Back 2 School With Council Member Velázquez and Friends!

Dear Neighbor,

This summer has flown by, and school is starting in just three (yes, 3) weeks. To best support all of our wonderful families, I am pleased to share with you our Back to School newsletter, filled with information to prepare you for the new school year.

Last week, I announced our upcoming Backpack Giveaways and received an influx of inquiries for other areas throughout the district. I am pleased to report that we have expanded our giveaway locations and partnerships to reach as many students as possible. All school-aged children are eligible for a brand new backpack, thanks to our partners at Bronx Connect and Hispanic Federation. As a reminder, backpacks are available while supplies last.

We will also be hosting the last of our summer movie series on Tuesday, August 30th at Ambrosini Field in City Island. Join us as we indulge in an evening with our friendly neighborhood Spiderman!

I’d also like to share information with our adult students. Education has no limit, and I am proud of the individuals who are going back to school to further their education. The Bronx Adult Learning Center has a variety of classes available for the remainder of August and September. I hope you take advantage of these classes and share this information with a friend.

If you have any questions regarding our Backpack Giveaways or future events, please contact my office Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM at (718) 931-1721 or via email at District13@council.nyc.gov.

Sincerely,

Council Member Marjorie Velázquez

Back to School: Backpack Giveaway

New Locations Added!

The 2022-2023 school year is underway, and we are excited to share our annual Back 2 School Giveaway! Each year, community leaders host several events that provide essential school supplies for students in the district. This year, we will be participating in several giveaways, meeting the needs of students across the Northeast Bronx.

Keep an eye out each week, as we announce giveaways throughout the district. If you would like to see a giveaway in your area, please reach out to us at district13@council.nyc.gov.

End of Summer Movie Nights

Mark your calendars!

Join me and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation for a special viewing of “Spiderman: No Way Home,” at Ambrosini Field, in City Island on Tuesday, August 30th at 7:30 PM.

This will be our last movie night of the summer, and I hope you and your family can join us for an evening filled with popcorn, laughs, and your friendly neighborhood Spiderman!

Important Information - HEALTH

For additional information about polio and what you can do to stop the spread, please visit the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene website.

To find out your vaccination status, please click here

Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - AUGUST 22, 2022

 

Governor Hochul Releases Back-To-School Guidance To Align New York State With CDC Recommendations

Presentation Slides From Governor's Briefing Available Here

26 Statewide Deaths Reported on Friday, August 19

 NOTE: Beginning June 24, 2022, the Vaccine data will be updated weekly on Fridays to align with CDC's updated data refresh schedule. For additional information on COVID-19 Vaccination Data provided by CDC, see https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations_vacc-total-admin-rate-total.

Important Note: HERDS data collection from health care facilities is not currently required on weekends or holidays. The survey will resume today and the facility/death data will be displayed in tomorrow's report. The numbers below with an asterisk were reported on Friday, August 19.  

Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combating COVID-19. Earlier today, Governor Hochul announced updated COVID-19 guidance that aligns with new CDC recommendations as children, teachers and faculty across the state prepare to head back to school in the coming weeks. Among other recommendations, this new guidance specifies that asymptomatic school children exposed to COVID-19 no longer need to quarantine and that isolation is now only advised for individuals that have tested positive for the virus. Presentation slides from the Governor's briefing are available here. 

"As we continue to monitor the current numbers, I encourage all New Yorkers to keep using the tools we know that work to protect against COVID-19," Governor Hochul said. "Please get vaccinated or boosted when you're eligible or if you haven't already. Test if you have symptoms, and if you're positive stay home and talk to you doctor at treatment. By remaining vigilant and responsible, New Yorkers will continue to work together to beat this virus."    

Today's data is summarized briefly below:      

• Cases Per 100k - 16.64  
• 7-Day Average Cases Per 100k - 22.95 
• Test Results Reported - 39,820 
• Total Positive - 3,251 
• Percent Positive - 7.74%**  
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 6.18%**   
• Patient Hospitalization - 2,365 (-62)* 
• Patients Newly Admitted - 419* 
• Patients in ICU - 231 (-5)*  
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 89 (-4)*  
• Total Discharges - 333,567 (431)* 
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 26* 
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 57,460* 

** Due to the test reporting policy change by the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and several other factors, the most reliable metric to measure virus impact on a community is the case per 100,000 data -- not percent positivity.     

The Health Electronic Response Data System is a NYS DOH data source that collects confirmed daily death data as reported by hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities only.       

Important Note: Effective Monday, April 4, the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is no longer requiring testing facilities that use COVID-19 rapid antigen tests to report negative results. As a result, New York State's percent positive metric will be computed using only lab-reported PCR results. Positive antigen tests will still be reported to New York State and reporting of new daily cases and cases per 100k will continue to include both PCR and antigen tests. Due to this change and other factors, including changes in testing practices, the most reliable metric to measure virus impact on a community is the case per 100,000 data -- not percent positivity.     

• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 73,452 

This daily COVID-19 provisional death certificate data reported by NYS DOH and NYC to the CDC includes those who died in any location, including hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, at home, in hospice and other settings.     

Each New York City borough's 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows **:       

Borough	Friday, Aug. 19, 2022	Saturday, Aug. 20, 2022	Sunday, Aug. 21, 2022
Bronx	7.12%	7.14%	7.23%
Kings	3.08%	3.05%	3.42%
New York	5.63%	5.74%	5.68%
Queens	7.66%	7.66%	7.78%
Richmond	6.74%	6.86%	7.08%