Quart Calls Out WeWork’s “Poor Corporate Citizenship”
Assemblymember Dan Quart (D-Upper East Side, Midtown East) and twelve colleagues grilled WeWork in a letter Thursday. The letter grills the shared office space provider for claiming that those who work in their buildings count as “essential” labor and not offering rent suspensions for its tenants amid the COVID-19 crisis, the Daily News reported.
“We are disappointed that instead of mobilizing to help save lives, WeWork has instead chosen to maximize their profits,” Quart’s letter read.
Brewer, Rosenthal, Call to Pause Construction on UWS
Governor Andrew Cuomo’s (D) definition of “essential business” that may remain open amid the pandemic includes construction, but some Upper West Siders want that to change.
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer (D) sent the governor a letter Thursday asking him to remove construction from the list and halt projects unrelated to infrastructure the West Side Rag reported.
The day before, Councilmember Helen Rosenthal (D-Central Park, Lincoln Square) expressed similar sentiments on Twitter. “Non-essential residential construction started @ 7am when jackhammering began on a luxury condo— like it does every day. How can @NYCSchools learn + people work from home? Asking @NYGovCuomo to remove non infrastructure const from the essential services list. @westsiderag,” the tweet read.
Hoylman Proposes Expedited Coronavirus Vaccine Access
State Senator Brad Hoylman (D-Chelsea, Midtown) introduced a bill Friday that would allow certified nurse practitioners and pharmacists to provide patients with a future COVID-19 vaccine as soon as the Food and Drug Administration approves it.
Under current state law, doctors and some nurses are permitted to immunize patients against various common ailments, such as the flu and tetanus. If passed, Hoylman’s bill will add COVID-19 to this list.
“We need to marshal every available resource to stop this epidemic in its tracks,” Hoylman told the Daily News. “Now, more than ever, it’s clear we have to follow the science and protect herd immunity.”
