FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM AUGUST 19, 2021 • THE QUEENS COURIER 19
Hochul promises ‘a whole new era’ post-Cuomo
BY JOE PANTORNO
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
New York Lieutenant
Governor Kathy Hochul, who
will become the next governor
Schumer wants action to stop dealers of fake vaccination cards
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
rpozarycki@schnepsmedia.com
@robbpoz
Some shameless people will go to great
lengths to avoid getting a COVID-19 vaccine
— including spending money to
buy fake vaccination cards on the internet,
according to Senate Majority Leader
Chuck Schumer.
Counterfeit card-makers both at home
and overseas are producing and selling
the fake vaccination documents, undermining
the national eff ort to vaccinate
people against the deadly COVID-19
virus. Schumer said on Sunday that the
illegal enterprisers are profi ting at the
expense of public health, and the time had
come for the federal government to step
up and take action.
During an Aug. 15 press conference
at his Manhattan offi ce, Schumer
urged U.S. Customs and Border
Protection (CBP), the FBI and
the Department of Health and
Human Services to unite on a
national crackdown against the
vaccine card counterfeiters. He
also called for the federal government
to embark on a national
campaign reminding
Americans that the
counterfeit operation
is not only
dangerous, but
illegal.
Creating or
using falsified
vaccination cards is a violation of Title 18,
U.S. Code, Section 1017 and other applicable
laws, punishable by a fi ne and up to
fi ve years behind bars.
“Fake vaccination cards have been
advertised on social media, blogs and
more, and now,
new signs point
to a ramp-up
production of
fake cards with
government logos overseas via countries
like China,” Schumer said. “Th at’s why we
need a federal crackdown and an educational
campaign to make clear this is illegal,
and that there is an even easier solution
for those who are looking to buy or
sell fake vaccine cards — and it is to get
the vaccine.”
Some of the counterfeiters have been
seen peddling laminated vaccination
cards for $25 apiece; others are using
apps like Telegram to sell the phony documents,
or “COVID-19 Vaccine Cards
Certifi cate,” for as much as $200.
On Saturday, the CBP inspected a suspicious
package that arrived at the Port of
Memphis, Tennessee. It contained 51 fake
COVID-19 vaccination cards with blank
spaces for the recipient’s name and birthdate,
the vaccine maker, lot number, dates
and places where the shots were administered,
and the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention logo.
“Fake vaccine cards are now a very real
problem, but we can also get it under control
if we hit all these fronts and keep
working to fi ght misinformation and vaccine
hesitation,” Schumer said.
of the state upon Andrew
Cuomo’s resignation, promised
“a whole new era” for diversity
in Albany upon her arrival
in offi ce.
Cuomo resigned on Tuesday
aft er New York Attorney General
Letitia James revealed that he
sexually harassed 11 women in
a workplace that was deemed
toxic.
Hochul told CBS’s “Face Th e
Nation” on Sunday morning that
she will decide the best action to
take when it comes to communicating
with the victims when she
takes over later this month while
ensuring that her administration
will speak to “all women.”
“I want them to know that
they feel welcome to stay in the
administration when they’re
here. Th e culture will be changed
1,000 percent,” Hochul said. “I
want all women … to realize that
this is a place where they’ll have
a role. We need their voices. We
need their diversity.
“I want by the end of my
administration for every woman
to say there are no barriers, there
is no longer a ceiling.”
When asked whether or not
she has spoken with Cuomo,
Hochul said that she has been
in contact with his team, but the
soon-to-be-former governor is
being viewed as nothing more
than a distraction.
“My goal is to have a smooth
transition and hit the ground
running literally in a matter
of days … we’re going to
stay focused,” Hochul said. “I
will have no distractions in my
administration. We’re focused
on what’s doing the best for the
people of this state.”
Th at includes tackling concerning
COVID-19 numbers
that continue to rise across New
York City as a new school year is
right around the corner.
Hochul told CNN’s “State of
the Union” earlier on Sunday
morning that a mask mandate
for schoolchildren is “something
that I believe has to occur.”
A decision on that along with
addressing vaccination rates will
come collaboratively with Mayor
Bill de Blasio and the incoming
mayor, which is expected to be
Eric Adams.
“You have smart people, I have
smart people,” Hochul told CNN.
“How about doing it together
and not in competition?”
Hochul is set to put plenty of
stock in New York City, disclosing
that her lieutenant governor
will come from the Big Apple to
ensure she always has ears to the
ground while she’s in Albany.
“I want someone who lives
there,” Hochul told CBS.
“Someone who understands the
challenges fi rst-hand.”
Th e incoming governor also
stressed the distribution of a surplus
of money that could help
out those in New York City most
impacted by the pandemic.
“I want to get the money out to
the people,” she said. “Th ere are
too many landlords and renters
who are suff ering. I also want to
get the money out to the excluded
worker program where people
who are immigrants aren’t getting
any money because they’re
not documented. Th at money is
sitting there unspent.”
Photo by Gabrielle Crockett
U.S. Senate Majority Leader
Chuck Schumer takes questions
as he discusses the Senate passage
of the bipartisan infrastructure
bill and the budget
resolution during a news conference
at the U.S. Capitol in
Washington, D.C., on Aug. 11,
2021.
Photo by Cindy Schultz/Reuters
New York Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul
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