Vision for City’s recovery centers public health and social justice
Today, Mayor de Blasio released New York City’s recovery agenda, focusing on public health and social justice. This agenda acknowledges the powerful link between the city’s economic health and the health of New Yorkers and sets a framework for a series of policies to address both.
“New York City is about to enter a transformational era,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We know that our recovery begins and ends with healthcare, and we will again be a beacon to the rest of the world, rise to the challenge of setting forth a recovery that everyone can look to, and set forth a recovery plan that will work for everyone.”
This announcement will kick off a series of policy proposals, which are focused on four principles to make New York City stronger, healthier, and fairer:
- Continue the City’s momentum in fighting back COVID-19: We will continue the momentum in fighting COVID-19 by working with the private sector to expand lab capacity and deploy rapid, safe, and inexpensive testing, allowing our businesses to stay open and our economy to move forward. Last week, the City and its partners announced the opening of the Pandemic Response lab. Today we will launch a competition to design rapid, reliable and inexpensive testing for COVID-19. The City will be prepared to lead in the distribution of vaccines and treatments as medical advances become available.
- Make the City a hub for public health research: We will make New York Center a center of innovation for public health research, design, and practice. We will build new research and development facilities and forge collaboration among unlikely partners – doctors and nurses, academic researchers, industry innovators, health nonprofits and economic development community organizations, just as we did in early days of COVID-19. Because health security depends upon a highly trained workforce, we will create a Public Health Corps – a team of community health workers building trust and taking care of people in our hardest hit neighborhoods.
- Create high-quality jobs: We will encourage the creation of new, high-quality jobs that also help improve the City’s health.
- Continue making New York the fairest city in America: We will center service and action in neighborhoods that have carried the heaviest burden of economic and health inequities. The plan will include policy proposals around better use of public spaces, a more equitable transit system, and small business recovery, all of which are critical to a healthy and thriving city.
Mayor de Blasio announced a competition to accelerate the development and deployment of rapid COVID tests. Submissions from participants will be evaluated based on their performance and how well they meet the following criteria: ease of use; the delivery of quick and accurate results; scalability and cost; and clarity of communication with patients and health agencies. The City hopes to have Rapid Tests identified via the competition in the next several months. More information can be found at
http://edc.nyc/rapidtesting.
Last week, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) launched the
Pandemic Response Lab, a facility dedicated to processing COVID-19 tests within 24-48 hours for NYC Health + Hospitals. The lab is scaling up to process 20,000 tests per day by November, guaranteeing dedicated capacity to meet New York City’s most pressing needs.
As COVID vaccinations remain under development, the City is reviewing proposed vaccine prioritization frameworks and tailoring them to meet the City’s needs. When a vaccine is ready, New York City will have storage and distribution protocols in place – and, crucially, will ensure vulnerable residents know where and how to get it.
"COVID-19 demonstrates even more clearly the entwined relationship of economic and public health," said Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Vicki Been. "Public health will guide our economic recovery in order to protect and strengthen the lives and livelihoods of New Yorkers. These investments and initiatives will ensure New York City's economy bounces back faster, stronger, fairer, and healthier."
“The pandemic reinforced the direct connection that exists between public health and the economy," said James Patchett, President of New York City Economic Development Corporation. “For the City to not only recover but thrive, policies and investments that put public health front and center are key. It is how we will rebuild our economy while creating a stronger and more inclusive city for years to come.”
“The Health Department took immediate action during the COVID-19 emergency, and this strategy will lay the foundation for our future work,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi. “Its focus on health recovery, and specifically closing the gaps driven by health inequities, will protect the lives of all New Yorkers. I want to thank the Mayor for prioritizing public health.”
“As part of our response to COVID-19, New York City has already done so much to transform our streets to make our City healthier, more sustainable, and more economically vibrant” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “In the months ahead and with the Mayor’s leadership, we will build on the successes of Open Streets, Open Restaurants, and now Outdoor Learning. Looking long-term, we will continue to aggressively meet New Yorkers’ demand for better bike and bus travel – safely advancing on the incredible progress that has made us a national model for recovery.”
"The global public health community anticipates long-term impacts of COVID-19 for generations to come, which is why this plan is so important,” said NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Mitchell Katz, MD. “As we continue to identify data-driven and research informed policies, we are proactively creating a stronger system to help us recover and to address the long-term health impacts of this pandemic.”
“This plan is a guide for how we can beat this crisis by committing to investments in public health, affordable housing, small businesses and leading with inclusion,” said HPD Commissioner Louise Carroll. “I applaud the community of city workers, public and private leaders, along with everyday New Yorkers, who are positioning the city to make a strong recovery from this once in a lifetime challenge.”
"The recovery of NYC is dependent upon the lifeblood of the City, our small businesses,” said Jonnel Doris, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services. “As we look toward the future, innovative solutions will help us provide equitable access to our resources and continue to support this diverse community while keeping all New Yorkers safe. This is the time for all of us to work together to safely reopen and recover.”
“These new standards are the foundation for how we will rebuild this city and make it stronger, safer, and better than ever before. The emphasis on public health invites opportunities to improve communities through targeted outreach and building neighborhoods that serve the needs of its citizens,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver. “Throughout this public health crisis, Parks has become an extension of people’s homes and has helped to serve the neediest New Yorkers. As we look to the future, we are excited to play an active role in reimagining how our greenspaces can serve as venues for health, recreation, and so much more.”
“Now more than ever, it is essential that the City’s land use review furthers New York’s equity and resiliency goals, including investments in neighborhoods hardest-hit by COVID-19. Through these lenses, DCP is prioritizing public and private projects that will bring clear benefits to everyday New Yorkers, such as affordable housing, jobs, open space, public health enhancements and resiliency. Together, we will chart a roadmap for the City to bounce back from this pandemic stronger than ever,” said Department of City Planning Executive Director Anita Laremont.
“A healthy urban environment is a critical step in the city’s economic recovery and these actions will all contribute to that objective. We particularly congratulate EDC and H&H on the new testing capacity that will encourage more people to come back to the office,” said Kathryn Wylde, President and C.E.O. of the Partnership for NYC.
