4 THE QUEENS COURIER • MARCH 18, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
NYC restaurants can open for indoor dining at 50 percent capacity
BY MARK HALLUM
mhallum@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
In a deal with New Jersey Governor Phil
Murphy, New York City restaurateurs will
be able to open indoor dining at 50 percent
capacity, Governor Andrew Cuomo
announced last week.
Starting March 19, the decision is in keeping
with agreement across multiple states
that some policies would be coordinated,
a standard set early in the pandemic, and
business owners are ready to start serving
patrons in the spaces they pay for monthly.
“In New York state, our decisions are
based on science and data and we are
encouraged by the continued decline in
infection and hospitalization rates,” Cuomo
said. “In partnership with the state of New
Jersey, we are expanding our indoor dining
openings in New York City to 50 percent.
We will continue to follow the science and
react accordingly. If we keep the infections
down and vaccinations up, we will continue
to stay ahead in the footrace against this
invisible enemy and reach the light at the
end of the tunnel together.”
New York City restaurants were
snubbed in the last round of restriction
changes in whichCuomo allowed eateries
across the state to open at 74 percent
capacity, but city dwellers had to stick it
out in the cold with a cap of 35 percent
remaining in place.
According to the governor’s offi ce, since
indoor dining was allowed at 25 percent
capacity on Feb. 12, up to two incubation
periods had passed without a signifi cant
enough rise in infection rates to convince
his administration that further easing of
restrictions could proceed. Indoor dining
was banned in December in anticipation
of a holiday surge, something proprietor
protested to stating that there was not
enough evidence to suggest that indoor
dining was signifi cantly problematic to
the spread of COVID-19.
“While city restaurants may not increase
occupancy to 75 percent like restaurants
are safely doing throughout the rest of the
state, it is still welcome news to the battered
restaurant industry,” said Andrew
Rigie, executive director of the NYC
Hospitality Alliance. “Cautiously and
safely increasing indoor dining capacity
at New York City restaurants to 50 percent,
with an eye toward expanding in the
future, more vaccinations, and dedicated
restaurant relief on its way from the federal
government gives our industry some
optimism among all the doom and gloom
of this past year.”
BP to host series of blood drives for Queens kids with rare condition
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
aacevedo@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Queens Borough President Donovan
Richards and the New York Blood Center
have partnered to host fi ve blood drives
across the city in support of two young
brothers with a rare blood condition,
beginning on March 13.
King Singh, 7, and Mesiah Singh, 6,
who are from Queens Village, were both
born with a rare blood disease called
glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase defi -
ciency (G6PD). G6PD causes red blood
cells to break down in response to certain
medications, infections or other stressors.
Th ere is no cure for this disease, so
the only lifesaving treatment is a blood
transfusion when the red cells break down
from a trigger, according to New York
Blood Center.
King was also diagnosed with high-risk
acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a blood
cancer, when he was 2 years old. But
thanks to more than three years of chemotherapy
treatment and numerous blood
transfusions, King is now cancer free.
King encourages fellow New Yorkers to
“stay strong and never give up.”
To continue helping the brothers, New
York Blood Center and the Queens borough
president’s offi ce, along with other
community groups, will host blood drives
throughout the month of March. Th e last
drive will take place at Queens Borough
Hall on March 31.
“With the need for blood donations as
strong as ever, I am proud to partner
with New York Blood
Center and King
and Mesiah
Singh in
h o s t -
ing a
March
3 1
b l o o d
drive at
Queens Borough
Hall,” Richards said.
“King and Mesiah are
two brave little boys from
Queens Village who have
shown great strength in
battling a rare disease that
requires them to receive
frequent transfusions.
Th eir courage is an inspiration
for us to make sure
they and all of those who
rely on donated blood
can always get their
transfusions when they
need them. For the sake
of King and Mesiah and
for all those who rely on
the ‘gift of life,’ I urge all
of us who are able to donate blood to do
so as oft en as we can.”
Here is the timeline for when the blood
drives will be hosted and where to sign up:
Monday, March 22: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at
St. Michael’s Church, 225 West 99th St.,
Enter Amsterdam Ave, NYC
Friday, March 26: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at
Staten Island Ferry, 1 Ferry Terminal Dr.,
Staten Island
Wednesday, March 31: 10 a.m. to 4
p.m. at Queens Borough Hall,
120-55 Queens Blvd., Kew
Gardens
Andrea Cefarelli,
senior executive director
at New York Blood
Center, said they are
“incredibly proud to be
hosting blood drives in
support and celebration
of these two strong boys.”
“Blood donations save
lives and King and Mesiah
are proof of that,”
Cefarelli said. “We
thank all of our
partners for their
tremendous support
and to our
blood donors who
are ensuring these
boys are able to
stay healthy.”
Photo courtesy of New York Blood Center
King and Mesiah Singh are brothers from Queens Village in need of blood donations.
QNS fi le photo
Bourbon Street in Bayside.
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