Tuesday, January 5, 2021

MAYOR DE BLASIO SIGNS "JUST CAUSE" WORKER PROTECTION BILLS FOR FAST FOOD EMPLOYEES

 

Mayor de Blasio today signed two bills expanding protections for fast food workers in New York City. Together, these bills protect fast food workers from being fired without "just cause" or for a bona fide economic reason.” These bills build upon the existing Fair Workweek enforcement via private right of action and by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), while also creating a new arbitration program for workers. The bills also update the Fair Workweek laws to incorporate the new wrongful discharge provisions into the existing scheduling and access-to-hours hiring protections for fast food workers.

 

“A strong, fair recovery starts with protecting working people,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “These bills will provide crucial job stability and protections for fast food workers on the front lines. I thank Council Members Adams and Lander for sponsoring these bills and 32BJ SEIU for their advocacy.”

 

Int. 1415-A (Lander): After an initial probation period of 30 days, fast food employers may not discharge an employee or reduce their average hours by more than 15 percent without “just cause.” Just cause is failure to satisfactorily perform job duties or engaging in misconduct that is harmful to the fast food employer’s legitimate business interests. In order for an employer to fire an employee based on “just cause” they must have utilized a progressive discipline policy and applied it consistently.

 

Int. 1396-A (Adams) allows employers with a bona fide economic reason to lay off an employee, so long as it is done in reverse order of seniority. Employees laid off for economic reason within the last year are entitled to reinstatement or restoration of before new employees are hired.  In addition to DCWP enforcement and a private right of action, this bill establishes a new arbitration process overseen by DCWP for employees to enforce their rights.

 

“Fast food is a low-wage industry that has treated its predominately minority workforce as if they were disposable,” said Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives J. Phillip Thompson. “That treatment ends today with the signing of this bill that will protect workers from being fired on a whim, bringing security to the lives of thousands of hardworking New Yorkers.”

 

“No worker should be left jobless for unjust reasons – especially not in the middle of a pandemic and after all the risks they have borne on behalf of all of us. While so many New Yorkers are out of work, we need to protect the jobs of essential workers like fast food workers who have helped carry us through the crisis to this point. The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection will work with the business community to ensure that this important new protection will lead to better jobs that benefit everyone in the fast food industry,” said Department of Consumer and Worker Protection Commissioner Lorelei Salas.

  

“Fast food workers have been on the front lines of this pandemic, serving their neighbors, working in tight quarters, taking on new responsibilities for sanitizing, and yet often unable to speak up about health and safety issues for fear of losing their jobs. And fast-food workers have been on the front lines of the fight for justice in the workplace as well, from the Fight for $15, to paid sick days, to fair scheduling, transforming low-wage, unstable jobs into dignified work people can rely on. I’m so proud that today New York City is the first place in the country to grant them ‘just cause’ employment protections, giving these essential but long-disrespected workers the job stability and dignity they deserve. Their victory will serve as a model to build a fairer economy,” said Council Member Brad Lander.

 

"With the bold action taken by City Council and Mayor de Blasio, NYC is setting an example for the entire country on how to step up and protect low-wage workers,” said 32BJ SEIU President Kyle Bragg. “There are nearly 70,000 fast food workers in New York City who are on the frontlines of the pandemic but who, until now, didn't have economic security because they could be fired or have their hours cut for no reason and without recourse. These laws will end the instability and indignity that frontline fast food workers have faced for too long."

 

SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry said, "New York City is the first city in the country to pass Just Cause protections that stop billion-dollar fast-food corporations from unfairly firing workers. This incredible win for working families shows the power fast food workers have built together. SEIU's 2 million members will continue to stand with fast food workers demanding respect us, protect us, and pay us, as cities across the country follow New York City’s lead and turn fast food jobs into secure, family-sustaining jobs."

 

Comptroller Stringer Proposes Recommendations to Expedite COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout across New York City and Utilize Every Available Dose

 

Calls on the City to move more quickly to vaccinate as many New Yorkers as possible and utilize every available dose – including creating “standby’’ lists of high-risk individuals, developing a central database of information, and doubling down on outreach to communities to disseminate crucial information on eligibility and vaccination sites

Comptroller Stringer: “It is our obligation to do everything in our capacity to ensure the City’s role in the vaccine distribution is unassailable.”

  New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer sent a letter to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio calling on the City to streamline and expedite the vaccination of as many New Yorkers as possible and to utilize every available dose. The letter comes amid concerning data indicating only 25 percent of total vaccines allocated to the city have been administered citywide and only 31 percent of vaccines allocated to the city’s public hospital system have been administered, as compared to more than 90 percent administered by some private hospitals. Comptroller Stringer called on the City to act with urgency to vaccinate healthcare workers, nursing home residents, staff and residents of congregate care settings and other frontline New Yorkers; create a robust centralized database to track demand and usage; and increase outreach to disseminate crucial information on eligibility and vaccination sites.

Comptroller Stringer outlined recommendations for an expeditious and equitable vaccine rollout program:

  • In situations where bottlenecks or other delays develop in the distribution of shots, the City must be ready to administer shots to “standby” lists of high-risk individuals. While the City may not yet have State permission to vaccinate beyond the current phases, it must be gathering names of willing participants from subsequent phases to immediately vaccinate as soon as the City gains permission.
  • Develop a database that can be used to help the large and diverse networks of hospitals, community health centers, primary care physicians, pharmacists, and urgent care clinics report and track demand and usage. Given the real logistical challenges of deploying vaccines with stringent storage requirements and an uncertain supply chain, centralized reporting, procurement and stock management would help by allowing the city to forecast citywide needs more clearly, allocate and potentially redistribute vaccine doses where they will be needed, and provide targeted technical, administrative and financial assistance as needed, to ensure all providers can meet their vaccine demands quickly, efficiently, and effectively.
  • Double down on outreach to New Yorkers. Misinformation, mistrust, and vaccine hesitancy continue to plague rollout and uptake of the vaccine. The City must increase investment into public education and communication campaigns to increase uptake, especially by enlisting community leaders, trust agents, and other influencers to relay messaging about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. Additionally, the City should immediately and widely publicize information on who is eligible, where to receive vaccinations, and how to advance register people.

The full text of the letter can be found below and here.

Re: COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout 

Dear Mayor de Blasio, 

After months of waiting, unprecedented social, emotional, and economic hardship, and thousands of deaths caused by COVID-19, the prospect of widely available vaccines has offered New Yorkers new hope for the end of the pandemic and the resumption of normal life. The moment demands a vaccine rollout that is transparent, expeditious and equitable, but I am concerned that early delays in utilizing our initial allotment of vaccines have left New Yorkers confused and concerned about our vaccination plan. Your goal of distributing one million doses by January and adding 250 vaccination sites is a good start to the rollout; however, New Yorkers deserve more information and better communication about the programs and policies that will enable the City to make that commitment achievable, and not just an aspiration. While the City’s plan must be guided by Federal and State directives about the triaging of the vaccine, our foremost priority must be getting as many shots in arms as possible, particularly before the arrival of the hyper-contagious COVID-19 variant now circulating in the United States. 

I am alarmed by data indicating that only 25% of the total vaccine allocation delivered to sites around the city have been administered to people. I am especially concerned that the foundation of our city’s healthcare system, NYC Health+Hospitals, has only administered 31% of its vaccine allocation, while several private hospital systems have administered upwards of 90%. Reports of vaccine doses languishing in freezers rather than being deployed to those that need them should be as unacceptable to you as they are to me and every New Yorker. We need to act with more urgency to get help to healthcare workers and vulnerable New Yorkers, such as nursing home residents, staff and residents of congregate care settings, and other frontline and at-risk individuals. I hope that the coming days will see the maximum number of possible doses administered. While I appreciate the need to supply second booster shots, we should not be reserving existing stock for this second round of vaccinations. Our private systems are not doing so and neither should our public ones, and arguments otherwise simply perpetuate structural inequity in our health systems and in our city. 

I would urge you to consider several suggestions for how to better logistically coordinate a vaccination plan that can move as quickly as possible to reach as many New Yorkers as possible: 

  • In situations where bottlenecks or other delays develop in the distribution of shots, the City must be ready to administer shots to a “standby” cohort of high risk individuals. While the City may not yet have State permission to vaccinate beyond the current phase, it should be gathering names of willing participants to immediately vaccinate upon permission. Many states are doing just this — vaccinating high-risk elderly patients and maintaining waiting lists and registries so that unused vaccine stock can be deployed rapidly. I believe DOHMH should be starting outreach now to eligible cohorts in each phase and urgently organizing community healthcare providers and social service CBOs to create standby registries. These organizations have worked tirelessly on the frontlines during this crisis, but they will need resources and guidance to develop uniform registries that can allow the vaccine to get quickly to their staffs and high-risk clients. 

  • The City should develop a database that can be used to help the large and diverse networks of hospitals, community health centers, primary care physicians, pharmacists, and urgent care clinics report and track demand and usage. As we’ve learned from our testing operations, real time data is crucial to ensuring an effective response to this virus. Given the real logistical challenges of deploying vaccines with stringent storage requirements and an uncertain supply chain, centralized reporting, procurement and stock management would help by allowing the city to forecast citywide needs more clearly, allocate and potentially redistribute vaccine doses where they will be needed, and provide targeted technical, administrative and financial assistance as needed, to ensure all providers can meet their vaccine demands quickly, efficiently, and effectively. To the maximum extent possible, providers should know with as much advance notice as possible the number of doses they can expect, on what schedule. 

  • We must double down on our outreach to New Yorkers. Misinformation, mistrust, and vaccine hesitancy continue to plague the rollout and uptake of the vaccine. The City must increase investment into public education and communication campaigns to increase uptake, especially by enlisting community leaders, trusted agents, and other influencers to relay messaging about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. Additionally, the City should immediately and widely publicize information on who is eligible, where to receive vaccinations, and how to register people in advance (per the first recommendation above). With case and death tolls continuing to mount, our health systems becoming increasingly stretched thin, and a long winter ahead, the City must be in constant communication with residents about how the vaccines are being rolled out and when different categories of New Yorkers are eligible to register for waiting lists, walk-ins, or make appointments to get vaccinated. 

Of course, I recognize that the City’s response depends on a consistent supply of vaccine from the federal government, the ability to expand the reach of our rollout to new categories of New Yorkers, and the cooperation of private partners. As the epicenter of the crisis, New York deserves all the help it can get. However, it is our obligation to do everything in our capacity to ensure the City’s role in the vaccine distribution is swift, equitable and organized. I urge you to consider these suggestions and hope they will be incorporated into the City’s plan. 

Sincerely, 

Scott M. Stringer 

Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress During COVID-19 Pandemic - JANUARY 5, 2021

 

8,590 Patient Hospitalizations Statewide

1,392 Patients in the ICU; 851 Intubated

Statewide Positivity Rate is 8.31%

149 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

"Defeating this beast once and for all means winning the footrace between vaccine implementation and the infection and hospital capacity rates," Governor Cuomo said. "New York is doing everything it can to not only ensure that the vaccine is being distributed as quickly and fairly as possible, but to also ensure we are prepared for widespread vaccinations of the general public once they are eligible. The issue here is the UK strain is highly problematic, and it could be a game-changer. Even if the lethality doesn't go up, the fact that it is so much more transmittable is a very real problem and makes it as important as ever that New Yorkers stay smart. Remember - behavior matters and the behavior of your community drives how fast the infection spreads and how many people get sick. So, let's stay tough, stay united, and collectively do what it takes to defeat this invisible enemy."

Today's data is summarized briefly below: 

  • Test Results Reported - 152,402
  • Total Positive - 12,666
  • Percent Positive - 8.31%
  • Patient Hospitalization - 8,590 (+339)
  • Patients Newly Admitted - 898 
  • Hospital Counties - 56
  • Number ICU - 1,392 (+35)
  • Number ICU with Intubation - 851 (+8)
  • Total Discharges - 105,379 (+440)
  • Deaths - 149
  • Total Deaths - 30,802

Statemenet on CD11 Special Election By Candidate Abigail Martin


Abigail Martin


Since entering this race, my focus has been winning the June 2021 Democratic Party primary and serving a full term as the northwest Bronx's City Council member. That is still my focus. I will not be running in a March special election.


Over these past several months, I have traveled every corner of our district, listening to voters and hearing their concerns for the future of our community. I will continue to do so until I reach every Democratic voter before primary day. As Council Member, I will continue this effort, listening to each member of our community and seeking their input as we move our City forward. 


Thanks to the work of my campaign staff, my volunteers and the 400 people who have donated to my campaign, I have the resources and the organization to give Democrats in our district a real choice when they head to the polls in June. Our community deserves new leadership and we need someone in City Hall who will fight for each person in the northwest Bronx.


Abigail Martin, Candidate
New York City Council District 11 
New Leadership, Fighting for All of Us

abigail4thebronx.com 

EDITOR'S NOTE:

We agree 100 percent with candidate Martin's decision, and her previous statement that because of the Pandemic the special election for March 23rd be postponed to the June Primary as was done in 2020 to other special elections that were postponed by Governor Cuomo who is the only person who has the authority to do it as he did in 2020.

We also want to note that the Wakefield area last night was reported on Television station New York One to Mayor de Blasio as now having the highest percentage of COVID-19 positive testing at 18.24%. The Wakefield area just had a special election to fill the vacancy 12th City Council seat ten days ago.

We urge Governor Cuomo to postpone these special elections like he did to others last year to the June primary when most people will of had their COVID-19 vaccinations.

Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on Vaccination Efforts Across New York

 

Beginning January 4, All Public Health and Outpatient/Ambulatory Front-Line, High-Risk Health Care Workers, Home Care and Hospice Workers Providing Direct In-Person Patient Care Are Eligible to Receive First Dose of Vaccine

New York to Supplement Federal Nursing Home Vaccination Program 

Plans Underway to Secure Resources to Vaccinate General Public  

New 'Am I Eligible App' To Help New Yorkers Determine Their Own Eligibility and Connect Them with Administration Centers 

Additional Measures to Hold Providers Accountable for Fraudulence in Vaccine Distribution Process

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the latest prioritization for New Yorkers eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Beginning January 4, eligibility is being expanded to include all outpatient/ambulatory front-line, high-risk health care workers who provide direct in-person patient care, as well as all public health care workers who provide direct in-person care, including those who conduct COVID-19 tests and handle lab specimens. Beginning this week, eligibility will also be expanded to include home care workers, hospice workers, and nursing home and other congregate setting workers who have yet to receive a vaccine through the federal nursing home vaccination program.

"While we're trying to control COVID with one hand, we're trying to defeat it with the other and the vaccine is the weapon that will win this war," Governor Cuomo said. "Getting this vaccine out is going to be the single greatest operation government has ever had to accomplish and we're taking bold actions to ensure it is delivered swiftly and equitably for all New Yorkers. Not only are all health care workers - the heroes who have taken care of us throughout this entire pandemic - now eligible to receive their first dose, but we are taking steps to ensure providers expedite vaccinations, resources are in place to vaccinate the general public, and bad actors looking to game the system are held accountable." 

Continued Expansion of Eligibility

Under the Department of Health's most recent eligibility guidance, beginning January 4, all Outpatient/Ambulatory front-line, high-risk health care workers of any age who provide direct in-person patient care, or other staff in a position in which they have direct contact with patients will be eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccine. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Individuals who work in private medical practices 
  • Hospital-affiliated medical practices; public health clinics 
  • Specialty medical practices of all types 
  • Dental practices of all types 
  • Dialysis workers
  • Diagnostic and treatment centers 
  • Occupational therapists
  • Physical therapists
  • Speech therapists
  • Phlebotomists
  • Behavioral health workers
  • Student health workers

Additionally, all front-line, high-risk public health workers who have direct contact with patients, including individuals who administer COVID-19 tests, handle COVID-19 lab specimens, and those directly engaged in COVID-19 vaccinations are also eligible to receive the vaccine. 

Eligibility also expands this week to include home care workers, those in the consumer directed programs, hospice workers, and staff of nursing homes/skilled nursing facilities and other congregate settings who did not receive the COVID-19 vaccination through the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program. 

New Efforts to Expedite Vaccine Delivery and Administration

As part of New York's effort to further expedite the delivery and administration of the COVID-19 vaccine, a number of efforts are now underway. 

New 'Am I Eligible?' App

New York State has launched a new 'Am I Eligible " app to help New Yorkers determine their eligibility, connect them with administration centers, and schedule appointments. To access the app, as well as find the latest information concerning the vaccine and its administration, visit: https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/

Supplemental Support for Federal Nursing Home Vaccination Program

Currently, 611 facilities in New York have enrolled in the federal government's Nursing Home Vaccination Program, in which staff and residents receive vaccinations through a partnership with pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens. According to the latest data, 288 facilities - or 47 percent - have completed the first dose for residents. Through state facilitation, 234 more facilities will administer the first dose this week. This will ensure that 85 percent of facilities have administered the first dose to residents by week's end, with the remaining 15 percent to be completed over the next two weeks. 

Planning for Vaccination of General Public

As the state moves closer to the vaccination of the general public, a number of special efforts are now underway to ensure resources are in place to facilitate widespread vaccination, especially in underserved communities. First, the state will establish a number of pop-up vaccination centers to facilitate public vaccinations, similar to the state-run mobile testing centers which were established in the spring. The state is also identifying public facilities and convention centers to also be used as vaccination centers, and is recruiting retired nurses, doctors and pharmacists to support vaccine administrations. 

A main focus of these efforts will also be focused on ensuring vaccine access in underserved communities and health care deserts. The state is already in the process of building Community Vaccination Kits to support these efforts and will work with public housing officials, churches and community centers to identify the most appropriate locations for kit deployments. 

Each kit includes step-by-step instructions for how to set up a site, and critical supplies and equipment such as:

  • Office Supplies
  • Workstation Equipment
  • Communications Equipment
  • Cleaning Supplies
  • Lighting Equipment
  • PPE
  • Crowd/Traffic Control Equipment
  • Vials
  • Syringes
  • Room Dividers
  • Privacy Curtains

Ensuring Accountability Within Vaccine Administration Process

The vaccine will only be effective if it is administered quickly and fairly across every corner of the state. To facilitate this, New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker issued a letter to vaccine providers in recent days outlining the expectations which have been placed on providers to ensure an expedited administration of the vaccine. This included:

  • Any provider must use the vaccine inventory currently in hand by the end of week or face a fine up to $100,000;
  • Moving forward, facilities must use all of its vaccine allotment within seven days of receipt;
  • Providers who do not comply or are found to be seriously deficient can be subject to more serious sanctions and fines, including being disqualified from future distribution

Additionally, with fraud being a real concern of any operation this size, the Governor is signing an Executive Order stating that if any entity falsifies who or what they are, or if any entity does not follow state guidelines on vaccine eligibility, that provider will be subject to license revocation. The Governor will also be proposing legislation to make these acts criminal moving forward.

Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress During COVID-19 Pandemic - JANUARY 4, 2021

 

8,251 Patient Hospitalizations Statewide

1,357 Patients in the ICU; 843 Intubated 

Statewide Positivity Rate is 8.34% 

170 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

"In 2021, we're going to be focusing on controlling and defeating COVID and to do that, we have two different goals we're working on simultaneously--controlling the spread, and then putting a harpoon in the beast and actually defeating the virus thanks to the vaccine," Governor Cuomo said. "What we're seeing in New York and all across this country is growing numbers of hospitalizations, infections and deaths, and they are all a consequence of our actions. We defeat COVID the way we've been controlling it for the past year, as a function of our activity. If the infection rate increases, then regions can close and that's the last thing anybody wants. If you don't want that, then do something about it--be smart, practice safe behaviors and reduce the infection rate."

Today's data is summarized briefly below: 

  • Test Results Reported - 134,360
  • Total Positive - 11,209
  • Percent Positive - 8.34%
  • Patient Hospitalization - 8,251 (+288)
  • Patients Newly Admitted - 925
  • Hospital Counties - 56
  • Number ICU - 1,357 (+13)
  • Number ICU with Intubation - 843 (+28)
  • Total Discharges - 104,939 (+537)
  • Deaths - 170
  • Total Deaths - 30,648

BRONX MAN INDICTED FOR POSSESSING MULTIPLE GUNS, AMMUNITION, HIGH-CAPACITY MAGAZINES AND A DRUM-FEEDER

 

Weapons Found by Police After Defendant Parked in Bus Lane

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has been indicted on multiple weapons possession charges for illegally having five handguns, an ammunition feeding device, and high-capacity magazines in his car. 

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant was double parked on a bus lane in a crowded area when NYPD Officers found a loaded pistol under the driver’s seat and four semi-automatic pistols and ammunition feeding devices in the trunk of the car. These weapons were packaged and ready to sell, but thankfully the defendant was apprehended. We will not tolerate anyone bringing guns into the Bronx. We have suffered far too many shootings this year and we must do all it takes to prevent gun violence in the Bronx.” 

 District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Tyrell Livingston, 28, of 355 East 143rd Street, was arraigned today on six counts of second-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon, 15 counts of third-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon, five counts of Criminal Possession of a Firearm, five counts of fourth-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon, third-degree Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Violations of the Vehicle and Traffic Law and Possession of Ammunition before Bronx Supreme Court Justice George Villegas. The defendant was remanded and is due back in court on March 22, 2021. 

 According to the investigation, on November 18, 2020 in front of 436 East 149th Street, Livingston was in a 2007 Mercedes Benz with dark tinted windows that was double-parked in an active bus lane when NYPD Officers approached him and told him to move the car. The defendant told them he did not have his license on him and that it was suspended for failing to answer a summons. As Officers proceeded to arrest him, they found under the driver’s seat a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, loaded with seven rounds. The defendant’s vehicle was taken to the 40th Precinct and during an inventory search, Officers found one .9 mm Taurus Pistol with three magazines, a .9 mm Glock with fifteen cartridges in the magazine, a .9 mm Taurus pistol containing two magazines, and a .9mm Millennium pistol inside a backpack in the trunk of the defendant’s car. Officers also found a drum feeder with 41 .40 mm cartridges, 14 .9mm cartridges, one magazine, and one high-capacity magazine.

 District Attorney Clark thanked arresting NYPD Officer Bismal Tineo of the 40th Precinct. 

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

Monday, January 4, 2021

 

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Good morning, everyone. Happy New Year. Welcome back. This is a great day, because it's a day that has the number 2021 in it. And I'm so excited that it is a new year. It is a better year already. Really great things are going to happen in New York City this year. So, everyone, look, this is a year we're going to have to do great things to recover, to come back strong. That's what new Yorkers do. This is a year where we have to do transformative work, work that is going to change the face of health care and public health, that's going to be crucial to what we need to do for fairness and equality and social justice. This is going to be a banner year, an extraordinary year, and it all begins with the biggest vaccination campaign in the history of New York City. I want people to be clear about this, we put down this goal of 1 million doses by the end of January. Why do we put down on this goal? Because we are convinced we need it and we can do it. And this is what is crucial to understand here, this is a moment where we're going to ask everyone to join together in the spirit of extraordinary efforts of the past. And we have this new poster that epitomizes this energy, hearkening back to the days of World War II. We're going to ask all New Yorkers to be part of this effort, every city agency, every hospital, every part of our society has to pull together to make these million vaccinations happen by the end of January, and then much, much more beyond. To get this done, we need help. We need flexibility from the State of New York. We need support from the federal government. We need the federal government to simplify the rules and to join us in making things move quicker. We need the manufacturers of the vaccine to keep delivering on schedule. There is so much that can be done if everyone acts in partnership. And I think that's what everyone's impulse is, that's the good news. This is part of a bigger reality with a vaccine that's truly historical – world historic how quickly this vaccine came together, how much the global scientific community worked together. But now, to actually implement the vaccine, we need federal government, State government, manufacturers, City government, everyone on the same page, and that's what we will create in the month of January. We need to move quickly. We need to move urgently.   

  

Now, look, I want us to immediately get to work expanding the number of people, the kind of people who can get the vaccine. I want in the month of January, in the next few weeks, I want us start to vaccinate educators and school staff. I want to see us vaccinate first responders of all kinds – cops, firefighters, across the spectrum. We're focused right now on our health care heroes. We're focused on nursing homes, but during the month of January, we need to expand those categories. We need to reach many more people quickly, urgently, and it can be done. That cooperation at all levels of government can make it happen. There's going to be concern that this is such a crucial and important moment, can it be done? I know I'm going to get those questions today. Let me remind everyone of what we just did together in 2020. When this disease hit, we didn't have the testing capacity, and this city was thrown back on our heels, we all worked together, our hospitals held. We all worked together, we got the PPE we needed. And we couldn't find it elsewhere in the country, elsewhere in the world, we created our own. We all held together, we created the biggest Test and Trace Corps. in the United States of America. We all held together, we opened our schools when almost no other major city in America even dared to. We have a track record in New York City during this crisis that we take on big goals and we make it happen. So, you're going to see an intensive speed-up in the month of January, and, then, of course, beyond. But we're going to need everyone pulling together to achieve that outcome.  

  

Now, we want to make sure that New York City gets our fair share of doses. And as we expand, as we give more and more doses, we need to make sure that the federal government keeps allotting for us the amount that we can actually use. Some places can use more and more quickly, other places can't – it all depends on the infrastructure they have, all depends on the approach. As we continue to speed up this process, we need the doses to be reserved for us. We need them to be delivered. That's something we're going to keep pushing for throughout. But what we do know, and this is progress, that, as of today, more categories of individuals have been approved by the State of New York for vaccination. That's good news and I thank the State for that. We want to keep expanding those categories. The more people that we can reach quickly, the better. The more options we have to spread out the effort and make sure that vaccinations happen where they’re most possible, the better off we will be. Remember, every single additional person who gets vaccinated – one more step towards defeating the coronavirus.   

  

We're going to be doing a variety of things to expand sites where we will have, through our Department of Health, pop-up sites that will be focused on health care workers. We're going to have sites created by Health + Hospitals, our public health system. We're going to have vaccine hubs created and three of them will be open on Sunday. This is the shape of things to come. You're going to see a lot more like this, using public school buildings as hubs for a larger community. So, in Brooklyn at the Bushwick Educational Campus; Queens, at Hillcrest High School; the Bronx, at South Bronx Educational Campus. This starts Sunday. This is a model to start getting us to the grassroots where we can make so much impact. We want to make sure that whatever it takes logistically and whatever it takes in terms of community outreach, we're going to be able to get to this goal and then build from there. To tell you about how this is proceeding and how it will build in the weeks ahead, our Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi.  

  

Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: Thank you, sir. The new year does feel like a new door is opening. And as a city, we'll be opening our doors in the days ahead for even more facilities to get eligible New Yorkers vaccinated. And, this week, in another ray of hope, the first New York City health care workers will get their second dose of the COVID vaccine. But, as the Mayor said, we must do more together. Overall, our plan is to double the current capacity of about 125 sites where New Yorkers are being vaccinated today, to at least 250 sites by the end of the month. We anticipate getting to at least 160 access points by the end of this weekend. For instance, today, the Health Department is booking appointments for COVID-19 vaccine clinics at two locations in Manhattan for the next two weeks. On Wednesday, five Health + Hospital sites will start vaccinations for newly eligible health care workers, namely East New York and Cumberland in Brooklyn, Gouverneur in Manhattan, and Belvis, in Morrisania, in the Bronx.   

  

The City is also connecting with small community providers in priority neighborhoods to connect them locally to available appointments at 16 community health centers and 15 Urgent Care sites. These are all in addition to the hospital sites that have already begun vaccine operations. At these new sites, we'll be ready to welcome newly eligible individuals, such as unaffiliated health care providers who don't have employer-based access to vaccines. These include not just nurses and doctors, but also phlebotomists, dentists, physical therapists, coroners, funeral workers, and staff at specialty clinics like dialysis centers. If you are one of those unaffiliated providers, you can find out how to get vaccinated by visiting nyc.gov/covidvaccine. Working through this weekend, we've also moved up the timeline for our city vaccine hubs, which will launch this coming weekend with three sites that have the capacity for thousands of vaccinations, ramping up over the following week. Health Department staff, other city staff, and the Medical Reserve Corps. will operate the site and we are ready to roll up our sleeves so that New Yorkers can roll up theirs for the shot.  

  

Now, last week, you heard us set a bold goal for the end of January. This requires many factors to line up for it to be possible, including more flexible eligibility guidance, a consistent supply of the vaccine, and a quickened pace from private providers. We must do more together. As we continue to vaccinate health care workers and nursing home residents, New York City would also like to begin vaccinating our seniors, namely those over 75. The sooner we can get them protected, the sooner we will save lives. We also need the federal government to pick up the pace of vaccination through its programs, like the nursing home program operated by CVS and Walgreens. Just as I've asked of our hospitals, we need them working seven days a week and on holidays, which I should point out they did not do this past weekend. We all need these bold goals and to pull out all the stops in order to reach them.  

  

I know it won't be easy for us or anyone else. I know that this is going to be an intense month as we scale up capacity to meet both eligibility and supply, even as we continue fighting back the second wave. We also want to make sure that New Yorkers can get their questions answered about who is eligible and other natural questions, like what kind of screening is required and how to book an appointment. You can do that by visiting our website nyc.gov/covidvaccine. And, of course, we'll be back here as well to share what we know with you, the media, so that New Yorkers get the latest on where to go and what to do to get vaccinated. Thank you.   

  

Mayor: Thank you very much, Dr. Chokshi. Everyone, let me make a couple of points really clear – what Dr. Chokshi is saying. First of all, to everyone, to all our partners, this is got to be a seven day a week, 24 seven reality, going forward. We understand that in the first few weeks there was tremendous caution and care about making sure people understood how to use the vaccine, the refrigeration issues, there was a lot of care to make sure things were done right and safely to make sure that we saw good responses from the folks who were vaccinated. All that happened. That's done. Now, from this point on, seven days a week, 24-seven has to be the attitude and the approach. We're going to do that in the public sector. We need our private sector partners to do the same. Second, essential workers, across the board – I mentioned first responders of all kinds, I mentioned schools, teachers, staff – all essential workers, all the people who have been the heroes throughout this process, we need to reach them and reach as many of them as possible in the month of January. We need that flexibility in the rules to allow us to do that. We're ready to keep expanding outward. With that flexibility, we can reach so many of those folks who did so much for us and who need this protection now so they can keep serving us and protect themselves and their families. So, that's the shape of things to come and that's what we want to see happen over these next days in New York City.   

  

All right, let me shift gears for just a moment – a couple of other pending events here. We have a few special elections coming up, and this is because some of our public servants are going on to new roles. District 11, the Bronx, Council Member Andy Cohen has now become a judge. And I want to congratulate him. Had a great conversation with him the other day. I know this is something he aspired to, and I know he'll be a great judge, and I thank him for all the work he did as Council Member. Yesterday, I also spoke to Ritchie Torres – now, Congressman Ritchie Torres. He was just sworn in yesterday. His council district, District 15, in the Bronx, also will have a special election. I congratulate Congressman Torres. He was in our conversation, intensely focused on making sure New York City got his fair share of federal aid, going forward. And I thank him for that focus and look forward to working with him as well. So, in District 11 and District 15 in the Bronx, special election on March 23rd – March 23rd. And new leaders come coming into the City Council to serve the those communities. So, I'm going to sign the executive orders to establish those special elections. And to all the folks out there in those two districts who want to serve your communities, get out there and get petitioning because we have special elections called for March 23rd.   

  

[Mayor de Blasio signs executive order]  

  

Okay. Now, let me go over to today's indicators. Number one, daily number of people admitted to New York City hospitals for COVID-19. Today's report, 234 patients. Obviously, we've gone by the 200-patient threshold. That's a real concern. Now, the overall situation in the hospitals, I went into great detail yesterday with our health care leadership on this. Hospitals still doing very well in New York City, still holding the line, have built out capacity, working closely with the State of New York. This has been a strong area, even though these numbers are too high and we want to drive them back down. So, hospitals holding, but numbers still worrisome. The hospitalization rate per 100,000 also worrisome – 4.07. We want that below two. So, that's an area we’ve got a lot of work to do. January, absolutely crucial month, coming off the holidays. We hope to see in the course of the month of January, downward pressure on these numbers as the effects of the holidays and the gatherings decrease. We also, obviously, hope to see downward pressure as more and more people get vaccinated. But these numbers are still too high, obviously. And the same for number two, daily number of cases – seven-day average 3,976 – that's confirmed and probable together. That's a very, very high number. We want to get under 550, ultimately. And then on the percent – number three, percentage of people testing positive city-wide, seven-day rolling average, huge number today, nine percent even. We obviously want to get back below five percent. We're going to push hard to get this number back down in the days and weeks ahead. Nothing will be more important than the vaccination effort to help us get there.   


EDITOR'S NOTE: 


We have put the NYC average in bold numbers, but today on New York One Inside City Hall Errol Lewis said to Mayor de Blasio the largest percentage of a neighborhood was 18.24% testing positive for COVID-19. Could it be because ten days ago there was a special election for the 12th City Council district with a poll site in Wakefield?

Mayor de Blasio ask Governor Cuomo to postpone the special elections you have called today for March 23rd to be postponed to the June primary date. Do it for the safety of the voters.