Keeping a Record of COVID-19’s Impact on The Bronx

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

Future and current generations of scholars, historians, and anyone else interested in learning how COVID-19 has affected the borough will find a well-researched resource in, “The Bronx COVID 19 Oral History Project“. The work is conducted under the auspices of Fordham University’s Bronx African American History Project. The goal of the online project, which is still ongoing, is to gather a wide variety of testimony from Bronxites, through both video and audio interviews, describing how their lives have been disrupted by the global pandemic. The student-run project is putting a face and adding a voice to the people who

By JASON GONZALEZ

If the age of the coronavirus pandemic could be summed up in one sentence, it would read, “The world has changed – forever”. Who knew that face masks would become a part of regular attire, or that terms such as “sheltering in place”, “essential workers”, and “social distancing” would become part of our everyday vocabulary? Indeed, the universe has transformed in ways human beings never thought possible. For almost six months now, large gatherings in the City have been cancelled, indoor dining is prohibited, and sporting events are being held in empty venues. Of course, no other

By Síle Moloney

Phase 3 of the reconstruction of Grand Concourse in the Bronx is completed, as announced on Aug. 11 by the City’s departments of transportation (DOT), design and construction (DDC) and environmental protection (DEP), along with Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., Council Member Vanessa Gibson and advocates. The boulevard is a “Vision Zero” priority corridor as well as one of the four “Great Streets” identified and prioritized by the de Blasio Administration for significant infrastructure and safety improvements. Approximately 3,000 New Yorkers are seriously injured and more than 200 are killed each year in traffic crashes. Being struck

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The New York City Health Department detected mosquitoes with West Nile virus in New York City in mid-July. The infected Culex mosquitoes were collected in the Bronx and on Staten Island. No human cases have been reported to date. Mosquito season in New York City typically spans from April through September. The Health Department is increasing mosquito surveillance in the surrounding area by installing additional mosquito monitoring traps. There are currently over 53 surveillance sites citywide. The Department uses an integrated management approach to control mosquitos which can transmit West Nile virus and will spray pesticide to target mosquitoes

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), 13-member Climate Justice Working Group will hold its initial meeting on Thursday, Aug. 13 at 3 p.m. Established under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (2019), the Group is tasked with establishing criteria for identifying disadvantaged communities to reduce co-pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions, compile regulatory impact statements, and manage the allocation of investments pursuant to the Act. The Act is among the most ambitious climate laws in the world and requires New York to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030, and no less than

By Síle Moloney

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the moratorium on evictions in New York State has been extended to Sept. 4. The moratorium was first put in place in March to protect residential and commercial tenants facing financial hardship due to the pandemic. “As long as we are in the middle of the pandemic, there will be no evictions,” he wrote on Aug. 7. On May 7, amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the governor announced that the state’s moratorium on COVID-related residential or commercial evictions would be extended for an additional 60 days until Aug. 20. He also announced, at that

By Síle Moloney

Additional damage from Storm Isaias was evident in the Morris Park section of the Bronx as these photos dated Aug. 5 show. Our full story, published yesterday, on Storm Isaias can be read here. Check out our Facebook page for additional videos posted today of both the damage and the clean-up efforts in Williamsbridge Oval Park. As of Aug. 6 at 5.14 p.m., there were 14,494 households still without power in the Bronx. The estimated time for restoration of service, according to Con Ed, is Sunday, Aug. 9 by 11 p.m. Morris Park residents of the Bronx

By Síle Moloney

According to a report by JAMA Dermatology, as COVID-19 infection spreads globally, dermatologists are recognizing a variety of skin manifestations in patients with the coronavirus. JAMA Network Open is a monthly, open-access, medical journal published by the American Medical Association covering all aspects of the biomedical sciences. JAMA wrote that a recent Spanish report categorized skin findings in 375 patients with suspected and confirmed COVID-19, including livedoid, a blood vessel disorder that causes painful ulcers and scarring on the feet and lower legs, and necrotic eruptions, which were noted in patients with more severe disease. Necrosis is a form of cell

By DAVID GREENE & SÍLE MOLONEY

Tropical Storm Isaias ripped through an already bruised New York City on Tuesday, Aug. 4, causing approximately 300,000 homes to lose power, including about 20,000 in the Bronx according to Con Edison. The National Weather Service reported sustained winds of 30 to 40 miles per hour during its passage, with a wind gust of 78 miles per hour reported in Battery Park in Lower Manhattan. In the Bronx, the storm uprooted trees and downed power lines along Bedford Park Boulevard, Jerome Park, and Morris Park, damaging several vehicles in the process. Several fallen trees were also seen in