March 31, 2020 By Allie Griffin A portion of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the home of the U.S. Open, will be converted into a 350-bed temporary hospital as the coronavirus pandemic strains New York City’s hospital system. The Flushing Meadows Corona Park arena will begin its conversion Tuesday, a spokesperson for the… Read more »
March 31, 2020, By Michael Dorgan Mayor Bill De Blasio has announced that the city – in partnership with FEMA – will get an additional 250 ambulances and around 500 extra EMTs and paramedics to help meet the spike in demand for emergency services. The extra resources will increase medical transport capacity between medical sites… Read more »
March 31, 2020 By Allie Griffin The Queens Borough President special election finally has a set date — June 23, 2020. The election, which was originally slated for March 24, was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, but wasn’t given a new date until yesterday when Governor Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order. June 23… Read more »
March 31, 2020 By Michael Dorgan The police have released footage of a man wanted in connection to the slashing of an individual in Dutch Kills Sunday. On March 29, at around 4:40 p.m., the suspect–along with another man– approached the victim who was walking near the corner of 40 Avenue and 22 Street, according… Read more »
March 30, 2020 By Allie Griffin New York’s five district attorneys and the special narcotics prosecutor said the mayor’s office has put forward the names of several dangerous inmates for release–in his attempt to stop the outbreak of coronavirus in city jails. The head prosecutors said the mayor and the Department of Corrections had suggested… Read more »
March 30, 2020, By Michael Dorgan Queens Community Board 2 will hold its first ever monthly meeting online this Thursday due to the coronavirus shutdown. The board will utilize the online video conferencing platform Zoom to host its April 2 meeting, beginning at 6:30 p.m., in order to abide by the state’s “pause” order. The… Read more »
March 30, 2020 By Allie Griffin The novel coronavirus has killed 256 Queens residents since the pandemic began and more than 1,218 residents across New York state, according to the latest data. Statewide, more than 250 New Yorkers died overnight and the number of COVID-19 cases grew to 66,497, Governor Andrew Cuomo said at a… Read more »
March 30, 2020 By Allie Griffin A FDNY mechanic who kept ambulances up and running for first responders at a Long Island City facility died of the coronavirus yesterday. James Villecco, 55, of Staten Island, is the first FDNY member to be taken by the virus. The Staten Islander was also a six-year veteran of… Read more »
March 30, 2020, By Michael Dorgan Mayor Bill de Blasio has called for a rent freeze for over two million New Yorkers to help them get through the coronavirus pandemic. The freeze would apply to the 2.3 million people living in the city’s one million rent-stabilized units. Many residents have suffered economic hardship under the… Read more »
March 30, 2020 By Allie Griffin Queens District Attorney and former Borough President Melinda Katz has tested positive for coronavirus. Katz learned she had been exposed to someone who had the virus on March 21 and soon got tested. Her test results came back Saturday, confirming she was positive for COVID-19, Politico reported. Most of… Read more »