May 21, 2020 By Allie Griffin New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer wants the city to open beaches and pools — and refuted the mayor’s pool-less plan for summer in the Big Apple. Mayor Bill de Blasio has prohibited swimming at city beaches — which would normally open for the season this Memorial Day weekend… Read more »
May 20, 2020 By Allie Griffin Mayor Bill de Blasio outlined a new plan today to combat coronavirus outbreaks at nursing homes across the five boroughs. The city will offer onsite COVID-19 testing, additional personnel at all 169 nursing homes in New York City beginning next week. It will also create an outbreak response team… Read more »
May 20, 2020 By Allie Griffin City Council Member and Queens borough president candidate Costa Constantinides is calling on the city to create 10 miles of commercial corridors — where streets are shut to traffic and local restaurants can open “European-style” sidewalk cafe space. The proposal is part of a plan Constantinides announced today that… Read more »
May 20, 2020 By Allie Griffin Three immigrant street vendors were issued summonses by the NYPD for selling tamales and flowers on Monday — sparking outrage from activists and elected officials over the enforcement during a pandemic that has burdened the immigrant community. The vendors were ticketed for selling tamales and flowers inside Corona Plaza… Read more »
May 19, 2020 By Allie Griffin A new COVID-19 testing center will open at a Woodside church Thursday, State Sen. Michael Gianaris announced today. The testing site will open inside St. Sebastian’s Church, located at 58-02 Roosevelt Ave. from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily from May 21 through May 26. COVID-19 diagnostic and antibody… Read more »
May 19, 2020 By Allie Griffin A Queens Supreme Court Judge has ruled to uphold Governor Andrew Cuomo’s order cancelling the special election for Queens borough president — effectively kicking Jim Quinn out of the race. Quinn, a former prosecutor in the Queens District Attorney’s Office, filed a lawsuit demanding the special election be reinstated… Read more »
May 19, 2020 By Allie Griffin The Queens District Attorney has launched a new human trafficking bureau — becoming the first prosecutor’s office in New York City to have a dedicated bureau to combat sex and labor trafficking. The bureau will prosecute traffickers and buyers of sex and will also connect survivors of trafficking with… Read more »
May 18, 2020 By Allie Griffin The poorer you are in New York City, the more likely you will die from COVID-19, newly released data from the city’s Health Department shows. The death rate increases as income diminishes, according to COVID-19 data released today. The higher the poverty level the worse the likely outcome. The… Read more »
May 18, 2020 By Allie Griffin Council Member Daniel Dromm has endorsed an insurgent candidate for state assembly district 34. Dromm formally endorsed Jessica González-Rojas this morning in Jackson Heights. She hopes to unseat six-term incumbent Michael DenDekker in a district that covers Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst and parts of Woodside and Corona. González-Rojas, according… Read more »
May 18, 2020 By Allie Griffin New York City’s largest urgent care chain CityMD is offering free COVID-19 diagnostic testing to uninsured New Yorkers, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Sunday. Every New Yorker can now get tested for COVID-19 at any CityMD location at no out-of-pocket cost. Those with insurance will not have to make… Read more »