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Borough President Richards calls for the
creation of NYC Offi ce of COVID Recovery
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Queens Borough President Donovan
Richards on Thursday, Jan. 13, called
for the establishment of an NYC Office
of COVID Recovery to create a more
streamlined and centralized approach
toward fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NYC Office of COVID Recovery
would strengthen and expand the city’s
COVID-19 testing apparatus; improve
language access for city residents; foster
communication between city agencies
and elected officials; and partner with
community-based organizations to distribute
vaccine incentives and more, according
to Richards. The agency would
also oversee the Test & Trace Corps,
which is currently operated by NYC
Health + Hospitals.
“As omicron surges and COVID-19
cases continue to rise nearly two years
after the start of this unprecedented
pandemic, which has killed more than
10,000 of our Queens residents and devastated
our borough’s economy, we understand
that we need to take control of
our response to COVID-19,” Richards
said during a virtual media roundtable.
“COVID-19 won’t be just a memory anytime
soon; we need to brace ourselves
and organize for our new normal going
forward.”
According to Richards, the NYC Office
of COVID Recovery would alleviate
unnecessary administrative burdens
from both the NYC Department of Health
and the NYC Health + Hospitals system.
“Over the past two years, it has felt
like the ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Squid
Games’ when it comes to organizing
our response, whether it’s inter-agency
or working through elected officials,”
Richards said. “If we are going to beat
COVID-19 once and for all, we want the
public to get shots in their arms, we want
people to social distance and wear their
mask, but we also need a government
that would function at the highest level.”
In terms of leadership for the office,
the borough president said that a commissioner
should be appointed to be held
accountable for responses, and a dedicated
liaison for each borough to work
with elected officials and community
organizations.
“We are going two years in and we
shouldn’t be making the same junior or
rookie errors into 2022. We anticipate
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards on Jan. 13 called for the establishment of an NYC Office of COVID Recovery to
create a more streamlined and centralized approach toward fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann
and want this office to strengthen and be
proactive in its approach when it comes
to testing apparatus,” Richards said.
While Queens Borough Hall is continuing
to advocate for testing sites to
be equitably distributed across the borough,
Richards said they’re making
some progress in some areas that didn’t
have a single vaccination site and are
working to identify testing gaps in other
locations.
“We need a more coordinated response
where the city actually looks
at gaps. I couldn’t understand why College
Point and Forest Hills didn’t have
a testing site set up by H+H,” Richards
said. “Even though our jobs as elected
officials is certainly to point those gaps
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.18 COM | JAN. 21 - JAN. 27, 2022
out, I believe it’s the city’s responsibility
to also be proactive in these spaces
and finding locations as well.”
Richards said he is working with
Councilwoman Selvena Brooks-Powers,
who has been on the front lines
fighting for vaccine and testing access
for her district since she was elected to
office last year, to introduce legislation
to codify the NYC Office of COVID Recovery.
“Some will ask, how long will this
office exist? I don’t see us getting out of
the woods anytime soon, but certainly
looking at a sunset option as we see
the numbers really decrease would be
something that we put in the bill as it’s
drafted,” Richards said.
As testing sites have been popping
up across the borough, Richards
stressed the importance of adults and
children between the ages of 5 to 11 to
get vaccinated.
Recently, Queens became the first
county in New York state to have more
than 2 million residents receive their
first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. On
Jan. 12, the city Health Department’s
data showed that 90% of Queens adults
have received at least one dose of the
vaccine.
According to Richards, it’s another
major milestone for Queens, “showing
the borough’s strength, resilience, resolve
and a collective comeback” amid
the pandemic.
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