New York City Mayor Eric Adams has tested positive for COVID-19 two days after attending the Yankees season reopening home game against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, and on the mayor’s 100th day in office. The news follows the mayor’s recent, controversial decision to lift a ban to allow “elite” New York State athletes to play home games despite not being vaccinated.

 

According to the CDC, a person with COVID-19 is considered infectious starting two days before they develop symptoms, or two days before the date of their positive test, if they do not have symptoms.

 

The following statement was released by Fabien Levy, press secretary to Adams, on the mayor’s health status on Sunday, April 10. “This morning, Mayor Adams woke up with a raspy voice and, out of an abundance of caution, took a PCR test that has now come back positive,” the statement read.

 

It continued, “At this time, the mayor has no other symptoms, but he is already isolating and will be canceling all public events for the remainder of the week. He is also going to immediately begin taking the anti-viral medications offered for free to New York City residents and encourages all New Yorkers eligible for these medications to take them as well.” The statement concluded, “While he is isolating, he will continue to serve New Yorkers by working remotely.”

Norwood News contacted both The Yankees and Major League Baseball (MLB) for comment on the mayor’s illness in the context of the decision to allow unvaccinated New York State players to play home games. We did not receive an immediate response.

 

Later on Sunday, the mayor tweeted an update on his condition, writing, “I’ve tested positive for #COVID19 and am following my doctor’s orders by isolating. Thankfully, I’m vaccinated and boosted so symptoms are minimal. I’ll work remotely and I know we’ve got the best team in the country at work at City Hall. We’ll continue to #GetStuffDone.”

 

I've tested positive for #COVID19 and am following my doctors orders by isolating.

Thankfully, I'm vaccinated and boosted so symptoms are minimal.

I'll work remotely and I know we've got the best team in the country at work at City Hall.

We'll continue to #GetStuffDone.

— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) April 10, 2022

 

When pressed on his decision about lifting the COVID-19 vaccine ban on professional athletes by a reporter during the reopening of the Saturday Night Lights program in Mott haven on Saturday, March 26, the mayor said he was done speaking about the issue and sought to move on from the topic, referring to his previous comments about it being up to individual athletes to make their choice regarding vaccination.

 

“I talked about that several times,” Adams said. “I spent a lot of time…[inaudible] and I’m done with that. Look at my previous comments and you’ll understand my position. I’ve been very clear. I’m not going to keep talking about that over and over again. I got a city to run. I’m finished with that conversation.”

According to the Daily News report, Judge was in discussions to sign a $230 million deal over the next eight years. He is now set to stay on for just the remaining year.

 

 

It is not the first time the speaker and the mayor, who happen to share the same surname, have been at loggerheads. As reported, Adams also recently called out the mayor’s city agencies for not being sufficiently prepared during a recent City Hall hearing on fire safety and prevention.

 

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (A.D. 81) was also critical of the mayor’s decision on the lifting of the ban, saying, “I think this is a horrible decision, one that contradicts everything we have been working so hard to achieve over the past two years during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is absolutely ludicrous that millionaire athletes and performers are not being held to the same vaccination standard as the hard-working people who work in those very same venues — cleaners, ticket checkers, vendors, maintenance workers, window cleaners, and many other workers.”

He added, “The ostensible basis for Mayor Adams’ decision is to boost morale for the City. I do not agree with this reasoning. The way we boost morale in the City is by [supporting] the millions of people who have already done the right thing and gotten vaccinated and boosted, not by undermining all of our public health messaging about vaccination and giving anti-vaxxers a very powerful, litigious weapon in their crusade against public health.”

 

The assemblyman continued, “There has been some justified confusion about the disparity with which New York City treated out-of-state performers and athletes as compared to those in-state. I agree that it doesn’t make sense to prohibit athletes like Kyrie Irving and potentially Aaron Judge and Jacob DeGrom from playing home games in New York while simultaneously allowing their unvaccinated competitors to play games in New York.”

 

He concluded, “I carry legislation along with State Senator Brad Hoylman to do the opposite of what Mayor Adams did — my bill would have required out-of-state athletes and performers to meet the same requirements as in-state athletes and performers. I believe this is a much better solution that sufficiently emphasizes the importance of vaccination, and does not hold working-class people to a different standard than the rich and powerful.”

Norwood News had recently put the idea of a nationwide vaccine policy for all teams to U.S. Senator Kirstin Gillibrand, as a way to prevent the alleged unfairness among sports teams. We did not receive an immediate response.

 

Local Bronx residents had also recently weighed in on the topic, as reported, as part of our recent Inquiring Photographer feature series. We asked residents what message it sent to young people about sportsmanship and fair play when elite athletes are exempt from getting vaccinated for COVID-19.

 

Dishawn Smith from Norwood said, “They want to bring more money into the economy in New York. They’re losing a lot of money and it will bring money back. It doesn’t teach kids anything at all. There’s no fair play; it’s all about money! It’s all about the money – power for dollars. But I’d still go see the Yankees, of course. I’m a Yankee fan. I’m fully vaccinated. I work at the stadium.”

Meanwhile, Russell Cheek from Highbridge said, “I think that it’s biased, catered directly or indirectly by the mayor and the administration by that. What it shows our kids is that it’s good for one but not good for all. So, it creates a divide in the thinking and how they look at the overall social landscape.”

 

He added, “If you’re an athlete, you’re cool but if you’re a hard-working person, you’re not. It’s an unfair measure that the mayor took, and it confuses children when they look at the judgement aspect. Like what’s right and what’s wrong. Why is it okay for one but not the other?”

 

A memorial event to honor the 7,723 people lost to COVID-19 was held at Fort Washington Walk in the  Jerome Park section of The Bronx on Saturday, April 8.

 

For more information about the COVID-19 anti-viral drugs, click here. Get the facts about COVID-19 vaccinations at the following sites:

https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/covid/covid-19-vaccine-facts.page

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/facts.html

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/about-covid-19/caring-for-children/families.html