Cuomo: Additional Restrictions for Indoor Dining if Hospitalization Rates Continue to Rise

  Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned on Monday, Dec. 7, that additional restrictions will be applied to indoor dining if hospitalization rates don’t stabilize in the next five days. Currently, bars, restaurants and gyms, as well as any State Liquor Authority-licensed establishment, must close in-person service from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily, and in New York City, eateries are operating at 25 percent capacity. The governor warned that if the hospitalization rate does not stabilize in New York City in the next five days, indoor dining will be suspended.   In regions outside New York City, if the rate does


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NYC Health + Hospitals Continue to Urge New Yorkers To Get Flu Vaccine

In observation of National Influenza Vaccination Week, NYC Health + Hospitals continues to urge New Yorkers to get a flu vaccine, available at more than 60 patient care sites across the five boroughs.   The CDC recommends everyone aged six months and older get a vaccination to protect against the flu. Protection against the flu is not fully effective for up to two weeks after getting vaccinated, so delaying vaccination may put individuals and those around them at risk of serious illness.   Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the flu shot is critical to get this year to help reduce


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Montefiore Encourages Kids & Families to Join Free Monthly Virtual Dance Parties With DJ Spazo

Local youth and their families are invited to participate in a series of free Virtual Dance Parties, hosted by Hot 97 FM DJ Spazo. The dance parties are held monthly and are a collaboration between the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore B’N Fit program, the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, Wellness in the Schools, and PS/MS-95.   The goal of the dance parties is to encourage youth to get moving, decompress and connect with peers, while learning some health tips.   The next session will be held on December 17 at 6 p.m.   Prizes of gift cards are awarded for the best


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“Jashawn’s Law” Passed After 18 Years; Honors 8-Year-Old Tragically Killed in 2002 Fire

A pair of local, elected officials joined housing advocates and attorneys in taking a bow during a recent virtual discussion, following the passage of “Jashawn’s Law,” which establishes deadlines for landlords to make court-ordered repairs to buildings.   State Sen. Robert Jackson joined Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz in a Zoom conference call on Monday, Nov. 16, along with officials from the Legal Aid Society and housing advocacy groups, Take Root Justice and the Fordham-Bedford Housing Corporation.   The bill was put forward by Dinowitz in 2003 in response to the Aug. 6, 2002 blaze at 3569 DeKalb Avenue in Norwood that


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Health Check: Stay Healthy in 2021, Enroll in Insurance Today

The COVID-19 pandemic brought healthcare into the spotlight this year. If you haven’t already done so, take time to enroll in a 2021 health plan through New York State of Health, the state’s official marketplace. Open Enrollment is happening now. You can enroll until Dec. 15 for coverage that begins Jan. 1, 2021.   If we talk to our friends, family and neighbors, we can help families get the coverage they need to take care of their health.   Why use NY State of Health? The digital marketplace allows anyone to shop and compare quality affordable health plans. Once you


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Inquiring Photographer: Thoughts on Presidential Pardons

This week, we asked readers if they agree that presidential pardons should be given when a president leaves office. Is it right and just?   “That’s a good question. I believe that if you have a lot of proof, proof like they have on this person, Michael Flynn, there’s so much proof that this guy didn’t do anything wrong, so yeah, I believe in the pardons, even if the president is leaving office. Hey, he still has the ability. He’s still the president, yeah.”   Dawn Marie, Indian Village   “That’s a very interesting question. I don’t know if it’s


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Williamsbridge: Noise Complaints Soar as Police Monitor House Parties to Stop COVID Spread

Amid the ongoing, opening hour restrictions imposed on clubs, bars and restaurants, currently subject to a 10 p.m. closure, one Bronx district is experiencing skyrocketing, loud music complaints. Since moving to Williamsbridge in the upper Bronx, Venus Carey has had to endure unbearably loud music from neighbors’ parties. She said it has gotten so bad, at times she and her roommate have resorted to booking a hotel to get some respite.   “It’s affecting my productivity,” said Carey, 38. “It’s affecting my mood. It’s affecting my sleep,” she added. “If it happens on a weekend, even on a Saturday, I


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“Ghost Bike” Memorials Continue in the Bronx in Tribute to Deceased Bike Riders

  Members and volunteers from Bronx Committee for Transportation Alternatives have been holding their monthly “Complete the Concourse,” protest bike rides that aim to raise awareness of the risks to both pedestrians and cyclists of traveling on the Grand Concourse. Transportation Alternative’s mission is to reclaim New York City’s streets from the automobile, and advocate for better cycling, walking, and public transit for all New Yorkers.   During an Oct. 24 ride, Streetmemorials.org representatives and members of Five Boro Bike Club, joined Bronx Transportation Alternatives for the installation of a “Ghost Bike” memorial on the corner of Grand Concourse and


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Norwood: Residents Live in Fear of Rat Infestation 

A number of residents who live at and adjacent to 3440 Gates Place in Norwood are living in fear of rats which they said are frequenting the alleyway where the garbage is stored, adjacent to the building. At least one rat has entered the basement of an adjacent home, and though the residents have allegedly complained to the super at 3440 Gates Place, to the landlord, 3440 Holdings LLC, and to a number of city agencies, they have yet to receive a satisfactory response. One resident said the situation is already a health hazard.   The residents, who wish to


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