Dec. 16, 2020 By Allie Griffin The City Council passed a bill last week that will allow performers to host ticketed events on city streets. The bill — sponsored by Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer — will establish an “Open Culture” program, modeled after the city’s “Open Restaurants” outdoor dining program. The program aims to… Read more »
Dec. 16, 2020 By Allie Griffin Elmhurst Hospital — once seen as the epicenter of the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. — became the first public city hospital to administer the vaccine in the five boroughs. The hospital was the scene of a photo-op Wednesday as two staff members were vaccinated in… Read more »
Dec. 15, 2020 By Allie Griffin Mayor Bill de Blasio said New York City could face a second shutdown after Christmas–should COVID-19 cases continue to rise. “We’re dealing with a second wave…,” de Blasio said. “We’re going to need to do some kind of shutdown in the weeks ahead.” The mayor said that while the… Read more »
Dec. 15, 2020 By Allie Griffin The city has ordered eateries to shut down their roadway dining setups on Wednesday in anticipation of the major snow storm. The Sanitation Department (DSNY) has ordered restaurants to close their dining areas located along the roadway by 2 p.m., when a “snow alert” goes into effect Wednesday. Sidewalk… Read more »
Dec. 14, 2020 by Allie Griffin Jackson Heights Council Member Daniel Dromm introduced a bill last week that would end the use of solitary confinement in all New York City jails. Under the bill, individuals would only be allowed to be isolated for the sole purpose of de-escalating violent conflicts and could only be isolated… Read more »
Dec. 11, 2020 By Allie Griffin New York City restaurants will have to close their indoor dining areas come Monday, in response to the growing number of city residents in hospitals with COVID-19. Indoor dining will be shuttered across the five boroughs for at least two weeks, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Friday. Cuomo had warned… Read more »
Dec. 7, 2020 By Allie Griffin Two Queens lawmakers introduced legislation Thursday that would require New York State to cover the cost of COVID-19 testing at private, religious and other non-public schools. State Sen. Joe Addabbo and Assembly Member Andrew Hevesi sponsored a bill that would require the state to reimburse non-public schools for the cost… Read more »
Dec. 7, 2020 By Allie Griffin Indoor dining in New York City could close once again if the city’s hospitalization rate continues to rise, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today. The governor said if the rate does not stabilize within five days indoor dining would close. The closure could come as early as next Monday, Dec…. Read more »
Dec. 2, 2020 By Allie Griffin New York will receive its first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccination by mid-December, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday. New York State is expected to receive 170,000 doses of the vaccine — developed by Pfizer — from the federal government by Dec. 15, Cuomo said. “We expect, if all safety… Read more »
Dec. 1, 2020 By Allie Griffin Council Member Donovan Richards will assume the role of Queens Borough President Wednesday, taking the reins from Acting BP Sharon Lee. Richards will vacate his seat on the City Council tomorrow and take over as Borough President. He can officially take office Wednesday since the NYC Board of Elections… Read more »