CORONAVIRUS & MONKEYPOX

1. HERE’S THE NY SCOOP 

THE STATS:

1,182,944 vaccines bivalent vaccines
135 new hospitalizations
0 new cases 🙌
80% of New Yorkers are vaccinated! 

GOOD NEWS

End of Vaccine Mandate 2021-2023 – The vaccine ultimatum which led to 96% of vaccination rate across all city employees has come to an end! The city’s health commissioner, Dr. Ashwin Vasan, said that “It’s clear these mandates saved lives and were absolutely necessary to meet the moment”

Delancey’s Desperately Needed Makeover – The Department of Transportation secretary Polly Trottenberg plans to give Delancey street a $21 million dollar upgrade by decreasing the number of lanes. A much needed “road diet” given that 200 crashes have occurred in the last decade. The extra space is going to be designated bikes and pedestrians…Who’s got their bike ready!?

BAD NEWS

Don’t Be Like Vickie –  Paladino, who represents Queens, granted $10,000 in City Council discretionary funds to Bridge to Life, a Queens-based anti-abortion crisis pregnancy center.  A crisis pregnancy center like Bridge to Life  poses as a women’s health center with the intention to convince them to not abort. Did you know, that in NYC these crisis pregnancy centers outnumber actual abortion clinics. 

GIVE US THE SCOOP

2. AN INTERVIEW WITH TALY MATITEYAHU – FOUNDER OF BLINK DATE  

Valentine’s Day is coming up, love is in the air, and cuffing season is still rampant. If you are single or have friends who are trapped in the vicious spiral of swiping – no swiping – dating scene that is New York City, we may have found a respite for you.
 
There’s the plethora of New York City dating folklore. Who could forget the unhinged stories from “West Elm Caleb” to “The Tinder Swindler” and, of course, the OG, “The Hipster Grifter”? Ask around to any of your friends, and you’d be sure to find a story of swiping for hours, awkward dates, tumultuous flings, and, of course, the perennial act of deleting and reinstalling dating apps. 
 
Alas, it’s not to say everyone in NYC is horrible, but I think we can all agree that modern-day dating is certainly flawed. Lawyer-turned-founder Taly Matiteyahu is on a mission to fix that. 
 
FROM LAWYER TO BLINK DATE: TALY MATITEYAHU IS GIVING YOUR THUMB A BREAK 
Blink is a new swipe-free dating app that allows daters to chat with a potential partner for ten minutes before they ever see a picture of them. 
 
Launched out of NYC, the app already has a podcast, in-person events, and a 30% match rate. Inspired by a stint at a blackout restaurant where she ate in total darkness with strangers,  Taly realized how freeing an experience it was to talk and meet without preconceived notions.
 
We make judgments all the time based on everything from outfits to tattoos to height, and it’s just a shame because oftentimes people just aren’t necessarily what you think they are based on appearances.”
 
Today, Blink Date allows you to remove the nuisances of the modern NYC dating scene, like *ahem* ghosting and the never-ending doom texting…

OH HEY, HELLO, ciaooo! 

3.  LIFE BEYOND LIKES

Let’s cheer 🥳 for ciaooo! reader Isa Watson who will be having her first public event of her book tour – in conversation with editor-in-chief of Rolling Stone Magazine, Noah Shachtman.
 
WHEN:
Thurs, February 9 @ 6:30pm at the Brooklyn Heights Library. 
**Registration require & spots limited 
 
They’ll be discussing all things Life Beyond Likes, and the intentionality behind centering intentional joy in your life, away from social media and the craziness of today’s internet. 

Community-first. Women-led. ciaooo! is on a mission to empower brands and organizations that make NYC a better place. Learn more! 

team ciaooo

ciaooo! is an NYC based editorial site, newsletter, and events company. We're the local's guide to conquering NYC. Follow us on Instagram @ciaooomag for the latest. Nice to see you here!

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