Coronavirus Impact - News You Need To Know
SMALL BUSINESS AID
The Bronx Small Business Development
Center at Lehman College
is working remotely to provide local
businesses impacted by the coronavirus
outbreak with fi nancial aid loans
and grants.
The center is processing U.S. Small
Business Administration disaster recovery
loans and is working with the
NYC Department of Small Business
Services to help qualify businesses for
low-interest loans and employee retention
grants.
The loans may be used to pay fi xed
debts, payroll, accounts payable and
other bills that can’t be paid because of
the disaster’s impact. The interest rate
is 3.75 percent for small businesses
without credit available elsewhere;
businesses with credit available elsewhere
are not eligible. The interest
rate for non-profi ts is 2.75 percent.
More information can be found at
www.nyssbdc.org.
Interested business owners may
call (718) 960-8806, email bronx.sbdc@
lehman.cuny.edu for more information.
ART GALLERY CLOSED
The Lehman Art Gallery is closed
to visitors due to the coronavirus outbreak,
but the entire Young Gifted
and Black catalog is available for
browsing online on its website. The
works explore themes of race, class,
politics and human dignity via various
mediums, including painting,
drawing, portraiture, sculpting,
multimedia, metaworks and new materials.
“We value our close ties to this
community, where we regularly partner
with four senior centers and more
than a dozen of the borough’s schools,”
said Lehman Art Gallery director Bartholomew
Bland.
“While we are closed, we want to
stay connected to the people who regularly
engage with our programming
at the Gallery, and we look forward
to thinking of new ways of practicing
‘creative distancing’ that will keep us
in touch,” he said.
The Gallery has an ongoing Instagram
challenge. Lehman Remote
Draw asks students, faculty, staff, visitors
and gallery artists to share their
own drawings or other graphical depictions
of one of the campus’s most
recognizable public art pieces, Olmec,
The King.
The three-ton sculpture, a replica
of “The King,” was the fi rst of its type
to be unearthed in San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán,
Veracruz, Mexico, in 1964.
Olmec heads are representative of the
pre-Mayan Olmec civilization which
excelled in science, mathematics, astronomy,
architecture, and especially
sculpture.
The sculpture was a gift from
Mexico to Lehman College, CUNY
to celebrate the fi rst anniversary of
the CUNY Institute of Mexican Studies.
Tag the Gallery @lc_art_gallery to
be featured.
ART GALLERY ONLINE
Lehman College Art Gallery’s mission
continues during these diffi cult
times. Enjoy some of their remote programs
while the gallery is closed. Find
them on social media @lc_art_gallery
and learn more about the current exhibition,
history of the gallery and public
art on Lehman College Campus and
in the Bronx .
NYC PARKS COVID-19 UPDATE
NYC parks and playgrounds remain
open to provide New Yorkers
of all ages with solitary, active recreational
opportunities. While in parks
and playgrounds, it is critical to practice
social distancing among people
who do not live in the same household.
NYPD and Parks Enforcement Patrol
offi cers are monitoring activities, and
NYC Parks is installing new signage
to warn adults/parents/guardians and
children to maintain social distancing.
Over the next week, NYC Parks
will evaluate compliance and adopt
more stringent rules if needed.
NYC Parks has already banned
team sports and suspended all permits
for organized sports and large gatherings,
and installed advisory signage at
all athletic fi elds and courts. The city
has increased the presence of NYPD
and Parks Enforcement Patrol offi cers
to enforce social distancing. The city
is closely coordinating with the state
to evaluate these efforts and will consider
expanded restrictions as necessary.
In addition, Parks has closed all nature
centers and recreation centers,
and many concessions, including ice
rinks, amusement parks, carousels,
tennis facilities and public courts. All
Shape Up NYC fi tness classes, Urban
Park Ranger tours, and outdoor events
including the annual Street Games festival
have been cancelled until further
notice. For all updates on park service
changes and closures, go to: https://
www.nycgovparks.org/about/healthand
safety-guide/coronavirus.
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,4 MARCH 27-APRIL 2, 2020 BTR
NEW NYS RULES
Every New Yorker must stay at
home from work, unless they are an
essential worker. Exemptions from the
order will include shipping, media,
warehousing, grocery and food production,
pharmacies, healthcare providers,
utilities, banks and related fi -
nancial institutions.
All non-essential businesses that
are normally open to the public must
remain closed. Bars and restaurants
may provide takeout.
Also, all non-essential gatherings
of any size for any reason are banned.
For more information on this executive
order from the Governor, visit the
NYS Department of Health website.
WHEDco’s RESPONSE
TO COVID-19
WHEDco remains committed to
supporting its south Bronx community
during and certainly in the aftermath
of the COVID-19 crisis.
Following the city’s guidance and
in an effort to support the health and
wellbeing of the individuals and families
WHEDco serves, the staff, and the
overall community, that have made
the diffi cult decision to close temporarily
the Early Childhood Discovery
Center, Afterschool Programs and the
Bronx Music Heritage Center. They
have also reduced in-person interactions
with clients participating in its
programs and transitioned to providing
services to meet clients’ needs
through other means.
ALERTS SPEAK
ALL LANGUAGES
Notify NYC alerts are now available
in other languages.
To update your preferred language,
visit www.NYC.gov/notifynyc and
modify your account settings.
To refer your friends and family to
this service please visit https://a858-
nycnotify.nyc.gov/notifynyc/Home/
ReferAFriend.
Please contact NotifyNYC@oem.
nyc.gov with questions or concerns.
SOCIAL SECURITY COVID-19 UPDATE
“I want you to hear directly from
me how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting
our services. The fi rst thing
you should know is that we continue to
pay benefi ts. Be aware that scammers
may try to trick you into thinking the
pandemic is stopping your Social Security
payments but that is not true.
Don’t be fooled, said Andrew Saul,
Commissioner of Social Security.
“To protect you and help stop the
spread of this coronavirus, we cannot
accept visitors in our offi ces at this
time. There are several other ways you
can get help. Many services are available
online at www.socialsecurity.gov.
If you have a critical need that you
cannot address online, we can help
you over the phone.
“Please visit our COVID-19 web
page at www.socialsecurity.gov/coronavirus/
to fi nd out what services we
are continuing and which ones we are
suspending, how to contact us, and important
information about deadlines
we are extending to ease the burden
on you and medical providers during
this pandemic.”
FERRY SERVICE SCHEDULE
The NYC Ferry will remain open
but will operate on a modifi ed schedule
until further notice. Starting Monday,
March 23, weekend schedules
will remain the same, while weekday
schedules will be operating with a reduced
frequency to account for lower
ridership.
Riders are strongly encouraged to
download the NYC Ferry mobile app
and activate push notifi cations to receive
the latest status of the system as
well as to avoid using paper tickets to
reduce contact points for crew.
BODEGA DELIVERY APP
To help New Yorkers get groceries
during these diffi cult times a new free
mobile application has been launched.
My Bodega Online will help bodega
owners manage online orders and dispatch
deliveries in 10 minutes.
The app, My Bodega Online, has
been developed locally with the help of
the Bodega and Small Business Association
of New York and JungleWork, a
primer on-demand technology service
provider.
Bodega owners can register for free
by visiting the website: www.mybodega.
online The public can download
the My Bodega Online mobile app from
Google Play or the App Store or by visiting
www.mybodega.online.
COMMMUNITY
BOARD 12 ACCESS
Community Board 12 staff are teleworking
from their homes.
All concerns regarding complaints
should be called into 311 and then you
can follow-up with by providing the
311-tracking number via the phone
numbers or email printed below.
George Torres – (718) 944-3307 or
gtorres@cb.nyc.gov
Ursula Greene – (718) 944-3305 or
ugreene@cb.nyc.gov
RIDING OUT THE STORM...Paddy’s on the Bay, on Pennyfi eld Avenue, is sealed tight waiting
for the coronavirus pandemic to subside.
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