Field hospital coming
to Van Cortlandt Park
BY JASON COHEN
With temporary hospitals
established for COVID-19 patients
in Central Park and
the tennis stadium that host
the U.S. Open in Queens, one
is on its way to the Bronx as
well.
Over the weekend, Councilman
Andrew Cohen, FEMA
and the Van Cortlandt Park
Alliance announced a temporary
fi eld hospital will be
coming to the parade ground
at Van Cortlandt Park.
According to Cohen, the
alternate care site is expected
to be up and running within
three weeks and will provide
200 beds across 12 acres. Work
on the hospital started Saturday
by U.S. Army Corps and
FEMA. A FEMA representative
said the Van Cortlandt
Park facility is intended to
treat COVID-19 positive patients.
“The Van Cortlandt Park
Alliance is proud to do its
part during this unprecedented
situation,” the Van
Cortlandt Park Alliance said
on Facebook. “We will provide
additional details when
we can.”
Cohen and Assemblyman
Jeffrey Dinowitz praised
FEMA for this decision. They
also believe the site will be
run by Montefi ore.
“Proud the #Bronx
will support New York’s
#COVID19 response and our
historic park will provide
critical relief for our City’s
hospitals during this moment
of need,” Cohen said on Twitter.
“I love Van Cortlandt Park
and have always fought for it,
but right now this is a crisis,”
Dinowitz said. “I am so grateful
and admiring of all the
healthcare workers and other
frontline personnel who are
putting themselves at risk of
exposure so that we can save
as many lives as possible.”
Van Cortlandt Park, the future site of a temporary fi eld hospital for COVID-19 patients. File Photo
City to use Kingsbridge Armory as emergency food depot
BY JASON COHEN
What was used as a hub
for supplies and food post
Hurricane Sandy will once
again serve the same purpose.
In the wake of COVID-19
crisis, the EDC announced
Friday that the Kingsbridge
Armory will be used as an
emergency food distribution
center. EDC manages the armory
on behalf of the city
and facilitated the temporary
transfer of the premise
for emergency purposes in
connection with Covid-19.
The armory is in Councilman
Fernando Cabrera’s district
and he commended the
EDC for this decision.
“I’m pleased to announce
that at my recommendation
to New York City Economic
Development Corporation
(EDC), the Kingsbridge Armory
will now be used as a
food distribution center to
provide much needed support
and assistance during
the COVID-19 pandemic,”
Cabrera said. “The Kingsbridge
Armory — widely believed
to be the largest such
facility in the world — is an
invaluable resource in this
community. I’m proud that
this asset will be put to great
use to help New Yorkers in
this time of crisis.”
Families that sign up
through this portal can register
BRONX TIMES R 2 EPORTER, APR. 10-16, 2020 BTR
for a box with two days
worth of food and have them
delivered by TLC-registered
taxi drivers.
The criteria for families
are listed below, and TLClicensed
drivers can sign-up
here to work on this campaign.
They are compensated
at $15/hour plus $5/hour for
expenses.
The GetFoodNYC program
is available to you if
you:
• Are unable to go out and
get food for yourself.
• Do not have someone else
in your household who can
get food for you.
• Do not have a family member,
friend, or neighbor who
lives nearby who can get
food for you.
• Do not receive food from
Meals on Wheels, God’s
Love We Deliver or a similar
service.
• Are not able to afford food
delivery from a restaurant
or grocery store.
If you qualify, you should
note that each household can
only make one order every
two days.
Currently, orders are not
recurring. If you need additional
food, you should submit
a new order.
Orders placed before 11
a.m. will be delivered within
two days of the order date.
Orders placed after 11 a.m.
will be delivered within
three days of the order date.
Each person who needs
food will be given one box,
which is designed to last two
days.
GetFoodNYC will deliver
to a maximum of two people
in each household.
The amount of food delivered
is based on the number
of people in your household
who need food from this service.
GetFoodNYC will collect
information about any dietary
restrictions but cannot
guarantee those requests
can be met, based on food
supply.
TLC Driver Food Delivery
The City has created the
GetFoodNYC Food Delivery
Program to provide food for
coronavirus (COVID-19)-vulnerable
and food-insecure
New Yorkers not currently
served through existing food
delivery programs.
We are asking TLC-licensed
drivers to participate
in this important work by assisting
in delivering food to
New Yorkers who must stay
home.
Food distribution tents prepare shipments outside of the Kingsbridge
Armory Photo by Jewel Williams.