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. 14, 2020 By Christian Murray An ICU nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Center Queens became the first American to receive the COVID-19 vaccine Monday. Sandra Lindsay, a critical case nurse, received the shot just after 9 a.m., one day after Pfizer’s vaccine began being shipped across the country. The shot, the first in… Read more »
Dec. 13, 2020 By Michael Dorgan This could be a hairy move… Queens Assembly Member David Weprin, who currently has a smooth upper lip, has announced that his trademark moustache could be making a comeback– although New Yorkers will have to pay to see it. Weprin has declared that he will grow back the facial… 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. 11, 2020 By Allie Griffin A middle-aged Queens woman was told she was “too old” to work as a server at a Forest Hills eatery and was promptly let go after she was hired for the gig, according to a new lawsuit. Mara Risa Newman, 51, said she was hired as a waitress at… Read more »
By Rachel Holiday Smith and Reuven Blau, THE CITY This story was originally published on 8/12/20 by THE CITY The city’s latest funding plan strips more than $500 million from construction of four new jails — with a building timeline that could extend two years past Mayor Bill de Blasio’s pledge to shut Rikers Island… Read more »
Dec. 10, 2020 By Allie Griffin The City Council voted Thursday to approve a land use application for a sprawling 13-tower mixed-use development that will transform the Flushing waterfront for years to come. The Council voted 39-to-5 — with one abstention — to approve a proposal to create a “Special Flushing Waterfront District” on 29-acres… Read more »