UPDATE For Hospice and Healthcare Workers, the Work Continues

By EMILY SAWAKED

Healthcare workers have been on the front line of the pandemic since it first hit in early 2020, and over two years later, that has not changed. VNS Health (formerly Visiting Nurse Service of New York) is a nonprofit that has been serving some of the most vulnerable New Yorkers in their homes for over 125 years, and has been diligently working to help patients stay healthy in their homes. May marked National Nurses Month, as well as National Nurses Week (May 6-12), and last year’s Hometown Heroes Tickertape Parade was an occasion to honor all healthcare workers who go

By DAVID GREENE

Volunteers, once again, carried out the painstaking task of locating more than 8,000 graves of American servicemen and women to place American flags on them in honor of Memorial Day at Woodlawn Cemetery. Volunteers fanned out across the sprawling cemetery, located at 4199 Webster Avenue at East 233rd Street, and placed small flags at the headstones or in front of community mausoleums as a gesture of respect and tradition for the country’s fallen military members. This year’s “flagging” season began on Saturday, May 21, and continued through Sunday, May 29. On Sunday, May 22, volunteers, including a local

By SÍLE MOLONEY

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced on Thursday, June 9, that the mask mandate in schools and daycare centers for 2 to 4-year-old children will be made optional, effective Monday, June 13. “I have always said that the science will guide us out of the pandemic, and because we have followed the data, which shows that cases are steadily falling, we‘ve beaten back the latest COVID-19 surge,” Adams said. “New Yorkers stepped up when we needed them most and have put us on the path to lower risk.” The mayor continued, “Throughout the current wave,

By SÍLE MOLONEY, DAVID GREENE & MIRIAM QUIÑONES

The music was pumping from around 11 a.m. and could be heard a few blocks away, seemingly nudging and calling residents to come out, join in, applaud their neighbors and soak up the atmosphere for the Bronx Week 2022 Finale parade, which had a fitting, in-person return, under glorious sunshine, on Mosholu Parkway in Bedford Park, on Sunday, May 15. A tradition for more than 40 years, Bronx Week is an annual celebration of the culture, beauty, and institutions of the borough. A lively and excited gathering of schools, bands, cultural institutions, musicians, elected officials, dancers, first responders, youth

By DAVID GREENE

Over two years after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, various Bronx organizations were recognized for answering the call of service during the pandemic’s early days at an event hosted by Councilman Rafael Salamanca (CD 17) at the New York Botanical Garden, while at a separate event, some Redwood trees planted last year were blessed and dedicated to the lives and memories of more than 40 victims of COVID-19. Salamanca honored seven healthcare entities and food distribution companies during a luncheon at The New York Botanical Garden, on Southern Boulevard on Thursday, April 21. The seven honorees were Lincoln Hospital,

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Last month, NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx held a final “clap out” and appreciation ceremony for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) medical team which had been deployed to work at the hospital to support the medical staff during the height of the Omicron surge amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The hospital’s healthcare workers and senior officials joined the DoD team for a final farewell ceremony which included the presentation of certificates of appreciation to the members of the team. As reported, in early February 2022, Gov. Kathy Hochul joined various elected representatives and NCB officials in

By SARAH HUFFMAN

Latanya DeVaughn loves books. Her love of books can be traced back to her childhood, from watching her grandmother read to neighbors who couldn’t, and from scouring yard sales for used books with her aunt. Years later, that love manifested in the mobile bookstore, Bronx Bound Books.

Inquiring Photographer: Thoughts on the COVID-19 Vaccine Exemption for “Elite” Athletes

By DAVID GREENE

This week, we asked readers what message it sends to kids about sportsmanship and fair play when professional, “elite,” athletes and performers are given an exemption from COVID-19 vaccination rules, while employees like ticket sellers etc. at such venues are required to be vaccinated. “The mandate should be equal across the board for the players as well as the community. That’s how I feel about it right now. Other than that, it’s crazy! You don’t know what’s going on from one day to the next. Things are changing too rapidly, and we’re not getting clear answers as to what’s

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

Most of the attention on COVID-19 revolves around the physical consequences of its spread, especially in communities of color, but a secondary effect has to do with a decrease in academic attainment, especially in the Latino community. The educational fallout from the pandemic is seen in figures collected by the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC). During 2020, the first year of the pandemic, Hispanic enrollment in higher education fell overall by 5.4 percent. More alarming is the decline in first-time enrollment among Hispanic students, at almost 20 percent. These statistics present a difficult future for one of the fastest-growing segments