You are reading

Senior Centers Can Reopen Later This Month: Mayor

Mayor Bill de Blasio visiting a Manhattan senior center in 2019 (Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)

June 1, 2021 By Allie Griffin

Senior centers in New York City can reopen later this month after more than a year of being shut down, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday.

Indoor congregate activities can reopen on Monday, June 14, de Blasio said, and the centers can offer outdoor activities immediately.

“I’ve heard from so many seniors [that] they’re ready to go back to senior centers and I’m happy to announce our senior centers are coming back in New York City,” de Blasio said.

The city has been slow to reopen senior centers in comparison to retail services—since seniors face the greatest risk and chance of death from COVID-19.

“We know seniors bore the brunt of the COVID crisis — they were the most vulnerable,” de Blasio said. “We all had to do everything in our power to protect our seniors.”

He credited the high vaccination rate for the ability to reopen senior centers. Nearly 72 percent of city residents 65 and older have had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and more than 65 percent are fully vaccinated, according to city data.

Senior centers will be open to both vaccinated and unvaccinated New Yorkers. Social distancing rules, however, will continue to be in place at the facilities.

“We’ll be careful; we’ll be safe,” de Blasio said. “We’re going to make sure there is smart distancing and all the right precautions to keep our senior centers safe, but the time [to reopen the centers] is now.”

Local nonprofit leaders who run senior centers welcomed the mayor’s announcement.

“The re-opening of senior centers in New York City is an important milestone in the City’s fight against COVID-19 and it’s a step towards overcoming the social isolation many seniors felt,” said Judy Zangwill, Executive Director of Sunnyside Community Services, which operates the Center for Active Older Adults in Sunnyside.

The Center for Active Older Adults will reopen June 14 and Zangwill said she was excited to welcome the seniors back.

“We are overjoyed about this news and know that the seniors in our community are delighted as well,” Zangwill said. “It’s a clear signal that the city is returning to normal, even for the most vulnerable among us.”

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

ASPCA promotes free and low-cost vet care in Long Island City for National Pet Week

As National Pet Week begins across the country, the ASPCA is spotlighting its newest Community Veterinary Clinic in Long Island City as a model for increasing access to pet care in underserved neighborhoods.

The Queens clinic, which opened in September 2024 near Queens Plaza, is the third ASPCA-operated location in New York City, joining similar facilities in the Bronx and Brooklyn. Since its launch, the clinic has become a vital resource for pet owners in western Queens neighborhoods including Astoria, Sunnyside, Woodside and Jackson Heights, offering free and low-cost veterinary care to eligible families.

Jamaica man sentenced to life for brutal triple murder of girlfriend, her son and cousin in 2022: DA

A Jamaica man was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in Queens Supreme Court on Friday for the 2022 murders of his girlfriend, her son, and her cousin.

Travis Blake, 31, of 155th Street, was convicted by a jury last month of first-degree murder and other counts for the triple slaying in June 2022. The bodies of his victims were discovered with an array of puncture and blunt force wounds in a state of decomposition in their shared Jamaica home.

Hard Rock CEO outlines vendor opportunities for $8B Metropolitan Park casino project

May. 2, 2025 By Shane O’Brien

Hard Rock International Chairman and CEO Jim Allen addressed hundreds of Queens-based vendors and small business owners Thursday morning at the Queens Theatre, outlining how they could play a key role in shaping the proposed $8 billion Metropolitan Park casino and entertainment complex near Citi Field—if the project is awarded one of the three downstate gaming licenses up for grabs later this year.