De Blasio observes delivery of ‘a shot of hope’
to health care staff on pandemic’s frontlines
BY DEAN MOSES
On Monday afternoon,
after the fi rst batch of
Pfi zer vaccinations were
distributed to fi rst responders
at Long Island Jewish Medical
Center on the Queens/Nassau
border, Mayor Bill de Blasio arrived
at NYU Langone Health at
550 1st Ave. to observe a series of
vaccinations to more healthcare
workers.
Prior to the inoculation being
administered, de Blasio addressed
the press calling these frontline
workers heroes for setting an example
by protecting themselves so
that they can continue to protect
others.
“You are going to see a needle
go into their arms, but that is not
the shot that is most important.
What really matters is that we
are getting a shot of hope here in
New York City and all over the
Healthcare worker Tara Easter receives her vaccination at NYU Langone Health in Manhattan
on Monday, Dec. 14, 2020.
country,” de Blasio said.
The mayor is a fi rm believer
that this vaccine will help New
PHOTO BY MICHAEL APPLETON/MAYORAL PHOTOGRAPHY OFFICE
Yorkers move forward in this
pandemic, and in turn defeat the
virus. “To do that everyone needs
to be involved,” de Blasio stressed.
Approximately fi ve hospitals
administered vaccinations
Monday. According to the mayor,
NYC Health Commissioner Dr.
Dave Chokshi and the NYC
Health Department will be supervising
the dissemination of these
vaccinations throughout New
York City to ensure it’s effective
and speedy dispersal.
“Making sure that people get
this vaccination. That it is fast and
it is effective, and that we get it
out there to every corner of New
York City and the distribution is
equitable. We want to especially
focus on those 27 neighborhoods
that bore the brunt of this crisis in
communities of color,” de Blasio
said.
NYU is said to be at the center
of the trials for the Pfi zer vaccine
in New York City. The vaccination
requires two doses, which
must be done a few weeks apart,
and must be contained in an ultracold
storage refrigerator in order
to remain viable.
‘I do think it is needed’: Full NYC shutdown
could come after Christmas, mayor says
BY ALEJANDRA O’CONNELLDOMENECH
A day after warning that another
New York City shutdown could
happen soon, Mayor Bill de Blasio
indicated Tuesday that might occur right
after Christmas.
“I don’t say this with anything but sorrow,
but I do think it is needed, we are
going to need to do some kind of shutdown
in the weeks ahead,” de Blasio told reporters.
“If we implement that my nomination
would be right after Christmas.”
The shutdown would resemble the
spring’s New York state PAUSE, which
shuttered all non-essential businesses
across the state and stopped residential
and commercial evictions for 90 days. This
time, however, the city would be out of it
“in a matter of weeks” if the curve begins to
fl atten in January, the mayor noted.
City health offi cials on Tuesday reported
2,813 probable and confi rmed cases of
the virus and a 5.51% COVID-19 positive
rate based on a seven-day rolling average
across the fi ve boroughs. In addition, de
Blasio said 160 New York City residents
were admitted to a hospital with suspected
Times Square was completely desolate save a few people during the first wave
of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020.
COVID-19 symptoms with 53% testing
positive for the virus yielding a hospitalization
rate of 2.89 per 100,000.
Details about a potential post-Christmas
shutdown remain fl uid and in the works,
he added. Ultimately, it is the state’s call
on whether new restrictions will be placed
on the city.
FILE PHOTO
The mayor said on Tuesday that a second
PAUSE would most likely not impact
schools, but again, New York state would
make the call on whether to keep school
buildings open amid a citywide spike in
cases.
“We are seeing extraordinary success
and keeping our schools safe,” said de
Blasio. “I want to keep them open.”
Both of the mayor’s health advisors,
Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi
and Senior Advisor for Public Health Dr.
Jay Varma, support keeping schools open
during a second potential PAUSE order.
“What we have seen with our data
that we get from testing in schools…is
that schools are not increasing the rate
of transmission. People’s risk of getting
infected if you are a member of the school
community is either similar to or some
situations much less than it is for anybody
else in the community,” said Dr. Varma. “I
do feel strongly that we can keep the school
environment safe even while we have this
pandemic raging around us.”
Just over 740 students and adults have
tested positive for the virus between Oct. 9
and Dec. 12, according to the Department
of Education’s school-based testing report.
During that time, there have been 201,168
COVID-19 tests administered in schools
yielding a positivity rate of 0.37%
On Monday, Cuomo warned that New
York City, along with any other region in
the state will be declared a “red zone” and
put on pause if hospital capacity is projected
to reach 90% in three weeks.
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