Dec. 16, 2020 By Allie Griffin Elmhurst Hospital — once seen as the epicenter of the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. — became the first public city hospital to administer the vaccine in the five boroughs. The hospital was the scene of a photo-op Wednesday as two staff members were vaccinated in… Read more »
Dec. 15, 2020 By Allie Griffin Mayor Bill de Blasio said New York City could face a second shutdown after Christmas–should COVID-19 cases continue to rise. “We’re dealing with a second wave…,” de Blasio said. “We’re going to need to do some kind of shutdown in the weeks ahead.” The mayor said that while the… Read more »
Dec. 15, 2020 By Allie Griffin The city has ordered eateries to shut down their roadway dining setups on Wednesday in anticipation of the major snow storm. The Sanitation Department (DSNY) has ordered restaurants to close their dining areas located along the roadway by 2 p.m., when a “snow alert” goes into effect Wednesday. Sidewalk… Read more »
Dec. 14, 2020 by Allie Griffin Jackson Heights Council Member Daniel Dromm introduced a bill last week that would end the use of solitary confinement in all New York City jails. Under the bill, individuals would only be allowed to be isolated for the sole purpose of de-escalating violent conflicts and could only be isolated… Read more »
Dec. 14, 2020 By Allie Griffin A large menorah sculptured from ice was lit at Gantry Plaza State Park last night. The JCC-Chabad of LIC hosted its annual outdoor Chanukah party and lit the iconic six-foot tall menorah. Residents came together for the festival of lights where lively Chanukah music played and Hebrew School students performed…. Read more »
Dec. 11, 2020 By Allie Griffin New York City restaurants will have to close their indoor dining areas come Monday, in response to the growing number of city residents in hospitals with COVID-19. Indoor dining will be shuttered across the five boroughs for at least two weeks, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Friday. Cuomo had warned… Read more »
Dec. 9, 2020 By Allie Griffin The cost to rent an apartment in Queens has dropped more than 4 percent in the past year, according to a new report. The average amount paid to rent a studio, one-bedroom or two-bedroom apartment was down across the board, compared to the same time last year, according to… Read more »
Dec 8, 2020 By Allie Griffin Queens straphangers will face service disruptions to their commute over the holidays due to track work along the Queens Boulevard line. Service on the E and M lines will be rerouted between Christmas and New Year’s Day, as Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) crews modernize the signaling system and perform track… Read more »
Dec. 7, 2020 By Allie Griffin Two Queens lawmakers introduced legislation Thursday that would require New York State to cover the cost of COVID-19 testing at private, religious and other non-public schools. State Sen. Joe Addabbo and Assembly Member Andrew Hevesi sponsored a bill that would require the state to reimburse non-public schools for the cost… Read more »
Dec. 7, 2020 By Allie Griffin and Christian Murray Long Island City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer is contemplating a run for Queens Borough President once again, campaign filings show. Van Bramer has recently filed to run for borough president with the Campaign Finance Board and told Politico last month that he is “seriously considering”… Read more »