FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM DECEMBER 24, 2020 • THE QUEENS COURIER 5
Parker Jewish Institute begins distributing COVID-19 vaccine
BY JACOB KAYE
jkaye@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
As Pfi zer’s COVID-19 vaccine makes
its way around the U.S., a New Hyde Park
nursing home announced it has started to
inoculate its residents, patients and staff
on Monday, Dec. 21.
Th e Parker Jewish Institute, which
houses around 360 patients and residents,
is partnering with Walgreens to administer
the vaccine to its residents and those
in its care.
“We are extremely optimistic about the
vaccine, said Michael N. Rosenblut, the
facility’s CEO and president. “We are confi
dent that the vaccine, with its effi cacy
rate of 95 percent, will mitigate the spread
of COVID-19 and ensure the safety and
well-being of our most vulnerable population.
Th e COVID-19 vaccine off ers a
ray of hope in that it may enable families
to fi nally reunite in-person.”
Th e care facility received around 1,500
doses of the vaccine from Walgreens and
will be distributed over the next three
days, according to Parker’s public aff airs
department.
Th e Parker Jewish Institute, like many
other care facilities in New York, had to
implement a host of safety guidelines to
protect its patients, residents and staff
from COVID-19 this year. Th e facility’s
leaders created a nonstop testing operation,
provided staff with personal protective
equipment and upgraded its generator
system to ensure that the power was
always on.
Th e facility was also revamped with
ultraviolet lighting and new ventilation
and air conditioning units to help prevent
the spread of the virus.
Family members of residents or patients
who have questions about the vaccine
or its distribution can contact Parker’s
Family Call Center at 718-289-2888 or at
info@parkerinstitute.org.
Photo courtesy of Parker Jewish Institute
Three killed in three-alarm house fi re in Elmhurst
BY ZACHARY GEWELB
zgewelb@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
A three-alarm fi re ripped through a
home in Elmhurst early Saturday morning,
killing three people, according to
authorities.
Emergency personnel responded to a call
regarding a fi re inside of 90-31 48th Ave.
just aft er 5:30 a.m. on Dec. 19. Responders
encountered heavy fi re on the fi rst and second
fl oors, as well as the attic, of the threestory
home. One fi refi ghter fell through the
fi rst fl oor and into the basement and was
quickly removed from the scene.
Units were withdrawn from the building
and fought the fi re from the exterior
with several tower ladders and hose
lines. More than 150 fi refi ghters were on
the scene.
Th e fi re was reported under control just
before 8 a.m. Saturday morning.
FDNY personnel discovered two
unidentifi ed individuals unconscious and
unresponsive inside the home, according
to authorities. EMS arrived and pronounced
the two individuals dead at
the scene. A third individual was found
unconscious and unresponsive and was
pronounced dead at the scene.
Th e NYC Fire Marshal will determine
the cause of the fi re and the investigation
Photos by Lloyd Mitchell
is ongoing.
Additional reporting by Lloyd Mitchell.
Firefi ghters respond to a three-alarm fi re at 90-31 48th Ave. in Elmhurst on Saturday, Dec. 19.
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