Page 18 - 2021 Queens Economic Development Guide

Borough President Q&A
‘A New, More Resilient Normal’
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Jr. sheds light on the borough’s resilience, innovation and growth, driven by a host of workforce development and economic development initiatives.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Jr.
Queens was hit hard early on in the pandemic. Please talk about the progress made in in defeating COVID-19.
Queens was once the “epicenter
of the epicenter” of the COVID-19 pandemic. But thanks to the dedication and sacrifices of our health care workers and first responders, and thanks to the efforts of our office and our partners in local government to promote and facilitate sound public health practices that protected us from the virus, our borough and city have turned the corner regarding COVID-19.
I am happy to report that Queens was the first county in New York
State to have one million residents vaccinated. So, in response to the hard work of Queens residents, we are
lifting restrictions, reopening our City and looking forward to a new, more resilient normal for Queens.
However, we cannot fully get back on our feet unless we defeat this disease once and for all. That’s why
my office continues to work with our partners in city and state government to expand vaccination opportunities so that all Queens residents and workers have easy access to the vaccine.
What are some of the issues revealed by this crisis?
We also must do more to address the health care disparities among our residents that were exacerbated by COVID-19. To help do so, I recently allocated $5.5 million to upgrade the operating rooms and the Intensive Care Unit at NYC Health + Hospitals/
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QUEENS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
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