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COVID-19 command center aims to prevent infections,
shutdowns at New York City public schools: Adams
BY JULIA MORO
Incumbent Donovan Richards
was sworn in as the borough
president during a small,
private ceremony on the steps
outside of Queens Borough
Hall on Friday, Dec. 31.
Richards beat his Republican
challenger, Thomas
Zmich, securing over 65%
of votes. Following a special
election, Richards became the
borough president last year
after his predecessor Melinda
Katz became the district attorney.
Richards was formerly
the councilman representing
the 27th District in southeast
Queens.
He will now serve a full
four-year term.
The borough president’s
wife, Tameeka, and son, Donovan
III, joined the swearing-in
ceremony last week as New
York City Clerk Michael Mc-
Sweeney administered the
City Charter-mandated oath of
office. Newly elected Queens
Deputy Borough President
Ebony Young was also in attendance.
“It is a great honor to
have the opportunity to continue
serving the 2.4 million
residents of the borough of
Queens,” Richards said. “I
TIMESLEDGER | Q 20 NS.COM | JAN. 7 - JAN. 13, 2022
know a great deal of trust and
faith has been placed in me to
lead our borough as it seeks
to emerge from the COVID-19
pandemic and enjoy a brighter
future. With the help and support
of the people of Queens,
we will make sure a brighter
future is ahead.”
Young said she is excited to
serve alongside Richards and
gave a “heartfelt congratulations”
to the borough president.
“It is a great privilege to
serve Queens as its deputy
borough president, and I look
forward to working with Borough
President Richards as he
begins his first full term in office,”
Young said. “I know that,
under the borough president’s
skillful and steadfast leadership,
we will succeed in implementing
his vision of a Queens
that works for everyone.”
The public inauguration
ceremony was scheduled for
Jan. 16, 2022. However, it has
been postponed due to the
surge in COVID-19 cases.
The new date has not been
determined.
BY ISABEL SONG BEER
The Department of Education
launched a COVID-19
command center to improve
communication between
school districts and principals
to help minimize infections
and prevent school
shutdowns, Mayor Eric Adams
and Schools Chancellor
David Banks said Monday
morning, Jan. 3.
During an appearance in
the Bronx, Adams said the
command center would be in
operation in order to combat
the omicron variant and to
keep schools open in accordance
with the “Stay Safe and
Stay Open” policy introduced
by former Mayor Bill de
Blasio last year.
“We want to be very clear,”
said Adams as he spoke at
Concourse Village Elementary
School in the Bronx on
Monday. “The safest place
for our children is in a school
building.”
The command center also
works to allow all school staff
to report pandemic-related issues,
including lack of staff
or issues with school testing
protocols.
“All indications are that we
are in a pretty good place right
now and we will be prepared
to make whatever adjustments
are needed,” Banks said.
Jan. 3 marked the start of
new in-class regulation including
doubling testing for
students both vaccinated and
unvaccinated, with teachers
and faculty also being eligible
and encouraged to test as
well.
Mayor Adams also
stressed that he wants to
mandate in-school testing,
but that approval needs to
come from the federal government
in order to be approved
and that he is currently working
wit Governor Kathy Hochul
to negotiate the change
in testing protocol.
Speaking at the American
Sign Language and English
Lower School in Manhattan,
President Michael Mulgrew of
the United Federation of Teachers
(UFT) expressed some hesitation
and concern with schools
reopening after the holidays
with record high numbers of
COVID-19 infections.
“Right now there is no protocol
for students who do contract
the virus and have parents
or guardians who work
full time, are immunocompromised
or otherwise unable to
tend to their sick children,”
Mulgrew told amNewYork
Metro. “The city needs to
come up with a program for
that and I told the mayor and
the chancellor that these are
situations we need contingencies
in place for.”
However, Adams reiterated
that schools are safer places
for children that homes stating
that “less than 1% of children
are infected,” whereas
“at home, over 15%,” although
it was unclear where he received
those statistics.
Meanwhile, Lydia Howrilka,
a union organizer with the
United Federation of Teachers
Solidarity expressed concern
with the decision to reopen
schools after the winter
break, calling it a “dangerous
and unsustainable plan” in an
email statement.
“We have been telling the
city for almost two years that
school buildings are not safe,”
Howrilka said. “The science
behind this virus is constantly
shifting and changing every
day. At this time, schools
are not safe for students and
staff. We must be fully remote
until we can have better access
to testing or until the
post-holiday surge of COVID
subsides.”
Mayor Eric Adams visits a Bronx elementary school with Schools
Chancellor David Banks and local elected leaders on Monday, Jan.
3, 2022. Photo by Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Offi ce
Donovan Richards is sworn in as Queens borough president alongside
his family on Dec. 31. Photo courtesy of Richards’ offi ce
Richards sworn in for full
term as borough president
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