MAYOR DE BLASIO TOURS RIKERS ISLAND AND SPEAKS TO REPORTERS

 

Mayor Bill de Blasio: I'm going to give you a couple of minutes of updates, followed by a minute from Commissioner Schiraldi, a minute from Deputy Commissioner Richards, a minute from Chief Stukes, and a minute from Dr. Katz. So, you're going to get the whole lineup of people who are addressing these issues.  

 

Here's the bottom line, we’ve got a lot changes we have to make. And what I came here to see was the work that is being done to immediately address the problems. Hold on, guys – what's going on over there? Are you good over there or not? No, back behind you, I keep hearing a lot of talking. Are you good back there? Everyone good? Okay.  

 

The mission for me today is to come and see the specific changes that are being made to address the immediate problem. Let me give you an idea of what those are. First of all, we’ve got to reduce the inmate population. So, I was looking at the places where that reduction is happening, what it is causing in terms of improving the situation for officers and inmates alike. We have a lot of additional actions we're going to take in the next few days. As I said, our goal is to get overall population down under 5,000 for the jail system very, very quickly. Second – guys, you good over there or not? Hello, over there – are you good or not? Okay, guys, please, I really want to go through this fast so everyone could hear us. So, everyone, focus for a second.  

 

Second, we needed to make sure that the health care teams are getting the support they need. Their role is crucial. They need to be supported. They need to be safe. We talked about the changes they need in terms of staffing, in terms of the physical reality, additional help we can bring in, that was a crucial component of this. Third, the intake process – the intake process has to be sped up. We looked at the facilities, looked at the changes that have been made, the changes that have to be made. The bottom line is all these things have to happen immediately. Fewer inmates, a faster intake, a better, more secure health care situation, and getting back to work the folks who have not been working. And I think that message has been received loud and clear. We want to support the officers who are doing the work. We care about them. We appreciate them. We're going to support them, incentivize them, give them real support. But the folks who are not doing their job are going to suffer the consequences, because they're letting down their fellow officers and everyone in this city. So, that's abundantly clear.  

 

The final point, what we have to do – we can't do it today, we can't do it tomorrow, but what we have to do as quickly as possible in this city is get off Rikers Island once and for all. That plan is in place. It is moving rapidly. That is the bigger solution. This is not a place that should continue for the long haul. We need to move these community-based jails. They are – they will be humane. They will be modern. They will be an environment that's right to rehabilitate people. That work can happen quickly enough. But, in the meantime, we're going to keep driving down the population and making the other changes we need.  

Now, in order again – Commissioner Schiraldi, Deputy Commissioner Richards, Chief Stukes, Dr. Katz. 

 

Commissioner Vincent Schiraldi, Department of Correction: Hello, everyone. I'm Vinnie Schiraldi, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Correction. And I want – I think for those of you who know me, I've established a record for being blunt and forthcoming. I want to say that when I got here, I was really upset by the conditions that were in existence in these facilities. I still think we have a way to go. But over the last several weeks, when the Mayor has been putting enormous resources into this and enormous pressure on me and our department to make things better, things have demonstrably improved. I still think we have a lot of work to do and we're going to do that work, but triples are down, sick leave is down, AWOLs are down, the population is down. And now, every – every living unit has programming available to them in units. We can't get them all out to rec, because we still don't have enough staff to take them outside to recreation, but they have in-unit recreation available to them. And these are exactly the kind of conversations I have with the Mayor. He said, what's it going to take, Vinnie? What do we got to do? And we said, everybody needs to have the ability to have rec. And everybody's got the ability to have rec now. And we said, the population has got to decline. They called the Governor, she signed Less Is More, she started taking people out of here, and the population’s declined.  

 

So, if we have fewer people incarcerated here, if we have more staff coming to work, if we have help from places like the New York Police Department, NYPD, then we'll be able to, bit by bit, gradually reduce triples. And then, we'll start to improve even further, because we'll start to be able to create the kind of environment we want for everyone who's here. Our goal is nothing short of, if my son or daughter worked here, what would the environment I would want to be like? And if my son or daughter was incarcerated here, what conditions would I want for them here? We are not there yet, but that's our goal and we'll never stop for anything short of that. Thank you. 

 

First Deputy Commissioner of Programs and Operations Stanley Richards, Department of Correction: Good afternoon, everyone. I’m Stanley Richards, First Deputy Commissioner of Programs and Operations. As Commissioner Schiraldi said, we work every single day to try to improve conditions, make sure people are connected to programming so that people can rebuild their lives so they don't have to come back here. And as a formerly incarcerated man who spent time in HDM, the facility that's right behind this facility, we moved our office out here, because we knew that this work wasn't about being at distance, it was about being up close and personal. And I want to thank the Mayor and the First Deputy Mayor for being bold and leaning in and saying that it's not good enough what we've done. We've done some things, but we need to do better, because at stake are the lives of our officers and lives of those who are incarcerated and their families. And we work every single day to make it better. So, thank you. 

 

Chief of Department Kenneth Stukes, Department of Correction: Good evening, everyone. Chief of Department Kenneth Stukes. I would just like to – first, thanks to Mayor and his office for their support to the agency, for giving us the support that we need to create a safe and secure environment. And a safe and secure environment is just not for our person in custody, but for our staff. And it's important that we acknowledge our staff who, throughout COVID has championed and came to work every day. And some of those staff members who became ill, after getting well, returned back to work. Definitely, we will be – remain a correctional department that is one that is leading the country. 

 

Mayor: Thank you, Chief. Dr. Katz? 

 

President and CEO Mitchell Katz, Health + Hospitals: Hello, everyone. Dr. Mitch Katz, the CEO of Health + Hospitals. We’re responsible for the medical care of all the inmates on Rikers. We have great doctors and nurses. In order for the system to work, though, we have to have a close partnership with Corrections, so that our staff are safe to provide the services in the clinic, safe to go out into the areas where the inmates are and provide them with the care, and that the areas where patients-inmates come in through intake, they are safe from being exposed to infectious diseases. And there was clearly a problem with the previous intake area. It was too small. It did not allow us to move inmates quickly through the process so that we could be sure that people were not exposing each other. Thanks to the Mayor and to the Commissioner, we now have a new intake area, which is much larger, allows excellent flow of patients-inmates, make sure that they're not spreading communicable diseases like COVID. Thank you.  

Mayor: We have, every step along the way, tried to fix the problems here. When I came into office, there were immense problems here. We were able to fix a number of them, but we also have a massive, massive challenge with COVID that honestly setback so much of what we had done. The bottom line is, we're fixing the problems again. But, most importantly, we've done the big things we need to do, which is get off Rikers once and for all.

 

Mayor: I was upset when I took office. I was upset four years ago. I remain upset. This is a place that should have been shut down a long, long time ago.

Mayor: Additional hiring. Okay, the – we're hiring more because now we are calling into question on the officers we have. Folks need to understand that they have to come to work, they have to support each other, or they're not going to be a part of this organization anymore. We're bringing in additional officers to make sure that we will have enough under any situation. In terms of 6A, we're going to literally announce the exact number as soon as we have it. But I'm telling you right now, it's not going to be a large number. It is a different environment now than when we were dealing with COVID in the worst of the COVID crisis in the spring of 2020. So, we're going to balance public safety with what we have to do here. But the bottom line is, more and more officers are coming back to work. That's going to allow us to do a lot more here. We're making investments. This is going to take some real work. I couldn't be blunter about this, but I also see, and I'm going over the numbers with these folks every single day, and I want to give this team credit, this is a very difficult circumstance, but they are making changes rapidly, and that's how we address this situation.  

 

Mayor: Thank you. So, in conclusion – look, we've got a hell of a lot of work to do. I want to be very clear about that. The last few weeks we've been able to change some things that needed changing immediately, but there's a huge amount more work to do. We're going to stay focused on it. I have daily calls with this group. We're going to make every change we need to. Most importantly, get that population down, get people back to work, end the triples – these are all things we intend to do in October, that can make a very big and real impact. Thank you. 

Nos Quedamos is HIRING Youth Change Agents! Application Deadline: October 6th

 

Nos Quedamos is HIRING Youth Change Agents! We Stay/Nos Quedamos is looking for emerging and dynamic Youth Change Agents—ages15-25—interested in an opportunity to strengthen and develop your skills as a community leader around environmental justice issues. Download flyer. Role: Youth Organizer Pay: $15/hr Commitment: 6-10 hours a week** Submission deadline: October 6, 2021 — no later than 5:00pm. More details at: nosquedamos.org/youthmatters If interested, submit a resume and cover letter to our Community Organizer, Carmen De Jesús at: cdejesus@nosquedamos.org ** Work hours can be as much as 10 hours during scheduled events. You may also be asked to work on a Saturdays. Nos Quedamos is a firm supporter of Equal Employment Opportunity laws and practices. Read our EEO Policy.

PUBLIC ADVOCATE OUTLINES COMMUNITY-ORIENTED PUBLIC SAFETY APPROACH AT COUNCIL HEARING

 Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams spoke at a City Council hearing convened Monday to discuss the reduction of responsibilities of the NYPD, outlining several areas in which a community-oriented public safety approach would reduce law enforcement's role while promoting public safety. He has long advocated for a re-defining of public safety beyond simply policing-based solutions to every concern, while acknowledging the role that law enforcement does and should play in co-producing public safety.

"Whenever we are confronted with a problem of any sort—particularly if we are trying to figure out how to solve it— our solution very often is to throw police at it. It is unfair to the community and it is actually unfair to the police officers who aren’t equipped to solve every problem..." said Public Advocate Williams before the Committee on Public Safety. "I’d like to identify areas in which targeted and community-oriented approaches should be strengthened, while again understanding that our law enforcement has important roles to play."

Among the areas in which the Public Advocate identified as needing some public safety programs which are not simply based in policing and law enforcement are:

• Gun Violence
• Schools
• Housing and Homelessness
• Mental Health
• Transportation
• Sex Work
• Technology
• Immigration

The Public Advocate's full testimony as delivered is below.

TESTIMONY OF PUBLIC ADVOCATE JUMAANE D. WILLIAMS

TO THE CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

Peace and blessings everyone. As mentioned, my name is Jumaane D. Williams and I am the Public Advocate for the City of New York. Thank you Chair Adams for not only leading this hearing but for continuing to create the space for these discussions to happen. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak. I cannot overstate the importance of this conversation—the importance of always having this conversation as a focal point of any discussion around policing and public safety. As was mentioned, last year we saw people putting their voices in the street and I think the conversation often got too myopic. There is no conversation that is going to be meaningful about money and any reforms—which are needed, but by themselves will never get to where we want to get—unless we have a conversation about what public safety is and how we achieve public safety, with law enforcement as a partner, but not the only partner. Too often NYPD is equalized as public safety when that is not true. 

 

I want to begin with what I always say and sometimes gets left out. Many of us who have this conversation, myself included, understand the critical role NYPD plays by providing acute law enforcement solutions to criminal situations. Just this morning we saw our police intervene in a mass shooting that prevented perhaps other people from getting shot. But what we want to do is make sure the shootings don’t occur in the first place. So we know that policing by itself cannot address all of the components that make up personal and community well-being. For too long, our City has simply equated public safety with policing. And not just our City, but our State and our Country. 

 

Whenever we are confronted with a problem of any sort—particularly if we are trying to figure out how to solve it— our solution very often is to throw police at it. It is unfair to the community and it is actually unfair to the police officers who aren’t equipped to solve every problem. We see this dynamic play out in our budget, which annually allocates almost $11 billion to the NYPD—when including centrally allocated costs—despite other essential services consistently falling victim to austerity cuts. This excessive emphasis on policing has consequences. Societal issues often worsen as their root causes go ignored. Communities of more color are often subjected to hyper-surveillance that increases the likelihood of discriminatory policing, privacy violations, and overuses of force. And more people are funneled into the carceral system, which in turn creates problems like the current humanitarian crisis on Rikers Island.

 

I am grateful that this Committee has convened to discuss the reduction of responsibilities of the NYPD. With the aim of advancing this conversation, I’d like to identify areas in which targeted and community-oriented approaches should be strengthened. While again understanding that our law enforcement has important roles to play.

 

Gun Violence

Mayor's Office of Gun Violence Prevention—which includes, but is not solely, the Crisis Management System (CMS)—is one of the City’s most useful resources in preventing shootings before they happen. However, their impact is currently limited by fiscal constraints. The upcoming City budget should dramatically increase funding for the Mayor's Office of Gun Violence Prevention—including the programs that are there including CMS—so that we can establish programs in new sites, expand existing catchment areas, hire more staff and minimize employee turnover, and overlay new programs like the Advance Peace model. We have also seen the important roles that programs like Summer Youth jobs play as a whole and when targeted to identify the people who most need them.

 

Schools

The NYPD currently assigns over 5,000 School Safety Agents and almost 200 uniformed NYPD Officers to New York City schools who are empowered to detain, arrest, and issue court summonses to students and are often the first point of contact when there is an issue. These punitive approaches to disciplining children—predominantly those of more color, even when looking at the same behaviors in students that are not of more color—has created an atmosphere of fear in school hallways that is not conducive to learning and creates a pipeline to the criminal justice system. We have to work on a structure that begins to replace the over-reliance of police presence and infrastructure with a healing-centered and restorative justice framework that would keep students physically safe by supporting them to build positive relationships and resolve conflict, and address many of the social and emotional stressors that result in students acting out. The next budget should very much consider continuing to increase the number of school counselors, social workers, and psychologists. I don’t want my words to be misconstrued, we cannot allow 5,000 school safety agents, including mostly women of more color, to be fired in this process.

 

Homelessness and Housing

Being homeless is not a crime. Yet, instead of providing targeted support that addresses the roots of the problem, the City and State have increased the roles of the NYPD and the MTA Police in its strategies to address homelessness in recent years. This expansion of police into the social services sector is outside of these agencies’ missions to enforce the law. Law enforcement agencies should be removed from providing primary homeless services. This includes ending punitive sweeps and the harmful subway diversion program. Moving forward, our focus must be on providing permanent housing solutions and supportive services. 

 

Mental Health

Each year, 911 receives nearly 200,000 emergency calls involving individuals in mental health crises. The City must do more to prevent these crises from occurring by strengthening local community based mental health infrastructure, especially in communities of color and building out infrastructure to begin with. For when crises occur, we must implement a true citywide non-police response system in order to improve services and minimize hospitalization and justice involvement. The current B-HEARD program is severely insufficient in achieving this goal and should be overhauled in favor of a system that includes a dedicated 9-8-8 hotline; centers social workers, mental health peers, and EMS as first responders; and minimizes NYPD initial involvement. In this aim, I encourage the Council to pass our Office’s bill, Int. 2222 and to continue to make progress on Int. 2210 (Ayala), including addressing issues in bill language raised in the Committee on Mental Health’s hearing in April of this year.

 

Transportation

The tragic continuation of traffic violence deaths demonstrates that the police-centered approach to street safety is not working how we want it. City should build on the passage of Int. 2224 (Rodríguez) by fully transferring traffic enforcement responsibilities from the NYPD to the DOT, which held these responsibilities until Mayor Giuliani shifted them to the NYPD in 1996. We must be mindful of these workers, their pay and how they feel when doing the job and think about their safety as well when we do this.

 

Our Office also supports ending the City’s punitive approach to public transit fare evasion. This approach does not make public transportation safer—it simply criminalizes predominantly low income New Yorkers of more color. It also keeps resources of police that we have in the wrong spaces. Instead of walking around the train, train’s platform, or train stations, they are focused on people hopping the train. The City should instead double spending on Fair Fares so that it covers 100% of fare costs for the lowest income New Yorkers. This would significantly minimize fair evasion, reduce policing costs, and deliver positive economic impacts. It would also prevent the incessant calls for police in the train station when we haven’t really assessed where the police are right now.

 

Sex Work

The City must move towards a public health centered approach to sex work. Our Office supports ending the NYPD’s Vice unit—which lacks both accountability and even more importantly, effectiveness—and decriminalizing sex work. The District Attorneys should begin to consider refusing many of the cases before them. Our Office additionally calls for the City to fund resources that sex workers need to engage in their work safely including access to rapid STD testing and individual-centered economic and employment services.

 

Technology

The NYPD’s use of technology must be fully transparent, non-discriminatory, respectful of privacy rights, and limited to necessary use. The recent release of reports related to the POST Act demonstrate that the NYPD has amassed a military-grade arsenal of surveillance technology that fails to meet these criteria. New York City should mimic cities like Seattle and Oakland by requiring the City Council to approve police technology purchases. Our Office has encouraged the Racial Justice Commission to allow the public to vote on this measure as a ballot question.

 

Immigration

NYPD must cease all collaborations with ICE. It is greatly concerning that the NYPD has confirmed that ICE agents provided security for police precincts during protests following the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. This collaboration occurred in violation of New York City’s own Sanctuary City status without any transparency to the public or the City Council. The NYPD has also supported ICE in deportation operations including the attempted deportation of Ravi Ragbir, which I was involved in. These actions must be investigated fully by the Office of the Inspector General and those responsible must be held accountable. Additional oversight measures must be put in place to ensure that the NYPD does not repeat rogue collaborations of this sort again.

 

Thank you so much for your consideration, for your time, and more importantly for this very important conversation with everyone at the table trying to figure out how we can best provide public safety for all New Yorkers in a way that is respectful for all New Yorkers. And I’ll just add that many of these services that we point out, even police officers themselves, when you speak to them, don’t want to be responding to all of them, because they also know that they don’t have the means to fix them.

Brazilian National Sentenced To 4 Years In Prison For $15 Million Advance Fee Scheme; Additional Charges Unsealed Against 4 Co-Conspirators

 

The Defendants Defrauded Brazilian-Based Businesses of Millions of Dollars Through an Advance Fee Scheme Purporting to Offer Large International Loans

 Audrey Strauss, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Philip R. Bartlett, Inspector in Charge of the New York Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), announced that JOAO DJALMA PRESTES JUNIOR, a/k/a “Joao Pereira,” a Brazilian national, was sentenced today to 48 months in prison after pleading guilty to defrauding Brazilian businesses of approximately $15 million through an international advance fee scheme.  PRESTES JUNIOR was arrested in June 2020 and pled guilty in April 2021 before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, who imposed today’s sentence.

In addition, Superseding Indictments were unsealed today charging co-conspirators HERMINIO RIBEIRO DIAS CRUZ, JUAN CARLOS VILLALBA, ROSE MARTINS DE OLIVEIRA, and ALEX PEREIRA DE SOUTO with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with the same international advance fee scheme.  CRUZ, VILLALBA, DE OLIVEIRA, and DE SOUTO remain at large.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Partly through face-to-face meetings with victims in a Manhattan skyscraper, Joao Djalma Prestes Junior stole millions of dollars from companies seeking loans.  Prestes Junior will now spend four years in U.S. prison for those crimes.  As alleged, Prestes Junior did not work alone.  His four fugitive alleged co-conspirators in this multimillion-dollar international advance fee scheme have now been charged.”

USPIS Inspector-in-Charge Philip R. Bartlett said: “Postal Inspectors usually see advance fee scams tied to lottery fraud.  However, in this case the victims were allegedly duped into paying fees in advance to secure business loans.  The defendants allegedly used victim money to fund their opulent lifestyles.  Postal Inspectors remind those seeking loans to exercise due diligence when you have to pay money to get money.”

According to public filings and court proceedings in the case against PRESTES JUNIOR, CRUZ, VILLALBA, DE OLIVEIRA, and DE SOUTO, including the allegations in the Superseding Indictments[1]:

Since at least July 2018 up to and including February 2020, PRESTES JUNIOR participated in a scheme to defraud Brazilian-based businesses of millions of dollars through an advance fee scheme.

As part of the scheme PRESTES JUNIOR and his co-conspirators falsely represented that the victims would receive a large loan after making advance payment of various fees to entities that, unbeknownst to the victims, were controlled by the conspirators.  To effect the scheme, PRESTES JUNIOR and his co-conspirators created several shell companies (and accompanying websites) in the United States: a purported financial entity, a purported escrow company, and a purported insurance entity.  The defendant and his co-conspirators directed victims to pay advance fees to the escrow company and the insurance entity.  After the initial payments were made, the defendant and his co-conspirators falsely represented that there was some obstacle to transferring the loan money to the victim – such as a tax payment – and that the obstacle could be overcome if the victim made yet another advance payment.  Ultimately, despite paying one or more such fees up front, the victims never received the promised loans, and the money paid in advance was never returned. 

PRESTES JUNIOR also had executives of the victim companies travel to New York, New York, for in-person meetings in a suite in a skyscraper in downtown Manhattan that was purportedly the financial entity’s New York office.  When interacting with victim companies, however, PRESTES JUNIOR used an alias, “Joao Pereira,” due to the defendant’s notoriety in Brazil, where the defendant was previously the subject of widely publicized criminal proceedings. 

Money stolen from victims was used in part to fund PRESTES JUNIOR’s lavish lifestyle.  For example, although PRESTES JUNIOR did not even live in the United States full time, he owned a Maserati in this country.

In addition to the prison term, JOAO DJALMA PRESTES JUNIOR, a/k/a “Joao Pereira,” 48, a Brazilian national, was ordered to forfeit $15,266,679.10 and to make restitution in the amount of $15,266,679.10.

HERMINIO RIBEIRO DIAS CRUZ, 76, a Portuguese national, JUAN CARLOS VILLALBA, 56, a Paraguayan national, ROSE MARTINS DE OLIVEIRA, 61, a Brazilian national, and ALEX PEREIRA DE SOUTO, 40, a Brazilian national, are each charged with one count of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.  The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of these defendants would be determined by a judge.

Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the USPIS.  

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictments and the description of the Superseding Indictments set forth in this release constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

Governor Hochul Announces Two New Pop-Up Vaccination Sites in Collaboration with MTA at Brooklyn and Bronx Subway Stations

 

Sites at Broadway Junction and E. 180 St Subway Stations Strategically Located in Areas with Low Vaccination Rates and Accepting Walk-Ins Beginning Wednesday, September 29

34,345 People Vaccinated at MTA Pop-Up Sites Since Program's May 12 Launch 

 

Anyone Who Receives One-Dose Vaccine at MTA Sites Eligible to Receive Free 7-Day MetroCard or Round Trip LIRR or Metro-North Ticket   

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced two new pop-up vaccination sites in collaboration with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The sites will be at the Broadway Junction and E. 180 St subway stations, strategically located in areas where vaccination rates remain low. The successful program that has brought pop-up sites at MTA station stops launched on May 12, initially at eight stations across New York City Transit, Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad, offering the public the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. As of yesterday, 34,345 people have been vaccinated at these locations since the program's launch. The program provides anyone, including those visiting New York, the opportunity to get vaccinated without needing to set an appointment — and with the incentive of a free 7-day MetroCard or a free round trip LIRR or Metro-North ticket. On June 17, the program was extended at Midtown transit hubs Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station. 

"More people are returning to the workplace in-person, and with the increase in ridership across the MTA system we have a great opportunity to reach even more people with pop-up sites at station stops," Governor Hochul said. "If you still need to get your shot and are passing by one of these stations, you can just walk in to get the single-dose vaccine and then be on your way. It's that seamless, and it's the best thing you can do to better protect yourself and others from COVID-19."

The new sites at Broadway Junction and E. 180 St will target New Yorkers in two communities where vaccination rates are low. The Broadway Junction station in Brooklyn serves the A-C-L-J-Z subway lines, giving Brooklyn and Queens residents easy access to the new site. The E. 180 St station in the Bronx serves the 2-5 lines, where vaccination rates remain the lowest. Both sites will be open Mondays through Fridays.

The operation at E. 180 St. will run each day from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. The Broadway Junction site will be open between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Two existing sites at Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal will be in operation until Tuesday, September 28, before moving resources to Broadway Junction and E. 180 St. the next day.

"Increasing vaccination rates is vital to ensuring New York's recovery stays on track," said Janno Lieber, MTA Acting Chairman and CEO. "We are back to carrying three million people a day on subways. By positioning pop-up sites at two of the busier stations in the system, we are bringing the vaccine right to New Yorkers who otherwise might not have been able to take time off to get the vaccine. The more people who are vaccinated, the safer our state is for everyone, and we'll continue to work with Governor Hochul to pursue all avenues to distribute the vaccine." 

"The vaccine remains the most effective deterrent to COVID-19," said Patrick Warren, MTA Chief Safety Officer. "Promoting a safe environment is our highest priority and we look forward to seeing more New Yorkers in the subway system to take advantage of this important program and protect themselves and their loved ones from this virus." 

The MTA continues robust messaging to advise the public about availability of the sites. Digital messages continue to run on 12,000 screens at MTA stations, onboard train cars and buses to promote the site locations and hours of operation. Promotional content is being pushed to three million followers across MTA social media platforms, and wayfinding signage is posted at station pop-up locations to help guide traffic flow. 

BRONX NIGHT MARKET PRESENTS OFF-BROADWAY

 

Governor Hochul Announces COVID-19 Booster Doses for Eligible New Yorkers - SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

 

New York State Endorses CDC's Recommendations to Ensure At-Risk New Yorkers Can Stay Protected from the Virus for Longer

Launches a Robust Implementation and Outreach Plan to Ensure the Availability and Accessibility of Booster Doses Statewide, Including a New Dedicated Booster Website - NY.gov/Boosters

New Yorkers Are Encouraged To Stay Up To Date with All Recommended Vaccines This Fall - Including All Recommended Doses of the COVID-19 Vaccine and the Seasonal Flu Shot

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a robust implementation of booster doses into the State's COVID-19 vaccination program, ensuring an efficient, equitable, and effective distribution of booster doses to eligible New Yorkers statewide.

"Our top priority remains staying ahead of this constantly changing virus and protecting New Yorkers with effective, long-lasting vaccines," said Governor Kathy Hochul. "As we've heard from our federal and State medical and health experts, as with many other vaccines, the protection from the COVID-19 vaccine can wane over time. A booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will help particularly at-risk New Yorkers stay protected from the virus for longer. While the focus of our vaccination effort remains ensuring all unvaccinated New Yorkers get vaccinated, those who are booster eligible should waste no time receiving maximum protection from COVID-19 as soon as possible."

In a letter to the Health Commissioner, the New York State Clinical Advisory Task Force endorsed CDC's statement issued Friday, September 24 by Director Walensky - providing New York with a new boost in the fight against COVID-19. In accordance with CDC's recommendations, there are four groups of New Yorkers who are now eligible for their COVID-19 booster dose:  

New Yorkers who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine SHOULD receive their booster dose at least six months after their primary vaccine series IF: 

• They are 65 years and older or residents in long-term care settings.
• They are 50 - 64 years of age with underlying medical conditions. 

New Yorkers who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine MAY receive their COVID-19 booster dose at least six months after their primary vaccine series IF: 

• They are 18-49 years with underlying medical conditions, based on your individual benefits and risks.
• They are 18 - 64 years and are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of your occupational or institutional setting, based on your individual benefits and risks. 

At this time, individuals must have received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for their initial vaccine series at least six months ago to be eligible. Individuals who received the Moderna or Janssen/Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine are not currently eligible for a booster dose at this time, but may be in the near future.

"The COVID-19 vaccines continue to be remarkably effective at preventing severe cases and hospitalization," said Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker. "After reviewing data from New York State, across the United States and around the world, our federal and State health experts including New York State's Clinical Advisory Committee agree: more vulnerable New Yorkers can keep their protection up by getting a booster dose at least six months after they complete their initial Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine series. Eligible New Yorkers should receive their booster dose or consult with their primary health care provider if they have questions. There are many vaccines that require more than one or two doses for lasting protecting, including the tetanus, measles-mumps-rubella, and Hepatitis A and B shots."

The State has been actively planning for the development of booster doses, and because of this preparedness, free booster doses are already widely available statewide at state-run mass vaccination sites, pharmacies, local health departments, clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and other locations across New York State. 

As part of these efforts, the State launched a new website with dedicated information about booster doses, additional doses, eligibility, frequently asked questions, and resources for providers on-the-ground to support in the dissemination of information to eligible populations. The State will be supporting outreach to all eligible New Yorkers, including through email and SMS-based messages, traditional and digital marketing efforts, and local notifications to fully vaccinated New Yorkers through the State's Excelsior Pass platform.

Additionally, Governor Hochul recently announced $65 million in funding to county health departments to build the infrastructure needed to support the quick and reliable distribution of booster doses. The Governor also authorized EMTs to administer the COVID-19 vaccine, immediately adding more than 2,000 fully trained vaccinators into the State's program. An additional 50,000 basic EMTs will be able to receive the required training in order to help administer the COVID-19 vaccine and booster doses.

The State also reminds New Yorkers to receive all seasonal vaccines during this time - including flu vaccines. The COVID-19 vaccine and/or a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine can be received at the same time as the seasonal flu shot, including at some primary health care providers' offices as well as some local county health department clinics and pharmacies. 

At this time, only eligible New Yorkers should receive their COVID-19 booster dose. New York State will continue to follow the science and communicate openly with New Yorkers as additional data becomes available. 

All New York State mass vaccination sites are now open to booster-eligible New Yorkers. To schedule an appointment at a state-run mass vaccination site, New Yorkers can visit the Am I Eligible page or call 1-833-NYS-4-VAX. People may also contact their local health department, pharmacy, or doctor to schedule appointments where vaccines are available. New Yorkers can also visit vaccines.gov, text their ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find locations near them. New Yorkers should make sure nearby providers are administering booster doses when scheduling their appointments.

THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES NEW MEMBERS OF THE NYC BOARD OF HEALTH

 

Dr. Simona C. Kwon and Dr. Sidney Hankerson join the New York City Board of Health

 The Health Department has announced two new members to the New York City Board of Health, which is responsible for the enactment of the New York City Health Code and enacts policies that promote the health of New Yorkers. 

“With the appointment of Dr. Simona Kwon and Dr. Sidney Hankerson to the Board, I can truly say that the people of our city will be in good hands and good health,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

 

“The New York City Board of Health has a sterling legacy of taking bold actions to protect and promote the health of our city,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Dave A. Chokshi, who serves as chair of the Board. “We are excited by the leadership that Dr. Kwon and Dr. Hankerson will bring to the Board and we know our city will be healthier thanks to their expertise.”

 

Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed Dr. Simona C. Kwon and she was confirmed by the New York City Council on Thursday, September 23.

 

Dr. Kwon is an Associate Professor and Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Department of Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She also serves as the director of NIH National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities-funded Center of Excellence, the NYU Center for the Study of Asian American Health. Dr. Kwon is a social-behavioral epidemiologist whose research has focused on social and cultural factors that influence health and health outcomes in racial and ethnic and immigrant communities with a core focus on advancing health equity in research, policy and practice.

 

Dr. Kwon said, “I am looking forward to the privilege of working with my colleagues on the Board to monitor and assess impact, and ensure inclusion and reach of health promotion and disease prevention programs, services and policies to protect the health and safety for all New Yorkers.”

 

Dr. Sidney Hankerson was also appointed as Chair of the Community Services Board of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, which holds an ex officio seat on the Board of Health.

“In the wake of COVID 19, a mental health crisis has engulfed our City,” said Dr. Hankerson. “I am excited to work with Deputy Commissioner Chinazo Cunningham on the Community Services Board and Health Commissioner Chokshi on the Board of Health to support the mental health of all New Yorkers. I express sincerest gratitude to Mayor de Blasio for the honor to serve in this capacity.”

Dr. Hankerson is Co-Director of the Columbia Wellness Center, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and Adult Psychiatrist at the New York-Presbyterian Charles B. Rangel Community Health Center. His research focuses on reducing racial/ethnic disparities in mental health treatment. He is a nationally recognized expert at faith-based mental health services research.

The 11-member New York City Board of Health promotes and protects the health of all New Yorkers. Nine members are appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the City Council and serve six-year terms, while the Health Commissioner and Chair of the Community Services Board serve ex officio. Each Board member is a recognized expert, and the group represents a broad range of health and medical disciplines.

As the overseer of New York City's Health Code, the Board has enacted countless measures to improve the wellbeing of New Yorkers over the years, including a ban on interior lead paint; modern tuberculosis control provisions; the elimination of trans fat from restaurants; and, more recently, the creation of sodium warning icons for chain restaurants.