "new normal":  
• Transport: Ensure employees have means for safe transport (i.e., masks, gloves for public transit) or require telecommuting/work from home.
• Workplace: Ensure workplaces are designed to include social distancing measures (i.e., desks six feet apart, conference rooms redesigned), telecommuting for those who can and the most vulnerable
• Customer Interaction: Ensure measures designed to ensure minimal contact with customers, ensure public-interacting employees have necessary protective supplies such as gloves, masks, etc.). Special precautions should be taken for businesses that primarily interact with the most vulnerable populations.
• Proactive Infection Plan: Ensure protocols in place should an employee develop COVID-19 symptoms or test positive (i.e. work from home plan)

"Now that we've shown we can flatten the curve and our efforts to control the spread of the virus are working, we must focus on a smart, effective plan to un-pause New York," Governor Cuomo said. "The first part of the plan is to do no harm - don't let that infection rate go up to the best of your ability and don't lose the progress that we have made. Second, now that we have some stability in our health care system after a weeks-long overdrive, we continue to strengthen that system and ramp up testing and contact tracing to identify those who are sick and isolate them so they don't transmit the virus to others. Then we can focus on phasing an economic return to the new normal - but we need all those activities going on at the same time for our plan to un-pause New York to work."

MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES NEW YORK CITY COVID-19 IMMIGRANT EMERGENCY RELIEF PROGRAM WITH OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATIONS

$20 million fund will reach 20,000 immigrant workers and their families with direct, one-time emergency relief

  Mayor de Blasio today announced a partnership with Open Society Foundations to establish the New York City COVID-19 Immigrant Emergency Relief program, reaffirming the City’s commitment to ensure all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, are included in citywide COVID-19 response and relief efforts. This $20 million donation marks an essential step to provide emergency monetary relief to immigrant workers and their families, who have largely been excluded from federal COVID-19 relief programs.

“Immigrants are the heart of this City – they are our friends, neighbors and colleagues,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “This crisis has shown it is now more important than ever for New Yorkers to look out for each other. I want to thank the Open Society Foundations for partnering with us to ensure that all New Yorkers, regardless of their documentation status, can get the support they need.”

“COVID-19 does not discriminate, but for immigrants, often working on the frontline of this crisis, it is a hardship multiplier for them and their families. We must make sure that everyone in our city, regardless of immigration status, has access to the support they need," said First Lady Chirlane McCray. “Immigrant New Yorkers are our neighbors, loved ones, and community members. We value and depend on them, and we want them to know that their City will not leave them behind.”

"New York City is the epicenter of the COVID-19, with more cases and casualties than most whole countries. This crisis has laid bare just how much we depend on low-wage workers who stock our grocery shelves, harvest and deliver our food, staff society's essential services. These essential workers are also the people with the least access to services and benefits, many of them beyond the reach of the government's stimulus package. The Open Society Foundations is proud to support NYC and its partner organizations, including National Domestic Workers Alliance, to provide direct relief to these workers, who are literally holding up our society right now, and hope that policymakers going forward will address the structural inequalities they live with every day," said Patrick Gaspard, President of the Open Society Foundations.

The NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City will create a citywide network of community based organizations that will provide direct, one-time emergency relief payments to immigrant families – including undocumented workers – who play a vital role in the City’s workforce and economy.

This initial funding will reach up to 20,000 undocumented workers and their families affected by COVID-19 related job loss and facing financial distress. The citywide network of community based organizations and worker centers will disseminate one-time emergency relief payments to eligible New Yorkers in the following amounts:

• $400/individual
• $800 for couple or single parent with children
• $1,000 for family with multiple adults and children
• And/or where identified increased additional supports.

This network of community partners will also connect and assist individuals with information or enrollment for other forms of relief and resources such as unemployment, SNAP, cash assistance, or emergency food delivery programs they may be eligible for on a case by case basis and more.

New York City is home to 3.1 million immigrants who comprise about 37 percent of the City’s population and 44 percent of its workforce– including approximately 360,000 undocumented workers and 48,000 undocumented business owners. In 2019, foreign-born New Yorkers, including the undocumented population, contributed about $232 billion to the City’s GDP. Among the one million essential workers who are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic—delivery workers, EMS staff, drivers, health care personnel, and more—half are immigrants.

Undocumented workers and their families—approximately 738,000 New Yorkers, including 218,000 children—remain particularly vulnerable at this time. Over a third of NYC’s undocumented workforce are low income, are ineligible for most safety net assistance, and have been left behind by federal stimulus packages because of their documentation status.

The Open Society Foundations will also provide a $15 million donation to the Fund for Public Schools’ (The Fund) NYC Schools COVID-19 Response Effort to support New York City Department of Education's (DOE) school communities during this challenging time. This is the largest gift The Fund and DOE have received to date in response to COVID-19 and will support emergency childcare and the remote learning of young and school-age children of essential workers on the frontlines, ranging from medical and emergency personnel to transit workers. 

"This Administration has always worked to ensure equity and inclusion is at  the forefront of everything we do, and why we will not stand idly by as our immigrant communities continue to be cut out of federal support despite being disproportionally impacted by this pandemic," said J. Phillip Thompson, Deputy Mayor of Strategic Policy Initiatives. "Our partnership with Open Society will do what the federal government has failed to do—acknowledge and support the immigrant New Yorkers who are the backbone of our City." 

“Immigrant communities, including undocumented families, have been gravely and disproportionally impacted by COVID-19, but left out of federal stimulus relief. There can be no serious effort to address this moment and this tremendous gap in equity without connecting our fellow New Yorkers to the care and resources they need, regardless of their immigration status,” said Bitta Mostofi, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. “We are grateful to the Open Society Foundations for this partnership—a critical part of our efforts to support and empower immigrant families who need it most. We hope to build on the Immigrant Emergency Relief Fund Program in New York City and we urge our state and federal counterparts to follow suit and ensure that some of the country’s most essential, and most vulnerable, communities are protected.”

“Throughout this crisis, we’ve spared no effort to ensure our students and families feel safe and supported by their schools and by their city, and we’re so grateful for this generous gift. With the support of the Open Society Foundations and the Fund for Public Schools, we can continue to enhance remote learning efforts for 1.1 million children and provide emergency childcare for essential workers—services New Yorkers need in the difficult months to come,” said Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza.

“As the impacts of COVID-19 ripple throughout our city, it is our duty as a community to ensure that no one gets left behind, especially our immigrant neighbors who are an integral piece of the fabric of New York City," said Toya Williford, Executive Director of the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City. "When philanthropy comes together with local government and community-based organizations, our ability to help the most vulnerable among us is unparalleled. We are deeply grateful for OSF's commitment to New York City's immigrant communities.”

“Our ability to recover and heal as a community from the impacts of COVID-19 relies on the strength of our partnerships," said Gabrielle Fialkoff, Senior Advisor to the Mayor for COVID Relief. “I want to thank the Open Society Foundation for working with us to prioritize the most vulnerable New Yorkers--the members of our immigrant communities—so they have the support they need to provide for themselves and their families. And this work could not be accomplished without the support of New York City’s non-profit community and I want to thank them for putting themselves on the front-line of this crisis.”

BRONX OFFICIALS PUT USPS ON NOTICE THAT WORKERS NEED PROTECTION AND CUSTOMERS NEED INFORMATION

Postal worker shortages have ravaged mail delivery in the Bronx, delaying essential letters and packages and leaving Bronxites in the dark about when they can expect to receive them.

  Nearly twenty elected officials representing the Bronx sent a letter to Vice President Mike Pence and United States Postmaster General Megan Brennan to highlight serious concerns about inconsistent and unreliable mail service throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The letter represents an escalation from previous efforts to call attention to delivery problems that were first noticed in the 10463 zip code but are now present in many neighborhoods all over the borough.

The letter calls attention to “great concern regarding the health and safety of postal workers and the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on mail delivery in New York City.” The Bronx officials highlight specifically that their constituents have not been receiving updated and transparent information on postal procedures, causing severe distress as crucial letters, bills, checks, medications, and packages are delayed for days or weeks with minimal information from USPS.

Additionally, the Bronx officials highlight health risks posed to postal service employees as a result of nationwide shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE). Postal workers have been calling out sick in significantly greater numbers than usual, sometimes reducing workforces to less than one-quarter of what is needed to deliver one day’s mail.

The letter includes three specific questions for Vice President Pence and Postmaster General Brennan to answer. First, the Bronx officials ask about how USPS is handling worker shortages to ensure that mail is delivered in a timely manner. Second, they ask about guidelines provided to post offices for ensuring that postal customers throughout the USPS system are kept informed about operations and delays in services. Third, the letter requests a current status of PPE supplies that are available to fulfill USPS’s guarantee that masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer are available to employees upon request.

The letter is available here and was signed by:

• Congressmembers Adriano Espaillat, Eliot Engel, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
• Assemblymembers Jeffrey Dinowitz, Michael Benedetto, Michael Blake, Marcos Crespo, Nathalia Fernandez, Latoya Joyner, Victor Pichardo, Karines Reyes, and Jose Rivera
•  State Senators Jamaal T. Bailey, Alessandra Biaggi, Gustavo Rivera, and Jose M. Serrano
• Council Members Andrew Cohen and Mark Gjonaj
• Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Chair of the Assembly Bronx Delegation, said: “There is power in numbers, and right now what the Bronx needs is the power to get a response from the United States Postal Service and the White House Administration. I am sick and tired of these serious problems going unaddressed at a systemwide level. We cannot operate a nationwide postal system by waiting for employees to get sick before making a plan. USPS needs to step up and be leaders here by making sure their workers have readily available PPE so that people can get their mail. Our borough is the canary in the coal mine for USPS, and what we are experiencing with COVID-19 now is what should be expected across the nation over the next several months. Thank you to all of my fellow Bronx advocates for joining me on this letter, and I am hopeful that our constituents will soon have some desperately needed answers about their mail service.”

“The health and safety of postal workers and the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on USPS services and mail delivery is having a tremendous impact on residents throughout New York City,” said Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13). “Many residents rely on these services to receive critical supplies and other packages that they would otherwise get physically. However, due to the pandemic and lockdown, postal delivery is the only method available to them.  As our community continues to address the ongoing needs that individuals and families face, we must ensure postal services continue as regularly as possible. Additionally, we must ensure the safety and well-being of postal workers and provide the necessary equipment that allows them to continue their jobs amid this ongoing pandemic. These are unprecedented times for our communities and it will take each of working together to provide services that keep our communities functioning as we continue to respond to the daily challenges brought about due to this pandemic.”

Said Congressman Eliot Engel: “The US Postal Service is facing a real crisis. A global pandemic is putting mail carriers and postal employees in danger every day. USPS finances are in dire straits. Mail delivery has become erratic or non-existent in our borough, and the President seems content to let the entire operation wither and die on the vine. We simply can’t let that happen. Medications, pay checks, absentee ballots—the post office delivers all of these items, which are more essential today than ever before. How USPS plans to continue delivery, while keeping their workers safe with PPE and other necessary protocols, must be addressed by the highest members of the Trump Administration. I will continue the fight in Washington to stop Trump from destroying the USPS, but we need a real, tangible plan to keep the mail coming at least several times a week during the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

“In order to continue quality postal service for our Bronx residents, we must ensure the safety of those delivering the mail, as essential workers,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “As we all do our part and stay home to flatten the curve, we have become more dependent on the U.S. Postal Service to deliver essential mail and packages. Bronx residents have reached out to our office about the lag time in delivery, which is why we must do all that we can to keep postal workers safe. In light of Governor Cuomo’s recent executive order to make sure postal workers have the proper personal protective equipment, we fully support any safety measures that will aid the indispensable men and women of the U.S. Postal Service.”

State Senator Jamaal T. Bailey said: “Our postal workers go out everyday risking themselves in order to ensure that residents receive their mail. The Bronx has recently seen shortages in customer service and transparency in the postal system. Residents rely heavily on the postal system to receive benefits, crucial information, and bills they need to pay by a certain date. Additionally, we’ve seen our postal workers lack proper PPE, and believe that all workers should have access adequate PPE when delivering mail. I urge Vice President Mike Pence and United State Postmaster General Megan Brennan to increase transparency, and efficiency in our postal system, and ensure that our postal workers have access to adequate PPE.”