Davila Ensures Testing Site in Her District
Assemblywoman Maritza Davila (D-Bushwick, Williamsburg) fought to ensure that a testing site was placed in her district with the help of the Governor’s office along with SOMOS Health Care and United Revival Mennonite Church.
“It’s been heavily reported that New York has been the epicenter of this virus; shockingly enough the first reported fatality took place at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Bushwick on March 13, when an 80-year-old woman passed from the coronavirus. We know that this virus affects mostly our elders and it’s important we continue building testing sites especially in areas that have shown an increased number of infections,” said Davila.
“There’s also an alarming disparity in the results of coronavirus in Hispanic and Latino communities who are the second-largest ethnic group in the country, Bushwick is composed of long time residents who are Hispanic and Latino and most of which are immigrants. In communicably outbreaks such as COVID-19 and previously in the past years the SARS and MERS virus, it’s important to have everyone tested, however it’s also imperative that we bring these testing sites in very well much-needed communities,” she added.
Davila will host a press conference at 9 a.m., tomorrow, May 28 at the United Revival Mennonite Church, 390 Melrose Street in Bushwick to further discuss the need of testing sites and ultimately what the process consists of to get them and be tested.
Felder Demands Schools Open
State Sen. Simcha Felder (D-Borough Park, Midwood, Flatbush, Ditmas Park, Kensington) sent a letter to Governor Cuomo demanding schools be reopened, saying that these are essential needs.
“The education of New York’s children is essential, and our school system must be included in Phase 1 of New York’s reopening plan. All our school children are struggling, but none more so than special needs students, who have now been without necessary services for months. Special needs students are bearing the greatest burden for school closures with catastrophic,life-altering repercussions. As New York begins to re-open under the appropriate CDC and DOH safety guidelines, schools, including non-public schools, must be a priority. Education cannot and should not be delayed until Phase 4,” said Felder.
“The unprecedented shift to shelter in place will undoubtedly have a profound and long-lasting impact on our young people’s academic, social, emotional, and life outcomes. While our school administrators and teachers have worked so hard and admirably to provide our students with a reasonable education in the current climate, remote learning simply does not provide the same level of instruction as being in the classroom. Not everyone has access to a laptop or internet; the socialization that happens in schools is not the same online; many students, especially the most vulnerable, are struggling. Every additional day that we delay only compounds the issues and sets us back even further,” Felder finished.
Treyger to Chair Oversight Hearing on Remote Hearing
City Council Member Mark Treyger (D-Coney Island, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, Gravesend) will chair the New York City Council Committee on Education’s oversight hearing on remote learning.
Earlier this month, Treyger presided over a three-hour education budget hearing to address the City Administration’s proposal of nearly $200 million in cuts to city schools. The virtual hearing tomorrow will focus on the status of remote learning for the education community since schools closed on March 16, 2020.
Witnesses that will testify include NYC Department of Education (DOE) officials, United Federation of Teachers (UFT) President Michael Mulgrew, students from Teens Take Charge, and the NYCLU Teen Activist Project, advocates, parents, and community leaders.
Cornegy to Deliver Groceries in Brooklyn
City Council Member Robert E. Cornegy, Jr. (D-Bedford Stuyvesant and Crown Heights) and community partners today will deliver 500 boxes of groceries in Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights.
“Community partners serve as an indispensable part of supporting our shared communities through this challenging moment. Vulnerable New Yorkers still need our help and I am proud to partner with Fresh Direct, our local precincts, Omega Psi Phi, Bridge Street Development Corporation, and all those volunteering their time and efforts to help our community. We will get through this crisis by continuing to look out for one another,” said Cornegy.
After the initial drop off at Quincy Senior Residence at 9:00 AM, there will be three additional drop-offs of groceries at locations in Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights throughout the day.
Ortiz Renewing Efforts to Enact Anti-Racist Legislation
Assemblyman Felix W. Ortiz (D-Sunset Park, Red Hook) is renewing efforts to enact his legislation that would add falsely accusing black people of crimes as a hate crime after the Central Park video went viral of a white woman doing just that.
“How many more incidents like the one we witnessed this past weekend where someone calls the police on a black man to falsely claim he was committing a crime and threatening them before we take action,” Ortiz said. “These incidents are not only racist and shameful but serious and dangerous to all involved. Too often, these incidents end in tragedy and we must take action to stop them from happening.”
The legislation (A.3566) would add falsely reported incidents because of race, ethnicity, religion, race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, religious practice, age, disability or sexual orientation penalties as Hate Crimes in New York State. It is currently pending in committee in the Assembly and awaiting a Senate sponsor.
