COVID-19

UPDATE COVID-19 Testing at Bronx Zoo & E. 180th St., Test Price Gouging & Reduced Isolation Requirements

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Amid massive COVID-19 testing shortages, Somos Community Care and NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (NYC DOH) are launching a new testing site at Bronx Zoo for New Yorkers aged 5 and older.   As cases of the COVID-19 Omicron variant continue to rise in New York City, and despite many NYC Health + Hospitals sites reinforcing testing availability, demand for tests is skyrocketing. It is hoped the new testing site will help alleviate some of the pressure. The Bronx Zoo testing site will also help support the zoo’s Holiday Light Show and officials say the first 300 guests


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UPDATE Eric Dinowitz Urges DOE to Provide COVID-19 Testing for All in Schools, City Announces New Measures

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT
Days before New York City public school kids were dismissed for their winter recess, a few council members requested New York City Department of Education (DOE) and New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) to make more COVID-19 testing available at public schools.   At a press conference on Dec. 20, originally scheduled to take place in City Hall Park but which was switched to an online event due to the latest surge of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, District 11 city councilman, Eric Dinowitz, pointed to past instances of rising numbers of infections following holidays as a


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Van Cortlandt Jewish Center Honors Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz

By DAVID GREENE
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (A.D. 81) was honored by Van Cortlandt Jewish Center on Sunday, Dec. 19, as part of a “Celebration of Appreciation” event held at the center in the Van Cortlandt Village section of the Bronx.   The assemblyman, who is Jewish, was elected to the New York State Assembly to represent the 81st Assembly District on February 15, 1994, and has been the elected assemblyman since then. The district broadly covers the Northwest Bronx section of the borough and includes Van Cortlandt Village where the the Van Cortlandt Jewish Center (VCJC) is located.   The gesture of appreciation


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Op-Ed: Keeping Our Kids Safe With Vaccination 

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


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Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Study Shows Kids with Obesity/Diabetes at Higher Risk of COVID-19-Related Hospitalization

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Researchers at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) and Albert Einstein College of Medicine have released a new study which highlights that children with obesity or diabetes who contract SARS-CoV-2 infection are at a higher risk of being hospitalized than children who are not obese, or do not have diabetes. They say this is particularly concerning since reports have shown that rates of obesity and diabetes have increased among children during the pandemic.   Building on research conducted early in the pandemic, CHAM investigators analyzed 319 patients from 0 to 21 years of age with SARS-CoV-2 infection, of whom approximately one quarter were hospitalized


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New York City’s Top Doctor Says COVID-19 Hospitalizations Remain Low but Cases are Rising

By SÍLE MOLONEY
New York City’s health commissioner, Dave A. Chokshi M.D., said on Monday, Nov. 15, that hospitalizations for patients with COVID-19 across the City remain low. However, there has been an uptick in COVID-19 cases in recent days. “We had anticipated this might occur as the weather gets cooler and people spend more time indoors,” he said.   An update on NYC’s #COVID19 situation: Although hospitalizations remain low right now, we are seeing an uptick in cases in recent days. We had anticipated this might occur as the weather gets cooler and people spend more time indoors. 🧵 — Dr. Michelle


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COVID-19 Vaccine Roll-Out Continues Across the City for 5 Through 11-Year-Olds

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Inoculation of the COVID-19 vaccine for 5 through 11-year-olds continued on Monday, Nov. 8, and Tuesday, Nov. 9, in the Bronx and across New York City. During a press conference on Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio said over 4,500 children got vaccinated at public schools on Nov. 8 alone. As of Tuesday, Nov. 9, the mayor confirmed that about 25,000 kids aged 5 through 11 had been vaccinated since this age group was first authorized to get the shot. “It’s amazing,” the mayor said. “So, we see that parents are coming out, getting their kids vaccinated. We expect this to


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UPDATE Montefiore/Einstein Lead Drug Trial on COVID-19 Merck Antiviral Drug, Approved in the UK

By SÍLE MOLONEY
As part of a recently launched international phase 3 clinical trial, officials at Montefiore Health System and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine announced on Monday, Nov. 8, that they are jointly investigating whether the Merck antiviral pill, molnupiravir, approved last week in Britain for treating COVID-19, can prevent COVID-19 in unvaccinated individuals living with people who have contracted the disease.   Montefiore-Einstein is the first and only New York State site for such a trial, according to officials.   U.S. drug company, Merck, recently announced that people with mild or moderate cases of COVID-19 who took molnupiravir reduced their


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Op-Ed: What to Know About COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters

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


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