Community Announcements / Events

JANUARY 11th RESOURCES AND UPDATES:
 

First, some news about COVID vaccines to start off the week. H/t to MBP Brewer for these great tips.

1. Figure out if you’re eligible here (NYC Dept. of Health site) or here (NYS site-- if it doesn’t work in one browser, try another). The Governor expanded eligibility to several groups (Phase 1b) starting today (1/11). They are:

People age 75+
Public-facing grocery store workers
First responders and support staff
Correctional facility staff
P-12 schools, college, and child care staff (including school bus drivers)
Public transit employees (including airport and airline staff)
People living, working, or volunteering in congregate homeless shelters

The groups already eligible (phase 1a) are:

Health care workers and public health professionals who see patients in person
Home health aides
Nursing home residents and staff
Staff and residents in facilities run by various NYS health agencies (Offices for People With Developmental Disabilities, Mental Health, and Addiction Services)
Medical examiners, coroners, and many funeral home workers
Lab staff working with COVID-19 specimens or those administering vaccines

2. If you are eligible, make an appointment:

Ask your primary care provider if they are administering vaccines,
Use the NYC COVID vaccine finder,
Call the NYC vaccine hotline (877-VAX-4NYC or 877-829-4692), 8 am - 9 pm, for a NYC Health + Hospital vaccine clinic (phone wait times may be long, so be patient), or
Contact providers listed in the NYS eligibility survey.

JANUARY 4th RESOURCES AND UPDATES:
 

Last Saturday, the day after Christmas, the United States reached a grim milestone: 1 in 1,000 Americans have died from COVID-19. (The Census Bureau estimates the U.S. population at around 330,750,000. Saturday afternoon, deaths from COVID-19 reached 331,116, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

DECEMBER 21st RESOURCES AND UPDATES:
 

Hospitalizations could approximately double in one month if the current rate of growth continues. The fall and winter surge could lead to 11,000 people hospitalized with COVID and 3,500 additional fatalities in a month if the current rate continues.

DECEMBER 14th RESOURCES AND UPDATES:
 

Sandra Lindsay, a frontline ICU nurse and New Yorker, became the first American to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in a non-trial setting. Sandra received the vaccination at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens.

DECEMBER 7th RESOURCES AND UPDATES:
 

Amid a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, the City advised older adults and at-risk New Yorkers to limit non-essential activities. Older adults and people with underlying health conditions who are at an increased risk of severe COVID-related illness should limit activities outside of the home to essential tasks such as commuting to work or school, medical care, groceries, and pharmacy necessities.

NOVEMBER 30th RESOURCES AND UPDATES:
 

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced yesterday (11/29) that K-5 schools and 3-K and pre-K programs will reopen next Monday, 12/7. All District 75 special education grades will reopen Thursday, 12/10. (The Mayor said today that middle and high school students are unlikely to return before January.

NOVEMBER 23rd RESOURCES AND UPDATES:
 

The State launched a new web application to help New Yorkers find state services and benefits. The "Find Services" web application was developed in partnership with Google.org, to assist New Yorkers in locating appropriate services with one streamlined web application.

NOVEMBER 16th RESOURCES AND UPDATES:
 

The State prepared a chart for the red, orange and yellow zones to outline restrictions

The red zone in Brooklyn met the State’s criteria to become an orange zone, allowing fewer restrictions.

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.

OCTOBER 30th RESOURCES AND UPDATES:
 

To help New Yorkers make informed decisions on Halloween activities, the NYS Department of Health published Halloween guidance, with recommended activities and Do's and Don'ts for a safe Halloween. We advise New Yorkers to refrain from traditional trick-or-treating where treats are handed out at the door and where it would be difficult to maintain social distance.