Senator Rivera on Monday Night's Incidents in The Bronx

"The last two days have been extremely difficult for our City, especially for The Bronx. Tuesday morning as I walked around parts of my district, I witnessed with much sorrow, and frankly disbelief, the utter destruction that many constituents and businesses across Fordham Road, the Grand Concourse, and especially Burnside Avenue were subjected to Monday night.

The curfew instituted by the Mayor and the Governor further inflamed tensions and the massive deployment of officers to protest areas decreased their presence where they were truly needed. While the destruction of our communities only hurts our ability to prosper, we cannot lose focus that the larger battle is to fundamentally change how our police department operates and transform how we keep our communities safe.

Our fight for justice must place accountability front and center. We must bring to justice the countless officers who have violated their oath to protect and serve our communities and have perpetrated violence for generations. We also must hold accountable those individuals who partake in theft or destruction of our locally-owned Bronx businesses and communities. I am asking my neighbors to continue fighting for justice while keeping each other safe. Ending violence and building a stronger Bronx must be our guiding principles as we move forward."

EDITOR'S NOTE:

You can thank Senator Rivera and his fellow legislators in Albany for passing the No Cash Bail Law in a way that looters can break into a business, loot, and set fire to the business, only to be back out on the streets in a few hours if they are caught and arrested.

CITY OPENS TESTING TO ALL NEW YORKERS AS TEST & TRACE CORPS OFFICIALLY LAUNCHES

Largest contact tracing effort of its kind anywhere in the country will help New York City re-open

  As the City launches its Test & Trace Corps initiative, Mayor de Blasio announced universal COVID-19 testing for all New Yorkers. The Test & Trace Corps initiative, launched yesterday, will allow the City to safely separate and care for those who test positive for the virus, and then rapidly track, assess, and quarantine anyone they came into contact with and may have infected. 

“Widespread testing holds the key to re-opening our city safely” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “After months of fighting, we are finally able to say that every New Yorker who needs a test will get one. Now with Test & Trace now up and running, we will be able to care for those who test positive and give them the support they need to protect themselves and their loved ones.”

“A key step in stopping the spread of COVID-19 is quickly identifying new cases and anyone they’ve been in close contact with across the diversity of our populations—and that’s exactly what Test &Trace Corps intends to do,” said Executive Director of Test & Trace Corps Dr. Ted Long. “We are bringing together the best minds in public health, academia, and the private industry to design a program that will lower the risk for COVID-19 transmission in all of our hardest hit communities, and keep us on the path to prevent the spread of this virus.”

Test & Trace

Any New Yorker can now get tested at one of the over 150 testing sites citywide.  New Yorkers can visit nyc.gov/CovidTest or call 3-1-1 to find the sites nearest them. 

As of June 1^st, 1,700 contact tracers have been deployed from neighborhoods across the city, with particular emphasis on those hardest hit by the virus, to manage, track, and recall contacts of confirmed COVID-positive cases. Community Engagement Specialists will spend time "in the field" to speak with those contacts who might have been exposed to the virus.  Case Investigators will support their efforts, and work remotely and focus their time on conducting calls to New Yorkers with a positive COVID test result.

Additionally, to ensure the Corps can meet the diverse needs of New Yorkers from all backgrounds, 40 distinct languages are spoken by tracers across the Corps.

Take Care

To help all New Yorkers safely separate at home or at a hotel, and monitor their health status, the Test & Trace Corps tracers will check-in with daily calls and conduct in-person visits as necessary. These calls and texts will allow the monitors to gauge the progress of patients, ensure proper compliance with separation protocol, and connect patients to more supportive services as necessary.

As a part of Take Care, Resource Navigators from 15 community-based organizations across the city will help New Yorkers overcome logistical issues they may encounter while safely separating in their homes or hotel, such as access to basic services like food, medical refills, and laundry. As of June 1^st, 200 Resource Navigators started working in communities across the city, with the intention to expand the program and hire additional navigators in the following weeks.

For any person who is unable to safely separate in their own home, the City will offer "Take Care Hotels" free of charge. Any doctor, nurse, or physician's assistants across the city can email CommCareCP@nychhc.org to refer a patient to a room. If you don't have a doctor, any symptomatic New Yorker can call 844-692-4692, the City's COVID-19 hotline and ask for the COVID Hotel Program. Currently, 1,200 rooms are available, with the goal to expand the number of rooms to 3,000 by late summer.

AS NEW YORK NEARS FIRST PHASE OF REOPENING. MAYOR DE BLASIO CALLS ON MTA TO TAKE CONCRETE STEPS TO KEEP NEW YORKERS SAFE ON MASS TRANSIT

  Mayor Bill de Blasio announced he has sent Governor Andrew Cuomo and MTA Chairman Pat Foye a 7-point plan of concrete, actionable recommendations to help the MTA meet increased demand as New York City begins Phase 1 of its reopening process on June 8^th. The recommendations are designed to make the subways and buses a safe, reliable, and socially distant option for the New Yorkers who will return to the workplace next month using transit.

“New York City is a mass transit city – it always has been, and always will be,” said Mayor de Blasio. “These ideas will give New Yorkers the confidence that public transit is more than just the fastest way to get around – it’s a vital ally in our ongoing fight against COVID-19. I urge the MTA to implement them right away.”

The recommendations include:

·         Increase Frequency of Service: Increase frequency significantly during peak hours while limiting the increase in ridership to allow for maximum social distancing. Return to regular rush hour service for Phase 1. The MTA should prepare to accommodate at least another 100,000 – 200,000 more riders per day.

·         Capacity Limits on Buses/Trains: Limit capacity on buses and trains to allow for social distancing. Skip stops if over capacity.

·         Limit Station/Train Overcrowding: Monitor platform crowding and temporarily close stations when needed during peak hours.

·         Social Distancing Signage/Markers: Clearly mark six feet of distance on platforms, trains and buses. Demarcate specific seats on trains and buses for riders, block off every other seat to maintain social distance.

·         Hand Sanitizing Stations: Install hand sanitizer in all stations and buses, including next to MetroCard vending machines and any other high-touch locations.

·         Face Coverings: Require face coverings for all individuals using subways, buses and trains. Provide face coverings throughout the system to ensure that all riders have them. The city will initially provide one million FREE face coverings, and the MTA and State should match that commitment.

·         Personnel: City will work with MTA to identify personnel to help promote and enforce social distancing.

Mayor de Blasio Tours Damage on Burnside Avenue After Monday Night Looting

  Tuesday afternoon Mayor Bill de Blasio came to Burnside Avenue to tour the looting that occurred the night before with Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., City Council members Fernando Cabrera and Vanessa Gibson, Assemblyman Victor Pichardo, and community leaders.

  The Mayor met with the Bronx elected officials at the corner of Burnside and Jerome Avenues where they went inside the Bronx Optical Canter which had been looted Monday night. Mayor de Blasio then went to several other stores which had been looted talking with the store owners. Some were happy that the mayor came to see what had happen, but a few said they were angry because there were no police officers on or patrolling the street Monday night. 

It should be noted that not every store on Burnside Avenue was looted. The looting was in mostly in chain stores such as the cell phone stores.

Above - Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. looks at where looters pried up the gate then broke a window to loot the Bronx Optical Center.

Below - Mayor de Blasio inside the Bronx Optical Center listening to the tore owner whose store was looted.

Above - Councilman Cabrera leads the mayor on a tour of the aftermath of the Monday night looting on Burnside Avenue.

Below - The broken glass outside has been cleaned away, but the looting has left this store interior a mess, as was the case in many other stores on Burnside Avenue. 

Bronx Elected Officials Call for Peaceful Protest After Night of Vandalism on Fordham Road

  Led by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. standing at the corner of Fordham Road and the Grand Concourse many elected officials and candidates for office called for peaceful protests after several stores on Fordham Road were looted Monday night. 

  Borough President Diaz was joined by congress members Eliot Engel and Adraino Espaillat, State Senator Jamaal Bailey and Gustavo Rivera, Assembly members Speaker Carl Heastie, Latoya Joiner, Carmen Arroyo, Jeffrey Dinowitz, Jose Rivera, and Marcos Crespo, City Council members Vanessa Gibson, Ruben Diaz Sr., and Fernando Cabrera, Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, 32nd State Senate candidate John Perez, 85th Assembly candidate Kenneth Burgos, and Judicial candidate Wanda Negron. Only Borough President Diaz Jr., Assembly Speaker Heastie, and Bronx DA Clark spoke. BP Diaz said that Monday night was bad not just for the Bronx, but for all of New York City, referring to the looting in mid-town Manhattan. Speaker Heastie was more subdued in what he said trying to understand the looting that went on. Bronx DA Clark asked of the looters "Why would you set us back in time?" 

Above - New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie speaks as you can see the store behind him is boarded up.

Below - Bronx District Attorney talks, saying that the actions of looting Monday night has set the Bronx back in time.

Above - Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. expresses his outrage of the looting that went on Monday night on Fordham Road and other areas of the Bronx.

Below - Assemblyman Jose Rivera films TEAM DIAZ 2020, pointing to the leading candidate in the 15th Congressional race South Bronx Councilman Ruben Diaz Sr.. In uniform is decorated veteran Master Sergeant John Perez who is running for the 32nd State Senate District, and George Alvarez running for the vacant 79th Assembly seat. 

Anticipating more possible trouble the Apple Bank on Fordham Road boards up its windows.

Shame on you Ydanis Rodriguez for claiming that you had the support of the Bronx African community - There is No Endorsement of Any Candidate in the 15th Congressional Race

 Shame on you Ydanis Rodriguez

We reported yesterday that a claim by Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez having the support of the African Community in the Bronx was false. We spoke to the editor of the Manhattan Newspaper who said they had only spoken to candidate Ydanis Rodriguez, and no other candidate in the 15th congressional race. 

Here is the response from Sheikh Musa Drammeh Community Organizer in the Bronx Chairman, African Union Day Foundation.

For Immediate Release

The African Community Endorsed Nobody in the New York Congressional District 15 Race.

The African Community did not endorse Michael Blake, Ydaniz Rodriguez or any other candidate in the New York 15th Congressional District race, contrary to the press releases and generalized articles that appeared in some publications and are being shared in social media platforms.

The African immigrant community, like all other new immigrant communities finding their ways into the United States’ sociopolitical system, is very diverse and its members have personal connections to all candidates in the NY CD 15.  These ‘generalized’ endorsements are misleading to the public and do not reflect the reality on the ground. The endorsements are made by couple of individuals who are either affiliated, work with or befriended the candidates they endorsed.  None of the endorsement announcements carried any weight or even be known to the larger community. Another word, they’re not worth the ink used. Despite these misleading announcements however, the fact is that African constituents will vote for different candidates in the race, since all the candidates have healthy relations with the larger community.

The Ydaniz Rodriguez ‘generalized’ endorsement article was written by a beautiful journalist new in the dynamics of political angles in the Bronx. He meant no harm, but unfortunately his headline has generated unintentional difficulties for the community.  We know him well and will not hold it against him. We all live and learn each day.  

Finally, we must all vote regardless of who we individually choose to give our votes to. Just vote in all elections in the Bronx on June 23, 2020. Absentee Ballots are available to all voters this year and we should take full advantage of it. Thank you!

Sheikh Musa Drammeh

Community Organizer in the Bronx

Chairman, African Union Day Foundation

NYC EMERGENCY EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 118 - DECLARATION OF LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY

WHEREAS, on March 12, 2020, the City issued a Declaration of Emergency Related to the presence of COVID-19 in the City (“COVID-19 Declaration of Emergency”); and 

WHEREAS, Emergency Executive Order No. 98, issued March 12, 2020, and extended by Emergency Executive Order No. 112, issued May 9, 2020, contains a declaration of a state of emergency in the City of New York due to the threat posed by COVID-19 to the health and welfare of City residents, and such declaration remains in effect; and 

WHEREAS, large gatherings increase the potential for spread of the virus; and

WHEREAS, peaceful demonstrations began in the City in response to the death of George Floyd, a Black man in Minneapolis who died after one or more officers knelt on his neck, the latest in a long line of deaths of Black men and women that have spurred protests across our nation, but demonstration activities were subsequently escalated, by some persons, to include actions of assault, vandalism, property damage, and/or looting; and

WHEREAS, the City remains subject to State and City Declarations of Emergency related to the novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19; and 

WHEREAS, the violent acts have been happening primarily during the hours of darkness, and it is especially difficult to preserve public safety during such hours;

WHEREAS, the imposition of a curfew is necessary to protect the City and its residents from severe endangerment and harm to their health, safety and property; and 

WHEREAS, on June 1, 2020 I declared a state of emergency to exist within the City of New York

WHEREAS, the City remains subject to State and City Declarations of Emergency related to the novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19; and WHEREAS, the violent acts have been happening primarily during the hours of darkness, and it is especially difficult to preserve public safety during such hours; WHEREAS, the imposition of a curfew is necessary to protect the City and its residents from severe endangerment and harm to their health, safety and property; and WHEREAS, on June 1, 2020 I declared a state of emergency to exist within the City of New York

Section 1. A state of emergency is hereby declared to continue to exist within the City of New York. 

Section 2. I hereby order a City-wide curfew from 8:00 pm on June 2, 2020 until 5:00 am on June 3, 2020. During this time, no persons or vehicles may be in public.

Section 3. This Order shall not apply to police officers, peace officers, firefighters, first responders and emergency medical technicians, individuals travelling to and from essential work and performing essential work, people experiencing homelessness and without access to a viable shelter, and individuals seeking medical treatment or medical supplies. “Essential work” is work performed by essential businesses or entities as defined or permitted by the Empire State Development Corporation. 

Section 4. This Order shall take effect immediately. Sections 2 and 3 of this Order shall remain in effect through June 3, 2020 unless rescinded, superseded, or amended by further Order. Failure to comply with this Order shall result in orders to disperse, and any person who knowingly violates the provisions in this Order shall be guilty of a Class B misdemeanor

Bill de Blasio, 

MAYOR

Governor Cuomo Announces Western New York Expected to Enter Phase 2 of Reopening Tomorrow and Capital Region Expected to Enter Phase 2 of Reopening on June 3

Announces Lowest Rate of Positive Test Results Since Pandemic Began

Confirms 941 Additional Coronavirus Cases in New York State - Bringing Statewide Total to 371,711; New Cases in 41 Counties

Governor Cuomo: "On the reopening, five regions upstate have entered Phase 2. That's good news. Western New York is expected to move to Phase 2 tomorrow and we expect that to happen. We have the data that we've been tabulating during Phase 1 in Western New York, all the data looks very good. We're going to have the global experts go through today. I want to make sure we're not missing anything. This is new for all of us. It's not what county executives do. It's not what governors do."

Cuomo: "What we have done with this COVID virus is a really amazing accomplishment, if you take a step back. And it was all done by the people of this state. They did it. 19 million people did what they never did before. They responded with a level of determination and discipline that I was amazed with frankly. And I am a lifelong New Yorker, but they did was unlike anything I've seen. Remember where we were. We had 800 people die in one day. We had the worst situation in the United States of America. At one point we had the worst situation on the globe. And we're now reopening in less than 50 days. Now, it was a long 50 days. I can recount every one of them. But, we went from a really internationally terrible situation to where we're talking about reopening today."

  We had a long night in this country. To my left, glad to be joined by Dr. Howard Zucker. To my right, I'm glad to be joined by Secretary Melissa DeRosa. Let's talk about where we are, start with the facts that we know.

In terms of handling the COVID virus, we're doing better than we've ever done before. The number of hospitalizations is down. It's continued to drop. The reduction in the number of intubations is down. The three-day average of new hospitalizations is down to the lowest level ever, which is really good news. We're doing a significant amount of testing. As you know, we're testing more than any state in the United States. We're testing more per capita than any country on the globe. And the tests are very relevant because they're a snapshot in time. They tell you where you are on that day. Yesterday we did about 50,000 tests, which is a tremendous number of tests. Less than 1,000 people tested positive. That is the lowest number we have had since this began, and when it began, we were only doing 3 or 4,000 tests. We now did 50,000 tests. So the progress is just phenomenal. And that's the rate of positives from our testing, remembering that the testing has increased exponentially. And we have the lowest number of deaths that we've ever had at 54.

And there will be a level at which that number can't drop any lower, right, because people who are gravely ill and contract the COVID virus, it's going to be a bad outcome. But that number is dramatically different than what we were looking at for many, many weeks. Question is, where do we go from here? No doubt the initial objective was getting control of this COVID virus. The situation has gotten more complex since then.

But on the reopening, five regions upstate have entered Phase 2. That's good news. Western New York is expected to move to Phase 2 tomorrow and we expect that to happen. We have the data that we've been tabulating during Phase 1 in Western New York, all the data looks very good. We're going to have the global experts go through today. I want to make sure we're not missing anything. This is new for all of us. It's not what county executives do. It's not what governors do. This is very detailed research of statistics, what clusters might pop up, etc. So, we also have global experts review all the data for us because this question of closing, opening, countries have gone through this before. There is a body of knowledge to know. And where we also go to global experts who we've enlisted who have gone through this with other countries where they close, they opened, they got into trouble, they had to close again. But, they're looking at it now. We want to make sure they get the latest data. We'll have a final announcement later this afternoon for Western New York, but the conversations I've had with them are all good and we expect Western New York to go to Phase 2 tomorrow. the Capital District region is moving to go into Phase 2 on Wednesday. Again, all the numbers look good there. We're going to run them by our global team to make sure they are as good as we think they are. But at this point the Capital Region is also on track to go into Phase 2 on Wednesday.

What we have done with this COVID virus is a really amazing accomplishment, if you take a step back. And it was all done by the people of this state. They did it. 19 million people did what they never did before. They responded with a level of determination and discipline that I was amazed with frankly. And I am a lifelong New Yorker, but they did was unlike anything I've seen. Remember where we were. We had 800 people die in one day. We had the worst situation in the United States of America. At one point we had the worst situation on the globe. And we're now reopening in less than 50 days. Now, it was a long 50 days. I can recount every one of them. But, we went from a really internationally terrible situation to where we're talking about reopening today.

Even New York City, where we're planning to reopen June 8th. And that was just 50 days. The whole closure period has been about 93 days. Yes it was a disruptive 93 days, I know. But look at what we did in 93 days. We went from the worst situation on the globe to actually reopening. That's where we are. We should be very proud of what we've done. Just don't snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. We're talking about reopening in one week in New York City.