Masks down, sleeves up
only if we all share the responsibility
together of protecting
ourselves and each other from
this virus.
So if you haven’t already
done so, we remind you again:
Get the COVID-19 vaccine. It’s
safe, and it works. It has gotten
us to the point of fully reopening,
and it will keep us from
ever taking a step backward
into the deadly abyss.
We owe it to ourselves to
do everything we can to stop
COVID-19 in its tracks for
good. This vaccine is the way
to do it.
COURIER LIFE, MAY 21-27, 2021 23
EDITORIAL
for COVID-19, you can
go about life without a mask
except if you’re riding public
transportation or in congregate
settings like hospitals or
But if you haven’t been vaccinated
yet, you’ll still need to
wear the mask indefi nitely.
So many of the people who
protested the mask mandate
in the fi rst place and didn’t
bother complying with it probably
don’t care too much about
For more than a year, New
York state mandated that everyone
wear masks when out
in public, following the science
which showed that COVID-19
was at its most communicable
through coughing, sneezing
and spittle.
A small yet boisterous minority
of people protested this
mandate as a violation of one’s
freedom. They had, in fact,
abandoned personal responsibility
at a time of a worldwide
health emergency — foregoing
a sense of the common good in
favor of indulging themselves.
The mask mandate was
never tyranny. It was a temporary
with COVID-19 rates plummeting,
into millions of arms and the
science showing just how protected
the time had come to make the
change.
so do large venues with large
numbers of seats for fully vaccinated
returning to something close
to a pre-pandemic normal.
We’re fi nally in a position to
get beyond this pandemic, but
OP-ED
Back on May 13, the Centers
for Disease Control
and Prevention issued
new guidance which indicated
that people who are fully vaccinated
against COVID-19 no
longer have to worry about
wearing masks in most public
places.
It apparently took Governor
Andrew Cuomo the weekend
to process this before fi -
nally announcing on May 17
that New York would adopt the
mandate two days later.
If you’re a New Yorker,
and you’ve been fully vaccinated
doctor’s offi ces.
the change.
solution to a dangerous
problem in society. And
the vaccine getting
vaccinated people are,
Now, as the city reopens,
New Yorkers. Life is
Mayor de Blasio: Fulfi ll your promise to
NYC foster youth — we’re counting on you
BY CHANTAL FERNANDEZ
Like many ninth graders
in New York City, I have faced
several challenges throughout
the pandemic: keeping my
grades up in a virtual school
setting, attempting to be active
while in quarantine and
trying to stay grounded despite
all of the changes in my
life.
The diffi culties brought on
by COVID-19 have been even
more challenging because I
am one of the 4,000 youth in
New York City’s foster care
system. On top of transitioning
into my fi rst year of high
school remotely, I have had
the responsibility of keeping
myself and my 10-year-old
brother together as we moved
from placement to placement
throughout the last few
years.
Last spring when the pandemic
hit, my brother and I
were truly in a contending
situation while placed in our
last home. School was closed
and we were required to stay
in the home constantly. My
mental health began to deteriorate.
There were no breaks.
Life started to feel redundant.
Thankfully, Fair Futures
was there to make sure I
wasn’t alone, and that I had
the support I needed to make
it through the pandemic.
Fair Futures is a citywide
program that currently supports
over 3,000 middle and
high schoolers in foster care
with one-on-one coaching, academic
and other support services
to help us thrive in the
system and succeed after we
age out of care. It has been a
lifeline for me but now it’s future
is in jeopardy if it doesn’t
get funding from the city.
Yet, despite touting his
commitment to New York foster
youth, Mayor de Blasio
gutted funding for Fair Futures
in his Executive Budget.
If he does not reconsider this
decision, my peers and I will
lose one of our most critical
lifelines. I’m urging Mayor de
Blasio to baseline $20 million
in funding for Fair Futures
in the Adopted Budget to ensure
that kids like me get the
support we need to thrive in
foster care and succeed in college
or jobs as young adults.
Without this program, I’m
not sure where I would be
right now. Fair Futures does
so much for young people:
they provide emotional support,
academic support, housing
support and create a safe
space for youth in care to be
connected with one another.
My aspirations in life are
to graduate from Harvard,
become a lawyer and advocate
for youth in foster care.
Prior to the pandemic, schoolwork
was easy to excel in despite
the adversities of being
in foster care. Dealing with
the added effects of COVID-19,
it became impossible to fi nd
motivation in anything.
Thankfully, I was paired with
a coach in the program and
with her help we were able to
get me back on track.
With my coach’s support,
I feel I am able to handle anything
that comes my way. My
coach has helped me transfer
into a school of my choice,
fi nd a geometry tutor, enroll
in an SAT prep program and
apply to be a member of the
Fair Futures Youth Advisory
Board. We often talk about my
plans for college and are planning
to take in-person college
tours when it’s safer to do so.
Most importantly, my
coach has never failed to provide
support in times of need.
She is available and always ensures
a safe environment for
me to express myself. When I
was feeling discouraged and
dispirited a few months ago,
she managed to check in on
me numerous times, even
when I was unresponsive.
My coach believes in me.
She motivates me to get things
done. Thanks to my coach I
feel happier, optimistic and
more supported.
Mr. Mayor, youth like myself
in foster care are more
likely than our peers to end
up either homeless, doing
drugs or in jail. But Fair Futures
is proven to help us beat
the odds against us and reach
our full potential.
I am one of many voices
speaking out because I fear
what will happen to me and
all the youth engaged in this
program if the funding for
Fair Futures is not provided.
All we’re asking for is a
chance to succeed. Please listen
to us and ensure necessary
Fair Futures funding is
in the Adopted Budget so we
can reach the bright and fair
future we deserve.
Chantal Fernandez is a New
York City high school student.
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