Kallos to Host Senior Health Fair
Tonight, Councilmember Ben Kallos (D-Yorkville, Lenox Hill) will be hosting a virtual senior health information fair.
The fair will provide information on flu vaccinations, a possible second COVID-19 wave, home exercise, and other topics. Kallos is hosting the event in partnership with Assemblymembers Dan Quart (D-Murray Hill, Lenox Hill) and Rebecca Seawright (D-Upper East Side, Roosevelt Island).
The event will take place tonight from 6-7:30 p.m. at facebook.com/BenKallos/live.
Electeds Request Investigation of Ventilator Shipments to and from Russia
Yesterday, U.S. Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens), Eliot Engel (D-Bronx, Westchester), James E. Clyburn (D-SC) and Stephen Lynch (D-MA) sent a letter to State Department Acting Inspector General Matthew Klimow and Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Joseph Cuffari, asking them to investigate the shipment of ventilators to and from the Russian Federation early on in the COVID-19 pandemic.
On April 1, the State Department announced its intention to purchase medical supplies from Russia, as per an agreement from President Donald Trump (R) and Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, the ventilators that arrived were largely unusable due to voltage-related issues.
A month later, the Trump Administration notified Congress that it intended to send “ventilators and related commodities and consumables” to Russia, costing American taxpayers $5.6 million.
“It makes little sense for the United States to have sent 200 ventilators to Russia at a cost of $5.6 million to American taxpayers, while less than two months earlier, FEMA accepted 45 Russian ventilators that were electrically incompatible and unsafe for use in the United States,” they wrote.
Read the full letter here.
De Blasio Releases Initial COVID-19 Vaccine Framework
Yesterday, Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) announced an initial COVID-19 vaccine framework, prioritizing the communities most affected by the pandemic.
The rollout will consist of two phases. Phase 1, which could begin as early as November, will provide limited doses to healthcare personnel, frontline workers and other affected groups. Phase 2 will see the vaccine become available to the general public; the City will track vaccine uptake through the Citywide Immunization Registry.
“In the absence of federal leadership, New York City is stepping up to ensure and safe and effective vaccine for all New Yorkers,” said de Blasio. “With public health at the forefront, we are moving full steam ahead to rebuild our city, guaranteeing a healthier and more equitable future for all New Yorkers.”
Brewer to Save Storefront Murals in Inwood
Today, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer (D) will be teaming up with Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, GreenThumb and NYC Parks to preserve murals that were painted on Dyckman Street storefronts during last summer’s George Floyd protests.
Brewer has been working with local stakeholders to find a permanent home for the murals. For now, she has arranged for the murals to be placed in temporary remote storage while she finalizes their future plans.
The event will take place today at 11 a.m. on Dyckman Street between Broadway and Seaman Avenue.
