Inquiring Photographer: COVID-19 Testing Lines & Waiting for Home Test Kits

By DAVID GREENE

This week, amid the latest omicron variant wave, we asked readers about their recent experience of either getting tested on-site for COVID-19 or of waiting for free, home test kits. “I went to get tested because my granddaughter was COVID positive. I waited 48 hours before visiting the LevelUp Urgent Care on East 204th Street and lucky me I wasn’t cold, because it was a warm day. I was in line from 6 a.m. until 10 a.m., but because I was negative, it didn’t mess up my plans. Some folks came with entire families and at 5:45 [a.m.] there were already twenty

By Dr. DAVE A. CHOKSHI

The holidays are here, and I know many New Yorkers are making difficult decisions on how to connect with family, friends and loved ones. This is a time of the year we all look forward to, and while this holiday may not be exactly what we wished for, we can still make it a safe and healthy one by taking a few precautions. COVID-19 cases are surging in New York City and across the country because of the Omicron variant, and we expect the steep increase to continue in the coming weeks. Hospitalizations will also follow, particularly among the

By DAVID GREENE

This week, we asked readers if they believe the original West Side Story movie accurately portrayed the racism experienced by Puerto Ricans in New York City at the time the movie was made. “I don’t know about the racism; that was, like, 50 years ago, but I saw the coming attractions to the new film, and it doesn’t look anything like the original.” Phyllis Butler, Norwood “I guess that was before most people’s time. I’m 73, I grew up in the South Bronx in the 50s and 60s… I was traumatized, man. My brother had to fight and run from

By Dr. DAVE A. CHOKSHI

As a father of a young child and the City’s doctor, it has been especially meaningful for me to see so many brave children roll up their sleeves to get vaccinated against COVID-19. I have had the privilege of being present when some have gotten their first dose. I remember one young person had tragically lost their mother to the COVID-19 pandemic. The family felt relief and joy after waiting so long for the comfort of knowing the child was protected. Since the COVID-19 vaccine was authorized, over 140,000 children ages 5-11 have received at least one dose in

By DAVID GREENE

This week, following the not-guilty verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial, and the guilty verdicts in the Ahmaud Arbery murder trial, we asked readers if they have faith in the criminal justice system. “The two very different decisions make me believe, more than ever, that when a case is properly prepared and adjudicated with care, the justice system works. The biggest problem with the system, as I see it, is in the people who are responsible for running the courts. Would Rittenhouse have been found guilty with a more thoughtful judge in the case? I don’t know, but we heard

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Hate crimes in New York City continue to rise as various elected officials across New York State have continued to rally around Bronx Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (A.D. 81), who is Jewish, in response to the recent protest organized by Republican gubernatorial candidate, Rob Astorino, outside Dinowitz’s Bronx office at 3107 Kingsbridge Avenue on Sunday, Nov. 14. During the rally, which was held two weeks ahead of the annual, Jewish festival of Hanukkah, at least one protestor displayed two signs containing swastikas and another protestor had a yellow star affixed to his clothing. Hate crimes in New York City are

By DAVID GREENE

With the spotlight on Puerto Rico following the recent Somos conference, this week, we asked readers for their thoughts on whether the island should become the 51st state or maintain its independence. “I feel that Puerto Rico should stay the way it is and maintain their independence. They don’t get enough support. I really don’t know. I don’t live there so I don’t know what’s going on exactly. But I know from what I see, and from what my family tells me, it would be nice to maintain their independence, but I don’t think they will be able

By DR. DAVE A. CHOKSHI

Recently, important updates about the COVID-19 vaccine were announced – that certain people are now eligible for a “booster” dose. Since the beginning of COVID-19, our scientific understanding of the virus has constantly evolved, and many New Yorkers understandably have questions about this new development. I would like to provide the “who, why, and where” about boosters. Who should get a booster? All three brands of booster shots are available for many New Yorkers — Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson — and “mixing and matching” of the vaccines is safe. But who is eligible for a booster depends

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

The live music was loud, the food was delicious, and the children couldn’t get enough cotton candy. The 20th Annual Fall Festival, organized by the Jerome Gun Hill Business Improvement District (BID), was back in full force on Saturday, Oct. 23. Jerome Avenue was closed for six hours from Gun Hill Road to East 208th Street in the Norwood section of the Bronx to accommodate the vendors, volunteers, and community groups. Most of the tents set up at the festival were selling some type of goods or food, but not all. Brandon Montes, 30, is the founder