Opening of Lehman College Vaccination Site

On Tuesday, April 20, Lehman College, CUNY formally announced that it has partnered with the City to launch the Bronx’s newest COVID-19 vaccination hub, located at the college’s APEX Athletic Center at 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West in the borough’s Kingsbridge Heights neighborhood, as reported by Norwood News. 

 

The site is being run by SOMOS Community Care, and will serve up to 300 people a day with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The site is open to New Yorkers aged 16 or older, as well as to non-New York City residents aged 16 or older who work or study in the city. Eligible individuals aged 50 and over may walk-in without making an appointment, as long as they’re able to show proof of age.

 

However, those aged 49 and under will not be seen without an appointment. Prospective attendees should visit the New York City Department of Health website for more details in this regard. To schedule a vaccine appointment, visit https://vaccinefinder.nyc.gov/locations/664 or call (877) 829-4692.

 

The following additional Bronx sites are now vaccinating New Yorkers aged 50 and older, without an appointment:

• Bronx Co-Op City Dreiser Community Center
• Northeast Bronx YMCA (Edenwald)
• South Bronx Educational Campus
• West Bronx Gymnasium
• Bathgate Contract Postal Station

 

Walk-up COVID-19 vaccinations for New Yorkers aged 50 years and older are now available at all City-run vaccine sites.

Homebound New Yorkers

New York City is providing in-home COVID-19 vaccinations (Johnson & Johnson) to eligible NYC residents who are fully homebound, have not already been vaccinated, and do not already have access to a vaccination program.

If you think you may be eligible for an in-home vaccination, fill out an interest form here: https://forms.cityofnewyork.us/f/homebound. The form does not set up an appointment, but it enables City officials to contact you to further discuss your eligibility.

 

Johnson & Johnson Vaccines Resumed

The administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was paused on April 13, out of an abundance of caution, following CDC and FDA recommendations which followed news that blood clots were found in six women out of almost eight million Americans who had received the shot. An investigation was carried out and on April 23, the CDC recommended lifting the pause, following the completion of the investigation. It concluded that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks of a blood clot. On April 26, City officials confirmed that in-home vaccinations of Johnson & Johnson have resumed.

 

The FDA Fact Sheet on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has also been updated to note the rare blood clot cases. According to the Fact Sheet, if you receive the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine and, within three weeks, experience the following symptoms, you should contact your health care provider:

• Severe headache
• Chest or abdominal pain
• Leg pain or swelling
• Shortness of breath
• Easy bruising or tiny blood spots under the skin at the site of injection

 

COVID-19 Vaccinations

Unless you are exempt, appointments are required to receive a vaccination. To determine your eligibility, access a list of nearby providers, and schedule your vaccination appointment, use New York State’s Am I Eligible app. Prior to receiving your scheduled vaccination, you must complete the New York State COVID-19 Vaccine Form.

 

New York City: https://vaccinefinder.nyc.gov/ or 877-VAX-4NYC (877-829-4692)

New York State: https://am-i-eligible.covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/ or call 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829)

VaccineTogetherNY: https://vaccinetogetherny.org/Pages/default.aspx or call 646-697-VACC

To schedule an appointment, go to: https://vax4nyc.nyc.gov/patient/s/.

To find a vaccination site, go to: https://vaccinefinder.nyc.gov/locations.

Your physician or local pharmacy may also have information on scheduling vaccine appointments.

 

If you need transportation to get your vaccine appointment, click this link for a list of options: https://forms.ny.gov/s3/vaccine.

 

For trustworthy information on the vaccines and the research behind them, go to: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/covid/covid-19-vaccine-facts.page.

 

The MTA announced that it has launched a new vaccination site locator on its live subway map. See the map here:

https://map.mta.info/#@40.70949,-73.97853,14z

  

More Help with Scheduling Vaccine Appointments

Epicenter-NYC is a volunteer group, assisting New Yorkers to find and schedule vaccine appointments, particularly the elderly, and anyone not adept at using the internet. More details can be found here:

https://epicenter-nyc.com/epicenters-vaccine-resources/ or my emailing hello@epicenter-nyc.com.

 

The turbovax site, https://www.turbovax.info/, scans the websites of all providers offering the vaccine throughout the city and lists their available appointments.

 

Another volunteer group who go by the Twitter handle @VaccineschedNYC and Instagram handle @VaccineSchedulerNYC are also helping vulnerable populations like seniors and non-native English speakers to book vaccine appointments. For questions, contact VaccineSchedulerNYC@gmail.com or phone/text: 646-494-7029.

 

Bronx Rising Initiative, a nonprofit launched in 2020, has launched a homebound vaccine initiative to help inoculate Bronx seniors where they live, in partnership with local community organizations which are already serving homebound seniors. Residents can sign-up at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/getvaccinated.

 

Latest Updates on Vaccine Eligibility

Who is now eligible? The COVID-19 vaccine is now available to all New York residents 16 and older. People who live outside of the state but work or study in New York are also eligible to get vaccinated. People who are eligible based on employment include both paid and unpaid workers.

 

Note: People who are 16 or 17 years old are only eligible for the Pfizer vaccine.

Proof of eligibility is needed at your appointment. If you have questions, call the New York State COVID-19 hotline at 833-NYS-4-VAX (833-697-4829).

 

On April 23, the City confirmed that New Yorkers aged 16+ can now get their COVID-19 vaccine without an appointment at select sites across NYC: http://on.nyc.gov/walkupvax.

 

Other COVID-19 Updates

Effective May 1, indoor and outdoor graduation and commencement ceremonies will be allowed with limited capacity, depending on event size and location.

 

As of April 10, asymptomatic travelers will no longer be required to quarantine after entering New York.

 

The Open Enrollment Period for uninsured New Yorkers has been extended through December 31, 2021. New Yorkers can apply for coverage through NYS Department of Health or directly through insurers.

 

COVID-19 Testing Sites

For a full list of COVID-19 testing sites, text “COVID TEST” to 855-48 or go to:

https://www1.nyc.gov/site/coronavirus/get-tested/covid-19-testing.page.

 

 

 

If you have a condition or are taking medications that weaken your immune system, you may NOT be fully protected even if you are fully vaccinated. Talk to your healthcare provider. Even after vaccination, you may need to continue taking all precautions.

 

Earth Day at Keeper’s House Edible Garden

The Keeper’s House Edible Garden, based at 3440 Reservoir Oval West in Norwood, is fast evolving. Spurred on by Earth Day, celebrated on April 22, the community garden’s volunteers have now finished putting the shed together, a task which took two days of assembling 1,000 pieces. The volunteers are now getting a better feel for where the arches will go and are ready to start bringing in seedlings. They have also planted one of two apple trees. The group is currently concentrating on getting more compost, and though they received some donations recently from the Stagg Group, they are calling on anyone else who can drop off compost at the Keeper’s House, to get in touch with them. Email: mosholuparkland@gmail.com or call (347) 371-3085.

 

Citi Bike Comes to Bedford Park   

The Phase 3 expansion of the City’s Citi Bike program in the Bronx was presented during the March Bronx Community Board 7 Traffic & Transportation meeting. Citi Bike is a public bike share program, with bikes available 24/7 at hundreds of bike stations, each with a touch-screen kiosk and system map. To participate, riders must be 16 years or older, obtain annual membership or an access pass, and wear a helmet while riding.

 

A single, 30-minute ride costs $3, a day pass costs $15, a 3-day pass costs $24 and annual membership costs $179. A rate of $5/month is available to NYCHA residents, SNAP recipients, and community development credit union members, subject to conditions. DOT and their partner, Lyft, ensure bikes are disinfected and that social distancing is maintained. Several bike station locations are planned for Bedford Park, but not Norwood.

 

These include Goulden Avenue, adjacent to Lehman College; south sidewalk of Bedford Park Blvd West, east of Goulden Avenue; south sidewalk of Bedford Park Blvd West, west of Paul Avenue; east roadbed of Parkview Terrace at Jerome Avenue and East 198^th Street; west sidewalk of Jerome Avenue, south of Bedford Park Boulevard West; east sidewalk of Goulden Avenue, north of West 205^th Street; the west side of Paul Avenue, north of West 205^th Street; south sidewalk of West Mosholu Parkway South, west of Goulden Avenue; east sidewalk of Risse Street, west of Paul Avenue; and the west sidewalk of Jerome Avenue, north of East Mosholu Parkway South.

 

The also include the east sidewalk of Grand Concourse, south of East Mosholu Parkway South; east side of East Mosholu Parkway South, south of Van Cortlandt Avenue East; west side of Grand Concourse, north of East 205^th Street; east roadbed of East Mosholu Parkway South, north of East 204^th Street; east roadbed of Grand Concourse, south of East 203^rd Street; west sidewalk of Briggs Avenue, south of East 202nd Street; west sidewalk of Mosholu Parkway, north of Hill Avenue; and the east roadbed of Jerome Avenue, south of East 198^th Street.

 

DOT confirmed that it will start installing stations in the Bronx this week in Morris Heights and Mt Hope, and will be moving north to Bedford Park over the next couple of months. Phone (855) 245-3311 or email customerservice@citibikenyc.com for more information.

 

Free Summer Programs for Kids

The NYC Department of Education (DOE) and Department of Youth & Community Development will have free summer programs available for all children in New York City (K-12, as well as students with 12-month IEPs). The programs aim to help students catch up on academics if they have fallen behind amid remote learning, and also provide for social experiences fundamental to children’s development.

 

Summer Rising High School is oriented towards the needs of older students and may be in-person or remote, depending on the “subject area and community needs.” Below are some important dates:

 

Grades K-5

Program runs July 6 to August 20 (except July 20), Monday through Friday from 8am to 6pm. Enrollment begins Monday, April 26 through the DYCD website: https://discoverdycd.dycdconnect.nyc/home.

 

Grades 6-8

Program runs July 6 to August 12 (except July 20), Monday through Thursday from 8am to 4pm. Enrollment begins Monday, April 26 through the DYCD

https://discoverdycd.dycdconnect.nyc/home.

 

Grades 9-12

Program runs July 6 to August 13 (except July 20), Monday through Friday, at hours throughout the day to accommodate the student’s schedule. High schools will reach out to students in coming weeks to discuss participation.

 

Students with 12-month IEPs (D75 and ESY)

Program runs July 2 to August 13 (except July 5 and 20), Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. or 8:10 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. Students with 12-month IEPs will be contacted about participating in their IEP-recommended programs and about their learning preferences (remote or in person).

 

All New York City residents are eligible for Summer Rising programs, even if they do not attend a DOE school. Students who do not attend a DOE school should apply to a program that is in their neighborhood. For more details, and to see frequently asked questions, email summer@schools.nyc.gov, visit

visit https://www.schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/summer, or contact your local school.

 

University Heights Affordable Housing Lottery

As reported by Norwood News, an affordable housing lottery has launched for units at 2724 Heath Avenue, a seven-story, residential building in the University Heights section of The Bronx, as reported by YIMBY, the architecture, construction, and real estate website on Saturday, April 17.

 

The 51,610-square-foot development was designed by Marin Architects and developed by Stagg Group, and yields 64 units, available at different prices. Residences will have energy-efficient appliances and name-brand kitchen appliances. Additional amenities include a shared laundry room, gym, a community center, and six parking spaces.

 

Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online via https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/details/2043, no later than June 11, 2021.

 

Proposed Coop Tax Increase Defeated

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz has confirmed that a proposed increase in the taxes paid by coop building shareholders (called the capital base tax) has been defeated and cooperative housing corporations are exempt from this tax, starting in the 2021 tax year. The applicable rate for 2020 was already at 0.04 percent.