Health

Op-Ed: Stay Safe and Healthy Over the Holidays

By Dr. DAVE A. CHOKSHI 
The holidays are here, and I know many New Yorkers are making difficult decisions on how to connect with family, friends and loved ones. This is a time of the year we all look forward to, and while this holiday may not be exactly what we wished for, we can still make it a safe and healthy one by taking a few precautions.   COVID-19 cases are surging in New York City and across the country because of the Omicron variant, and we expect the steep increase to continue in the coming weeks. Hospitalizations will also follow, particularly among the


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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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New Law Sponsored by Jeffrey Dinowitz Will Require Board of Elections to Offer Voters Absentee Ballot Tracking

By SÍLE MOLONEY
As more New Yorkers get comfortable with absentee voting, a new law sponsored by Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (A.D. 81) will make it easier for voters to keep track of where their ballot is from start to finish. The new law (A4186-B) was signed on December 22, 2021 and will create a statewide online absentee ballot tracking system, something which is already in effect in New York City, and was used in recent municipal elections. The new law was also carried by State Sen. Leroy Comrie, a Democrat, who represents New York’s 14th senatorial district of South Eastern Queens.  As part


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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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UPDATE Dinowitz Bill to Combat Fake Vaccination Cards Signed into Law

Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed into law, bills A.7536B/S.4516C, which make the falsification of COVID-19 vaccination records a crime. The new “Truth in Vaccination Law,” sponsored respectively in the assembly and senate by Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (A.D. 81) and State Sen. Anna M. Kaplan, a Democrat who represents North Hills, takes effect at a critical moment in the State’s battle against the coronavirus. A sharp rise in new COVID-19 cases stemming from the prevalence of the omicron variant, has added new urgency to efforts to ensure every eligible New Yorker is fully vaccinated against COVID-19.   In a press release


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Fauci & NIH Scientific Community Urge Pursuit of Universal Coronavirus Vaccine

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, on Thursday, Dec. 16, officials from the National Institute for Allergy & Infectious Diseases (NIAID) said they are urging the pursuit of a universal coronavirus vaccine, explaining that there is a growing body of scientific evidence which, considered together with ecological reality, strongly suggests novel coronaviruses will continue to infect bats and other animal reservoirs, and potentially emerge to pose more pandemic threats to humans.   To counter future coronavirus outbreaks, the global, scientific and medical research community at NIAID said they should focus a major effort now on three goals: characterize the range of


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UPDATE Eric Dinowitz Joined by Wide-Ranging Elected Officials for Inauguration at Lehman College

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Editor’s Note: The following is an extended version of the story that appears in our latest print edition.   Elected officials from across New York State gathered inside the Lovinger Theatre at Lehman College for the formal inauguration of Democrat, Eric Dinowitz, as the city councilman of District 11 on Sunday, Dec. 5. The Bedford Park ceremony was attended by a crowd of over 300 and was streamed live on BronxNet TV.   The councilman has been serving in the role since April 2021, having won the District 11 seat in a special election in March. As reported, he went on


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Kingsbridge Heights Six-Year-Old Sees Wish Come True with New Yorkie

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT
  The first thing 6-year-old Camilia Vanderhorst wants people to know about her new Yorkie puppy is its name. “I’ll call him Coco, [not Coco Melon]” she insisted softly as she addressed the media gathered in front of her home in the Kingsbridge Heights section of the Bronx on Nov. 10. Asked what was the first thing she planned to do with her new pet, the shy 6-year-old said, “We can play fetch.”   While the origin of Coco’s name was unclear, what was obvious was Camilia’s joy at seeing her wish for a new puppy come true. She received


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Health Check: Take Care of Your Mental Health

By Dr. GIFTY AMPADU
Each year, usually around the start of the year, which is just around the corner, we are encouraged to meet with our primary care physician to assess our physical wellbeing. Not often prioritized as part of this routine is an effort to assess our psychological and emotional wellbeing, which is concerning, because poor mental health has an impact on physical wellbeing and quality of life.   Mental health problems continue to rise across the nation. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in increased isolation, anxiety, unresolved grief, stress, and financial and housing insecurities, all of which are predictors of a mental health crisis. Also at risk are people with chronic medical


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