VACCINE FOR ALL: NYC OPENING NEW VACCINE SITE WITH GOOGLE AND HUDSON GUILD

 

Hudson Guild site at NYCHA’s Fulton Senior Center will prioritize NYCHA residents

 

 Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced that the City will open a new vaccination site at the Fulton Community Center in Chelsea, Manhattan. The new vaccination site located at 119 Ninth Avenue, hosted by Hudson Guild and operated by Daybreak Health, will offer more than 200 appointments per day – over 1,000 per week – and will be open 5 days a week, from Tuesday through Saturday.

 

"Technology is going to help fuel New York City’s recovery, including getting more New Yorkers vaccinated. I thank Google and Hudson Guild for their partnership to open this new site, and I encourage all eligible New Yorkers, especially NYCHA residents, to get vaccinated as soon as possible," said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

 

The site, which opens on Wednesday, April 7, will prioritize vaccination appointments for nearby NYCHA residents, including residents at the Fulton Houses and Chelsea-Elliott Houses, with a particular focus on reaching seniors. In partnership with Hudson Guild and NYCHA, the City will conduct outreach to eligible NYCHA residents to help them get the facts about the vaccine, answer questions, and sign them up for appointments.

 

Starting April 12, eligible New Yorkers will also be able to make an appointment at this location by visiting nyc.gov/vaccinefinder or by calling 877-VAX-4NYC. Additional days and appointments will be available as supply increases citywide.

 

Google, whose NYC headquarters is located down the block from the Fulton Houses, is providing the City with support worth over $1 million to help vaccinate vulnerable communities in NYC. This includes $750,000 in advertising grants, to help ensure New Yorkers can easily find where, when and how to get a vaccine. Google is also providing a $330,000 Google.org grant to Hudson Guild to set up a community vaccination center located in the Fulton Houses NYCHA campus serving the Fulton Houses, Chelsea Elliot Houses, and the NYCHA community citywide.

 

"Google recognizes that equitable population vaccination is a complex problem to solve, and we’re committed to doing our part. We are pleased to partner with the Mayor and Hudson Guild to announce a $1M Google commitment to help vaccinate vulnerable communities in New York. This includes ad grants, to help ensure New Yorkers can easily find where, when and how to get a vaccine and a Google.org grant to set up a community vaccination center in the Fulton Houses NYCHA campus," said Dr. Karen DeSalvo, Chief Health Officer at Google Health.

 

"Since its inception, Hudson Guild has always worked to bridge the gap, reconnecting our neighbors to available resources in the community. The collaboration with Google and the City of New York is no different. We are proud to be able to work alongside these partners to help more people receive their vaccinations," said Ken Jockers, Executive Director of Hudson Guild.

 

“Vaccination for residents is my biggest concern at the moment,” said Miguel Acevedo, Resident Association President, Fulton Houses. “I am grateful that residents will have an opportunity to receive the vaccine in their community through this partnership with the City, Hudson Guild and Google.”

 

“I worked really close with Ken Jockers and Chelsea elected officials to help bring vaccines to the residents,” said Darlene Waters, Resident Association President, Chelsea Elliott Houses. “Google helps out a lot and we are so happy that we can all work together to bring vaccines to our community”

 

“I am happy to see the new vaccination site open at the Fulton Senior Center to make it easier for residents of the Fulton Houses and Chelsea-Elliot Houses get vaccinated. All New Yorkers deserve easy access to the vaccine and the Council will keep pushing for more locations to open to help stop the spread of this virus and make sure our city recovers as quickly as possible,” said Speaker Corey Johnson. 

 

Attorney General James Warns New Yorkers to Remain Alert Against COVID-19 Vaccine and Stimulus Scams

 

Fraudulent Actors May Send Malicious Messages and Phishing Emails While Attempting to Access Consumers’ Personal Information

  New York Attorney General Letitia James today issued an alert to New Yorkers to remain vigilant against potential scams related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis. As more New Yorkers become eligible for the vaccine that will help prevent the spread of the disease and a new round of stimulus payments are sent out to combat the economic fallout of the pandemic, scammers are seeking to take advantage of innocent New Yorkers by making fraudulent promises. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 was passed by Congress and signed into law earlier this month in an effort to help speed the nation’s health and economic recovery. The law increased access to vaccines and authorized the U.S. Department of Treasury to issue emergency stimulus payments to Americans to help offset the costs of essentials, in addition to providing a multitude of other vital provisions to aid Americans. However, fraudsters are now imitating the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and other federal agencies in an effort to access consumers’ personal information by promising access to additional stimulus payments, the ability to skip lines for vaccines, and provide other needed services.

“Scammers are out there, and they are continuing to find a slew of new and shameful tactics to exploit this pandemic,” said Attorney General James. “These cyberattacks are just the latest example of unscrupulous individuals capitalizing on health and economic suffering, and it is crucial that New Yorkers remain vigilant to ensure they do not fall victim to these illegal activities. Promises to skip the vaccine line or receive additional stimulus payments are lies, plain and simple, and New Yorkers need to remain alert. I encourage all New Yorkers to follows these safety tips and report suspected scams to my office. We remain committed to protecting consumers’ health and wallets and rooting out fraud.” 

There have been recent reports of scammers posing as the “IRS Rescue Plan Dept” and attempting to steal people’s personal and financial information through malicious messages, known as phishing emails. To make these scams even more deceiving, the emails may include the IRS logo to establish credibility, and often could have an official sounding subject line, like “IRS Rescue Plan Act.” In other instances, the subject lines have read: “Joe Biden Rescue Plan Act,” “IRS Rescue Plan Form,” or “President’s Rescue Plan Act,” among others.

Many individuals seeking to defraud Americans are doing so by promising stimulus payments in addition to the up to $1,400 eligible adults may qualify for and up to $1,400 eligible children could receive, as well as other financial aid while New Yorkers and Americans nationwide continue to suffer through the economic recession. At this time, no additional payments have been authorized by Congress. Bad actors are also preying on New Yorkers’ desire to get vaccinated quickly. Earlier today, all New Yorkers 30 and older became eligible for the vaccine and, in one week, all New Yorkers 16 and older will become eligible. However, lines still remain long to get a vaccine, therefore anyone promising New Yorkers the ability to skip the line is doing so fraudulently.

Attorney General James today highlighted the following tips for New Yorkers to follow in an effort to protect themselves from these scams:

• Don’t be fooled by familiar logos and branding. It’s easy for attackers to design emails that look safe and legitimate at first glance. If someone claims to be from the government with a check or a vaccine, it may be a phishing scam that is illegally trying to obtain a consumer’s bank account or other personal information.

• Look for misspellings and poor grammar. While not always present, emails that contain multiple spelling and grammatical mistakes offer a clear indication that the email is malicious.

• Never open attachments or click links from those claiming to be from the government unless you have specifically signed up for a notification or an email. Clicking on buttons, such as “Apply Now,” or downloading attachments may enable scammers to download malicious software onto computers that will steal consumers’ personal information, including email addresses, passwords, and other vitally important, yet confidential information. If a consumer is unsure about a message, they should delete it right away.

• Verify the legitimacy of any unsolicited/unexpected email before interacting with it, especially if the IRS or COVID-19 is mentioned in any way. Consumers need to proactively sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine. If a consumer is eligible for a stimulus payment, they will receive a payment directly from the IRS.

New Yorkers who believe they have been a victim of a scam should contact the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to file a complaint. New Yorkers can learn more about COVID-19 scams on the OAG website.

Now Eligible for Vaccine: New Yorkers Age 30 and Older

 

New Yorkers 30 Years of Age and Older Can Begin to Schedule Appointments and Get Vaccinated Beginning Tuesday, March 30

New Yorkers 16 Years of Age and Older Can Begin to Schedule Appointments and Get Vaccinated Beginning April 6

New York State Will Make Eligibility Universal Nearly a Month Earlier Than President Biden's May 1 Deadline

More Than 2 Million Total Doses Administered at New York State-Run and FEMA Assisted Mass Vaccination Sites     

More Than 9 Million Total Doses Administered Across All Vaccination Sites Statewide

171,419 Doses Administered Across New York State in the Last 24 Hours     

More than 1.3 Million Doses Administered Over Past Seven Days

30% of New Yorkers Have Received at Least One Dose     

Vaccine Dashboard Will Update Daily to Provide Updates on the State's Vaccine Program; Go to ny.gov/vaccinetracker  

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced a new expansion of COVID-19 vaccine eligibility in New York. Beginning Tuesday, March 30 at 8 a.m., all New Yorkers 30 years of age and older will be eligible to receive the vaccine. Beginning April 6, universal eligibility goes into effect and all New Yorkers 16 years of age and older will be eligible to receive the vaccine. 

Additionally, the Governor announced more than 2 million total COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered at New York State-run and FEMA-assisted mass vaccination sites. Statewide, more than 9 million total doses have been administered across all vaccination sites. 171,419 doses have been administered across the state's vast distribution network in the last 24 hours, and more than 1.3 million doses have been administered over the past seven days. Delivery of the week 16 allocation begins mid-week.

"Today we take a monumental step forward in the fight to beat COVID. Beginning March 30, all New Yorkers age 30 or older will be able to be vaccinated, and all New Yorkers age 16 or older will be eligible on April 6, well ahead of the May 1 deadline set by the White House," Governor Cuomo said. "As we continue to expand eligibility, New York will double down on making the vaccine accessible for every community to ensure equity, particularly for communities of color who are too often left behind. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but until we get there it is more important than ever for each and every New Yorker to wear a mask, socially distance and follow all safety guidelines."

New York's vast distribution network and large population of eligible individuals still far exceed the supply coming from the federal government. Due to limited supply, New Yorkers are encouraged to remain patient and are advised not to show up at vaccination sites without an appointment.

The 'Am I Eligible' screening tool has been updated for individuals with comorbidities and underlying conditions with new appointments released on a rolling basis over the next weeks. New Yorkers can use the following to show they are eligible:

• Doctor's letter, or
• Medical information evidencing comorbidity, or
• Signed certification       

Vaccination program numbers below are for doses distributed and delivered to New York for the state's vaccination program, and do not include those reserved for the federal government's Long Term Care Facility program. A breakdown of the data based on numbers reported to New York State as of 11 AM today is as follows.       

STATEWIDE BREAKDOWN
Total doses administered - 9,056,970
Total doses administered over past 24 hours - 171,419
Total doses administered over past 7 days - 1,319,740
Percent of New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 29.6%
Percent of New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 16.8%  

278 Days and Counting

 

Let's give all our people a chance to run for elected office, there has to be someone better than the current governor, and someone is going to have to take over after me. The city Council members are going to have to be fair and honest next year. 

EDITOR'S NOTE:

In 2017 13th City Council candidate Marjorie Velazquez Lynch challenged the other two Hispanic candidates in her city council race. It was found out in court that the person who did the challenging for Marjorie Velazquez Lynch was a college student from Ohio who went back to Ohio, and the one candidate who filed the court document was pot back on the ballot and she lost.

In 2021 it appears that 13th City Council candidate Marjorie Velazquez Lynch has challenged all three other Hispanic candidates, two females and the only male Hispanic who is a veteran of the armed forces, while being a single father, as well as the only Black Female candidate in her city council race. We will have to find out if Ms. Enilda Cancel (the challenger of the four other candidates) who has a previous address in Florida will not be moving back there as was the case four years ago, when the challenger of the two male Hispanic candidates moved back to Ohio after placing her challenges for candidate Marjorie Velazquez Lynch. Also why Ms. Cancel did not challenge Marjorie Velazquez Lynch and if she is indeed connected to candidate Marjorie Velazquez Lynch. 

Enilda Cacel taken from Facebook

What do you think Mr. Mayor, or you the voters of the 13th council district? 

New York Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Participating in Multimillion-Dollar Credit and Gift Card Fraud Scheme

 A New York man was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for participating in a scheme to buy and sell over $2 million in stolen property, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.

James Olla, 29, of Brooklyn, New York, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to a superseding indictment charging him with conspiracy to sell, receive or possess stolen goods. Judge Vazquez sentenced Olla today by videoconference.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From January 2014 through June 2015, Olla and others procured stolen information related to credit cards belonging to various individuals, including victims living in New Jersey. Using this stolen information, Olla and his conspirators obtained gift cards from various retailers and then sold the cards on the streets of Brooklyn and elsewhere, often for large sums of cash. In total, Olla’s scheme resulted in losses to financial institutions of $2,041,977.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Vazquez sentenced Olla to three years of supervised release, ordered him to forfeit certain property, and pay restitution of $689,124.

Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Rodney M. Hopkins in Newark; and the U.S. Secret Service, under the direction of  Special Agent in Charge Mark McKevitt, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.

The government is represented by Cybercrime Unit Chief David W. Feder and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua L. Haber of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.

Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress During COVID-19 Pandemic March 29. 2021

 

4,575 Patient Hospitalizations Statewide

890 Patients in the ICU; 521 Intubated

Statewide Positivity Rate is 4.13%

57 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.

"COVID continues to rear its ugly head across New York State, and while hospitalization and vaccination metrics continue to trend in the right direction, this pandemic isn't done with us yet," Governor Cuomo said. "The vaccine is here and New York State is working 24/7 and pulling out all the stops to get shots in arms, including expanding eligibility and establishing new vaccination sites. But in the meantime, washing hands, wearing masks and socially distancing are critical behaviors that can help us slow the spread as we continue to fight the COVID beast."

It is important to note that data, including test results and hospital rates, reported early in the week are often not completely reflective of the current situation due to lower discharges and testing volume over the weekend. Data trends over a period of time, such as using 7-day averages, are a preferred metric.

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

• Test Results Reported - 184,530
• Total Positive - 7,622
• Percent Positive - 4.13%
• Patient Hospitalization - 4,575 (+46)
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 3.46%
• Patients Newly Admitted - 486
• Hospital Counties - 50
• Number ICU - 890 (+13)
• Number ICU with Intubation - 521 (-9)
• Total Discharges - 160,868 (+406)
• Deaths - 57
• Total Deaths - 40,390

Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on State Vaccination Program

 

194,837 Doses Administered Across New York State in the Last 24 Hours    

More than 1 Million Doses Administered Over Past Seven Days    

Vaccine Dashboard Will Update Daily to Provide Updates on the State's Vaccine Program; Go to ny.gov/vaccinetracker     

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's vaccination program. 194,837 doses have been administered across the state's vast distribution network in the last 24 hours, and more than 1 million doses have been administered over the past seven days. The week 15 allocation of 1,565,080 first and second doses is expected to finish arriving today.

"Our providers across the state are continuing to work day and night to get shots into people's arms, with our State-run and FEMA-assisted mass vaccination sites now on the brink of delivering 2 million total doses," Governor Cuomo said. "This momentous undertaking is far from over, and we are continuing to work with local leaders to make sure the vaccine distribution is equitable and our vaccination sites are accessible. As New Yorkers we've overcome every challenge COVID brought before us, and now that we are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel, we need to remain strong, united and determined - and not let our guard down." 

New York's vast distribution network and large population of eligible individuals still far exceed the supply coming from the federal government. Due to limited supply, New Yorkers are encouraged to remain patient and are advised not to show up at vaccination sites without an appointment.

The 'Am I Eligible' screening tool has been updated for individuals with comorbidities and underlying conditions with new appointments released on a rolling basis over the next weeks. New Yorkers can use the following to show they are eligible:

• Doctor's letter, or
• Medical information evidencing comorbidity, or
• Signed certification      

Vaccination program numbers below are for doses distributed and delivered to New York for the state's vaccination program, and do not include those reserved for the federal government's Long Term Care Facility program. A breakdown of the data based on numbers reported to New York State as of 11 AM today is as follows. 

STATEWIDE BREAKDOWN

Total doses administered - 8,885,551

Total doses administered over past 24 hours - 194,837

Total doses administered over past 7 days - 1,251,746

Percent of New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 29.2%

Percent of New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 16.3%  

NYC MAYORAL CANDIDATE SARA TIRSCHWELL MEETS WITH MEMBERS OF ASIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE FREE PROTECTION

 

On Tuesday evening, New York City Mayoral Candidate Sara Tirschwell met with members of the Asian-American community to announce free security protection in Sunset Park’s Chinatown neighborhood in Brooklyn. From City Council Candidate Yu Lin's campaign headquarters, Tirschwell met with Frances Wong, Director of the Asian Health Institute of New York Methodist Hospital, Scott Soifer of Quality Protection Patrol Services, Ray Chen of Bay Shine Real Estate Corp., and Raymond Wang, CEO of Rintercom and President of Tai Shan Du Hu Association. Those in attendance discussed the ongoing need for allies and support during this time of heightened concern within the Asian American community.  "The fact that within hours of hearing of the devastating hate crime targeting members of the Asian community in several Atlanta massage spas, Sara put a plan in action to protect the members of her own community who also feel threatened and targeted shows just how committed Sara is to providing a safe and welcoming environment for all New Yorkers. Sara doesn't just discuss ideas to protect her fellow hard-working New Yorkers, she implements them." - Ian Prior, Sara For Mayor campaign spokesman said.