Saturday, April 4, 2020

Update On Roosevelt Island Coronavirus Test Results - 135 Tested, 59 Positive As Of April 3


According to the NYC Health Department:
The data presented below reflect the most recent information the Health Department has collected about people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in NYC. We are discouraging people with mild to moderate symptoms from being tested at this time, so the data primarily represent people with more severe illness. All data included below are preliminary and subject to change.

This page will be updated daily....
As of April 3, based upon the 10044 zip code, 135 Roosevelt Island residents have been tested for Coronavirus Covid 19 and 59 had a positive result. On April 1, reported that there were 116 zip code 10044 Roosevelt Island Coronavirus tests and 49 positive results.

Friday, April 3, 2020

Roosevelt Island Doctor Jack Resnick Offering Virtual Telemedicine Visits - Doing Coronavirus Tests But Results Take 4 To 5 Days He Says

Roosevelt Island's Doctor Jack Resnick is offering Telemedicine services.

Dr. Resnick is now seeing patients via Telemedicine visits. The doctor is available for Facetime, Skype or Zoom visits. If you would like such a visit, please follow the instructions when you call (212) 832-2310

I asked Dr Resnick:
Do you have any info or statement about Coronavirus on Roosevelt island - are you seeing many patients with symptons, can you do test?

FYI - There have been 49 Roosevelt Island residents testing positive and at least 1 death.

Are you doing Coronavirus tests for Roosevelt Island residents?

Do they need to show symptoms before getting the test? If yes, what are the symptoms in order for you to give the test.
Dr Resnick replied:
Wow - that’s a much larger number than I expected.

We send the test off to Quest lab. Its turnaround time is 4-5 days.

People who want a more rapid report should go to hospital emergency rooms. I don’t really think that’s a good idea.

If someone develops symptoms of the flu. — fever, body aches, cough, sore throat or head congestion — they should isolate themselves. In fact, I advise people to isolate themselves even if the test comes out negative. Its not worth the risk of a false negative test in this new technology.

I send the test off to the Quest Laboratory for anyone who asks for it or who presents with a cough, fever, sinus or nasal congestion. Their turnaround time is agonizingly slow.
Here's more on Telemedicine in the age of Coronavirus.

Roosevelt Island Coler Facility Staff Pleading For N 95 Masks And Personal Protective Equipment To Treat Coronavirus Patients, Please Help Us To Do Our Job They Say In Video - RI Residents Taking Up Collection For Coler Staff PPE Equipment

Received report yesterday on conditions at the NYC Health & Hospitals Corp (HHC) Coler Facility here on Roosevelt Island. According to the Coler resident:

... Coler has to step up their game, they can start by isolating patents with the Virus. Instead of keeping them in the unit with patients who don't have it and by not housing patients from other hospitals with Coler patients. I understand for them to do this there is the issue of staffing which is somewhat of an issue right now because so many people are calling out. But in times like this they should have a plan. By" they" I mean the HHC, because I believe Coler is following their guidelines.
Also reported yesterday:
... I've received some reports today that Coler staff are lacking sufficient N 95 masks - am looking into this. Stay tuned....
Here's more. Coler staff are seen in this video seeking help and pleading to be supplied with safe Personal Protection Equipment including N 95 masks. I'm told the man speaking is a Coler Nurse.


... The reality is this is the cheap stuff. We have to treat people contaminated with the Coronaviurs.

And make our own head mask

This is how we expose ourselves and take our chances every day. It's not right.

The leaders in the City of NY have to do better if they want us to do our duties 100 %.

Please help us. Please help us. Thank you.We have families too.
According to a Coler Resident:

No Roosevelt Island F Train Service From Manhattan This Weekend - Stay Home Unless You're Providing An Essential Service Or An Emergency


According to the MTA:
ELECTRICAL IMPROVEMENTS Apr 3 - 6, Fri 9:45 PM to Mon 5 AM Jamaica-bound F trains are rerouted via the E after 47-50 Sts, Manhattan to Roosevelt Av, Queens

No Jamaica-bound F service at 57 St, Lexington Av/63 St, Roosevelt Island and 21 St-Queensbridge.

The Roosevelt Island Tram is operating and here's the NYC Ferry Roosevelt Island Astoria Route Winter Schedule. 

Thursday, April 2, 2020

Roosevelt Island Coronavirus Update From Coler Hospital And RIOC - Coler Resident Says HHC Has To Step Up Their Game To Protect Residents, Coler Staff May Need More N 95 Masks Too - RIOC Says A Few Employees Test Positive For Coronaviurs


Reported yesterday that 49 Roosevelt Island residents have tested positive for Coronavirus. Here's an update from a resident of NYC Health & Hospital Corp (HHC) Coler facility:
COVID-19 has everyone at Coler uncertain. No one knows what to expect from one day to the next. I hear conflicting stories about the Coronavirus here. Some are saying, Nah. Others are saying, Yeah. From what I see I will go with the yeahs.

They are transporting patients from hospitals like Elmhurst into clean units. By that I mean no one is sick in these units. A patient was brought here from another hospital and was running a temperature and now this unit will probably be quarantined because of administration being irresponsible with such actions. They put a lot of patients at risk. That I feel is very irresponsible on their part because the hospital this patient came from is a hot spot.

So many units are quarantined and there has been some deaths. How many? I don't really know. I don't know if they were COVID-19 related. The staff tells me they are not being given any info on the situation. They usually call a code blue when someone is unresponsive. Well, they have stopped doing that because my guess is they don't want to alarm other patients.

 I was told that on 3/29/20 there were 2 deaths in that one day alone. A staff member told me that if the patients were cared for properly they feel a lot of them could recover. In other words, if you get sick you you probably won't get the proper care. I can't say this is happening all over Coler but there have been observed instances by other staff when this was happening. Also, not all deaths are Corona related, most of the deaths did not occur here. They were sent to Hospitals.

I want to close by saying Coler has to step up their game, they can start by isolating patents with the Virus. Instead of keeping them in the unit with patients who don't have it and by not housing patients from other hospitals with Coler patients. I understand for them to do this there is the issue of staffing which is somewhat of an issue right now because so many people are calling out. But in times like this they should have a plan. By" they" I mean the HHC, because I believe Coler is following their guidelines.
I've received some reports today that Coler staff are lacking sufficient N 95 masks - am looking into this. Stay tuned.

Also, Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Public Information Officer Terrenc McCauley reports:
RIOC Heroes

Over half of RIOC employees have continued to go to work each day throughout this crisis. Our Public Safety Department has been here to keep our residents safe and serve as a vital lifeline for seniors and this disabled. Members of our Transportation Department have continued to run Red Bus service and make sure our buses operate properly. Our Groundskeepers are still working hard to keep Roosevelt Island clean and our Facilities personnel are on hand to make all essential repairs.

The public’s concern for the well-being of our employees has been touching. Although a few of them have tested positive for the Coronavirus (COVID-19), they are all recovering nicely and will be back at work soon. RIOC adheres to New York State’s strict protocol to quarantine all employees who come into contact with infected people. We are dedicated to ensuring the safety of all Roosevelt Island residents and RIOC employees as well.

NY State Governor Andrew Cuomo Orders NYC Playgrounds Closed Yesterday - Roosevelt Island Parent Asks Why Are RI Playgrounds Open Today?

NY State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced yesterday the closing of all New York City playgrounds.


Except not on Roosevelt Island this afternoon. A Concerned Roosevelt Island Parent Tipster reports:
Why are Roosevelt Island playgrounds still open and being used (Today, 4/2, 12:23pm, Blackwell and the other playground next to it)?


Didn’t Gov. Cuomo close all nyc playgrounds?

I believe these areas should be clearly marked as closed (similar to fields, which I actually disagree with those being closed, given they reduce the amount of space for exercise within guidelines!).
I asked the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) about status of our playgrounds and was told they would look into it.

Roosevelt Island NY State Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright Shares Info On Federal Coronavirus Recovery Checks, Financial Assistance To Small Businesses Affected By Coronavirus And Answers Questions At Virtual Town Hall

Roosevelt Island's NY State Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright shares info on how to receive Federal Covid 19 recovery funds


and financial assistance available for small businesses affected by Covid 19

Assembly Member Seawright adds:

Roosevelt Island Virtual Zoom Talent Show, Sign Up Now to Share Your Talent And Watch Friday Evening April 3 - Have Fun And Connect With Your Roosevelt Island Neighbors

Roosevelt Island resident Kaja Meade reports:


New Week! New Talent Show! Join us as a performer or audience.

We know that Roosevelt Island's Got Talent! Last week we kicked off the first "Roosevelt Island’s Got Talent" show to resounding success! We hope that you will consider joining in this week. We are looking for a number of talents from people of all ages – be as creative as you can! The purpose is to HAVE FUN, and connect with each other as an island community. Professional quality talent is NOT necessary. This regularly scheduled show is open to all Roosevelt Island residents to preform OR watch. The show begins at 7pm Fridays on Zoom.

If you would like to WATCH the show, please join the Zoom Meeting https://us04web.zoom.us/j/634771949

Meeting ID: 634 771 949

If you would like to be IN the show preforming your talent: Please sign up on this Sign-up Genius link.

Ideas include: Singing, Dancing, Cooking, Pet tricks, Origami, Knitting Tutorial and Showcase, Hair Techniques (like French Braid), Makeup Tips, Cooking, Baking, Karate, Rhythmic gymnastics, Magic tricks, Juggling, Dog Tricks, Crafting, Impressions, Comedy, Windowsill Gardening, and more!

For updates, check Instagram @rooseveltislandlove or email rooseveltislandlove@gmail.com
UPDATE 4/3 - According to Kaja Meade:
This Friday’s Roosevelt Island’s Got Talent show is cancelled, and we look forward to seeing you next week, April 10th. Please stay healthy, and think about ways you might be able to join us next Friday! For inspiration, check out all those variety shows out there in the virtual world, with folks sharing all sorts of talents – some people didn’t even know they had!? We look forward to seeing yours.

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

NYC Health Department Releases Info On Coronavirus Covid 19 Statistics By Zip Code -116 Roosevelt Island Residents Tested, 49 Positive Results


The NYC Health Department released data about people who have tested positive for Coronavirus. According to their web site:
The data presented below reflect the most recent information the Health Department has collected about people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in NYC. We are discouraging people with mild to moderate symptoms from being tested at this time, so the data primarily represent people with more severe illness. All data included below are preliminary and subject to change.

This page will be updated daily....
The NYC Health Department reports to date that based upon Zip Code 10044, there were 116 Roosevelt Island residents tested for Coronavirus Covid 19  and 49 positive results.

Here's What Can You Do To Help Roosevelt Island And NYC During the Coronavirus Covid 19 Pandemic - Fill Out The 2020 US Census Right Now For April 1 Census Day

Roosevelt Island residents are asking what they can do to help during the Coronavirus Covid-19 Pandemic? One easy, yet very important task to help all New Yorkers, is to fill out the 2020 US Census - particularly right now for Census Day.




You can start filling the Census out right here, right now.

Here's the Roosevelt Island Census Track 238.2/.3/.4 response rate as of March 31.

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Rent Coming Due Tomorrow, April 1 - Will There Be A NYC Residential And Commercial Rent Moratorium During Coronavirus Covid 19 Pandemic? RIOC Says "We Are In Process Of Working With Stakeholders To Address This Concern"



Last week, Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Interim President David Lawson called for a Roosevelt Island commercial and residential rent moratorium during the current Coronavirus Covid-19 crisis:
Governor Cuomo has declared a moratorium on mortgages and prohibited eviction during the current crisis. Housing advocates have called on the city and state to develop a $10 billion relief package that includes a moratorium on rent, mortgage and utility payments to abate financial strain on New York households amid the growing economic impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. We strongly support this request. Meanwhile, we call on all commercial and residential building owners on Roosevelt Island to take it upon themselves to implement such a moratorium and waive the payment of leases and utilities for those businesses currently closed as a result of the forced shut down, as well as for all tenants who lost their job or will not receive a paycheck at the end of this month and any subsequent months, as a result of this Covid-19 pandemic. This is an extraordinary humanitarian crisis that calls for extraordinary humanitarian-type response and measures. This is not only a demonstration of solidarity, but it is also a demonstration of leadership through these times of crisis. And strong solidarity and leadership is all we need.
On March 26, I asked Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Susan Rosenthal and Hudson Related's David Kramer, developer of Roosevelt Island Riverwalk residential buildings and Main Street Retail commercial landlord:
As you know, legislation is being proposed for a commercial and residential rent moratorium during the current Coronavirus Pandemic.

Also, April monthly rents will be due next week.

Does RIOC and Hudson Related have any plan on providing rental moratorium/assistance to the Roosevelt Island commercial retail stores forced to close/limit service to take out and residential building tenants.

Will RIOC provide any assistance to Hudson Related on their Main Street Retail Lease payments and building ground lease rent payments to encourage Hudson Related assistance to commercial and residential tenants.

FYI - The Roosevelt Island Residents Association President wrote an article calling for Roosevelt Island commercial and residential rent moratorium.

Any comment on this matter from RIOC and Hudson Related?
On March 27, RIOC Public Information Officer Terrence McCauley replied:

Monday, March 30, 2020

Weill Cornell Medicine ICU Doctor David Price Offers Advice On How To Protect Yourself And Family From Coronavirus Covid 19 - Follow The 4 Rules, Disease Strikes All Ages Over 14, Take Tylenol For Fever And Go To Hospital If You Have Shortness Of Breath


Roosevelt Island is a short distance across the East River from where seriously ill Coronavirus patients are being treated by health care professionals at NY Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.


One of those health care professionals, Dr David Price a critical care pulmonologist and recent Fellowshiip grad caring for COVID-19 patients at NY Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, offers some very practical advice in video below on protecting yourself and family during the Coronavirus Covid 19 Pandemic.

Here's an excerpt from the video with Dr Price:
...  What is Covid19?

 I mean it's  now every single news story it's political its economic but what is this disease? So this is a virus. It's from what we would colloquially think of as a common cold family the Coronavirus family but what's unique is that the human body has never seen this virus before.

And so this obviously started in Wuhan. The thought is that it came  probably from an animal and then made its way into the human body for the first time and so one of the common questions I get is what does this disease look like?

So what commonly people have is they have fever and they have cough and then they have sore throat and when they get this the virus goes through their entire body and what we have found is that the most likely place that this will affect is your lungs. So people will commonly have cough but for about 80% of people you just don't feel good is the most common thing.

You have a mild cough maybe you have a little headache. The disease lasts from what we're seeing between 5 to 7 to 14 days is probably the best accurate description. Some people who have a mild disease by about day 5 are starting to feel better and then people who aren't feeling better usually start to get short of breath around a 3 to 5 and then start to feel better around that 7 day mark.

So what is the first kind of big topic we're going to talk about and I think the reason I wanted to have this call is how to protect your family. I think we've learned a lot and I want to kind of share all the stuff that I've learned so far with you guys,

So I think the first thing is how do you get Covid 19? I think that this is really important and we've really learned a lot over the last couple weeks, two months about how you get this disease. The overarching theme is sustained contact with someone who has this disease which the vast majority is people with fever and aches or someone who is about to get the disease. So someone in the next one to two days who's going to develop symptoms of this disease.

The way that you get this is the transmission of the virus almost exclusively from your hands to your face and so it's either into your eyes, into your nose or into your mouth. There's a lot of talk about contact or getting it through contact hands to face there's also a small thought that it can be aerosolized, that it can kind of exist a little bit in the air.

The thought at this point is that you actually have to have very long sustained contact with someone and I'm talking about over 15 to 30 minutes in an unprotected environment meaning you're in a very closed room without any type of mask for you to get it that way.

But to very simply state the overwhelming majority of people are getting this by physically touching someone who has this disease or will develop it in the next one to two days and then touching their face and so that actually I think is incredibly empowering and that's as I think in the hospital the last two days the thing that makes me smile a little bit is that I actually know now that I won't get this disease because I know how to protect myself and so I just want to give you guys a few very very practical tips to how to protect yourself...
and the full video.

Petition Drive To Reopen Roosevelt Island Outdoor Playing Fields - Does RIOC Policy To Close McManus And Firefighters Field Increase Or Decrease Social Distancing On Roosevelt Island?

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) announced Sunday May 22:

... As of now, all permitted spaces, including McManus Field and Firefighters Field, will be closed until further notice. This precautionary measure is being taken as part of the Governor’s order for all New Yorkers to avoid risking exposure to the coronavirus (COVID-19). Residents are encouraged to frequent the other public areas, such as the eastern and western promenades that circle the island as well as Lighthouse Park, Southpoint Park and Four Freedoms State Park. We encourage our residents to remain at least six feet apart from each other at all times...
A petition drive has begun to reopen the now closed Firefighters


and McManus Field


According to the online petition
:
RIOC has made the decision to close all soccer fields on the Island, thus depriving families with kids of the only safe space for being outside. A big soccer field is the only space where families with kids can play and keep the recommended distance away from other people. If RIOC doesn’t reconsider this decision we will be left with narrow crowded promenades and no space for active time out for kids.