Gov. Cuomo Issues New Mandate For Healthcare Workers to Get Vaccinated

Currents News Staff

The personal incentive to get the vaccine shot here in New York City? A cool $100 dollar bill if you get the vaccine at a city run site starting Friday. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the incentive to get more New Yorkers motivated, calling vaccination “the solution.”

And a day after he announced all city workers have to either get the shot or get tested weekly, Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued his own mandate.

“In New York and upstate hospitals, all patient-facing healthcare workers must get vaccinated,” Gov. Cuomo said. “There will be no testing option.”

Vaccinated or not, don’t lose the mask! This announcement comes after an about-face from the CDC.

“We must take every step we can to stop the Delta variant,” the agency said.The CDC is now recommending everyone, including the vaccinated, wear masks inside if they live in an area with high or substantial transmission.

On the CDC website, there’s a color-coded map that shows the red and orange zones where masks are recommended. Brooklyn and Queens are in the orange zone. Both Cuomo and deBlasio say they’ll review the CDC’s new guidelines.

The ever-changing rules from the agency have caused a lot of confusion, and division, especially when it comes to donning a mask.

Health experts explain that the recommendations have changed because the virus has changed.

“We have the Delta variant now and behind it, the Lambda variant,” said Dr. Robert Tiballi of the Catholic Medical Association. “That’s one that’s ravaging South America right now and it will likely be here in the not too distant future.”

St. Joseph’s Seminary Offering New Online Masters Program

By Jessica Easthope

St. Joseph’s Seminary in Dunwoodie is helping you in mastering an online degree. The new master’s and post-baccalaureate programs are available for both laypeople and religious. Students will Zoom into live classroom lectures at three locations.

An array of subjects will be offered ranging from morality to the history of the Church. Seminary staff says it’s what new-age evangelization looks like.

“People want to learn more about the faith and what this enables them to do is to do so in a very convenient way and within the context of the representation of the entire church,” said Father Matthew Ernest, the academic dean at St. Joseph’s Seminary.

“We’ve been able to broaden our audience and teach on a larger stage and to me that is so great,” said associate academic dean, Donna Eschenauer.

Applications are being accepted through September 7. You can apply online at dunwoodie.edu

Currents News Update for Wednesday, 7/28/21

A personal incentive to get the shot here in New York City? A cool one-hundred-dollar bill if you get the vaccine at a city run site starting Friday.

Vaccinated or not you might want to get ready to mask up again – the CDC is recommending everyone, including the vaccinated, wear masks inside if they live in an area with high or substantial transmission.

The White House is considering a mandate requiring federal employees either get vaccinated or get tested for COVID weekly.

New York City Employees Mandated to Get COVID-19 Vaccine or Take Weekly Tests

By Jessica Easthope

The verdict is in, all New York City workers must get vaccinated or submit to weekly testing. Major labor unions put out dueling statements in the aftermath of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s announcement.

Most notably, District 37, the largest employee union in New York City was concerned they weren’t invited to the table ahead of the mayor’s announcement.

In a statement the District 37 leader Henry Garrido said, “While we encourage everyone to get vaccinated and support measures to ensure our members’ health and wellbeing, weekly testing is clearly subject to mandatory bargaining. New York City is a union town and that cannot be ignored.”

Meanwhile, the Department of Education was largely supportive of the plan, despite not receiving a heads up.

The United Federation of Teachers released a statement saying, “This approach puts the emphasis on vaccination but still allows for personal choice and provides additional safeguards through regular testing.”

Currents News hasn’t received a response from any of the NYPD unions yet, but the FDNY EMS workers slammed the move, noting that the FDA still hasn’t given any final approvals for COVID-19 vaccines.

Local teachers and their families were also divided on the issue. “I feel like it should be the same as a religious freedom, that you choose your own faith and what you believe in,” said Christine Hooper, the parent of public-school student.

“It’s not like you have freedom to say and do what you want, not in a pandemic, we need vaccines and if not you need to be tested weekly,” said Robert Kleppel, a DOE science teacher for 39 years.

The mandate will affect more than 300,000 people and go into effect on September 13 for the start of the school year.

Currents News Update for Tuesday, 7/27/21

All New York City workers must get vaccinated or submit to weekly testing.

And now so is the dissent – major labor unions putting out dueling statements in the aftermath of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s announcement.

Bishops and priests who once called Cuba home sent a video message of support to the island’s protestors. They are all seeking the intercession of Our Lady of Charity, the patroness of the country.

An update on our local Catholic Olympian whose story we brought to you last week. Kristine O’Brien from Long Island and eight others of her crew won their first rowing match, beating out Romania and Australia. Now it’s time for finals, coming this Thursday.

Ukrainian Archbishop Says His Country Fears Possible Russian Invasion

Currents News Staff

In Ukraine, people fear the worst. The war that began in 2014 has already left two million internally displaced people and a devastating economic crisis. Though the last months have been less violent, Russia has increased its military presence along the border.

“The violence has decreased somewhat in intensity, but blood is still being shed. Every day, we receive news of more soldiers dying. I must say that in Ukraine, people fear a new direct invasion by the Russian army,” said Abp. Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the Major Archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

The leader of the country’s main Catholic Church, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, says the people are afraid. They fear losing everything to the war.

“We asked ourselves what we could do in this situation. And I was struck by the response of a Protestant. He was a brother from the Seventh Day Adventist Church. He said, ‘Even if we lose everything, we are willing to give up everything except our faith in God,’” said Shevchuk.

For Shevchuk, the example set by Christians during the Soviet occupation remains very relevant today.

“I was fortunate enough to meet priests from the underground Church who were willing to die for their faith. They were put in jail two or three times. Tortured. But when they were let go, they continued to carry out their pastoral work,” he added.

It doesn’t seem that tensions with Russia will end anytime soon. And challenging times are coming. That’s why the Major Archbishop hopes that the Christian community will not lose sight of the example set by their predecessors during the Soviet occupation.

NYC Weekend of Violence: Off Duty Firefighter and Man Beat in Separate Attacks in Queens & Brooklyn

By Jessica Easthope and Alexandra Moyen

Violence continued to stalk the streets of New York City last weekend, with two incidents happening two days apart.

A man riding a Citi Bike was caught on camera assaulting and robbing a 68-year-old man Saturday morning.

The victim was repeatedly punched and kicked, before the suspect rode off with his cellphone and jewelry. He was hospitalized for treatment of a broken nose and broken wrist.

The night before, on Friday, an off-duty firefighter said he was swarmed and attacked by at least “100 kids” while walking his dog in Juniper Valley Park in Queens.

The Police Department has released images of three teenagers suspected of participating in the vicious attack, and are asking anyone with any information to step forward.

So far, no suspects have been identified or arrested.

According to NYPD officials, the anonymous 44-year-old victim, who was not identified, approached the group, concerned about the noise they were making. The conversation then escalated in a “physical encounter with multiple individuals kicking and punching the victim about the body, before he was able to flee the scene.”

Before the attack concluded, the firefighter told authorities, he was hit on the back of the head with a bottle, causing him to let go of his dog. The dog was eventually moved away from the mob by a good Samaritan. The beating stopped and the victim was able to escape his attackers once an ambulance showed up to the scene.

He sustained bruising and cuts from the attack — which one of the attackers reportedly called “fight night,” — but refused medical attention.

According to the NYPD, the overall crime index in New York City rose 22% May 2021 compared to May 2020, and in June 2021, the overall crime index in the city rose 3.1% compared to June 2020. There are currently no city crime statistics for July 2021, but New Yorkers say they are already seeing an uptick in crime.

Currents News Update for Monday, 7/26/21

It was a violent weekend in New York City. The NYPD is on the hunt for suspects involved in two brutal attacks in Brooklyn and Queens.

Get the shot or get tested every week – a new mandate from Mayor Bill de Blasio is now expanded to all city employees.

The Pope is praying for the people of China after record-breaking rainfall flooded the country last week.

Pope Francis also asked for applause in celebration of World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly.

Catholic News Headlines for Friday, 7/23/21

The Tokyo Olympics kick off with strict COVID protocols – two Catholic athletes share their experience.

Police are on the hunt for the woman who destroyed two statues at a Queens church.

Bishop DiMarzio outlines how you can stay connected to your faith and still have fun.

A Look at the Tokyo 2020 Venues From the Skies Above

Japan spent billions of dollars to prepare for these summer games, including $1.5 billion on its Olympic Stadium.

Then came the pandemic, and most venues were suddenly closed to Olympic spectators.

Hosting the Tokyo 2020 summer games is a massive logistical challenge.

There are almost 70,000 seats in that stadium, but nearly all of them are empty.

Japan is enforcing the Olympics first ever spectator ban creating a dramatically scaled down opening ceremony. Organizers say only about 950 VIPs are attending, including U.S. First Lady Jill Biden.

Police have also shut down surrounding roads and even fenced off the perimeter.

For everyday folks, this is their only shot at seeing the Olympics up close.

Public opinion polls show the Japanese overwhelmingly don’t want the games to go forward, but you wouldn’t know it looking at the long lines of people who are waiting to take selfies in front of the olympic rings.

The Olympic bubble is to protect athletes from COVID-19, but a small and growing number of athletes are testing positive even inside the Olympic village.

Athletes are tested for COVID daily and are asked to arrive five days before competing and leave two days after.

Most of the Olympic venues are here in Tokyo. Japan invested billions only to have fake crowd noise echoing through all those empty stands.