Editorial
Just not enough
More than a month after the fi rst
COVID-19 vaccine was administered
in New York outside of
a clinical trial, it’s increasingly diffi cult to
fi nd a shot in New York City.
The COVID-19 vaccine is in short supply
here, and elsewhere across the United
States. Right now, anyone over 65 years of
age — or any worker deemed essential, such
as doctors, nurses, police offi cers, EMTs,
teachers — are eligible to get it, but there
aren’t enough shots for everyone just yet.
In New York state alone, 7 million people
are eligible now for the shot; about 1.2
million doses of the two-shot vaccine have
been administered as of Monday, but only
about 120,000 fi rst doses remain available.
And there are about 12 million men,
women and children in New York who
aren’t on the priority list but will ultimately
need the vaccine.
How do we get this crisis resolved?
Simple: Produce and acquire more vaccines,
and take the time to get it done right.
Unfortunately, it won’t be as quick as we
want it to be.
Next month, the FDA could provide
emergency authorization for the use of the
one-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19
vaccine, provided it meets all safety requirements.
The company could produce
a billion doses for a billion people by the
end of this year, according to reports.
Having three approved vaccines in circulation,
including a single-dose version,
would fi nally be the vaccine breakthrough
the city, country and world need.
Late on Tuesday afternoon, President
Biden announced that the government
would seek to buy 200 million more doses
of the Pfi zer and Moderna vaccines — expected
to be delivered this summer. That’s
50% higher than the previous order made
by Biden’s predecessor, but the increased
order will ensure that up to 300 million
Americans can get the vaccine.
There’s not enough vaccines at the moment,
but they’re coming. Biden acknowledged
that it will take months for the vast
majority of Americans to be vaccinated. It’s
not fast enough for anyone — but sadly, this
pandemic cannot be resolved with speed
alone.
Only through science, determination
and resilience can we get over this crisis.
And we will.
Op-ed
Mayor de Blasio
must reauthorize
emergency funding
to help feed hungry
New Yorkers
BY CITY COUNCIL SPEAKER
COREY JOHNSON,
MET COUNCIL CEO DAVID
GREENFIELD AND
UNITED WAY OF NEW YORK CITY
PRESIDENT AND
CEO SHEENA WRIGHT
New York City will be hurting for
a long time.
We have lost family, friends,
neighbors and loved ones in the fi ght
against COVID-19 and its many rippling
devastations. Millions of New Yorkers
are out of work. Our seniors are homebound
and isolated. Children are out
of school, and away from friends and
teachers, as their parents struggle to put
food on the table.
We want to rebuild a city where all
New Yorkers can thrive, but right now
New Yorkers are hungry and struggling
to afford basic needs. The Council has
led the way calling for re-authorizing the
$25 million in emergency food pantry
funding distributed last May.Mayor de
Blasio must actagain. Millions of New
Yorkers still need this support.
As we plan for our fi scal future and
the healing this city will need for years
to come,it’s crucially important that we
don’t forget the millions of New Yorkers
hurting right now and the role our food
pantries play in helping them put food
on the table.
With the funding organizations that
serve the hungry received, they provided
millions of dollars worth of food,
direct fi nancial support and technical
assistance to the food pantries intheirnetworks.
This provided healthy and
nutritious meals to New Yorkers in need.
The three-way partnership between
the de Blasio administration, City
Council, and leaders of New York City’s
emergency food system was key to its
success. Met Council and United Way
of New York City worked closely with
the Mayor’s Offi ce of Food Policy, City
Council members, Catholic Charities,
City Harvest, Food Bank for New York,
and other organizations. These organizations
met regularly to assess needs and
develop a coordinated funds distribution
plan. This enabled decisions to be made
by organizations directly working in our
communities in need, but also facilitated
coordination to avoid overlap, ensured
equitable distribution in priority neighborhoods,
and maximized the reach of
the city’s funds for emergency food.
This benefi ted the entire ecosystem of
emergency food providers, ensuring no
community was overlooked.
Demand has never been so immense
or the situation so dire. Parentsare
reducing their own meals to feed their
children.
There are thousands of elderly New
Yorkers, including Holocaust survivors
and people with disabilities, who
are homebound,and vulnerable to
COVID-19. There are cab drivers and
college students who need support,
as well as small business owners who
went under in this challenging economic
and social environment. Families who
have lost a provider at home, especially
among Black and Brown communities,
are struggling fi nancially. New Yorkers
who are undocumented and have been
left out of federal relief depend on emergency
food providers for meals. Millions
of New Yorkers rely on assistance from
Met Council, United Way for New York
City and others to provide them with
safe, reliable access to healthy meals and
groceries. These are our neighbors, our
friends, our co-workers, and our family.
There is so much to do. While hope
is on the horizon, we cannot forget or
abandon those hurting right now as
more and more New Yorkers rely on food
pantries for survival every day.
Publisher of The Villager, Villager Express, Chelsea Now,
Downtown Express and Manhattan Express
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8 January 28, 2021 Schneps Media
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