29 minute read
Union Matters
Amazon and the power of a rejuvenated labor movement
GEORGE GRESHAM
What was once barren swampland on the Northwestern edge of Staten Island is today host to one of the most consequential happenings in the modern labor movement: the quest to organize Amazon.
Amazon is one of the largest, most powerful corporations in the world. Its founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos, whose personal fortune is estimated—and I say estimated because his bank account grows by $8 or $9 million dollars every hour—at more than $177 billion.
His employees on the other hand, who work hard sorting packages and helped make Amazon the second trillion-dollar company in history, would have to work full-time for over 4 years to make what Jeff Bezos earns every second of every hour of every day.
So, it’s no surprise that frontline Amazon workers, forced to work in dangerous, grueling conditions throughout a pandemic while their boss played astronaut and flew to space wearing cowboy boots, felt a little exploited.
The obviousness that Amazon workers should band together to demand a greater share of the wealth they produce by no means diminishes what they recently accomplished at the company’s JFK8 fulfillment center, one of the major hubs of Amazon’s operations on the East Coast.
Some 8,000 workers saw past managerial pressure, flagrant unfair labor practices, and anti-union lies to win a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) union election at the giant warehouse, the first successful attempt to form a union at Amazon anywhere in the United States. And truth be told, members of the Amazon Labor Union (ALU), the new union’s name, did so without a lot of help from established labor organizations, which had tried and failed to organize workers at the company.
It parallels the early days of my own union, 1199SEIU, which was created nearly a century ago by a rag-tag group of pharmacy workers, mostly Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. They grew our union from meager beginnings to a pioneering force in the labor and civil rights movements, and today is the largest union of healthcare workers in the U.S.
We are witnessing something remarkable. Young people like Christian Smalls, the exAmazon worker and founder/president of the ALU, and Angelika Maldonado, the chair of the ALU’s Workers Committee (both of whose mothers we are proud to say are part of our 1199SEIU family), are helping to lead a rebirth of the U.S. labor movement.
This couldn’t have come soon enough. To have any chance of curtailing vast income inequality and the corporate greed that is slowly but surely eroding our democracy, we need the energy, ideas, and leadership of the next generation.
For the first time, young people are poised to be worse off than their parents’ generation. This is why growing the labor movement is so essential.
It is well-documented that union members make more money and enjoy more job-related benefits and protections than non-union workers. Strong unions even improve wages for non-union members who do the same work or live in the same community because, like the old folks used to say, a rising tide floats all boats. Pay is always competitive—if one shop is paying $20 an hour, its competitors have to pay the same or more if they hope to recruit workers.
According to a January 2022 report by the Economic Policy Institute, a non-profit organization that advocates for national policies benefiting low and middle-income Americans, workers represented by a union contract are paid on average 10.2% more than non-unionized employees with the same education and experience.
The difference in union vs. non-union compensation is even greater for people of color. Unionized Black workers make 13% more than their non-union counterparts, and Hispanics 18.8% more.
That’s a lot of extra money going into families’ pocketbooks and reinvested in our communities. The union difference doesn’t stop there. When it comes to benefits, 95% of workers under a union contract have employee-sponsored health benefits compared to just 69% of non unionized workers. Pensions, once a mainstay of Americans’ retirement, are almost unheard of in non-union settings these days. And this is to say nothing of the non-economic advantages of union membership, like job security and a fair process for handling workplace issues.
Given the clear and indisputable benefits that workers achieve by organizing, you would think that rates of union membership would be skyrocketing. Far from it. Union membership among private employers has fallen by 507,000 members since 2019, and by 74,000 in unions representing public sector employees, according to the EPI report.
That’s bad for all of us, particularly as the richest one percent continue to see their fortunes grow as our nation wrestles with the economic fallout of a pandemic that has hit low-income people especially hard. It is difficult to organize a union—the chips are stacked against workers who are subjected to constant pressure
Endorsements galore for candidates and unions
By STEPHON JOHNSON
Amsterdam News Staff
Unions have been busy the past several weeks handing out endorsements to candidates, with primary season—while pushed back—coming soon.
Last week, District Council 37 endorsed CUNY professor Dr. Anthony Andrews Jr. for State Assembly District 32 in Queens.
“Dr. Andrews is one of the hardest working and most service-minded leaders there is. He has been serving his community for decades in many different roles and capacities,” stated Henry Garrido, executive director of DC37. “We are proud to stand with our union brother as he hopes to continue the fight for organized labor in Albany.”
Andrews unveiled his plans to run for the New York State Assembly seat on the promise of reforming taxes, building more affordable housing, and improving the overall quality of life for his constituents.
“Before I was an educator or a union delegate, I was a DC37 member first,” stated Andrews. “They were the first union I was ever a part of; it is inspiring that they would be the first to stand with me. We have fought side-by-side for issues in the past and I look forward to continuing that fight in Albany.”
Andrews is currently a professor and the director of student Leadership at CUNY York College and previously served as the chair of Queens Hospital Center’s Community Advisory Board. He’s also a union delegate for the Professional Staff Congress at CUNY (PSC-CUNY), the union that represents CUNY’s faculty and staff, the New York State Union Teachers
DC37 endorses Dr. Anthony Andrews Jr. for NY State Assembly. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Anthony Andrews Jr. for Assembly) (NYSUT) and the American Federation of Teachers. Not to be outdone, 1199SEIU endorsed current Assembly Member Brian Cunningham for Brooklyn’s 43rd district. “I look forward to progressing legislation to create a healthier planet, to promote good jobs and economic justice, to pursue quality health care for all, and more,” stated Cunningham. “Having their support will make our coalition for this progressive legislative agenda all that much more powerful.” Cunningham won a special election in March and is primed to run for the assembly seat in the primaries, which have been pushed back to August. 1199SEIU Downstate Political Director Dell Smitherman stated that the Flatbush-raised Cunningham would be an important asset to the union’s mission of improving conditions and quality of life for working New Yorkers. “Assemblymember Cunningham has long been a fierce advocate for Brooklyn’s working families and he continues to prove that every day up in Albany,” said Smitherman. “We look forward to working with him to continue to deliver progress for all New Yorkers.”
School janitors emerge victorious in NLRB case
By STEPHON JOHNSON
Amsterdam News Staff
It took almost a full year’s worth of fighting, but for 27 workers from the Moorestown School District in New Jersey, it was worth it.
Ten months into a battle with Healthcare Services Group, Inc. (HCSG), the workers reached a settlement with the janitorial contractor, which includes $400,000 in back payments, reimbursement of medical expenses that accrued during the fight, and the return of their jobs.
“These members have been fighting for 10 months,” stated 32BJ Executive Vice President & New Jersey State Director Kevin Brown. “They told their stories at the monthly board of education meet-
From left to right: Nereida Rojas, 32BJ NJ District Leader Luz Garate, Luis Orozco, Henry Cabrera, 32BJ Representative Francis Cuadrado, Maritza Orozco, Luz Ortega, and Antonio Jimenez (Photo courtesy of SEIU 32BJ) ings, signed petitions, and more. We are pleased with the NLRB’s management of the case and that HCSG accepted a settlement. More than anything, we are pleased that the
See JANITORS on page 36
The end of Roe and what it would mean for the Black community
By ALEXIS MCGILL JOHNSON
This week’s leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft was shocking but not surprising. The writing has been on the wall, in big bold letters, for years. The Court confirmed the authenticity of a draft decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and eviscerate abortion access in the United States. Overturning Roe would be an unprecedented travesty. And in the midst of our rage, sorrow, and exhaustion, we must wrestle with yet another question: what does this moment mean specifically for Black people, when the laws of this land have so often been intended to control our bodies? Racial justice and reproductive rights are, and have always been, inseparable. Antiabortion zealots weaponize our bodies for their ends. When I started working in academia and racial justice, I never thought it would lead to abortion rights. But one day over a decade ago, I was walking down a street in Manhattan and saw a cute Black girl on a billboard. I got closer, and saw the words underneath her read, “The most dangerous place for an African American is in the womb.” I was livid and I wanted to do something about it. I wanted the dignity and humanity of Black women to not just be at the table, but running the table. I joined the Planned Parenthood Federation of America board of directors that year and became president in 2020.
This week, I read a draft decision of a sitting justice of the Supreme Court striking down the constitutional right to abortion citing the same absurd, racist reasoning as that billboard. He used fancier words and more of them, but his point is exactly the same: Black women cannot be trusted with the right to control their own bodies—the state must do it for them. Gaslighting, racism, and controlling pregnant people’s bodies: they are all part of the same terrible plan.
While the enemies of reproductive freedom use Black bodies to strip freedoms, it is Black people that suffer the worst consequences of abortion restrictions and bans. For too many Black and Brown people in the U.S., abortion is already a right in name alone. Getting an abortion may require hours or days of travel time, days off from work or school, childcare arrangements, navigating unsafe home situations, and money. Any or all of these factors may force a person to carry an unwanted pregnancy.
And in the United States, pregnancy carries particular risks for Black people. Structural racism means we are at a significantly greater risk of dying or suffering severe complications during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period.
Black, Latino, Asian, Indigenous, and queer people have always been central to the fight for reproductive freedom, even when their voices and needs were not centered. And sometimes, that’s not how Planned Parenthood has acted. By centering whiteness, we’ve contributed to America’s harm of Black women and other women of color.
Now, we’ve been striving to change that. We recognize that when we fight for abortion access, we fight for so much more. We fight all barriers to bodily autonomy, including systemic racism, policing, immigration enforcement, and more. We provide all cis women, trans women, femmes, and non-binary people the care, education, and information they need to make healthy decisions about their bodies, families, and communities. And we support 49 Planned Parenthood affiliates running health centers across the country as they adjust to changes in their states, whether it is a new ban on abortion care or surges of patients coming from across state lines.
I know Black people are exhausted. It’s been a long 400 years. But this is what we do. When you are ready, I need you to draw on your own well of strength and inspiration and join––rejoin––Planned Parenthood in this fight. Donate to abortionfunds.org to help those most in need. And join Planned Parenthood organizations across the country on May 14 (and beyond!) for a demonstration of our collective outrage on the attacks on abortion nationwide, and call for an end to abortion bans.
Together, we will refuse to surrender control of our bodies and our futures. We will ensure everyone, everywhere can access abortion and make the decisions that are right for themselves.
Woe be Roe!
We have offered just an iota of the implications of the outcome if Roe v. Wade is overturned. And we certainly agree with the feelings expressed by President Biden about the wider implications of removing the law. While Biden didn’t venture too deeply in what Justice Alito wrote “was egregiously wrong from the start,” Black Americans and other poor and marginalized people have known for years the devastating effects that will occur if Roe v. Wade is no longer in place, particularly for those living in states where they are challenged with acquiring the means of health care.
Bear in mind that more than half the nation’s African Americans live in the South, including women who make up a considerable amount of the population, and they already are struggling to gain access to desired abortions, some having to travel great distances to states where they are permitted.
In effect, poor women of color will have an additional hurdle to overcome,
many of whom are currently burdened with children and in need of assistance. Not only is it our opinion about the EDITORIAL disproportionate impact of removing the decision, the Center for American Progress noted that women of color and LGBTQ people already experience bias and discrimination in health care. “It is very concerning and very alarming and would devastate access for many millions of women in the United States,” said attorney and women’s health policy analyst Elyssa Spitzer. She said that subjecting women to carry an unintended pregnancy to term “is immensely painful, and arduous and a violation of human rights.” Those human rights and the rights of women to make their own decision about their body are clearly on the docket, and not only at the Supreme Court, but in other societal decisions, those wider concerns the president evoked. No court, no judge, no elected or civic official should have jurisdiction over a person’s body, and that unequivocally applies to a woman and her pregnancy.
Elinor R. Tatum: Publisher
and Editor in Chief Kristin Fayne-Mulroy: Managing Editor Nayaba Arinde: Editor Cyril Josh Barker: Digital Editor
Alexis McGill Johnson is president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
Harlem can make history for women
By GREER M. ELLIS
I have lived in Harlem for almost my entire life, and I have witnessed the devastation that mass incarceration has on our neighborhood, community and in my own family. My father, Edwin B. Ellis Jr. aka Eddie Ellis, went to prison for a crime he did not commit when I was 4 years old. By the time he came home, more than two decades later, I was a graduate of Spelman College, married with a child. Despite the walls of incarceration that separated us, he was the most influential person in my life and involved in all of my decision making as a young girl.
My father dedicated his life to fighting for education, dignity and justice for people incarcerated and those who were fortunate to return home to their families. As his only daughter, he always empowered and supported my every endeavor as a young Black woman. He was also a huge inspiration to many of the Black women leading the social justice movement. He recognized the power of Black women and their nurturing ability as the backbone of our families and the entire community. Harlem can continue my father’s legacy of supporting Black women and welcome a new Women’s Center for Justice at Lincoln Correctional Facility on West 110th Street. It has been closed for several years and now would be a perfect time to repurpose the use of that space to support the needs of women who are impacted by the legal system.
The Women’s Center for Justice could truly heal families and break the cycle of incarceration by addressing the specific needs and challenges of women and gender-expansive people. All staff would be trained in trauma-informed care in a therapeutic setting that focuses on family reunification, skills building, healing and wellness. The approach would be Reentry at Entry with the goal of successful reintegration and reducing recidivism. Service providers, as well as community groups would have space to convene, lead and facilitate programming that address the needs that are specific to women. These services will benefit residents inside and outside of the facility.
Black women in Harlem have been the glue that keeps families together and simultaneously are disproportionately targeted and violated by the criminal injustice system, making them the fastest growing prison population. The Rose M. Singer Center (aka Rosie’s) on Rikers Island, the only place that the mothers, daughters, and sisters are housed, has been a place of neglect, suffering, violence, and abuse. Fifty-five percent of women and gender-expansive people detained there are Black, and Manhattan is the borough where the highest number are charged. It follows, then, that a facility in Harlem that already exists would be the ideal place to house these women.
The city has agreed that Rikers Island must be closed, and I agree, it should be. Besides its inconvenient location, the place is dilapidated, antiquated and very unsafe for all people, especially women and gender expansive people. With currently under 300 women detained, compared with over 5,000 men, this small group is scheduled to be among the last to leave under the city’s plan to close Rikers. To relocate the women to a shared facility with men in Kew Gardens, Queens, where their abusers would be detained, is potentially worse than Rosie’s. This Kew Gardens facility will undoubtedly threaten and re-traumatize the estimated 77% of women who are domestic violence survivors.
Until 2019, Lincoln operated as a state prison, mostly for people home on work release. It is one of the few places in New York City already zoned as a correctional center. We can use it to break the old model of jail and create a safe, healing place for women, children and the surrounding community. Harlem can transform the current Lincoln Correctional site into a safe, healing Women’s Center for Justice.
I was fortunate to have a tight-knit family that took me to see my father on a regular basis but that is not the case for many children whose parents are detained at Rikers. They will be forced to visit the planned Kew Gardens Facility, which is more of a travel inconvenience. Family bonds between mothers and children will continue to perpetuate a historical cycle of separation, trauma, and incarceration. I, along with many Harlem residents, local elected officials, faith leaders and many in their congregations support this decision to repurpose Lincoln Correctional Facility into a Women’s Center for Justice. Let’s welcome the women and gender-expansive people and their families to Harlem. Many of them already live here.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not represent those of the New York Amsterdam News. We continue to publish a variety of viewpoints so that we may know the opinions of others that may differ from our own.
ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS
Mother’s Day is a day of collective celebration wherein we express our admiration to the mothers who transformed us into the people we are today. These mothers are in many forms, some are physically present, and others stand beside us as spirits. Whether that mother is a biological mother, an adoptive mother, or a motherly figure, we can all unite in honoring our mothers.
Notwithstanding our ideological differences, our immutable characteristics, or the path we have followed, each and every human is bonded by the common experience of being conceived by a mother.
Every mother’s responsibility is arduous. At the beginning of a child’s life, a mother must endeavor to raise a child who cannot care for themselves. The effort often expended during these times is great; they cause sleepless nights and constant, 24-hour monitoring. Amazingly, that endeavor is often a first for the mother, and despite this new, difficult call to action, she often rises to the occasion to ensure that her child’s health, safety, and morals are in constant check. As a child grows, the balance shifts, and the oncechild who has blossomed into an adult must reciprocate to the parents who raised them and begin to care for them.
As we mature and assume the role of a parent—or see the hardships our friends face while raising children—we often develop a deeper appreciation for what our mothers do for us. After all, what motivates a mother to stay up all night soothing an infant who will have no recollection of what transpired? Why would a mother, despite their child’s wrath or apparent lack of gratitude, rise each morning to be a good parent to that child, providing for and sheltering them? The answer is quite simple: it’s natural.
When a mother looks at a child, a natural instinct to ensure the child’s safety and well-being emerges. This characteristic is so ingrained in so many mothers that it would be more difficult for them to be neglectful or inattentive than it would be to offer their child all the effort they are capable of providing. Mothers are mighty; they are superheroes. When their child is in need, they answer the call no matter the difficulty or stress that it causes them.
I, as many, was blessed with the God-given gift of being raised by a mother who provided me with constant love and admiration—something I always made sure to return. It was clear to me that my mother would sacrifice everything for me and my siblings and that, despite the difficulties that we often presented her with, no challenge was too great to keep her from providing us with the care we needed each and every day.
My twenties were a trying period in my life; I underwent two painful medical procedures that left me bedridden for many days. I was blessed to have a group of friends and colleagues who were willing to support me and assist me in caring for myself in the event of an emergency, but I never needed their assistance. Immediately before and after each procedure, my mother jumped at the opportunity to spend weeks caring for me—I thought I was a baby again. Every month, she would travel from her hometown of Marion, S.C. to Washington, D.C. and stay with me for one to two weeks at a time, showering me with love and compassion every minute of the day, and even when she departed, she stayed in frequent touch with me to monitor my well-being.
Despite the strenuous work required to care for me, she was always patient; she cooked for me, cleaned for me, and made me comfortable. But most importantly, she gave me the best medicine a person could ask for: an assurance that everything would be fine—the bright, warm smile that never fleeted. Her devotion was unwavering, and she provided me with the finest support and care a son could ask for.
Nevertheless, my situation is not uncommon; the sheer amount of love provided by my mother may be distinct in character, but it certainly is not in sum. There is no greater bond than between a mother and a son; this shared experience is one that persists in each mother-son relationship.
Each Mother’s Day comes the sobering knowledge that I will never be able to call or see the woman who shaped me into the man I am today. She is the driving force behind my success, the calming voice that brought me solitude, and the energy that fueled my work. Though my mother is no longer physically here with me, those same forces continue to guide and motivate me to be my absolute best and strive my hardest each and every day to achieve more and more success.
Each mother deserves to be admired. They provide us with worth that no other individual in our lives can. They are deserving of recognition not only on Mother’s Day, but every day.
Armstrong Williams (@ARightSide) is manager / sole owner of Howard Stirk Holdings I & II Broadcast Television Stations and the 2016 Multicultural Media Broadcast Owner of the year. www.armstrongwilliams. com | www.howardstirkholdings.com
CHRISTINA GREER PH.D.
I have slowly been dipping my toe in the arts scene. COVID kept many of us indoors for several months (and for some, indoors for close to two years) and as COVID rates ebb and flow, we are all finding our various comfort zones as we emerge from our cocoons and explore the city.
I recently saw the Dance Theatre of Harlem at City Center and remembered just how much I love live performances. Seeing the beautiful, talented, poised, and athletic Black bodies grace the stage filled me with so much pride and joy I was overcome with so many emotions. I realized just how much I missed the arts. I realized just how much we need to support artists to make sure these cultural institutions remain as we continue to battle COVID. And I realized all the hard work that dancers, artists, and choreographers put into bringing us joy in some of our darkest hours.
When I saw the Dance Theatre of Harlem, I had the privilege of seeing a piece choreographed by Resident Choreographer Robert Garland accompanied by the songs of Stevie Wonder’s catalog from the 1970s. If you can imagine ballet and modern dance set to the powerful conscious-raising music of Stevie Wonder made during some of the turbulent “post” Civil Rights-era music. It still boggles my mind how dance can make me think of politics, protest, perseverance, love, and so many of the issues with which we are currently grappling. Garland’s ability to transport us to a time and place through dance made me think of the necessity of the arts in all aspects of our lives, especially live music and dance as we emerge from our various lockdowns.
Garland was a member of the Dance Theatre of Harlem company achieving the rank of principal dancer. After creating a work for the DTH School Ensemble, Arthur Mitchell invited Robert Garland to create a work for the Dance Theatre of Harlem company and appointed him the organization’s first resident choreographer.
So many dance companies, museums, galleries, and artist institutions have struggled during the pandemic. Many of these institutions were able to survive due to the generosity of patrons who believe these institutions are vital to our connection to mankind and humanity, as well as the arts. I always relay to my students the C.S. Lewis quote, “We read to know we’re not alone.” However, we also connect with the arts to know we are not alone and are a part of a larger collective identity.
Now more than ever it is important we support not only institutions like the Dance Theatre of Harlem, but artists institutions more broadly. We need to experience art, and the artists need to create art for us to enjoy and process. Slowly and safely, we can support these institutions that rely on us and our patronage.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University, the author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream,” and the co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC.
Antiviral medications become an important tool to fight COVID-19
By HEATHER M. BUTTS, JD, MPH, MA
Special to the AmNews
On April 26, Kirsten Allen, the press secretary for Vice President Kamala Harris, sent a tweet: “[T] oday, Vice President Harris tested positive for COVID19 on rapid and PCR tests. She has exhibited no symptoms, will isolate and continue to work from the Vice President’s residence.”
Later that day, Allen tweeted that “after consultation with her physicians, the Vice President was prescribed and has taken Paxlovid.” Comments responding to the tweet ranged from “[s]omething that most of the rest of us can’t get” to “[s]he doesn’t meet criteria if she’s Asymptomatic.” What was clear from the thousands of responses to the tweet was the need for more education around Paxlovid, when it is prescribed, and how it is used to treat COVID-19.
In late December, 2021, the first shipment of Paxlovid, one of the antiviral medications available to treat COVID-19, was made available in limited quantities by the federal government to the states. With the current rise in COVID-19 cases, getting necessary information and treatment to those in need is paramount to stemming the new wave of COVID-19 cases.
In an interview with the Amsterdam News, Dr. Torian Easterling, first deputy commissioner and chief equity officer for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, discussed the reasons why his department is so focused on antiviral medications generally and Paxlovid specifically. According to Easterling, Paxlovid is a pill that is taken for 5 days and it must be started within 5 days of testing positive for COVID-19. It is encouraged for those over 65, individuals who have diabetes, and those who are obese.
Dr. Easterling pointed out the inequities faced by communities of color as one of many reasons for why the department is focusing on bringing resources such as Paxlovid and the vaccines to those communities. According to Easterling, “What we saw in the early part of the pandemic is that communities of color…had higher rates of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths…we wanted to make sure equity was centered in our approach.”
This sentiment was shared by Dr. LaRon E. Nelson, PhD, RN, associate dean for global affairs & planetary health at the Yale School of Nursing, who spoke with the AmNews about the antiviral medications, but also about the continued need for ensuring people are safeguarded from getting COVID-19 in the first place. “The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to impact heavily on Black communities, especially Black workers in industries [such as] warehouse delivery or transportation that require close frequent contact with the public. Boosters are essential for protecting against the emerging variants of the coronavirus; however, while first and second dose vaccine rates are high overall, the vaccine booster rates in New York are only hovering around 50% in the general population. As mask mandates are lifted even while subvariant stains are circulating, the risks remain high that Black folks, boosted and non-boosted, will [come] into contact with someone who has not…received a vaccine booster.”
According to the Department of Health, Paxlovid “can reduce the risk of hospitalization and death by up to 88% when taken within 5 days of symptoms starting.” They recommend that “every patient 12 and older, weighing at least 88 pounds, experiencing mild to moderate symptoms, and with at least one factor placing them at high risk for progression to severe disease should be offered treatment…” Antiviral medications to treat COVID-19 are available by prescription at several pharmacies in New York City, and can also be found at NYC Test to Treat locations where New Yorkers can both get tested and be prescribed treatment.
Easterling confirmed that there is an “infrastructure set up for New Yorkers” to access Paxlovid and offered this final piece of advice: “Even though we have the antiviral pill, it is still important that people get vaccinated.”
If you have symptoms or test positive for COVID-19, you should speak with your healthcare provider or call 212COVID19 (212-268-4319).
Paxlovid is among the antiviral treatments that are available to fight COVID-19 (Photo by Fabian Sommer/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)
An antiviral COVID-19 medication Q&A
By HEATHER M. BUTTS, JD, MPH, MA
Special to the AmNews
Dr. Torian Easterling is the first deputy commissioner and chief equity officer for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. He sat down with the Amsterdam News for a Q&A about antiviral COVID-19 medication. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. AmNews: Where are we now in the COVID wave?
Dr. Easterling: The virus is still circulating and transmitting. We have to do the things we need to do to be safe and what we have always been looking at are the number of cases, and so right now we do see that cases are increasing. Certainly not at the same height as the Delta wave and the initial Omicron variant wave at the end of 2021, but right now we are seeing cases increase. Certainly in Manhattan we’re seeing it at a higher rate than other boroughs.
Cases are increasing, hospitalizations are also starting to trend upwards, and that tick upwards is concerning because that means that even with the vaccination coverage that we have in New York City, we are
still seeing individuals get sick. Now individuals [who are] unvaccinated are certainly more at risk and the data that we have on our website clearly shows that…the subvariants, Omicron variant and the subvariants BA.2 and BA.5, those are variants that we [need to] be concerned about because there is some ability for those subvariants to evade immunity and that’s concerning…The first point to remember…vaccines have saved lives across New York City and all across the world. AmNews: Could you talk about the impact of COVID on the Black Dr. Torian Easterling (Photo courtesy of the Dept. of community and comHealth & Mental Hygiene) munities of color? Dr. Easterling: This virus has certainly had a really negative impact on communities of color and underserved communities. We saw how COVID-19 really amplified long-standing inequities we have. To be clear and transparent…these inequities did not start in March of 2020. These are long-standing inequities, generational inequities that are playing out right now during this pandemic…What we saw in the early part of the pandemic is that communities of color, low income communities, had higher rates of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths: two to three times higher than white or Asian New Yorkers. When we talk about the vaccines, if we know that vaccines are available and can save lives…we wanted to make sure that equity was centered in our approach…it was really important for us to deploy community-based organizations, work with faith-based organizations across the city to make sure that we were getting the vaccine out to the most vulnerable across the city and that we also used the neighborhoods when we saw the highest case rates and hospitalization rates and death rates to make sure we were focusing those resources in those neighborhoods.
