Adams Calls for Vaccine Distribution Plans
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams called on the New York State Department of Health (DOH) to adopt a plan for expediting the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in the city and authorizing the expansion of those eligible for vaccination.
“It has been almost three weeks since the first vaccines arrived in New York, and our City and State is lagging in their administration, putting lives at risk and delaying our recovery. We are also still waiting to hear about a comprehensive plan for how to vaccinate the New Yorkers most at risk after the first round of dosages, and there has been no plan put forward to expand eligibility. My seven-step plan for expediting the vaccine distribution aligns with the values of clarity, consistency, and communication, so all New Yorkers know where and when they can receive the vaccine. As infection rates continue to rise and we lose more New Yorkers by the day, we cannot afford to delay any further. This is a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week operation, and all of us must be on the ground and moving at the pace that matches the urgency of this moment,” said Adams.
His call to action comes amid a slow citywide rollout of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines as the infection rate in the city continues to climb, according to City and State statistics. In the first 17 days of the vaccination rollout, starting with the first administration of doses on December 14, 2020, about 340,000 vaccine doses had been delivered to New York City, but only about 88,000 New Yorkers had received the first of two doses. Adams laid out the following seven steps and called on the City and State to immediately adopt them as part of its plan to achieve herd immunity in the quickest possible time frame.
- The State must expand eligibility now to speed up vaccination, using criteria that gets the first dose to the New Yorkers most likely to contract or transmit the virus.
- DOH should create a transparent 3-tier color-coded system to define each level of eligibility for those who still need to receive vaccines.
- Once those eligibility standards are authorized, the City should then create a hotline that any New Yorker who qualifies can call in to set an appointment at a vaccine distribution hub.
- Once they arrive, city residents will need to present some proof they qualify, which could include the following documentation:
- To ensure immigrants and other at-risk communities who are eligible get connected with the vaccination program, the City and State must work with advocacy organizations and those groups on the ground who can help them prove eligibility and to build the queue for the next round of dosages.
- To set up the distribution hubs, the City must immediately provide a map of the 250 locations it says will be used so that we can ensure they can cover the most at-risk populations.
- And to staff them, the City and State should incentivize people in and around the healthcare industry to help supervise and administer the vaccine – which is required by law – since our hospitals are already taxed with patients who have already contracted the virus.
Jeffries Makes His Speaker of the House Nominee Known
U.S. Reps. Hakeem Jeffries (D-Brooklyn, Queens) this weekend officially nominated U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) for speaker of the House during this Congressional term.
Brighter days are ahead in the United States of America. This is a day of great renewal in the House of Representatives. This is a day when House Democrats will begin our work with the next President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, and his partner, Kamala Harris, so we can Build Back Better For The People. This is a day when once again, Nancy D’Alesandro Pelosi will become the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. I proudly place her name into nomination, and when it’s all said and done, history will record that today was a good day. God bless Nancy Pelosi. God bless the Congress. God bless the United States of America,” he said.
“Nancy Pelosi is a champion of the children, a defender of the disenfranchised, a voice for the voiceless, a fabulous facilitator, a notorious negotiator and a legendary legislator for such a time as this. This is a moment of great challenge here in America filled with trials and tribulations and a lot of pain and suffering and death, but America is a resilient nation. House Democrats are a resilient Caucus. Nancy Pelosi is a resilient leader.
Felder, Eichenstein Honor 41-Year-Long Policeman
State Sen. Simcha Felder (D-Boro Park, Midwood) and Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein (D-Borough Park, Midwood) honored NYPD Chief Charles Scholl with proclamations for his 41 years of exemplary service to our city.
Chief Scholl spent his career working to make the streets of Brooklyn safer. He reduced crime and improved quality of life exponentially, receiving over 60 departmental recognitions. Chief Scholl became well known during his tenure and earned the respect of all the people he served.
Scholl, who had more seniority than any other active-duty cop on the force, took his retirement walking out of Coney Island’s 60th Precinct stationhouse in front of scrores of well-wishers and both rank-and-ffile and upper brass police. on New Year’s Eve — a day before he turned 63, the NYPD’s mandatory retirement age.
Scholl climbed to the rank of executive officer of Patrol Borough Brooklyn South before his retirement. He spent almost his entire career in Brooklyn including stints as commanding officer of the 62nd Precinct in Bensonhurst and Dyker Heights, and the 60th Precinct in Coney Island.
“Forty-one years, I’ve met great people and many of them have come out today, people from my past that worked for me and with me,” he said. “And it’s been an honor to have the commissioner and executive staff here for this occasion.”
Bichotte Marries District Leader Hermelyn
Kings County Democratic Party Chair and Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte (D-Flatbush, Ditmas Park) married Democratic District Leader Edu Hermelyn on Jan. 1.
KCP congratulates the couple and wishes them alll the best, joy and happiness as they share their life together.
