Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates June 11th

JUNE 11th RESOURCES AND UPDATES:

 

Starting today, localities can open public pools and playgrounds at their discretion. They must use health data and metrics as a guide to inform each decision.

Through June 15th, 2020, health insurance enrollment is open for uninsured New Yorkers as part of a Special Enrollment Period: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/health-insurance.page

Alternate side-of-the-street parking is suspended through June 21.

ULURP rules and procedures are suspended through June 12.

If you or someone you know is attending any of the protests citywide against police brutality, a group of volunteers has prepared nycprotests.info, a site with updates and information with available resources for protestors.

To learn about the risks of infection from various activities, click here

The Landmarks Preservation Commission recognizes that commercial business owners play a critical role in returning vibrancy and economic stability to the city. Recovery will call for adapting commercial spaces and buildings to meet social distancing requirements and other safety measures. LPC is exploring ways to make our processes and rules more flexible to allow businesses to adapt to these unique conditions. To aid in our planning of this initiative, we are soliciting ideas on the special needs of retailers and restaurants. We encourage owners and operators of restaurants and retail establishments who operate businesses in LPC designated buildings and districts to take this quick survey to help us identify and address your needs. Click here to take the quick survey.

While there is still no announced date for Phase Two of reopening, which will see nail salons, barber shops, and hair salons reopen, the State has now posted directions for Phase Three on the NY Forward site.

The Governor has asked that commuters unsatisfied with bus or subway service during reopening call 511 with complaints.

New York State, in partnership with AdvantageCare Physicians, has opened two new testing sites in Manhattan specifically for use by New Yorkers involved in the recent protests against police brutality:

  • AdvantageCare Physicians Harlem Office (215 West 125th St.) To schedule an appointment, call (866) 394-2660.

  • AdvantageCare Physicians Upper East Side Office (215 East 95th St.) To schedule an appointment, call (866) 394-2660.

Early voting starts Saturday at 12 locations throughout Manhattan. Visit this page on Borough President Brewer’s website to find the location nearest your house.

It’s still not too late, though, to request an absentee ballot by visiting nycabsentee.com.

The election is Tuesday, June 23, a week from this Tuesday.

The deadline to submit absentee ballots has been extended to June 23rd. To be counted, primary ballots must be postmarked by June 23rd. A previously issued Executive Order allows all New Yorkers to vote absentee in the June 23rd primary elections and ensures every New Yorker registered to vote receives a postage-paid absentee ballot application in the mail.

New Yorkers and local governments can easily track daily COVID-19 testing results through a new dashboard. To complement the early warning dashboard, this dashboard allows people to easily track COVID-19 daily test results in your region and county. View the dashboard here.

The NYC Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene has released a short survey to help clarify messaging needs for different NYC communities about COVID-19 and contact tracing.

The New York Philharmonic has cancelled the fall season. Live performances  will resume January 6 2021 at the earliest.

The state has distributed over four million free bottles of NYS Clean hand sanitizer statewide to date.

On June 8, the State tested tested 62,297 New Yorkers and only 1% tested positive for COVID-19.

As part of Phase One reopening, the Staten Island Ferry has increased service to every 20 minutes from 6 - 9 am and 3:30 - 6:30 pm on weekdays and 30-minute service from 7 am - 7 pm on weekends.

You MUST wear a mask when riding public transportation systems.

With summer day camps and child care set to reopen on June 29, the Governor has issued a statewide guidance on how they should operate, as well as Phase One reopening guidance for higher education research.

New York, in partnership with CORE, has established 11 new testing sites in communities that have been particularly impacted by COVID-19. CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and strengthening communities affected by or vulnerable to crises.

The West 13th Street Alliance has launched their “A Rainbow is Stronger than COVID-19” Pride Virtual Art Contest, which asks New Yorkers to draw or paint a piece related to the impact of coronavirus on the LGBTQ+ community. Email a picture of your piece with a 2-3 sentence statement about it by June 19 to [email protected]. The winning artist, to be announced on June 26, will win a $300 cash prize.

To read Lenox Hill Hospital’s Weekly Report, click here.

Education/Parenting

Community Food Advocates and Lunch 4 Learning have released a Pandemic EBT fact sheet with information for NYC public school parents on food benefits in English, Spanish, Creole, Mandarin (Simplified and Traditional), and French.

City Dept. of Education (DOE) Chancellor Richard Carranza has signalled that the plan is to resume in-person learning in the fall through “blended learning,” which will mix remote and physical instruction with social distancing and split schedules.

And an update on the delivery of DOE tablets for remote learning: a total of 27,694 devices are in distribution in Manhattan, of which 93.4% have been received by families who requested them and another 5.4% are awaiting UPS delivery

Entertainment/Distractions

If you like Historic Palaces, and you like ravens (quoth the Raven nevermore, for instance), watch this story of the ravens that live in the Tower of London. Click here.

For more on historic royal palaces, click here.

For Carnegie Hall streaming events, and more information, click here.

For reservations to see theatre online from The Irish Rep, YES, Reflections of Molly Bloom, a play drawn from Ulysses by James Joyce, and for information about The Irish Rep and other online events, click here.

The Orchestra of St. Luke’ Bach at Home Festival has been rescheduled to begin June 23. The festival will feature 30 video releases of orchestral, chamber music, and solo performance and will include interviews. New content will be released every Tuesday from June 23 through July 14.

For an interview with an international art gallerist on re-opening, click here.

Our Town reports that Mmuseumm, the city’s smallest and most oddly spelled museum, has been hit by the coronavirus pandemic like every other museum in the city. However, it’s back to doing things a little differently as usual, as it decides to release its entire 2020 exhibition in book version. The 300-page “Jumbo Catalog” consists of pictures of a variety of objects that are a part of the museum’s 2020 exhibition on “power.” The objects range from credit cards and clock faces, to dollar bills and doorknobs.

For a five-week virtual cooking camp for adults, click here.

Four site-specific permanent art installations were unveiled at the new LaGuardia Airport. These public artworks reflect the creativity, energy, culture and spirit of the Empire State, and provide focal points of beauty in the terminal. Public art can show the world who we are and say, when you come to New York you will be amazed and inspired.

WAYS YOU CAN HELP

THE CITY is asking folks who know any New York City residents who have died of COVID-19 to fill out a simple form to tell them about the lives of those we’ve lost. Their goal is to put as many names, faces and details to the numbers as possible. You’ll find more here — including the form.

Donate blood. The New York Blood Center says that levels of blood are dangerously low. The center is hosting a blood drive at MetLife Stadium on Thursday, May 28 from 12 to 8 p.m. To make an appointment to donate, visit nybc.org or call 1.800.933.2566. Appointments are strongly recommended.

If you have recovered from COVID-19, you may be able to save lives by contacting the state to donate blood. People who have recovered from the virus may have convalescent plasma in their blood, which has antibodies against the virus and could help with the development of a treatment. More information about how to donate is available here.

You can buy a basket of cheeses and support not-for-profits helping during this crisis. Click here for details.

NYC Emergency Management is looking to expand its inventory of cooling centers for vulnerable New Yorkers to visit during heat emergencies with proper social distancing. Eligible centers must:

  • Be free and open to the general public
  • Have air conditioning
  • Have enough space for visitors to sit while maintaining social distance
  • Have restrooms and water
  • Accessible
  • Staffed
  • Cleaned and disinfected regularly

If you or someone you know can offer a facility that meets these criteria, to be used as a Cooling Center this summer, please complete this survey.

Support local businesses by buying gift cards. We have posted links to sites selling gift cards. Another site selling gift cards to restaurants, barber shops, and events like ghost hunts, and museums, see SupportLocal at https://supportlocal.usatoday.com/cities/

New York City Service is looking for volunteers to help those affected by COVID-19, click here.

New York State has provided a form for the donation of goods, services, or space. To access the form, click here.

The dedicated staff at the Stanley Isaacs Center415 E. 93 St., needs help supporting their older adult clients through meals and case management services. Interested in volunteering? Contact [email protected]

Donate blood. Blood is urgently needed. Please go to https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/node/1546 to make an appointment (walk-ins) are no longer allowed and for more information.

Donate to the First Responders Fund. The fund will assist COVID-19 healthcare workers and first responders with expenses and costs, including child care. Donations can be made electronically at www.healthresearch.org/donation-form/ or by check, mailed to "Health Research, Inc., 150 Broadway, Suite 560, Menands, NY 12204." (For checks, the donor should specify the donation is for "COVID-19 NYS Emergency Response.")

Complete your Census form.  Census responses can't be used for any purpose other than tallying up population-- it's the law. And no enumerators will be knocking on doors today. So, please, if you haven't yet done so, take the time to fill in your form at www.my2020census.gov.  New York City’s response rate is 10% behind the overall U.S. rate. We need every dollar and every Congressional seat. These depend on the census count. Please complete your form.

FINANCIAL AND LOCAL BUSINESSES UPDATES

The new deadline for filing property tax abatements is July 15, 2020.

New York State says companies who need to prepare their offices for Phase 2 reopening (later in June or early July) may send in employees to do so now, in Phase One. Here’s the link again to the state’s reopening guidance for companies and organizations.

The third and final round of applications for the Documentary Freelancer Relief Fund opened this week, which will bring their total relief funding to $325,000. Previous applications will also roll into this last round, so that filmmakers don’t have to apply multiple times. Learn more here.

Reopening businesses must submit affirmations to confirm compliance with relevant reopening guidelines.

Applications are now open for the 2020 Spectrum Digital Education grant programwhich will support nonprofit organizations providing broadband training and education in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The application window will close on June 26 at 5 pm, and awardees will be announced in August and funded in September.

PPE for Small Businesses: NYC SBS coordinating with 70+ BIDs and Chambers of Commerce to provide 2 million pieces of PPE to small businesses citywide. Find a distribution partner near you at: Free Face Coverings for Small Businesses & Their Employees

If a store owner would like social distancing floor decals for inside the business (not on the sidewalks), please contact CB8 and we will send you some.

The City’s Dept. of Small Business Services has opened a hotline for reopening advice and resources: (888) SBS-4NYC (727-4692), and released an industry guide to Reopening NYC Businesses.

The City’s Department of Small Business Services has shared their new “Find a Job” page, which lists open employment listings from across NYC. Learn more and search the listings.

Both the City and State are hiring employees and supervisors for contact tracing: reaching out to the contacts of those diagnosed with COVID-19 to track the spread. Learn more here for the City (three types of contract tracer jobs along with many non-tracing jobs listed), and here for the State (contact tracersteam supervisors, and community support specialists).

The City's Workforce1 Career Center launched a Virtual Center(or call 718-960-2458) to help New Yorkers prepare for, and connect to, jobs across New York City's five boroughs and in every sector of the economy. Current employment opportunities include Stop & Shop, Fresh Direct & PBM Guardian Industry Services.

Jobs: Temporary opportunities are available by clicking here.

250 of the jobs for NYCHA residents listed on OpportunityNYCHA.org have yet to be filled. These positions are for temporary per diem workers to assist with general maintenance at NYCHA properties. Per diem income will not have an impact on your rent. Apply here.

The New York State Department of Labor (DOL) has launched a new, streamlined application for New Yorkers to apply for COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance without first needing to apply for Unemployment Insurance. Prior to today, New Yorkers were required to apply for regular Unemployment Insurance and be rejected before applying for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. This new application, which aligns with updated federal policy, allows New Yorkers to simply fill out one form to get the correct benefits without requiring applicants to call the DOL. The agency has installed more than 3,100 representatives solely dedicated to answering unemployment benefit needs seven days a week. The DOL previously had 400 representatives in the call center. The DOL has paid out $2.2 billion in unemployment benefits to 1.1 million New Yorkers so far. The new form is available here.

NYC Health and Hospitals is hiring for several positions - patient transportation, clerical and cleaning staff. You can apply today at http://nyc.gov/getwork.

The Madison Avenue BID put together the official New York State reopening documents into an easily accessible primer, so please see below.

LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS' TELE-TOWN HALLS

On Thursday, June 11th from 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., join Senator Krueger and renowned epidemiologist Dr. Julia Marcus for the first of three Virtual Town Halls about Reopening New York City. Although we have managed to flatten the curve, as New York City reopens and we spend more time outside of our homes, we will still have to contend with COVID-19 – at the very least until a vaccine has been developed. Part I will offer a model to help reorient our thinking about social interactions and minimize the risk of virus transmission. Dr. Marcus observes that total isolation is not sustainable. How then can we remain safe and still interact with our families, friends and coworkers? Part II will provide information about New York City’s Test, Trace and Take Care (T3) program, which will take place on Wednesday, June 17th from 7:00 p.m. -8:00 p.m.  Part III – TBA.

Julia Marcus, PhD, MPH is an infectious disease epidemiologist and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute. Her science communication during COVID-19 has focused on the importance of a harm reduction approach to the mitigation of coronavirus transmission, with lessons learned from the HIV epidemic. Topics of discussion will include identifying ways to engage in social activities while minimizing risk, based on a spectrum of risk of different social interactions and behaviors. For example, meeting with a friend in your apartment vs. taking a walk together outside. To view the event, go to https://www.facebook.com/statesenatorlizkrueger/.

On Tuesday (6/16) at 2 pm, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer will be hosting “Pandemic History from the Bottom Up: A Webinar with Oral Historians and Archivists,” with Manhattan Borough Historian Rob Snyder, which will guide participants on how to conduct their own oral history interviews and archival projects that record the history of this pandemic. Register here.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) FAQs & Resources

The State's Coronavirus Hotline is open 24 hours if you have any questions or concerns: 1-888-364-3065. **If you need help getting medical care, you can also call 311. New York City will provide care regardless of immigration status or ability to pay.

The NYP COVID Hotline 646-697-4000 can answer questions about COVID-19. This hotline is a public service to provide information only and not to diagnose, treat, or render a medical opinion. Their Coronavirus Frequently Asked Questions document is available on the NYP Coronavirus website.

To get regular updates on the latest developments with coronavirus in New York City text COVID to 692-692. You will receive regular SMS texts with the latest news and developments. Please check nyc.gov/health/coronavirus for the latest updates

If you are experiencing stress or feel anxious, contact NYC Well at 888-NYC-WELL (888-692- 9355) or text WELL to 65173. NYC Well is a confidential help line that is staffed 24/7 by trained counselors who can provide brief supportive therapy, crisis counseling, and connections to behavioral health treatment, in more than 200 languages.

Additional resources:

CENSUS 2020

U.S. Census Bureau has made some necessary changes to help keep residents safe while still working to ensure a complete census count. This includes extending the national deadline for the count from July 31 to August 14 and postponing all door-to-door outreach campaigns until May. With the majority of our businesses and libraries closed across the state, this gives local communities more time to adjust their outreach plans and helps prevent our state from being put at an unfair disadvantage.

Fill out your Census at My2020Census.gov OR by phone in these languages: