Health

Dental Assistants Forced to Treat COVID-19 Patients, then Terminated, Cancel Planned Protest On May 22

By Síle Moloney
  A group of dental assistants employed by Union Community Health Center in the Bronx, who were terminated after being transferred to St. Barnabas Hospital, and reassigned to care for COVID-19 patients, abruptly cancelled a planned protest which was due to take place on Friday, May 22 at 12:30PM.   The rally was planned to highlight what activists say were unjust terminations, and lack of transparency at both Union Community Health Center and at St. Barnabas Hospital.   The dental assistants – members of 1199SEIU- were told they were being transferred from Union Community Health Center, then put on a


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Elected Officials Distribute Masks, As New Study Shows They Work

By Síle Moloney
As New York State prepares to gradually re-open, State Sen. Jamaal T. Bailey, Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez, and Councilman Andrew Cohen distributed free face masks, gloves and hand sanitizers to residents on May 20, 2020 outside Lexa Bar & Grill on East 204th Street.   Norwood News previously reported that although a number of free mask distribution events were held in the local area throughout May, mask supplies tended to run out in a very short space of time. So, why are masks so important?   A new study from the University of Hong Kong shows that wearing a mask does


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Rally on May 21 To Demand NYC Budget Justice and Caring and Compassionate New Deal

On Thursday, 21 May, at 2:00 p.m., Voices Of Community Activists & Leaders (VOCAL-NY) will be joined by members of the City Council who have pledged to advance a call for a new vision and drastic realignment in City budget priorities.   VOCAL-NY are calling for the creation of a housing, public health and social services workforce. The group also wants to see a collaborative effort by the Department of Social Services, Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, and Housing Preservation and Development, to tackle issues of incarceration, homelessness, overdose, substance use and mental health.   VOCAL-NY is a statewide


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Elected Officials Call To Curtail Fireworks Out of Respect For Front Line Workers

In response to a distinct uptick in midnight fireworks concentrated in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Council Member Andrew Cohen, and Congressman Eliot Engel have issued the following statement:   “We appreciate that some of our neighbors want to show their support for essential workers and that using small firecrackers – although illegal in New York City – is a way for them to do that during the 7pm clap. However, the fireworks being set off later into the evening – even after midnight – are not firecrackers. They are massive, loud, and startling for many


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CM Cabrera, Bronx Parent Housing Network & Residents Hosted Food and Mask Giveaway on May 19

Council Member Fernando Cabrera, Victor Rivera, CEO of Bronx Parent Housing Network, and community residents distributed free food and masks on Tuesday, May 19, 2020 at Jerome Avenue and W. Kingsbridge Road.   Fresh and hot food (rice and chicken) was given out to everybody in line.   “The most recent numbers show the Bronx still has the highest COVID-19 infection rate per capita among the five boroughs,” Cabrera wrote in a press release dated Monday, May 18. “At this time when people are struggling to stay healthy, everyone must practice social distancing and everyone must have food to eat.


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CDC Issues Guidance On Use Of Cloth Face Coverings

The CDC has issued the following guidance with regard to the use of cloth face coverings. For more information, go to cdc.gov/coronavirus.   DO Do make sure you can breathe through the face covering. Do wear the face covering whenever going out in public. Do make sure the face covering covers your nose and mouth. Do wash the face covering after using it.   DON’T Don’t use the face covering on children under two years of age. Don’t use surgical masks or other personal protective equipment (PPE) intended for health care workers.  

State Sen. Bailey, CM Cohen & AM Fernandez Organize Free Giveaway Today, May 20

With One Month Before Primary, Bronx Political Forces at Play
  State Sen. Jamaal T. Bailey, Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez, and Councilman Andrew Cohen are organizing a free giveaway of face masks, gloves and hand sanitizers on May 20, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. at Lexa Bar & Grill, 357 E 204th Street.   In his latest newsletter dated May 19, Councilman Cohen thanked all front line workers for their continued efforts throughout the pandemic. “Thank you to all the hardworking healthcare workers, first responders, grocery store employees, taxi drivers, transit workers, sanitation workers, cleaners, childcare providers, teachers, delivery persons, and mail carriers who continue to do their jobs under enormous pressure


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CM Cabrera, Bronx Parent Housing Network & Residents Host Food and Mask Giveaway on May 19

CM Fernando Cabrera
  Council Member Fernando Cabrera, Victor Rivera, CEO of Bronx Parent Housing Network, and community residents will be distributing free food and masks on Tuesday, May 19, at midday at Jerome Avenue and W. Kingsbridge Road.   “The most recent numbers show the Bronx still has the highest COVID-19 infection rate per capita among the five boroughs,” Cabrera wrote in a press release dated Monday, May 18. “At this time when people are struggling to stay healthy, everyone must practice social distancing and everyone must have food to eat. I’m happy to be able to provide free face masks and


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CBS News Granted Rare Access Inside Montefiore Medical Center in May 15 Documentary

Bravery and Hope: 7 Days on the Front Line, a one-hour, primetime special set at Montefiore Medical Center in Norwood will air Friday, May 15 at 9:00 p.m. on the CBS Television Network. It tells the story of a global crisis through the people of one city, one community and one hospital.   In the midst of a pandemic that has paralyzed the world, a team of CBS News journalists follows emergency physicians and critical care specialists, struggling to save patients suffering from COVID-19.   The documentary makers go to the floors of the largest hospital in the hardest-hit borough of


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