18 THE QUEENS COURIER • JANUARY 20, 2022 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
BP Richards calls for creation of NYC Offi ce of COVID Recovery
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
CMOHAMED@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
Queens Borough President Donovan
Richards on Th ursday, Jan. 13, called for
the establishment of an NYC Offi ce of COVID
Recovery to create a more streamlined
and centralized approach toward fi ghting
the COVID-19 pandemic.
Th e NYC Offi ce of COVID Recovery
would strengthen and expand the city’s
COVID-19 testing apparatus; improve
language access for city residents; foster
communication between city agencies
and elected offi cials; and partner with
community-based organizations to distribute
vaccine incentives and more, according
to Richards. Th e agency would also oversee
the Test & Trace Corps, which is currently
operated by NYC Health + Hospitals.
“As omicron surges and COVID-19 cases
continue to rise nearly two years aft er the
start of this unprecedented pandemic,
which has killed more than 10,000 of
our Queens residents and devastated our
borough’s economy, we understand that
we need to take control of our response to
COVID-19,” Richards said during a virtual
media roundtable. “COVID-19 won’t be
just a memory anytime soon; we need to
brace ourselves and organize for our new
normal going forward.”
According to Richards, the NYC Offi ce
of COVID Recovery would alleviate unnecessary
administrative burdens from
both the NYC Department of Health and
the NYC Health + Hospitals system.
“Over the past two years, it has felt like
the ‘Game of Th rones’ and ‘Squid Games’
when it comes to organizing our response,
whether it’s inter-agency or working
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards on Jan. 13 called for the establishment of an NYC Offi ce of COVID Recovery to create a more streamlined
and centralized approach toward fi ghting the COVID-19 pandemic.
through elected offi cials,” Richards said.
“If we are going to beat COVID-19 once
and for all, we want the public to get shots
in their arms, we want people to social
distance and wear their mask, but we also
need a government that would function at
the highest level.”
In terms of leadership for the offi ce, the
borough president said that a commissioner
should be appointed to be held accountable
for responses, and a dedicated liaison for
each borough to work with elected offi cials
and community organizations.
“We are going two years in and we
shouldn’t be making the same junior or
rookie errors into 2022. We anticipate
and want this offi ce to strengthen and be
proactive in its approach when it comes to
testing apparatus,” Richards said.
While Queens Borough Hall is continuing
to advocate for testing sites to be
equitably distributed across the borough,
Richards said they’re making some progress
in some areas that didn’t have a single
vaccination site and are working to identify
testing gaps in other locations.
“We need a more coordinated response
where the city actually looks at gaps. I
couldn’t understand why College Point and
Forest Hills didn’t have a testing site set
up by H+H,” Richards said. “Even though
our jobs as elected offi cials is certainly to
point those gaps out, I believe it’s the city’s
responsibility to also be proactive in these
spaces and fi nding locations as well.”
Richards said he is working with Councilwoman
Selvena Brooks-Powers, who has
been on the front lines fi ghting for vaccine
and testing access for her district since she
was elected to offi ce last year, to introduce
legislation to codify the NYC Offi ce of
COVID Recovery.
Photo by Gabriele Holtermann
“Some will ask, how long will this offi
ce exist? I don’t see us getting out of the
woods anytime soon, but certainly looking
at a sunset option as we see the numbers
really decrease would be something that we
put in the bill as it’s draft ed,” Richards said.
As testing sites have been popping up
across the borough, Richards stressed the
importance of adults and children between
the ages of 5 to 11 to get vaccinated.
Recently, Queens became the first
county in New York state to have more
than 2 million residents receive their fi rst
dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. On Jan. 12,
the city Health Department’s data showed
that 90% of Queens adults have received at
least one dose of the vaccine.
According to Richards, it’s another
major milestone for Queens, “showing the
borough’s strength, resilience, resolve and
a collective comeback” amid the pandemic.
“COVID-19 won’t
be just a memory
anytime soon; we
need to brace
ourselves and
organize for our
new normal going
forward.”
— Donovan Richards
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