| In this issue: Monkeypox, Affordable housing in LIC & Summer Streets |
CORONAVIRUS
| 1. HERE’S THE NY SCOOP THE STATS: 18, 094, 209 vaccines administered across NYC 82 new hospitalizations 3,645 new cases (wear your masks) 1,390 Monkeypox Cases in NY |
GOOD NEWS
| Affordable Housing Lottery is Open – 463 brand spanking new affordable luxury apartments are up for grabs at Gotham Point in LIC. See if you can apply! Don’t forget to invite us to your pool if you get one! 24/7 Speed Cameras Installed – This year saw NY’s deadliest year with a 44% increase in traffic deaths compared to the same time last year. This week, over 2000 speed cameras were installed across the city, with 750 of them in school zones to prevent this. If you’re a driver, you better lighten that lead foot. |
BAD NEWS
| Williamsburg’s Worst Problem is No Longer the G Train – If you thought the MTA was NY’s worst problem, think again. Rising sea levels & climate change are manifesting the perfect storm conditions to flood Williamsburg, Greenpoint, LIC and the Hudson Yards by the year 2080. As for now? Expect flooding, extreme weather, and heat waves to continue to increase if Greenhouse emissions aren’t capped. |
A LITTLE CONVERSATION STARTER
| 2. SO WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH MONKEYPOX? |
| For today’s issue, our reader Daniel D. wrote, “The articles I’ve been seeing did not educate me on Monkeypox. It just says Monkeypox is here, there’s a lot of cases, we are working on it. But what does this mean for me?” WHAT IS MONKEYPOX? First, let’s talk about what Monkeypox is not. Contrary to the name, it was not transmitted by monkeys. It does not affect only men who have sex with men (MSM). Monkeypox is closely related to Smallpox – and symptoms include rash, lesions, fevers, exhaustion, swollen lymph nodes and more. Monkeypox was originally transmitted by rodents and was contained primarily in West and Central Africa for decades. Scientists are now trying to figure out how this outbreak has spread to the US, with California, Illinois and NY reporting 47% of all confirmed Monkeypox infections in the US. All 3 have declared a state emergency over Monkeypox. WHAT ARE THE CHANCES I’LL BE AFFECTED? At the time of writing, over 98% of those currently affected in the US are within the MSM community, but can be spread to and from anyone. While some are quick to jump the gun and blame the community or think they are safe, virologist John Skylar, PhD suggests, “It is worth mentioning that the MSM community are often hyperaware of their sexual health given the devastating events of the AIDS crisis, and it could simply be that Monkeypox is spreading among many communities and this is the one that we actually have good data about”. Your biggest risks are from skin-to-skin contact, sexual contact with an infected person and sharing sheets, clothes or touching something that someone infected came in contact with. Best to avoid large crowds, kissing strangers and sharing beds with anyone with pustules. WHO SHOULD GET THE MONKEYPOX VACCINE? According to the CDC, If you have been in contact with someone who has Monkeypox or in an area that has a high amount – it is best to get vaccinated within 4 days. Since there are limited supplies it is relegated to cases at high risk of exposure. THE WHO declared Monkeypox a global health emergency last month. Over 21,000 cases have been reported in 78 countries but for many, cases will dissipate within 2-4 weeks on it’s own and mortality is considered very low. |
EVENTS COMING UP
| 3. BIKING WITH BUDDIES & A YUMMY RESTAURANT |
| This weekend marks the official start of Summer Streets! For the first 3 weekends this month, NYC shuts down the streets to cars so you can walk, jog, run and bike from the Brooklyn Bridge to East Harlem, the longest path yet! You can get a free Citibike this Saturday with the code SUMMER22 and there will be live music, performances, workshops and events all across the 8 mile stretch. Save the date for: August 6th, 13th and 20th from 7AM – 1PM! Afterwards, book a reservation at one of the restaurants participating in Restaurant Week and get a 2 course lunch or 3 course dinner for $30 – $60! |
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