Mayor Bill de Blasio called out President Donald Trump during a news conference Tuesday, saying he has not done enough to help New York.
He says New York City needs the federal government to help the city’s front-line workers and that the coronavirus is a bigger issue than political party.
The mayor continued to thank those on the front lines as well as everyday New Yorkers, for doing their part in the fight against COVID-19.
He also took time to talk about 311. He says the system New York City relies on for information has also been put under a tremendous amount of stress.
He announced a three-part action plan to support 311.
The mayor says 285 trained new call-takers will be brought on, and four new call centers will be built. They will also incorporate FDNY and NYPD leadership.
“Express Lanes” were also created for COVID-19 and food with little to no wait times most of the day. The express lanes are available in English and Spanish.
According to the mayor, with express lanes, typical peak volume waits times have dropped 75%.
The city will also provide more help for small businesses. The mayor says small business owners in New York City can apply for federal money under the Federal Payment Protection Program. He says the program is first come, first serve and applications are available at SBA.gov.
The Department of Health notified the city that there were 15 cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome detected in children in New York City hospitals. He says four patients tested positive for COVID-19 and six others had antibodies. No fatalities have been reported.
The Department of Health instructed all NYC providers to immediately report patients under 21 with these symptoms. Cases are uncommon, according to the Health Department, but if a child has symptoms including persistent fever, rash, abdominal pain and pain, a doctor should be called right away.
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The mayor says the way forward in the fight against COVID-19 is testing and antibody testing. He says New York City will offer antibody tests for 140,000 health care workers and first responders.
The tests will be offered at hospitals, firehouses, police stations and corrections facilities.
Testing identified likely past infection to COVID-19 and provides confidence that the patients overcame COVID-19. Testing begins Monday, but it can possibly start sooner. The tests are part of a partnership with the United States Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC.
The mayor reminded New Yorkers that a positive antibody test does not guarantee or mean full protection from the virus.