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April 1, 2022 • Schneps Media
LOCAL NEWS OPED
BY BETH FINKEL
New York City’s older population
is growing, with
residents age 50 and over
accounting for nearly a third of
the city’s overall population and
expected to increase by 40 percent
in the next 20 years.
They need more support to
stay in the homes and neighborhoods
that they love. Instead, the
city wants to cut the budget for
aging services.
New Yorkers
50-plus deserve
better.
While the
New York
City Department
for the
Aging is not
the only city
agency facing
a proposed
budget cut, it
is an agency that is already short
on funds in comparison to the
population it serves, receiving
less than 0.5% of the overall city
budget.
Furthermore, the proposed
cut comes amid a pandemic —
still not fully behind us after two
years — in which older adults
have faced particularly signifi cant
challenges, including overwhelming
illness, social isolation, job
loss, and inequitable care. The
pandemic also prevented older
adults from accessing critical
community-based services that
are meant to support them to age
in place comfortably and safely.
Despite the pandemic’s challenges,
the human services
sector stepped up to provide
critical services for these programs.
These front-line heroes
literally saved lives, kept food
on the table, and kept older
adults connected to caregivers
and loved ones. Yet, these workers
are among the lowest paid in
the city.
Instead of a budget cut, now
is the time to bolster services
for older New Yorkers, including
more equitable funding
to support community-based
aging services.
Older adults who can’t leave
home often don’t have enough
food, home care, caregiving, or
social services. Many can’t even
afford their basic housing costs.
The city can
address these
needs with
funding that’s
not only humane,
but that
makes fi nancial
sense. After
all, helping
an older adult
live in their
home is signifi
cantly less
expensive than placing them in
institutional care.
To help older adults age in
their homes, the city’s next budget
must increase the reimbursement
rate for Senior Affordable
Rental Apartments, invest in the
home-delivered meal program,
and increase funding for case
management, caregiving, and
home care programs. And, as
the pandemic has demonstrated,
we need to expand virtual programming
and support technology
improvements to combat
social isolation, which is leading
to its own health and mental
health crises.
New Yorkers 50-plus made
New York the great city it is. They
deserve better. The city can help
them by funding the programs
and services that will enable
them to live in the neighborhoods
they built.
Beth Finkel is the state director
of AARP New York
People walk out of a Bed Bath & Beyond amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Man-
Can’t shake COVID
High-vaxxed Manhattan becomes hotbed of
new cases as BA.2 variant drives spike
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
The BA.2 subvariant of Omicron
is making the rounds
across New York City, driving
infection rates particularly
higher in Manhattan — where
most residents are vaccinated
against COVID-19.
Ten of the 15 areas of New York
City with the highest 7-day positivity
rates between March 18-24 are
in Manhattan, which has continually
led the city in vaccinations, according
to the city’s Department of
Health and Mental Hygiene. More
than 95% of all Manhattan residents
got at least the fi rst dose, while
82% are fully vaccinated. Close to
half of all residents (46%) also got a
booster shot, the highest in the city.
Of course, being vaccinated
against COVID-19 does not guarantee
one will avoid infection.
It does, however, increase the
chances that an infected person
experiences only mild symptoms
rather than a more severe case that
requires hospitalization.
Infection rates are climbing
across the city thanks to the new
subvariant. The city’s 7-day positivity
rate, as of March 27, stands at
2.26%, with a weekly average of
906 confi rmed COVID-19 cases.
Still, the hospitalization and death
rates continue to decrease.
The citywide transmission rate is
also climbing back up, standing at
90.33 cases per 100,000 residents
on March 27. But that higher number
is fueled by a very high transmission
rate in Manhattan, at 179.16
cases per 100,000; no other borough
exceeded the citywide average.
Tribeca (ZIP code 10007) had
the highest 7-day positivity rate between
March 18-24, at 9.49%, with
28 new cases detected during the period.
Three other Manhattan areas
REUTERS/CARLO ALLEGRI
exceeded 6% positivity during the
period, including two areas of the
Financial District (10006, 7.03%,
13 new cases/10005, 6.04%, 23
new cases) and Battery Park City
(10280, 6.62%, 19 new cases).
Five Manhattan communities
were among the eight New York
City neighborhoods with 100 or
more new COVID-19 infections between
March 18-24. Topping the list
was Manhattan Valley/Morningside
Heights/Upper West Side (10025),
which saw 177 new cases and a
4.4% 7-day positivity rate.
The other Manhattan areas
with 100 or more new cases were
Lincoln Square (10023, 123 new
cases, 4.42% 7-day positivity); Upper
West Side (10024, 123 new
cases, 5.38% positivity); Kips Bay/
Murray Hill/NoMad (10016, 107
new cases, 5.67%); and East Village/
Gramercy/Greenwich Village
(10003, 106 new cases 5.14%).
New Yorkers over 50
deserve better
“Instead, the
city wants to cut
the budget for
aging services.”
The Villager, Villager Express, Chelsea Now, Downtown Express and Manhattan Express
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