4 DECEMBER 2, 2021 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
City offi cials pushes new mandates as omicron variant looms
BY BEN VERDE
EDITORIAL@QNS.COM
@QNS
City officials 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
Thanksgiving 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 efforts,
I spoke yesterday at length with
our mayor-elect 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 aft er 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 scientists 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.
Mayor Bill de Blasio File photo
MEDIA ADVISORY
Middle Village Preparatory Charter School
Veronica Cokley is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: MVP Board Meeting
Time: Dec 15, 2021 06:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
JOIN ZOOM MEETING
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/
3545060762?pwd=NGt6OVlSRzRsOHY1Qk5NR2xsWThGZz09
Meeting ID: 354 506 0762
Passcode: mvp#6802
One tap mobile
+19292056099,,3545060762#,,,,*72077230# US (New York)
+13017158592,,3545060762#,,,,*72077230# US (Washington DC)
Dial by your location
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 354 506 0762
Passcode: 72077230
Find your local number:
https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kdD7eBNYZ1
68-02 Metropolitan Avenue, Middle Village, NY 11379
All meetings of the Trustees and all committees and subcommittees
are conducted with the New York Open Meetings Law
(N.Y. Public Officers Law §§ 100-111).
MEDIA ADVISORY
M
Village
Middle
IA
Preparatory
IS
Charter
Y
r
School
will conduct its
g
monthly Board
y
d of Trustees Meeting
on Wednesday Dec 15 th , 2021
Details are as follows:
WHO: Middle Village Preparatory Charter School
WHAT: Monthly Board of Trustees Meeting
WHEN: Wednesday Dec 15 TH , 2021
TIME: 6:00 PM
WHERE: Multi-Purpose Room at Middle Village Prep
Door # 10
68-02 Metropolitan Avenue
Middle Village, NY 11379
All meetings of the Trustees and all committees and subcommittees
are conducted with the New York Open Meetings Law
(N.Y. Public Officers Law §§ 100-111).
/WWW.QNS.COM
/
/kdD7eBNYZ1
link
/
/kdD7eBNYZ1
link
