April 29, 2020 By Allie Griffin More than 150,000 healthcare workers and first responders will soon be able to undergo COVID-19 antibody testing, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today. The city is partnering with the US Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC to offer antibody testing at hospitals, firehouses, police stations and… Read more »
April 28, 2020 By Allie Griffin Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled the new grading policy for the city’s public schools today as the pandemic has caused the education system to turn to remote learning. De Blasio said flexibility was the biggest need in grading students as everyone has had to adjust to the new normal…. Read more »
April 27, 2020 By Allie Griffin Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that 100 miles of New York City streets will be turned over to pedestrians as the coronavirus pandemic continues into warmer months. The announcement follows weeks of pressure from the City Council and advocacy groups who have called for car-free streets amid the outbreak…. Read more »
April 27, 2020 By Allie Griffin Two Muslim women running for elected office were kicked of the ballot by the Board of Elections Thursday — and several of their supporters say the ruling was based on xenophobia. The BOE removed Mary Jobaida, who aims to unseat Cathy Nolan in Assembly District 37, and Moumita Ahmed,… Read more »
April 24, 2020 By Allie Griffin Queens Assembly Member Ron Kim and Brooklyn Senator Kevin Parker are calling on the mayor and schools chancellor to add anti-bullying lessons to the curriculum for New York City public school students. The lawmakers said the lessons are needed as hate crimes and violence against Asian Americans have risen… Read more »
April 24, 2020 By Allie Griffin Mayor Bill de Blasio is pushing for a rent freeze for New York City’s one million rent-stabilized tenants. The mayor is calling for a range of measures to assist New Yorkers unable to afford their rent amid the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting shutdown. He is also urging the state… Read more »
April 24, 2020 By Allie Griffin Dozens of poets have put together an illustration of the beauty and resilience of Queens with an interactive recorded poetry project. Queensbound, founded in 2018 by writer KC Trommer, collects poems about the borough — from Long Island City to Jamaica — and embeds audio recordings of each at… Read more »
April 23, 2020 By Allie Griffin Hospital admissions for coronavirus patients in New York City are continuing to go down, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today. On Wednesday, the number of people admitted to New York City hospitals with coronavirus symptoms was 227, a marked decline from figures of two or three weeks ago. For… Read more »
April 23, 2020 By Allie Griffin The city is about to provide nursing homes with more staff and protective equipment. The city is sending an additional 210 clinical workers to 40 nursing homes this week, doubling the number of clinical workers it has already sent to nursing home facilities across the city. In addition, the… Read more »
April 22, 2020 By Allie Griffin The number of Queens residents killed by the coronavirus is inching towards 4,000, according to city data released today. In total, 3,915 people have died from the virus in the World’s Borough as of yesterday evening, according to the city’s Department of Health. The figures consist of 3,002 people… Read more »