Thirty-six year old Brooklyn principal dies of COVID-19
Dez-Ann Romain, the principal of public high school Brooklyn Democracy Academy, died yesterday at the age of 36 due to COVID-19, or novel coronavirus, related complications.
Now bringing the city’s coronavirus-related death count to 192, Romain’s death is the first reported death among school staff or officials — though the principal at Kappa V High School, Ronda Phillips, which is in the same building as the academy, is hospitalized with the virus.
The death came as a shock to the borough, as Romain was known as a caring member of the school community who was always involved in her students’ lives.
“She looked at every single kid as her personal mission,” New York City schools official Courtney Winkfield told The New York Times. “She knew every kid’s back story, their family members, what was going on with them and how to motivate them.”
Her passing also comes as a wake-up call, showing that it is not only the elderly or immunocompromised who can die from the virus.
“This is painful for all of us, and I extend my deepest condolences to the Brooklyn Democracy Academy community, and the family of Principal Romain,” NYC public schools Chancellor Richard Carranza said in a statement. “We’re all experiencing a deep sense of confusion, uncertainty and sadness and it’s more important than ever to provide support to one another. We’ll be there for the students and staff through whatever means necessary during this impossibly difficult time.”
Romain’s last time entering the school building was on March 12, after which she self-reported and the school deep-cleaned its building.
“She was a healthy, vibrant, energetic 36-year-old woman who had one of the toughest jobs anybody could have, and she did it with resilience,” Winkfield, who had mentored Romain, said.
Read more about this in these articles: The New York Times, Pix11 News
Teenager spits on Asian man in latest coronavirus-related hate crime
A 26-year-old Asian man was spat at in the face earlier today while waiting for his train at the Downtown Brooklyn 2 and 3 train platform at the Atlantic Avenue subway station by a 19-year-old.
The teenager, Nicholas Theodore, did it seemingly out of the blue at around 10:40 a.m. today. When the victim asked why he did that, Theodore’s racist response explained that it was over coronavirus.
“You f–king Chinese spreading the coronavirus!,” The New York Post reported Theodore had yelled at the victim.
Theodore then opened up his jacket and signaled that he had a weapon on his person, and asked the victim, “You wanna do this?” according to police.
This prompted the victim to run away, which led him to finding two police officers and reporting the incident. Theodore was charged with aggravated harassment as a hate crime and menacing, and was given a “desk appearance ticket,” the Post reported.
Read more about this in this article: The New York Post
Brooklyn Rabbi dies of COVID-19 at 91
Prominent Rabbi and World War Two resistance fighter Romi Cohn died after contracting coronavirus in a Staten Island hospital at the age of 91.
Cohn was born in Czechoslovakia and survived the Holocaust. At age 15, he joined the Jewish partisans in fighting against the Nazis, and helped 56 families escape the Holocaust.
“He was the epitome of a human being, deprived of a childhood as a teenager, who found himself wanted by Hitler because he was Jewish,” Council of Jewish Organizations of Staten Island President Mendy said in a statement. “He never allowed the bitter experience of the Holocaust make him bitter. To the contrary he had positive energy in him.”
U.S. Rep. Max Rose (D-Staten Island, Bay Ridge, Bath Beach, Dyker Heights, Gravesend, Sheepshead Bay, Bensonhurst) invited Cohn to give the opening prayer in the House of Representatives two months ago on the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
“Our community has suffered a tragic loss from COVID-19 with the passing of Rabbi Romi Cohn,” Rose said in a Tweet. “Was truly an honor to host him, his family and loved ones in DC just a few months ago. Keeping them all in my prayers.”
Read more about this in these articles: CBS Local, New York Post
Northern Brooklyn Pipeline construction proceeds despite coronavirus
National Grid’s Northern Brooklyn Pipeline is still being constructed even as COVID-19 disrupts many other professions and operations.
The pipeline was already a controversial project, as residents of the area felt that it would come with health and environmental hazards, not to mention the risk of explosion, but with the construction continuing in the current climate, some are very unhappy with the situation.
“This pipeline is not needed — and its construction is certainly not needed in the middle of a pandemic,” Councilmember Stephen Levin (D-Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn Navy Yard, Downtown Brooklyn, Dumbo, Fulton Ferry, Greenpoint, Vinegar Hill, Williamsburg) told the Brooklyn Eagle. “The construction we should be focusing on right now is setting up new hospital sites; companies that are performing non-essential construction should cease immediately and donate their particle masks, goggles and safety equipment to those who urgently need it right now.”
With the federal, state and city governments all calling for social distancing of at least six feet in between people and self-isolation for those are able to do so, the pipeline — which is a gas main — construction blatantly disregards efforts to curtail the virus.
Once completed, the pipeline will run through East New York, Brownsville, Bushwick and East Williamsburg, plus Greenpoint and Williamsburg, where the current construction is taking place, and will span 14,000 feet of pipes.
“National Grid is continuing their work despite this project not being essential in this time of emergency,” Assemblymember Joseph Lentol (D-Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Fort Greene) said. “They are putting their workers at risk and incurring a significant liability for their investors. I call on them to stop immediately. If they refuse, the mayor may need to force them to stop this project.”
Read more about this in this article: Brooklyn Eagle
