Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates November 9th

November 9th, 2020

NOVEMBER 9th RESOURCES AND UPDATES:

 

New York announced a new protocol allowing out-of-state travelers to "test out" of the State's mandatory 14-day quarantine. Starting Wednesday, November 4th, travelers must be tested within three days prior to landing in New York, quarantine for at least three days upon arrival, and get tested on the fourth day of arrival. If travelers receive a negative test on the fourth day of their quarantine, they can exit quarantine. Read more about the State's new guidelines.  Gov. Cuomo said airports and county health departments would handle enforcement.

The Governor and Mayor are both urging New Yorkers to avoid travelling during the holiday season. This has already been a very challenging year, and the holiday season is a time of year when many of us look forward to gathering with family, friends, and loved ones. This year, the way to show love to the important people in your life, especially those who are more vulnerable to the virus, is to gather virtually and telephonically. Remember that when you spend face-to-face time with anyone outside of your household, there is increased risk of spreading the virus. NYC DOHMH has released holiday guidance to help promote an enjoyable and safe holiday season: https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/covid/covid-19-safer-holidays.pdf.

New York launched the New York State Flu Tracker to prepare for flu season. The tracker displays daily and weekly flu data and provides timely information about local, regional and statewide flu activity. Governor Cuomo encourages New Yorkers to get a flu shot if you haven't already.

Ski resorts can reopen with 50 percent indoor capacity starting this Friday, November 6th. There will be strict health and safety protocols put in place, including masks required at all times, except when eating/drinking or skiing/snowboarding, restricting gondolas and ski lifts to members of the same party, and limiting lessons to no more than 10 people.

To learn more about New York City COVID19 guidelines, please follow and like the New York Immigration Coalition Facebook page. You can access our recent livestreams using the following link: facebook.com/theNYIC/videos. For your convenience, we've compiled all the NYIC Test and Trace Video Series links to-date here. Please subscribe to our Youtube channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgRVShSs6GVGmem8t0d97_Q. On YouTube, you can find Spanish, Mandarin, and English subtitles for your reference.

Garrison Redd, a Team USA para powerlifter from Brooklyn, is helping those with physical disabilities get adaptive equipment to improve their mobility and their livelihood through accessibility. Through his non-profit, the Garrison Redd Project, Garrsion helps members of the disabled community acquire wheelchairs, walkers and canes and provides creative adaptive activities and events that accommodate their physical limitations. The organization uses these activities and events to raise awareness and recognize the challenges people with disabilities face.

New York State’s open enrollment period began on Sunday, November 1 and will run through Sunday, January 31. You can compare plans, calculate your costs, see if you are eligible for financial assistance, get enrollment help, and sign up for the plan that is right for you and your family at nystateofhealth.ny.gov.

The red, yellow, orange zones created by Governor Cuomo in response to higher infection rates in certain areas change.  Micro-cluster zone maps have changed in Brooklyn, Rockland County and Orange County in response to declining positivity rates. The Yellow Zone in Far Rockaway has been removed, however there is a new Yellow Zone in Westchester County. Micro-cluster zones in Queens - Kew Gardens/Forest Hills, Broome County, Steuben County and Chemung County remain unchanged. Maps of each micro-cluster zone and further details are available here.

This web infographic describes how COVID-19 spreads through the air, is published by Spain’s El País newspaper.

Mental health is just as important as physical health. New Yorkers can call the State's mental health hotline at 1-844-863-9314 for free emotional support, consultations & referrals to a provider or visit the Office of Mental Health for resources.

The Monday before Thanksgiving, 11/23, at 6 pm, Borough President Gale Brewer is cosponsoring a virtual Tenants Resource Fair with the Dept. of Housing Preservation and Development and local elected officials. Learn about tenant protections during the COVID-19 pandemic, including ongoing protections for seniors, veterans, people with disabilities and those in rent-regulated apartments. Also learn more about the City’s affordable housing lotteries using the “Housing Connect” portal. Use this link to register for the Zoom meeting (download the Zoom application for Windows, MacOS, Android or iOS here).

The COVID-19 Immigrant Resource Guide is available in 26 languages, from the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs.

As the New York Public Library moves into phase 2 of its reopening this Monday (11/9), researchers can make in-person appointments at research libraries and borrow materials from research collections. 

Give your feedback on voting absentee, early in person and on Election Day during the NYC Campaign Finance Board’s Voter Assistance Advisory Committee virtual hearing on Wednesday, 12/9 at 5:30 pm. Register here.

Youth ages 10-18 can apply for the Youth Advisory Council of the Civilian Complaint Review Board by Monday, 11/30. The YAC advises the CCRB on how to improve relations between the NYPD and young New Yorkers. Apply here.

Thursday (11/12) at 2 pm, the National Museum of the American Indianhosts a Zoom conversation about the identity and the “warrior” stereotype of Native Americans in the military. Register here.

Education/Parenting

The January 2021 Regents exams are canceled. Due to COVID-19 concerns, the New York State Education Department decided to cancel the examinations across the state to ensure the safety of both students and educators. The Education Department will also ask the Board of Regents to adopt emergency regulations and apply specific exemptions so not to negatively impact students. A decision on the June and August exams have not been decided yet.

Schools in Red and Orange Zones can reopen if they complete testing protocols. There are new testing protocols that will allow public and private schools in Red and Orange "micro-cluster" zones to reopen—if they perform mass testing before the school reopens and follow it with weekly surveillance testing. Impacted schools can reopen as early as Monday, but students and faculty must be able to provide a negative COVID-19 test result prior to going back to the classroom. The State will provide free rapid-result test kits for schools wishing to participate.

Our Town covers the choice facing parents of whether to opt-in for in-person learning for the rest of the year.

Public school parents have 6 more days to opt in to blended learning this year. Complete the learning preference survey by next Sunday, 11/15 to select a mix of in-person and remote learning.

For families with children and adults with disabilities, Lincoln Center’s Passports to the Arts offers accessible performing arts programs via Zoom. Register for the free fall season here.

Wednesday (11/11) from 1-5 pm, Children’s Aid hosts a virtual “Post-Secondary Pathway Fair” with information about continued education after high school. Register here.

SUNY colleges and universities will conduct exit testing for in-person students before sending them home for Thanksgiving. Students who go home for Thanksgiving will then be required to stay home and switch to remote learning for the rest of the semester (instead of returning to campus for the short period between Thanksgiving break and the winter holidays). We are asking private colleges to consider adopting similar plans.

Entertainment/Distractions

A new film from two New York directors, Kahane Cooperman and John Hoffman, showcases stories of Americans coming together to uplift one another. The Antidote serves as a visual essay on human compassion, showing how a little kindness can go a long way. One of the stories the film tells takes place in Sullivan County, New York, at the Center for Discovery. Watch the trailer here.

The Winter Village at Bryant Park is now open through Sunday, 3/7/2021. New this year, ice skating reservations must be made online, and the Holiday Shops are more spaced out.

A new ice cream place in Harlem gives a sweet treat.

For a look at how other countries reimagine art fairs, click here.

For a video tour of, and information about, the Met's Costume Institute exhibit About Time: Fashion and Duration, click here.

FINANCIAL AND LOCAL BUSINESSES UPDATES

The City’s new Open Storefronts program will now allow storefront businesses to operate directly outside their store from Friday, 10/30 through Wednesday, 12/31. Read the FAQ for eligibility and operating guidelines, and apply here.

Open Restaurants that use outdoor heating must follow newly released guidance from the Dept. of Buildings and the FDNY for electric, natural gas and propane heaters.

The Urban Design Forum and Van Alen Institute launched neighborhoodsnow.nyc, a digital toolkit featuring more than 35 barrier designs, HVAC guidelines and outdoor learning strategies to aid safe reopening and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Each tool was created by neighborhood-specific working groups as part of Neighborhoods Now, a rapid-response initiative launched by the Forum and Van Alen in June. The initiative has now raised more than $100,000 to implement these designs and strategies in the coming weeks.

To be eligible for City contracts, Manhattan businesses, including Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises, should register in the City’s free Payee Information Portal system. Contact Borough President Gale Brewer’s technology and economic development policy analyst, Daniel Alam, for assistance.

Jumpstart a career in healthcare support services through Strive’s upcoming training course for 18-24-year-olds with a high school diploma or GED. Attend an information session this Monday (11/9) or Tuesday (11/10) at 10 am, Zoom meeting ID 95152381566.

Apply for a $1,000 residential rental assistance grant from PA’LANTE (People Against Landlord Abuse and Tenant Exploitation).

Monday (11/9) is the last day to apply to the Asian American Writers’ Workshop Open City Fellowship, open to Asian, Muslim and Arab emerging writers.

Friday, 11/13 is the last day women making films about disability can apply for a $7,500 Loreen Arbus Disability Awareness Grant from New York Women in Film and Television.

Applications (or nominations for others) for the David Prize close Friday, 12/4. The David Prize awards $200,000 to five visionary New Yorkers seeking to better the city through transformative projects.

Free financial counseling is available by phone through the NYC Dept. of Consumer and Worker Protection. Book an appointment online or by calling 311.

Thursday (11/12) at 3 pm, SUNY Manhattan Educational Opportunity Center hosts a virtual information session about free academic and career training programs. Register here.

Thursday (11/12) at 5 pm, the Municipal Art Society of NYC hosts “The Future of Open Green Space.” Click the title to register.

Robin Hood’s COVID-19 Relief Fund is now accepting grant applications for nonprofits that provide frontline support to vulnerable populations.

The Dept. of Small Business Services has launched Career Discovery NYC, a free career search and skills training tool.

Restaurant & Bar Reopening Toolkit – Find all the guidelines and resources you need in one place, including checklists, Open Restaurant siting criteria, and posters. Download it here, and find additional guidance and resources for restaurants on SBS’ restaurant reopening guide here.

Find Outdoor Dining Fixtures & Equipment – Please click here for the City's directory of equipment rental fixtures & equipment for safe outdoor dining.

The Department of Small Business Services (SBS) will work to ensure that the most up-to-date guidance and materials needed by small business owners for a safe phased-in reopening are readily available. The information will be housed on a centralized resource page with guidance and best practices for the restaurant industry across all five boroughs. SBS will also launch a reopening supplies marketplace for easy access to wholesalers selling PPE, gloves, sneeze guards and other equipment. Business owners can call a hotline at 1-888-SBS-4NYC to ask questions about this process.

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

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.

WAYS YOU CAN HELP

East Side Patch covers a moment of unity.

Get a flu shot. Find pharmacies and clinics offering flu shots through the NYC Health Map. You can sort for free shots and for locations covered by Medicare and Medicaid.

Give your friends a call. Check in with your family. Ask them how everything is going and how they are feeling. Let's show each other some love because mental health is just as important as physical health. New Yorkers can also call the State's mental health hotline at 1-844-863-9314 for free emotional support, consultations & referrals to a provider.

If you order for delivery, order directly from the restaurants, and not through third-party apps that charge restaurants high fees, making it even tougher for them.

The pandemic has caused declines in organ donations. With so many people awaiting lifesaving organ transplants, Governor Cuomo urges New Yorkers to become organ donors and join the NYS Donate Life Registry.

Apply to become a member of the NYC Community Emergency Response Team, which assists first responders with community preparedness and disaster support. Apply here.

Donate Plasma: Recovered COVID-19 patients are needed to donate plasma, which is used to treat critically ill patients across the country. Donate at a NY Blood Center location. Eligible donors can give convalescent plasma up to eight times in a three-month period.

Nominate an individual or organization doing outstanding urban public health work for the Joan H. Tisch Community Health Prize. Nominations will be accepted until December 31.

Wear a mask: The New York Times found that those ignoring the mask rule are nearly twice as likely to be men as women. Watch a New York 5-year-old explain why everyone should wear a mask

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. To make an appointment to donate, visit nybc.org or call 1.800.933.2566. Appointments are strongly recommended.

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 Center, 415 E. 93 St., needs help supporting their older adult clients through meals and case management services. Interested in volunteering? Contact [email protected]

LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS' TELE-TOWN HALLS & COMMUNITY EVENTS

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:

New York State developed a contact tracing app to help stop the spread of COVID-19. The app uses Bluetooth technology — not location data — to quickly alert users if they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Once alerted, users can quickly protect themselves and others by self-quarantining, contacting their physician and getting tested.

Governor Cuomo assures us that the app does not violate privacy. The app does not compromise privacy or collect your personal information. Use of the app is completely voluntary and anonymous. The app will never track your location. Privacy is protected because your data is kept anonymous and is not identifiable to any individual. Any data you voluntarily choose to share is anonymous and can be deleted at any time. Learn more about the app's expert-vetted security and privacy here.

As you go about your day, the app uses Bluetooth to sense when another person with the same app comes within 6 feet of you. Your phone exchanges a secure random code with the other phone to record your proximity.

 If the app notes that you've been within 6 feet of someone for more than 10 minutes, the app adds their phone's random code to a list of close contacts. When a fellow app user tests positive for COVID-19, a Case Investigator from the county health department will ask if the person is willing to share the app's list of "close contact" codes to help protect other people. Sharing your list is secure and private. The app never reveals who you are to anyone.

Each day, the list of codes for "confirmed cases" is sent to every phone that has the app. The app compares its own list of close contact codes to the list of confirmed cases. If there's a match, the app displays a COVID Alert. Using these lists of anonymous codes, the alert is kept private. No one ever knows who generated the COVID Alert. Neighboring states including New Jersey and Pennsylvania have launched Exposure Notification Apps that work in concert with New York's.

Alerts can only come from other people who use the app, so we need as many New Yorkers as possible to download the app.

 Download the app on your iPhone here.  Download the app on your Android device here.

 

Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Past Updates from CB8