FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM DECEMBER 2, 2021 • HEALTH • THE QUEENS COURIER 21
health
City offi cials push new mandates as omicron variant looms
BY BEN VERDE
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
City offi cials are emphasizing
coordination and vaccination
as they stare down the concerning
omicron variant currently
spreading in a dozen countries
across the globe.
Speaking publicly since the
international community was fi rst
alerted about the omicron variant
over the Th anksgiving holiday,
Mayor Bill de Blasio urged calm
and vigilance — while also issuing
a new vaccine mandate for
childcare workers. While there
have thus far been no omicron
cases detected in New York City,
offi cials predicted they would be
here within a matter of days.
“We are very carefully watching
the situation,” Mayor de Blasio
said. “We’re going to be in a very
vigilant state.”
In sharp contrast from the
early days of the pandemic,
when former Gov. Andrew
Cuomo oft en acted on his own
whims with little coordination
with de Blasio, his longtime political
rival, the mayor emphasized
that his administration was working
closely both with Gov. Kathy
Hochul’s administration and the
incoming Eric Adams mayoral
administration as they plot the
city’s and state’s next moves in
response to the variant.
Mayor de Blasio told reporters
he had spoken with Gov. Hochul
early Monday morning, and
Mayor-elect Adams appeared
with the mayor during his Nov.
29 press briefi ng.
“I spoke this morning with
Governor Hochul to coordinate
city and state eff orts, I spoke yesterday
at length with our mayorelect
Eric Adams,” de Blasio said.
“Everyone focused together on
getting all the facts about omicron,
making decisions based on
the data and the science.”
Adams joined de Blasio in
emphasizing the importance
of coordination and dismissed
criticisms that his administration
would be
less stringent in
encouraging vaccinations
after
making comments
about
‘revisiting’ vaccine
mandates
once he was in offi ce.
“I want to send a clear message:
anyone that believes we’re going
to play off a diff erent playbook
under the next administration of
not pursuing vaccines, they need
to believe that is not true,” the
Brooklyn borough president said.
“We are going to be on
the same playbook. We
must get vaccinated in
a real way, and I am
going to continue to
advocate that.”
City offi cials said
they would continue
to push vaccinations
and especially booster
shots as the variant rears its
head. Currently, 88% of all eligible
adults in New York City
have received at least one shot
of the COVID-19 vaccine, while
81% of those in the 12 to 17
age bracket and 16% of those
age 5 to 11 have received
theirs. In total, 943,000
New Yorkers have
received their booster
shots, according
to City Hall.
While information
is still scant about the
omicron variant, it has
caused alarm
among scie
nt i s t s
and the
World Health Organization for
its apparent potential to evade
the antibodies caused by previous
COVID-19 infections, and
its potential for rapid spread.
Scientists are also monitoring
the variant for any hint that it
could undermine the protections
provided by vaccination, which
should take weeks to be realized,
according to Health Department
offi cials.
Department of Health
Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi
announced an offi cial commissioner’s
advisory for all New
Yorkers to mask up in public
indoor settings, the city stopped
short of an offi cial indoor mask
mandate, which Mayor de Blasio
credited to the need to emphasize
the importance of vaccination
over masking.
“We want to keep the focus on
vaccination,” Hizzoner said. “Th is
is the much more important part
of the equation.”
St. John’s Episcopal Hospital staff provides Thanksgiving meals to patients
Photo courtesy of SJEH
St. John’s Episcopal Hospital staff donated so much Thanksgiving food for their patients that a wheelbarrow
was put to use.
File photo
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Staff members at St. John’s Episcopal
Hospital in Far Rockaway got into the
holiday spirit by providing more than
80 patients and their families with
food items to help ensure a wellnourished
Th anksgiving.
Decorated food baskets were prepared
for each patient, and a large
heated tent on the hospital campus
was used as a grab-and-go distribution
center.
Th e food items donated by hospital
staff included turkey, chicken,
ham, potatoes, rice, vegetables, stuff -
ing mix, gravy, macaroni and cheese,
dinner rolls, cranberry sauce, desserts
and even utensils.
“It brings us great joy to know
that we were able to make this year’s
Th anksgiving both enjoyable and
nourishing for more than 80 families,”
St. John’s Vice President and
Chief Human Resources Offi cer
Sharika Gordon said. “We care deeply
about our patients and community
members, and the hospital’s staff
wanted to do all they could to make
sure that no one goes hungry this
Th anksgiving.”
Th e nonprofi t organization Feeding
America estimates more than 50 million
people across the nation experienced
hunger in 2020 including
17 million children. A new study by
Hunger Free America fi nds that one
in seven New York City residents are
still struggling with food insecurity
during this holiday season, based on
an analysis of federal data.
Th e COVID-19 pandemic has
exacerbated the problem and the
Far Rockaway community was one
of the hardest-hit neighborhoods in
the borough.
St. John’s Episcopal Hospital is the
only hospital providing emergency,
inpatient and ambulatory care on the
Rockaway Peninsula. Th e 257-bed
facility is celebrating more than 110
years of community care.
“For us, it is not only about providing
excellent health care strictly
within the confi nes of our hospital
and community medical practices,”
St. John’s Vice President of External
Aff airs Renee Hastick-Motes said.
“We take great pride in providing
needed resources within the community
itself, which is what this food
initiative is all about.”
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