Mayor Adams Visits Jacobi Hospital to Announce New COVID Policy
By Robert Press
Sunday morning Mayor Eric Adams visited Jacobi Hospital for the second time in a week. Last week after the Emergency Room shooting Mayor Adam visited Jacobi Hospital to ensure everything was back to normal.
Today’s visit was to announce along with Doctors Chokshi, Katz, and Long that the city is winning the fight against the COVID-19. “There has been a decrease of more than 80% in the amount of cases in the city since early January, and that 75% of all New Yorkers are fully vaccinated – way ahead of the national average” said Mayor Adams. The mayor added that the city is offering high risk New Yorkers free, at-home delivery of COVID-19 antiviral pills to prevent serious illness and keep people out of the hospital.
On hand were NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi who said that the city must continue to do all it can to prevent needless suffering and death caused by COVID-19 to help keep New Yorkers safe and healthy. NYC Health and Hospitals President and CEO Dr. Mitchell Katz said that the public health care system is seeing a decline in COVID-19 admissions, but are still very busy treating severely ill patients. NYC Test and Trace Corps Executive Director Dr. Ted Long said that he was waiting for the day that he could give patients a pill that could save their life to fight COVID-19, and now it can be done by calling your doctor to prescribe the new COVID-19 antiviral pill. Dr. Long added for those without a doctor they can call the hotline at 212-COVID19 to be connected to NYCHHC Virtual ExpressCare and talk to a health provider.
There was a small demonstration of about twenty Jacobi nurses and other staff holding signs that they do not feel safe anymore inside Jacobi Hospital after the shooting, that more security, and other vital supplies that are in short supply are needed. The mayor said that issue would be addressed after the press conference. Dr. Katz met with the staff afterwards to make note of the issues.
During questioning from the media, this reporter was able to ask Mayor Adams about the Fair Share issue of siting three Single Adult Homeless Men’s Shelters in Community Board 11 by former Mayor de Blasio. The fact that the Department of Homeless Services has a policy of not placing more than 25% of a community board’s homeless responsibility as Single Adult Men was being ignored, whereas the three shelters would be up to 75% of CB 11’s homeless responsibility. Mayor Adams said he would check with the DHS on the matter, and they would get back to me. CB 11 has a public hearing on the third Single Adult Men’s Shelter to be located at the corner of White Plains Road and Bronxdale Avenue, Thursday night February 3rd. For more information you can call CB 11 District Manager Jeremy Warneke at the board office 718-892-6262 for more information, and to sign up to speak at the public hearing to be held at Maestros on Bronxdale Avenue.
Mayor Adam answering this reporter’s question.
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