editorial 
 Bronx COVID-19 deaths on the rise 
 BY JASON COHEN 
 While only 20 percent of the borough  
 has COVID-19 compared to 33  
 percent  in  Queens  and  27  percent  
 in  Brooklyn,  the  disease  is  killing  
 many more people in our borough. 
 A total of 772 people have died in  
 the Bronx from coronavirus, which  
 is more than twice the Manhattan,  
 where  the  death  toll  is  255.  These  
 numbers  should  not  surprise  anyone. 
 It is known that all of the hospitals  
 in the fi ve boroughs are struggling  
 to  fi nd  beds  and  protective  
 gear,  but  the  Bronx  has  its  own  
 unique  set  of  issues.  People  with  
 pre-existing  conditions  such  as  
 asthma,  lung  problems  or  diabetes  
 are  prone  to  the  virus  and  numerous  
 Bronxites have these. 
 Elected  offi cials  Assemblywoman  
 Nathalia  Fernandez  and  
 Senator  Alessandra  Biaggi  and  
 Community Board 11 District Manager  
 Jeremy  Warneke  all  understand  
 why the numbers are high. 
 “We  have  some  of  the  greatest  
 poverty  levels  in  the  nation,”  
 Warneke  said.  “That  seems  to  the  
 crux  of  people  dying,  underlying  
 conditions.” 
 According  to  Biaggi,  the  borough  
 is  a  hotspot  for  diabetes  and  
 asthma.  There  are  pockets  of  food  
 deserts,  so  people  with  diabetes  
 can’t get healthy food and developer  
 Robert  Moses  many  years  ago  put  
 countless highways throughout the  
 Bronx, which has led to some of the  
 highest  asthma  rates  in  the  country. 
 Biaggi explained the high deaths  
 are  no  coincidence.  She  stressed  
 these concerns were here before the  
 coronavirus  epidemic  and  will  be  
 here after. Even, God willing, when  
 a  vaccine  is  found,  people  need  to  
 look at the larger picture, she said. 
 “Systemic  and  economic  inequalities  
 make  it  almost  impossible  
 to come out of poverty if you live  
 in  certain areas  of  the Bronx,”  the  
 senator said. “It’s disgraceful.” 
 Another  problem  is  the  lack  of  
 testing  sites  in  the  borough.  Currently, 
  there are ones at Jacobi Hospital, 
  Baychester Mall in Co-op City  
 and  Lehman  College.  Just  three  
 places, what a joke. 
 Not  driving  and  navigating  the  
 awful  subway  system  is  already  a  
 challenge.  Imagine  being  sick  and  
 having  nowhere  to  get  tested  that  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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 BRONX TIMES R 12     EPORTER, APR. 10-16, 2020 BTR 
 you can’t get to without a car. 
 On  Tuesday,  a  group  of  elected  
 offi cials,  including  Assemblyman  
 Michael  Blake  sent  a  letter  to  the  
 governor  asking  for  a  medical  facility  
 and testing  site to be created  
 at  Harlem  River  Yards  on  12  acres  
 of land. Also, on March 30, Councilwoman  
 Vanessa Gibson sent a letter  
 to  the  city  requesting  a  site  in  the  
 south Bronx. 
 “We  need  one  in  the  south  
 Bronx,”  Fernandez  said.  She  noted  
 that  the  south  Bronx  has  higher  
 asthma  rates  than  the  rest  of  the  
 borough, so not having a site there  
 make no sense and endangers lives. 
 Meanwhile,  Warneke  said  residents  
 aren’t  helping  themselves  either. 
   Some  people  in  his  district  
 have broken chains on playgrounds  
 to  play  sports,  some  aren’t  following  
 social  distancing  in  supermarkets  
 and last month, Luke’s Lounge,  
 1808 Hone Ave. in Morris Park, operated  
 after  the  shutdown  and  lost  
 its liquor license. 
 “I’ve  seen  people  constantly  
 posting  on  social  media  playing  
 basketball,” Warneke  said.  “Unfortunately, 
   people  aren’t  taking  this  
 seriously.” 
 Senator  Alessandra  Biaggi  is  not  surprised  the  
 Bronx  has  high  fatality  numbers  for  COVID-19  
   Photo Courtesy Offi ce of Senator Alessandra Biaggi 
 Making Sense of the Census 
 By  Julie  Menin,  Director  of  NYC  
 Census  2020  AND  Kristina  Newman- 
 Scott, President of BRIC. 
 With COVID-19 at the top of everyone’s  
 minds,  it’s  important  to  take  a  
 moment  to  appreciate  and  thank  the  
 workers that are keeping our city going. 
   From  our  doctors,  nurses  and  
 health  officials,  to  bus  drivers  and  
 conductors,  to  the  essential  workers  
 keeping our city running, we’re relying  
 on our public services more and  
 more every day. 
 And now, they’re counting on us. 
 Because to keep our public services  
 fully funded and working for the  
 next decade, we need to make sure all  
 of us are counted in the 2020 Census.  
 This is why NYC Census 2020 and  
 BRIC  partnered  to  create a new PSA  
 demonstrating why doing  the  census  
 is one of  the most  important ways  to  
 support our communities in these difficult  
 times.  
 With the coronavirus introducing  
 new  challenges  to  our  communities,  
 the  census  could  not  be more  important. 
  Now more than ever, we are seeing  
 Our  
 Heroes  
 Are  
 Counting  
 On Us 
 how much we all rely on our public  
 services: our hospitals, healthcare,  
 roads and bridges, transit, schools  
 and countless other programs. 
 The  census  is  also  vital  because  
 census  data  is  being  used  to  determine  
 our  responses  to  crises.  The  
 communities hit hardest by COVID-19  
 are some of the most historically undercounted  
 in the census. If New York  
 City does not have a complete count, it  
 hurts the funding, political representation, 
  and data needed to serve these  
 communities.  
 Luckily, since the census is available  
 online,  over  the  phone,  and  by  
 mail,  you  can  get  counted  on  your  
 own  from home. In  other words,  you  
 can still fight for social justice while  
 social distancing. 
 “Making Sense of the Census” is a  
 weekly  column  from  Julie  Menin,  Director  
 of NYC Census 2020.  Every week  
 we will be publishing pieces from Julie  
 and guest authors laying out the facts  
 and answering  tough  questions  about  
 this year’s census. Fill out the census  
 now at my2020census.gov. 
  
  
  
  
 
				
/my2020census.gov
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