What Voters Need To Know About The June Primary Elections From the NYC Campaign Finance Board & NYC Votes

June 23 Primary FAQs: Everything You Need to Know

JUNE 23 ELECTIONS & WHAT'S ON THE BALLOT

Are there elections on June 23? I've heard that New York's primary was canceled.

Yes, elections are happening on June 23! The primary elections previously planned for Congress, state Assembly, and state Senate will be held. In addition, there will be a primary election for one city office: Queens Borough President. The vast majority of New York City neighborhoods will have at least one primary election on June 23.

For now, New York’s Democratic Presidential Primary will occur on June 23, though a recent court decision about this is subject to appeal. 

How do I find out if there is an election happening in my area?

Find the elections happening in your neighborhood and see who is on the ballot by entering your address at nyc.pollsitelocator.com, which will be available soon. If there is a contest listed for your party and district, that means you have a primary election to vote in! 

HOW TO VOTE BY MAIL

Can I vote by mail?

Yes. For the primary elections in June, Governor Cuomo has issued an executive order allowing any eligible voter to cast an absentee, or mail-in ballot. But you must request a ballot, by completing an absentee ballot application! The form must be completed and submitted by June 16. The completed ballot must be postmarked by June 22.

What is the process for voting by mail?

There are a few steps you need to take to vote by mail in the June election:

1. Request your mail-in ballot, by submitting an absentee ballot application by June 16. (This first step is required in order for the Board of Elections to mail you a ballot. Don’t stop here!);
2. Receive your absentee ballot at the address you included on the application form;
3. Fill out your absentee ballot at home, using blue or black ink; and
4. Mail in your completed ballot by June 22 to your county Board of Elections, using the postage-paid envelope you will receive with the ballot and sign the back of the envelope as instructed.

You can also bring your absentee ballot to your borough’s Board of Elections office in person until June 23, but we recommend using the mail so you can stay home and minimize in-person contact.

How do I request an absentee (or mail-in) ballot?

The process is easier than it has ever been. This year, the Board of Elections is mailing every registered voter an absentee ballot application, which you can complete and return to request your absentee ballot. (The application sent to you by mail will include a postage-paid return envelope.)

The application will be mailed to the address listed in your voter registration. If you are away from your home, you can request that an absentee ballot be sent to your current location.

There are other easy ways to request an absentee ballot:

• Online at nycabsentee.com
• Email a completed application to AbsenteeJune2020@boe.nyc
• Call 1-866-VOTE-NYC (1-866-868-3692) and request an absentee ballot
• Mail a completed application to your borough’s BOE office
• Fax a completed application to 212-487-5349

You only need to request a ballot once, using one of these methods.

How do I complete the absentee ballot application (or request) form?

Complete the application using blue or black ink. If you wish to vote absentee due to the coronavirus pandemic, you should indicate that the reason is “temporary illness” (the definition of which has been expanded to cover the risk of contracting the coronavirus).

You may request to have your absentee ballot sent to a location other than your home address.

The deadline to request an absentee ballot is June 16.

Will I need to add postage when mailing in my application or absentee ballot?

No. Per an Executive Order from Governor Cuomo, all absentee ballots mailed to voters for the June 23 primary will include pre-paid return postage.

How do I cast an absentee ballot?

Complete the ballot using blue or black ink, and follow all the written instructions carefully. You must use the return envelope provided with the ballot and sign the back of the envelope as instructed.

When do I need to send in my ballot?

Ballots must be postmarked by June 22. The ballot mailed to you by the Board of Elections will include pre-paid return postage.

Will I be able to vote by mail in November?

At this time, only voters with an eligible reason (or “excuse”) would be able to vote by mail. Eligible reasons are listed on the request form and include sickness, disability, residence in a long-term care facility, and out-of-town travel. For June, COVID-19 has been deemed an excuse by the Governor. This may be the case in November; we will update this page if and when this changes.

IN-PERSON VOTING

Can I still vote in person?

Yes. In-person voting is still available, both during the early voting period (June 13 - 21) and on Election Day (June 23). You can find your poll site (which may be different for early versus Election Day voting) using the Poll Site Locator. Ballot marking devices (see below) will be available at all poll sites and Board of Elections offices.

If you want to vote in person, we recommend voting early, if possible, since wait times are expected to be shorter and crowds to be smaller.

SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

What if I cannot read or sign the application or absentee ballot due to disability?

You may make your mark or have your mark witnessed in the spaces provided at the bottom of the application. Please note that a power of attorney or printed name stamp is not allowed for any voting purpose. For more information about voting absentee with a disability, please contact your county Board of Elections.

You may also use a ballot marking device at your local poll site, your assigned early voting poll site, or at a BOE office.

CAN I VOTE?

How can I find out if my registration is up to date?

The New York State Board of Elections has a useful web tool to check your voter registration status: voterlookup.elections.ny.gov. The tool will provide your current registered address, party affiliation, and your election districts.

Can I still register to vote on June 23?

May 29 is the deadline to register to vote in the June 23 primary elections. To be eligible to vote in a party’s primary elections in June, new voters must enroll in that political party when registering.

How do I find out if I am eligible to vote on June 23?

You can vote in the primary if there is an election in your district, held by a political party with which you are registered. Check your voter registration status and party affiliation with the voter look up tool from the NYS Board of Elections. Then, use the Poll Site Locator (which will be available soon) to confirm which races are happening in your community. Only voters registered with a party may vote in that party's primary elections.

MAYOR DE BLASIO AND CHANCELLOR CARRANZA ANNOUNCE SUMMER LEARNING PLAN

  Mayor Bill de Blasio and Chancellor Richard A. Carranza announced the City’s summer learning plan. This summer, the Department of Education will provide academic support to approximately 177,700 students with remote summer learning. This adjusted summer learning model will offer education and services to students with disabilities and provide academic support and additional time to the students not yet mastering grade-level standards.

“Our students, families, and educators continue to show resilience in the face of the unprecedented challenges we have faced. We are not going to let this crisis knock our kids off course, which is why we are going to help all students who need to catch up and strengthen their skills through remote learning this summer,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza said, "While this summer will be different than any summer we’ve had before, our remote summer learning model will keep our kids on track and ready to hit the ground running come September. I’m so grateful for our tireless educators and families who have adapted to remote learning and will continue to provide extra support to our students through the summer months.”

  

In line with previous policy and practice, promotion decisions are based on a holistic review of a student’s progress toward meeting the standards for their grade level. Teachers will use the full school year to make these determinations. If a school requires a student to attend summer learning, their promotion to the next grade is contingent on demonstrating sufficient progress in summer coursework. Additionally,  a new cohort of students who are not in jeopardy of being retained but could use some additional help to prepare for the next school year will also be offered summer learning.

Schools will begin to notify families in June if their student is being recommended or required to participate in summer learning. This timeline is the same as previous years.

• In grades 3-8, students recommended for retention will be required to attend summer school. Teachers will use a holistic review of student work to make these determinations. In grade 8, students must also receive passing grades in ELA, math, science, and social studies classes to be promoted in June.
• This year, in grades 3-8, students may still be recommended, but not required, to attend summer learning based on their individual needs for additional academic support as determined by their teacher and principal. These students will still be promoted to the following grade, but will greatly benefit from additional academic support that will accelerate learning and ensure they can enter the next year fully ready for success.
• In grades 9-12, students who need to complete a course and earn credits required for graduation, either because they received a “course in progress” or a failure prior to this semester, are required to attend summer learning to complete their coursework. They will also have the opportunity to complete these courses from September 2020 through January 2021.

Programming will run in three time frames:

• Students with 12-month IEP services will participate in remote summer programming from July 1 to August 13, five days a week. They will receive instruction and related services based on their IEPs.

• Students in grades 3-8 will attend summer learning via remote instruction from July 13 to August 18. Students will engage four days a week, receiving ELA and/or math support via live or pre-recorded instruction, self-paced activities, and small group and 1:1 check-ins. Grade 8 students may attend summer learning in math, ELA, social studies, and/or science, as proficiency in those subjects is contingent on beginning high school.

• Students in grades 9-12 who have a Course in Progress, or who need to retake a course they failed in a prior term, will participate in remote instruction from July 13 to August 21. Students will engage five days a week for six weeks in subjects they did not pass. They will have individual check-ins with teachers, guidance counselors and/or social workers.

All students participating in programs will have opportunities to go on virtual field trips to zoos, museums and cultural institutions and engage in daily community building and social emotional learning activities.  Additionally, the City is exploring ways to provide summer learning and activities for all students.

Regional Enrichment Centers will continue to operate throughout the summer, and students who are enrolled in a summer program and who attend a REC will engage in remote learning at the REC site.

Families can still request a remote learning device for their child by calling 311. 284,000 devices have been delivered to students so far.

More information about the Department of Education’s grading policies can be found here.

Council Member Andy King - Statement Regarding Covid-19 Stats in Zip Code 10469

Recently there was a report put out by Department of Health regarding COVID 19 statistics for New York City. 

  

In this report it listed that zip code 10469 in The Bronx, where I also reside, is the leading zip code in The Bronx and number 2 in the state.  It says that 10469 incurred 307 deaths and 41% of the residents tested positive.  I am clearly disturbed not only at the numbers in this report but the tone that it sets for the residents living in 10469.  I would like more clarity on what those real numbers are, because 10469 population is 66,631 people; 41% of that is 27,318 people. I question the Department of Health, whether they tested 27K people or is the 41% represented out of the number of people that you tested?  If so, what is the number of people you tested?  While this pandemic is a serious matter, we should not put data that creates emotional stress or is misleading to the public at any time.  So, I call on the Department of Health to give us detail numbers of people that were actually tested within 10469, because we have a responsibility to keep people calm when there is a state of emergency.

Councilman Andy King.

NYC Department Of Education To Pay Over $1.1 Million To Four Victims Of Race Discrimination And Retaliation In Connection With Suit Brought By U.S. Attorney

Settlements Resolve Allegations That the NYC Department of Education Discriminated Against African American Teachers Who Worked at Pan American International High School and Retaliated Against an Assistant Principal Who Spoke Out Against the Discrimination

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that the United States has settled a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging that the NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (the “DOE”) engaged in a pattern and practice of discrimination and retaliation in violation of Title VII.  Specifically, as alleged in the Government’s complaint, the DOE and Superintendent Juan Mendez permitted Principal Minerva Zanca to discriminate against all three African American teachers who worked at Pan American International High School (“Pan American”) and retaliate against an assistant principal who spoke out against the discrimination.  In connection with the settlement agreements, which were approved by U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, the DOE agreed to pay a total of $1,187,500 to the four victims of DOE’s discrimination and retaliation, and provide training to all DOE superintendents regarding DOE’s anti-discrimination policies and procedures.  

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “Title VII expressly prohibits employers from discriminating against individuals on the basis of their race or retaliating against individuals who protest such discrimination.  The discrimination in this case was invidious, unlawful, and counter to our core values.  This Office will remain vigilant in ensuring that employers who do not comply with Title VII are held to account.” 

According to the Complaint, in August 2012, Superintendent Mendez selected Minerva Zanca as Pan American’s new principal.  During the 2012-2013 school year, Pan American employed 27 teachers, three of whom were African American.  Throughout that school year, Principal Zanca purposely targeted John Flanagan and Heather Hightower, Pan American’s two untenured African American teachers, for unsatisfactory lesson ratings.  Principal Zanca also made derogatory racial comments about Mr. Flanagan and Ms. Hightower to Assistant Principal Anthony Riccardo.  Specifically, Principal Zanca asked whether Assistant Principal Riccardo had seen Mr. Flanagan’s “big lips quivering” during a meeting, that Ms. Hightower “looked like a gorilla in a sweater,” and that she could “never” have “fucking nappy hair” like Ms. Hightower.  Principal Zanca also discriminated against Lisa-Erika James, a tenured African American teacher, by cutting the highly successful theater program Ms. James oversaw.

During the spring of 2013, when Assistant Principal Riccardo refused to give an unsatisfactory rating to a lesson taught by Ms. Hightower, Principal Zanca accused him of “sabotaging her plan,” and called school security to have him removed from the building. Subsequently, Principal Zanca initiated two complaints against Assistant Principal Riccardo with the DOE’s internal investigatory offices.  Those offices determined that Principal Zanca’s allegations did not warrant any charges against Assistant Principal Riccardo.  In June of 2013, Principal Zanca gave Assistant Principal Riccardo, Mr. Flanagan, and Ms. Hightower annual performance ratings of “unsatisfactory.”  Principal Zanca’s misconduct was brought to the attention of Superintendent Mendez, but the DOE did not take any disciplinary action against Principal Zanca.  Even after the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) found reasonable cause to believe that the DOE had discriminated and retaliated against Ms. James, Mr. Riccardo, and Ms. Hightower, Principal Zanca was allowed to remain in charge of Pan American.  Neither Ms. Hightower, Mr. Flanagan, Ms. James, nor Mr. Riccardo worked at Pan American after the 2012-2013 school year.

Title VII authorizes the Department of Justice to commence an action in the United States District Court against the DOE to remedy discrimination and retaliation for opposing discrimination.  The Government’s lawsuit sought declaratory and injunctive relief, as well as compensatory damages on behalf of Mr. Flanagan, Ms. James, Ms. Hightower, and Assistant Principal Riccardo, all of whom also filed their own lawsuits regarding the discrimination and retaliation they suffered at the hands of DOE.  Attorneys for the complainants, Erica L. Shnayder, Arcé Law Group, PC, and Noah A. Kinigstein, Law Office of Noah A. Kinigstein, assisted in the litigation and resolution of this matter.

The settlements, which resolve both the United States’ suit and the private lawsuits, require the DOE to pay the four victims a combined total of $1,187,500, and provide additional training for DOE superintendents to ensure that employment decisions are properly handled and that this type of discrimination and retaliation in New York City schools will not go unchecked.

More information on the obligations of employers with respect to discrimination and retaliation is available at www.eeoc.gov.

Mr. Berman thanked the EEOC for its initial investigation of the Complaint.

Governor Cuomo Announces State is Bringing in International Experts to Help Advise the State's Reopening Plan

Dr. Michael T. Osterholm, Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota and Dr. Samir Bhatt, Senior Lecturer at Imperial College London Will Help Analyze Data and Metrics Throughout New York's Reopening Process

  Governor Cuomo: What will reopening mean? That's a big topic of discussion now. What does reopening mean? This is not a subject that is a political subject or where political opinions really matter. I don't care if you're Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, I don't care. I don't care. This is not a political exercise that we are going through. People say, well I have a personal opinion. I don't even care about your personal opinion. I don't think you should care about my personal opinion because it's not about a personal opinion. It's not about an ideological opinion. It's not about a geographic opinion. It's not even an opinion that's relevant. This is about facts and science and data these decisions are being made as a matter of math. It's numbers. It's math. That's all it is at the end of the day. You start to increase economic activity, you have more people coming out of their homes, more people contacting other people and then you measure the impact of that increase with numbers - not with opinions, not with politics, not with partisanship. With numbers, and then you just measure the impact.

Make sure that you don't go above 70 percent of your hospital beds so that if a large number of people get infected you have the hospital beds to take care of them. You make sure you don't go over 70 percent of your ICU bed capacity because when these people are infected with COVID they do need ICU beds. We learned that the hard way. You have testing up and running, 30 tests per 1,000 residents. Where did that come from? That's the White House Coronavirus Task Force, Dr. Birx.

You have 30 tracers ready for every 100,000 residents. That comes from the experts, and then you watch the infection rate and you make sure that you don't get near 1.1 on the infection rate. It's math and there's a liberation in that. At a time of such division in politics and elections and all this garbage this is an exercise in science and math and it's data that we can all share and we can all participate in. I encourage people to go look at the data and look at what's happening in your region because that's how we're going to get through this - on the numbers on the math, on the facts.

We're going to bring in advisers to the State, advisors who are international experts, global experts who have dealt with these kinds of diseases. This is not just a State of New York issue. It's not even an American issue. It's a global issue and I want to make sure we have people reviewing and then reviewing the reviewers and then as many opinions of experts that we can get are the best path forward. Dr. Osterholm is a nationwide expert in this field and he has agreed to review our data, what we're doing, what's happening, and to advise us as to how our progress looks on the numbers. I want to thank him very much. We to have Dr. Samir Bhatt, Senior Lecturer at Imperial College, who has agreed to serve as an advisor to the State of New York. Dr. Bhatt is the senior lecturer in geostatistics at the Imperial College in London. Geostatistics is not my field of endeavor. I never heard of geostatistics before, doctor. That's why we need you to advise us, Dr. Bhatt, because I know nothing about geostatistics. But Dr. Bhatt is joining us, I want to thank him very much. The Imperial College in London, we have had a number of projection models that were done early on by a number of very prestigious universities.

And we've been watching all these projection models since this started. As you know, many of the models were not 100 percent accurate because they couldn't calculate the effect of the social participation and what people actually did to change the curve. And in a State like New York, what the people did dramatically changed that curve so it affected the projections. But, the Imperial College model, as we've been following this for weeks, was the best, most accurate model. And therefore, I think Dr. Bhatt deserves all our thanks because they really helped us all through this to date, and I want to thank him very much for taking the time to advise us, not just on how we constructed our model to date but what happens going forward as we increase the economic activity and we start to see numbers change. So, Doctor, thank you very much for being with us, and it's a pleasure to welcome you today.

Dr. Samir Bhatt: Thank you, Governor. It's a professional honor to work with New York. I think your state has already shown what can be achieved when policies are driven by science. And I think the sacrifices people have made and will continue to make deserves an applause. The leadership shown in New York during this crisis should be commended and I think yours is an approach for others to follow. At Imperial College London, we have a huge COVID-19 response team collaborating with scientists and government agencies globally. You in New York have successfully contained the virus for now, but New York is not out of the woods yet. No state, no country is. As you reopen, New York must continue to watch the data and follow the science. We are really eager to work with New York, as they're approaching this crisis from a scientific perspective driven by data. New York is leading the way with data collection, and this will help tie together as many sources of evidence as possible to reach a scientific consensus which can then be used for decision-making. Our team is focused on rigorous modeling to track R, or RT, as you have put it, as well. The reproduction number of the virus going forward. If R goes above 1, this means the virus is no longer contained, and we need to track the spread of this virus and the disease using the best data possible and as much of it as possible. We're committed to open science, so policymakers and citizens understand our conclusions, limitations, and of course, the uncertainties. To date, my team at Imperial has released reports for Europe, Brazil, Italy, relying on data from Google, as well as open source statistical tools developed at Columbia University. Thanks to these tools and our research network, the code is available to everyone to see, test, and to improve. As countries around the world and states around the U.S. start reopening their economies, we will see cases rise once again. And so, New York must continue to be vigilant and to follow the data. So, I think, I say, you know, Governor, thank you for this opportunity, and truly, thank you for the work you've been doing and you are doing.

Governor Cuomo: Thank you. Thank you very much, Doctor, thank you for being with us. Thank you, I look forward to speaking to you in the days ahead. I want to thank the doctor very much and the whole college. Look, I'm a parochial New Yorker. I was not all that eager to seek the advice of a college in London, but I can tell you this. This is a global pandemic, and what we're now doing, other countries have done before. We tend to think we are always the first. We're not the first. We're not the first to deal with this virus. Other countries have dealt with it, other countries have gone through reopening, they've learned all sorts of lessons on reopening. I want to make sure that what we're doing is the best-informed approach. So, I want to thank the doctor very much, and they'll be looking exactly at what happens at our data, our metrics, going forward.

MAYOR DE BLASIO on COVID-19 - May 18, 2020

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Now as of this very day for the first time, the Made in New York City test kits are in use at Health + Hospitals community testing sites, and this is beginning today. By the end of the week, more than 60,000 of these test kits will have been delivered and be in use. And then we're ramping up from there. The production process is speeding up every week. So last week, 28,000 kits produced this week, 33,000. In the week of May 25th, 50,000. The week of May, excuse me, the week of June 1st over 60,000 of these test kits will be produced each week in New York City. That is more than the original projection of what could be produced weekly. And we'll keep going as far as we have to go to make sure that every New Yorker who needs a test gets one. And remember, this is not just about the test kits that are being produced right now for all of you to use now. This is about building capacity in New York City to produce whatever we need in the future to fight this pandemic and anything else that's thrown at us. This is about building the capacity to produce right here and to protect ourselves.

Now, constant growth from this point on, so more testing sites. We have the kits. Now, we need more sites. Two more Health + Hospitals test sites open today in communities in the city. One in Washington Heights, one in Midwood. That brings us to 25 total Health + Hospitals sites on top of that five One Medical sites. That’s the private provider working with Local 1199 SEIU. And as I announced yesterday, 123 CityMD urgent care sites now all providing testing to New Yorkers. Added up, over 150 test sites now in this city. Remember just a few weeks ago we didn't have grassroots testing. We were fighting just to keep our hospitals going. Now over 150 sites and that will keep growing steadily. To find a place where you can get tested, go online, nyc.gov/covidtest. Everything I referred to here, these kits, again this is the diagnostic testing, diagnostic testing, or otherwise referred to as PCR testing. This is to tell you if right now you have the coronavirus, the other kind of testing is important too, the antibody testing, which helps you understand if you've been exposed previously to the coronavirus and obviously proves your ability to fight your way through it.

So, in the coming weeks, two big initiatives that are starting now and they'll build out – 140,000 antibody tests will be provided to first responders and health care workers, and then 140,000 for everyday New Yorkers on top of that, combined well over a quarter-million antibody tests. This morning our antibody testing program for our first responders and health care workers began and it will run for about four weeks. This is in coordination with the federal government and I want to thank everyone at the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control who came to us with this proposal. We worked together in partnership. They are covering all the appropriate costs. So, this is something that's being provided for free to first responders and health care workers and not being charged to the City of New York either. So that's a very good thing. Again, every individual gets the results, that's good. But on top of it, it will help us understand what's happening with the disease more broadly. So, it's part of a bigger study to help us learn how to fight this disease better. So, 140,000 of our heroes will get tested. It's voluntary, it's up to each of you, first responders, health care workers. If you want it, it's there for you. Now it will start with FDNY, with EMTs, paramedics, firefighters, the whole FDNY family. Anyone is welcome to participate. Testers will go to your work sites. Same with the OCME staff, Medical Examiner's Office. Those will be the first agencies reached. You can sign up to get your test right away and then we're going to reach more and more of our first responders and health care agencies over the coming weeks. To sign up, you go to firstserosurveynyc.com – yes, it's a mouthful. Firstsero – S-E-R-O – surveynyc.com or text TESTNYC to 783-78. So, we're really happy that that's up and running. That's going to give a lot of good information to individuals who have served us so well and also help us all to fight this disease.

First of all, important what they are calling this new reality. CDC is now calling it multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children – MIS-C. So, we will from this point on refer to it also as MIS-C for consistency with the federal government. The CDC has confirmed a link to COVID-19. So, this is important. We've assumed it, but they have done additional research to 100 percent confirm it and they've released a standard national definition so that the whole country, doctors, scientists all over the country can share information, common definition, and we can all work together to understand how to fight this back. Now, again, we'll call it MIS-C. 

So, it begins with – since it is linked to COVID-19 you've got the immediate point that everything else we do to fight the coronavirus we need to do to fight MIS-C. So, that means the hygiene, the washing hands, the hand sanitizer, the coughing into your elbow when you cough or sneeze, all the basics, using the face covering, staying home to maximum extent possible, social distancing. All of this helps make sure our children are not exposed to this disease. And that's the best way to avoid this challenge because it keeps COVID out of the equation. Now, the symptoms – we've talked about several of them, but I want to add because the CDC research and definition has added additional symptoms to the equation. Persistent fever, irritability or sluggishness, abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting, rash, conjunctivitis, which is shown as red or pink eyes, enlarged lymph node gland in the neck, red cracked lips or red tongue, and swollen hands and feet. So, that's a lot to be aware of. Any of those symptoms you see in your child, call your health care provider, check in immediately. If you see multiple symptoms, especially important to get to your doctor, your health care provider immediately. If you don't have one, call 3-1-1 and you will be connected to a Health + Hospitals clinician immediately.

Now, right now, the number of children affected – the previous definition we use was 145. Under that definition, we've confirmed 145 kids affected, 67 of those cases tested positive for COVID-19 or had antibodies. And we did lose one child – and, again, our goal is to never lose another. We'll have updated numbers with this new definition, the MISC definition, shortly. But the bottom line is, the additional news, the additional information from the CDC allows us to hone our approach more. But the same bottom line, look for these symptoms in your child, act quickly if you see them. If they get to health care quickly, children can be brought through this safely. And that's what we all need to do together.

Okay. We're go into our daily indicators now. And, again, we've had – overall trend, fantastic, but a lot of days are mixed bags. We've got a mixed bag day today. It's a good day on one indicator, mixed on the others. We still keep making progress overall, but I want to inspire everyone, go deeper. The faster we can get through these indicators, the more thoroughly we can consolidate our success, the more chance of starting to relax restrictions. So, we’ve all got to stick with it here. So, indicator one daily number of people admitted to hospitals for suspected COVID-19, that is down. And this is a great one – down from 77 to 48 – that's amazing. Now, under 50 people admitted to the hospital in a day for COVID-19, that's a really wonderful sign. But the number of people in ICUs across our public hospitals for suspected COVID-19, that went up just a little from 469 to 475 – so, it's not a huge increase, and I keep that in mind, but it's still an increase, we need to keep going down. And then the percentage of people tested positive for COVID-19, unchanged – 11 percent. Again, overall good news, because of the overall direction. Great news on the number of people going into the hospitals, but we need to create that steady progress to get to the next stage.

Team Diaz Give Out face Masks in Parkchester

  Monday afternoon Team Diaz converged on the corner of Starling and Olmstead Avenues in Parkchester to hand out free paper and cloth face masks. Councilman Ruben Diaz Sr. candidate for Congress in the 15th District, was joined by 32nd State Senate candidate (and current 87th A.D. District Leader) John Perez, 85th A.D. candidate Kenneth Burgos, and 87th A.D. District Leader candidate Mohammed Mujumder. Several hundred face masks were given out to people who came by. 

  Councilman Diaz has mentioned that he made a mistake by endorsing the current 32nd State Senator before, but John Perez (Sergeant John Perez as he is known) the current District Leader in the 87th Assembly District is now Councilman and 15th Congressional candidate Ruben Diaz's choice for the 32nd State Senate District.

Above - (L-R) John Perez current 87th A.D. District Leader and candidate for the 32nd State Senate, Councilman Ruben Diaz Sr. candidate for the 15th Congressional District, Kenneth Burgos candidate for the 85th Assembly District, and Mohammed Mujumder candidate for 87 A.D. District Leader.  

Below - Councilman Diaz shows his candidate for the 85th Assembly District to replace outgoing Assemblyman Marcos Crespo, as he stands between candidates John Perez and Kenneth Burgos.

Nathalia Fernandez - Campaign update - nathalia@fernandezforny.com

Over the last several months my entire team has put politics almost entirely to the side in order to support our community in the Bronx. I am so proud of the work we've accomplished together and while this fight is not over, I have to ask a small favor of you.

We are only 5 short weeks away from the June Presidential Primaries, and while I've put politics in the back seat for now, I still need to make sure voters in the district turn out on June 23.

These past few months have shown us just how strong our community is -- not just in the 80th Assembly District, but in the Bronx as a whole. 

Gratefully yours,
Nathalia

EDITOR'S NOTE:

  We have deleted any reference to fundraising since Assemblywoman Fernandez does not have a primary, and we also encourage the voters of the District to come out to vote. While Assemblywoman Fernandez will not be on the ballot there will be a primary for Democratic Male District Leader between former 80th A.D. Male District Leader Marcos Sierra, and John Zacarro Jr. the current Male District Leader. 

  There will also be a primary for the open 80th A.D. Democratic Female District Leader seat between Irene Estrada and Jean Hill.