NEW: Early details from NYC Health Dept on vaccine distribution, expected to begin with first shipment on Dec 15.
* Health Dept has ultra-cold storage capacity (needed for pfizer vaccine) for up to 320k doses. Most hospitals have or are acquiring their own capacity.
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* Early focus will be on essential workers
* Appointments scheduled and eligibility assessed online
* Recipients will have to affirm on day of appointment that they are symptom free
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* Every time a vaccine is administered it will be recorded in the City's existing vaccine registry (used now for things like flu shots).
* City will monitor if certainly communities are not receiving at adequate levels
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* City will eventually set up temporary vaccine centers, likely in schools, in communities that are showing low rates of vaccination.
Many more details to come. But the fact that vaccination in NYC is close to becoming a reality is thrilling news.
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Covid hospitalization in NYC is increasing fast. And this does not yet reflect any post-Thanksgiving surge.
Continuing with the status quo is not an option. We need dramatic city-wide measures to slow this.
NYC needs to immediately:
* Pause indoor dining
* Close gyms, salons, etc.
* Urge those who can to work from home
* Secure direct financial aid for impacted businesses
NYers shouldn't wait for official action to change their behavior in light of this mounting threat.
* Work from home if you can
* Be judicious about indoor dining
* If you are high-risk, limit non-essential activity outside the home.
BREAKING: NYC announced reopening plan for public schools.
* Dec 7: Pre-K & K-5
* Dec 10: D75 special ed programs
* Moving to 5 day/week in person where possible
* Mandatory random testing weekly in schools
* No longer using 3% pos threshold
* No timeline for middle/high yet
* In-person learning only open to student already enrolled in blended learning.
* Student will only be allowed to return if their family completes a testing consent form, or has medical waiver.
* Plan is that 20% of students in each school will be randomly tested each week
* Parents can complete the testing consent form here: mystudent.nyc
Your post-Thanksgiving to-do list may include testing and/or quarantining:
==> If you gathered with people outside your household, you should get tested in the coming days, even if you don't feel symptoms (may take a few days after exposure before you test positive). [cont...]
==> You don't need to wait in line at CityMD to get tested. Sites run by @NYCHealthSystem have shorter waits and usually return results in 24-48 hrs.
Under-appreciated reason to get a Covid test in NYC: if you test positive it will unlock a whole menu of supportive services.
* To help you quarantine at home, City will provide delivery of food and Rx if needed. Free dog walking and pet drop-in services also available.
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* You will receive two at-home test kits for people in your household or other contacts
* You will receive a package including a digital thermometer and pulse oximeter, plus masks, hand sanitizer, and wipes.
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* You can access a free hotel room to safely isolate from your family, which include meals, Rx delivery, free wi-fi, medical staff on site, and transportation to and from hotel and medical appointments (3/)
NYC is not "approaching a 2nd wave" or "at risk of a 2nd wave". We are in the 2nd wave.
Cases, positivity, hospitalizations are all increasing sharply.
It's time to start rallying New Yorkers--again--to flatten the curve. (1/)
To flatten our 2nd-wave curve, NYers should:
* Work from home if you can
* Partake in activities like indoor dining judiciously
* Avoid indoor social gatherings with people outside your household
* Get tested regularly even if you are asymptomatic
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* If you are quarantining do not leave your home unless medically necessary
* Get a flu shot if you haven't yet
* Keep up the Core Four: #WearAMask, wash your hands, stay home if you don't feel well, keep 6 ft. apart where possible (3/)