Coronavirus in N.Y.C.: Heres What Happened This Week – The New York Times

Weather: Showers and possibly heavy thunderstorms, with a high in the upper 70s. Scattered storms Saturday afternoon, but Sunday should be mostly sunny.

Alternate-side parking: In effect until Aug. 15 (Feast of the Assumption). Read about the amended regulations here.

As fall looms, New York is continuing to stem its coronavirus outbreak. This week, only about 1 percent of tests each day in the city were positive. Statewide, hospitalizations for the virus have hit new lows.

Still, New York City and its suburbs are grappling with how to head off a potential second wave when the weather turns colder and people retreat indoors. And just days ago, Dr. Oxiris Barbot resigned as the citys health commissioner, citing her disappointment with Mayor Bill de Blasios handling of the virus crisis.

Heres what else happened this week:

The city said it was aiming to safely reopen schools this fall because New York has maintained a low infection rate.

But a torrent of logistical issues and political problems could upend that plan.

Mr. de Blasios proposal includes safety measures such as having children report to school one to three days a week with masks and social distancing required. But that hasnt quelled the fears of some parents who saw their neighborhoods ravaged by the virus, and some teachers are threatening a sickout.

Many large districts in the country are starting their school years fully remote. In finalizing plans for New York City, officials are weighing factors including the past failures of online learning; examples of the virus rapidly coming through school doors; and the potential for a child care crisis.

The mayor said he was using the citys sheriffs office to inform travelers about the states mandatory quarantine rules.

Mr. de Blasio announced this week that drivers would be stopped at traveler registration checkpoints at bridges and tunnels, and that people from places on New York States required quarantine list would be asked to fill out forms detailing their travel.

But the authorities wont be stopping every car. They also most likely wont be at the same locations on any given day. And the sheriffs office cant force travelers to comply with the 14-day quarantine.

Some elected officials have criticized the plan, saying they do not believe that checkpoints would be effective. Others have raised concerns about privacy risks.

The delay in counting votes for New Yorks primary raised concerns about conducting elections during the pandemic.

It took six weeks for Representative Carolyn B. Maloney and Councilman Ritchie Torres to be declared the winners in their races.

After Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo ordered a wide expansion of absentee voting this year because of the coronavirus, New York City received a deluge of 400,000 mail-in ballots. Nearly a month and a half after the June primary, some of those votes were still being counted.

Officials cited several problems with the primary. Thousands of ballots were mailed out only a few days before the election, not giving voters time to return them. There werent enough staff members to tally the votes. Also, the Postal Service apparently had trouble processing the ballots prepaid return envelopes, which may have caused an unknown number of votes to be wrongfully disqualified.

Now, some candidates and political analysts fear that what occurred in New York could happen nationally in November, creating a nightmare situation.

Updated Aug. 8, 2020

The latest highlights as the first students return to U.S. schools.

President Trump has also jumped into the fray, repeatedly citing the New York primary for his unfounded claims that mail-in voting is susceptible to fraud.

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Want more news? Check out our full coverage.

The Mini Crossword: Here is todays puzzle.

New Yorks moratorium on evictions was extended until September as many tenants continued to struggle to pay rent. [New York Post]

Nearly 20 police unions are suing New York City over lawmakers ban on the use of chokeholds. [Daily News]

What were watching: The Times Metro reporters J. David Goodman and Matthew Haag discuss New Yorks road to economic recovery on The New York Times Close Up With Sam Roberts. The show airs on Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and Sunday at 12:30 p.m. [CUNY TV]

The Timess Melissa Guerrero writes:

Although most performance spaces, museums and community centers are closed, people are finding creative ways to connect through virtual events and programs. Here are suggestions for maintaining a New York social life this weekend while keeping a safe distance from other people.

On Friday at 5 p.m., as part of the Strong Like a Mama summit, a panel of obstetrician-gynecologists and other experts, including Dr. Taraneh Shirazian from N.Y.U. Langone Health, will hold a discussion about maternal mortality rate and access to quality maternal care.

Register on the event page.

On Saturday at noon, the author and historian Jason Antos will lead a virtual outing highlighting religious diversity in Flushing, Queens. The tour will start at the Quaker Meeting House and end at the Hindu Temple (Hindu Temple Society of North America).

R.S.V.P. on the event page to watch the livestream.

On Saturday at 12:30 p.m., learn about two of the most-used commuter rail systems in the United States without leaving your couch. Sam Angelillo, a New York Transit Museum educator, will host a talk about the history of the railways and their importance in connecting the city to its suburbs.

To attend the livestream, register on the event page.

Its Friday T.G.I.F.

Dear Diary:

My wife and I came to New York in November 2002 for my second New York City Marathon. We splurged and booked a room at a boutique hotel near the New York Public Library, where runners board early morning buses that take them to where the race starts on Staten Island.

We registered at the desk with an assistant manager, who struck us as the type of well-mannered, middle-age gentleman one might encounter at a traditional European hotel.

I made conversation by mentioning the huge number of international runners I had seen. He volunteered that he was from what had been known as Czechoslovakia. We fell into an easy, extended chat about distance running.

Eventually, he insisted on personally showing us to the room we had booked on a lower floor. He seemed intent on continuing our conversation.

As he pulled our luggage trolley onto the elevator, a twinkle came to his eyes.

I bet you dont know the name of the greatest Czech distance runner of all time, he said.

Somehow, my usually unreliable memory jumped to life.

Um, yeah, Emil Zatopek, I stammered.

His face lit up, and he beamed with pride.

After a moments reflection, he spoke again.

The room you reserved just isnt right for you, he said. Allow me to upgrade you to a larger suite on an upper floor.

Geoffrey Vincent

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Coronavirus in N.Y.C.: Heres What Happened This Week - The New York Times