Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Holds Media Availability

October 14, 2021

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Good morning, everybody. You know, this week we've been talking about New York City's recovery. You can feel it. You can see it. Amazing things are happening around this city. The facts we've laid out, jobs coming back, real estate market's coming back, so many things are coming back. We’ve got a lot of work to do, but you can feel every day we're getting closer and closer. And the key, of course, has been vaccinations. This is where New York City – every New Yorker should be so proud of what we've done together, of the total commitment people have shown to bringing the city back.

So, today, is going to be a very special day. Today is going to be one of those milestone days in the fight against COVID. Today will be the day when we hit an amazing number – 6 million New Yorkers who have received at least one dose of the vaccine – 6 million vaccinations, as of today. This is unbelievable, 6 million people – think about it for a moment, 6 million people who have gone, done the right thing for themselves, their families, their community, gotten at least the first dose. A lot of those people, of course, the vast majority have gotten the second dose by now as well. But, as of today, 6 million New Yorkers who have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine, this is a staggering figure. This is how we're coming back. When you look around the country and you see other places that are struggling, and I feel horrible for them, but, in a lot of cases, it's because their leaders didn't do the right thing and didn't focus on vaccination. Here, together, we did. Now, 6 million of us doing the right thing, moving us forward.

And what has it meant? As vaccinations have gone up, hospitalizations have gone down. Every day, we go over the indicators, and it's so encouraging to see this trend, to see how consistent it is. Every single day, we're seeing more and more vaccination and that really powerful movement downward with hospitalizations. That means fewer and fewer New Yorkers who are feeling the worst effects of disease are ending up in the hospital. Fewer and fewer people who are going to have the fear in their family of what could happen. Think about it – if because of vaccination we are limiting this disease and, slowly but surely, putting it behind us, ending the COVID era once and for all, that's what we have to do, and not have the fear that so many families have had of a loved one, particularly a senior, ending up in the hospital and then never coming back. That's what vaccination is doing.

So, we're now one of the safest places in the entire country when it comes to COVID. And we are moving on so many other fronts, continuing to be the safest big city in America in many, many ways. But I'll tell you something, I hear it all over – I hear it from the business community, I hear it from people from other parts of the country – they're looking at New York City, they see how safe it is, they see how well the vaccination has gone. This is the place to be. This is the place to invest, because people can have confidence in the future of the city, seeing how New Yorkers handled this crisis. Other astounding numbers, as of now, over 84 percent of all New York City adults have had at least one dose of the vaccine. Over 84 percent – that's a super, super majority. And I like to say, when have you ever seen 84 percent of New Yorkers agree on anything else? So, young people, teenagers – 75 percent already vaccinate. And we're going to see a huge number of new vaccinations when the youngest kids, the five- to 11-year-olds are authorized next month.

At this point, there's only about a million adults left to be vaccinated and they keep coming in. The incentives, the mandates, everything's working. We're going to keep moving on that number and we're going to pick up those young people. So, this is going to make a huge difference. Listen, we're so close to where we need to get. We’ve got more work to do. COVID is not leaving us immediately. We've got real work to do to finish this mission. Everyone could be a part of it, but we can get there.

So, here's my request – my humble request. Every single New Yorker out there, if you have a family member, a loved one, a neighbor, a friend who still isn't vaccinated, talk to them, let them know how important it is. Let them know how important it is to you. Those conversations make a huge difference. Anyone who isn't vaccinated and needs to be, we can give them a hundred-dollar incentive. We can even send vaccinators to their home to vaccinate them and their family. All you’ve got to do is call 877-VAX-4NYC – 877-VAX-4NYC. Let's get it done and make a world of difference for all of us in this city.

Now, so much coming back and it's exciting. You can feel it. We talked yesterday about the movie theaters, great movies coming out, people going back to the theaters, vaccination sites, right at the theaters, great things happening that people want to be a part of. But now, let's talk about one of the single greatest things that happens in New York City. This is – I would argue with anyone, this is the food capital of the world. And we love – we love our restaurants. We love the fact that, literally, you can get every cuisine on the earth right here. There's very few places you can say that. No place compares with New York City in that way. The greatest wines from all over the world – well, if you want to experience it, guess what's back? The New York City Wine and Food Festival, another great example of great things coming back as we fight back COVID. Returning to celebrate its 14th year, between October 14th and 17th. Now, this festival is amazing. Over 65 events – there's tastings, there's intimate dinners, peer parties, brunches. There's so much going on. There's something for everyone. But here's what I love most about this festival, the people involved who made this happen care about their fellow New Yorkers. And they're not just giving back, they're giving back 100 percent. Literally, 100 percent of the proceeds will benefit God's Love We Deliver and the Food Bank for New York City to help New Yorkers in need. So, if you want to do something that's going to be a lot of fun and celebrate our comeback and help your fellow New Yorkers, go to this beautiful festival. You can buy tickets at nycwff.org. And, of course, I want to note, proof of vaccination is required to be part of this great festival. Last year – or, most recently, the festival has raised – over the years, I should say, $14 million – $14 million to help New Yorkers in need. I think this year is going to be amazing.

But don't take it from me. I want to present to you someone I'm just so happy to have with us. And I – you know, I am not a leading foodie, but I'm an amateur foodie. I love the restaurants in this city. I read about them all the time. I know about all the great chefs. And when you actually get to meet one of these superstars, it's something pretty special. So, I want to present you, someone who is a veteran of this wonderful festival. You name it, he's done it. He is a James Beard Award-winning chef. He is a New York City – excuse me, New York Times number-one bestselling author. He has led legendary kitchens. Wherever he goes, something good happens. And I have to say, as an Italian-American, I'm particularly proud of him. His name immediately advertises who he is, where he comes from, and he makes us very proud. My pleasure to introduce Rocco Dispirito.

[…]

Mayor: You are what we call saggio. You're a wise man. Okay. Rocco Dispirito, what an honor to have you here. Thank you.

All right, everyone. So, the festival is going a big, big part of our comeback and there's so many other things that we have to do to bring this city back. And what we found is that we could create whole new things. Outdoor dining, brand new, created from this, kind of, whole-city approach –came out of the crisis. Open Streets came out of the crisis. But two other things came out of the crisis that really have been powerful, the City Cleanup Corps and the City Artist Corps. I'm very open about the fact these are not new ideas. We borrowed them directly from Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the New Deal, but we adapted them to today and create something new for our circumstance. For the Cleanup Corps., thousands of New Yorkers who need a good job out there helping to bring us back, make the city shine and clean again. For the artists corps., our cultural committee was hit so hard by this pandemic and folks needed an opportunity to work again, to contribute. And we want to keep those artists here. We need them. We need our restaurants. We need our artists. That's who we are.

Let me tell you the impact it’s made. The Cleanup Corps., thousands of members since April. This is amazing. They have hands swept 50,000 blocks in New York City, removed 600,000 bags of trash, repainted almost 1,000 properties that had graffiti on them. This is amazing stuff and it's helping to bring the city forward. You know, people are coming back, businesses coming back, jobs coming back, tourists coming back domestically. But soon, international tourists coming back as well. The Cleanup Corps. has helped us to get ready and to give people a great opportunity in the meantime. And the Cleanup Corps. is really focused on hiring people from the neighborhoods hardest hit by the pandemic. So, there's virtue in so many ways. By the way, people can still be a part of the Cleanup Corps., you can go to nyc.gov/ccc to join it.

Now, I want you to hear from a Council Member who believes in this initiative and wanted to make sure it benefited her community, both in terms of people getting hired and in terms of providing the impact to the small businesses, to the residents of the neighborhood, to make sure that the neighborhood was better as we came back. I want you to hear from someone who really believes in this approach. From the east side – lower east side of Manhattan, Council Member Carlina Rivera.

[…]

Mayor: Thank you so much, Council Member. You will be my skelly's instructor. I am looking forward to that, keeping a great, old New York tradition alive. Thank you for all you're doing. I can tell the passion that you have for making sure our neighborhood folks get opportunity and for also making sure that the neighborhood is beautiful and clean. And I know our Parks Commissioner Gabrielle Fialkoff was happy to be with you there. And for her and everyone at the Parks Department, this is a labor of love what the Cleanup Corps. is doing. So, thank you for being a really vibrant supporter of this idea and we're going to get a lot done these next few months as part of our comeback. Thank you so much.

And the other great idea we talked about, which is really, really had an impact – our City Artist Corps. I want to thank our Cultural Affairs Commissioner Gonzalo Casals, and his whole team. They have been – this has been a labor of love for them as well, $25 million investment in local artists. They've been out around the city, doing performances, public art shows, workshops for children, for communities, for seniors at public spaces. It's been amazing. And the beautiful part is, it's allowed our artists to keep working, and keep contributing, and keep giving us hope. That's what our artists do, especially in the worst of the pandemic – they gave us hope. And it's amazing what the Artist Corps. has achieved in just a few months. So, there's going to be showcases now for the rest of this month all over the city of the work of the City Artists Corps., you can find out where hundreds of events will be at nyc.gov/cityartistcorps. There are free events for everyone. I want you to hear why this is so important at the community level from someone who really believes in this, believes in supporting arts and culture in every way we can – State Senator Brian Kavanagh.

[...] 

Thank you so much, Senator. It's – you know, I want you to know there's a strong physical resemblance between recent mayors, so it's okay. 

[Laughter] 

Senator Brian Kavanagh: When they’re sitting down –  

Mayor: That's right. I want to thank you. Just having fun here. I want to thank you. I know this is something you care about deeply and your community has been deeply involved with the City Artists Corps. Thank you. This is the kind of thing that makes a big impact. Thank you for your support.  

Now, everyone. I want you to hear what this means, even on a bigger level, not just in New York City, national level, what it means to provide this kind of support to artists. And I want you to hear from someone who really has the big picture perspective, he was appointed by President Obama to the National Council on the Arts back in 2012. He serves as Program Director for Arts and Culture for the Andrew Mellon Foundation, which is the nation's largest funder of arts and culture and humanities. My great pleasure to introduce Emil Kang. 

[...] 

Mayor: Thank you so much, Emil. And I love when someone remembers where they came from. So, proud son of Queens. You've done good. And thank you for highlighting this kind of approach. And I know you're championing ideas like this all over. We've got to have this direct support for artists. This is part of how we come out of the pandemic. So, thank you for helping to lead the way on that. 

Everyone, the City Artist Corps, City Cleanup Corps making a big difference. This is the kind of thing we're going to do to bring the city back. And now this brings us to our indicators. And here's the number one way we bring our city back, which is vaccination. So, again, as of today, six million New Yorkers with at least one dose, that's amazing. Total doses, overall, stunning, 11,772,387, growing all the time. Number two indicator, daily number of people admitted to New York City hospitals for suspected COVID-19, today's report, 214 patients with confirmed positivity level of 10.79 percent. And the all-important hospitalization rate, today's number – again, we're very happy with this – 0.69 per 100,000. Finally, new reported cases on a seven-day average, today's report, 957 cases. So, more to do, still a battle ahead, but vaccinations working. A few words in Spanish and the topic is the six million New Yorkers now vaccinated –  

[Mayor de Blasio speaks in Spanish] 

With that, let's turn to our colleagues in the media. Please let me know the name and outlet of each journalist. 

Moderator: Good morning. We'll now begin our Q-and-A. As a reminder, we're joined today by Dr. Jay Varma, Dr. Mitch Katz, Chris Neale the City Cleanup Corps Program Lead, and Gonzalo Casals Commissioner of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Our first question goes to David at WABC. 

Question: Hi, Mayor. Can you hear me?  

Mayor: Yeah. How you doing Dave? 

Question: I'm fine. I wanted to ask you, I read this morning in the papers about the Thomas Jefferson statue in the City Council chambers, and its proposed removal. I just wanted to see your take on the history of that, where that came from, you know, Chirlane's involvement, and then how do you feel about it? 

Mayor: Let me – I'll try and give you a quick and clear answer, Dave. Look, the City Council – and I really respect the City Council, I was a Council member. I respect that they have particular rights and needs on their side of the building. The Speaker and the Black, Latino, Asian Caucus requested last year that that be reviewed by the Public Design Commission. And they are asking that be move to the New York Historical Society for a period of time. I respect – they’re a legislative body, it is a democracy – I respect their right to make that request. The Public Design Commission will make this decision and we'll move forward. To the bigger topic, and this is something, again, came from the Council, not from me or the First Lady, but I'll speak to my own views on Thomas Jefferson. He's very complex to say the least. The thing that is so troubling to people is that even someone who understood so deeply the values of freedom and human dignity and the value of each life was still a slave owner. And I understand why that profoundly bothers people and why they find it something that can't be ignored. At the same time, stating the obvious, one of the most profoundly important figures in American history, and one of the people who created this nation and created the good and strong and vibrant values of this nation. So, he's a very complex figure, but he's someone who is such a profound part of our history – that needs to be seen, that part needs to be respected, the part that is profoundly troubling and contradictory needs to be seen and addressed and acknowledged as well. And that's the kind of balance we're going to have to strike as we figure our way forward. Really all of this, you know, the past happened. It's not about the past, it's about what it means to the future. And we've got to be honest about both sides of his history. Go ahead, Dave. 

Question: A different topic, as the FDA moves forward on, you know, approving vaccines for younger people, five to 11 children, does that motivate you to then push forward on a mandate for children in schools, all children? 

Mayor: It's a great and fair question, Dave. No, not at this point because having the vaccine and parents allowing their kids to get it are two different matters. I've been real clear about it, Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter has been very clear about it. Our priority is having kids in school. So, for the foreseeable future, the best solution is that gold standard of health and safety approach that we’ve used so effectively. Plus, all adults being vaccinated. required. Plus, maximizing vaccination with young people, particularly the young people who will now be eligible next month. But we're not going to exclude a child because our kids, a lot of them went a year-and-a-half without being in a classroom. We're not excluding them because of decisions their parents make. We need them in school. That's where I am. That's where the Chancellor is. We'll deal with the future in the future, but that's where we are. And the focus is on getting our kids what they need. 

Moderator: Our next question goes to Andrew with WNBC. 

Question: Mayor, good morning. Since you're talking about vaccine milestones today and all the progress and the numerics looking good on the data, have you now backed off your plan to mandate vaccines for other municipal workers? Last week, you talked about having details in the coming days and we haven't gotten any details this week. Are you now no longer planning to expand municipal mandates? 

Mayor: A fair question, but I will repeat what I said. We will have a lot more to say in the coming days, there's some work we've had to do. And I think I was clear about whenever we do something, Andrew, we are very meticulous about preparing it properly. We're looking at a variety of different options, new approaches to fight back COVID because the war against COVID-19 isn’t over and we got to finish it once and for all to bring the city back fully. So, a variety of options are on the table. We will be speaking to it in the coming days. Nothing's off the table. Go ahead, Andrew. 

Question: I'm wondering if I can get your and Dr. Varma's assessment of where we are on Delta right now beyond the numbers. There seems to be this idea – and Governor Hochul has talked about it too – that we're either at a plateau, a downward turn, and yet the weather has been good, so we really haven't returned to sort of indoor gatherings in large numbers. So, is this a false sense of security or have we truly turned the corner on Delta here? 

Mayor: Profoundly important question. I appreciate that one a lot, Andrew. And I'll turn to Dr. Varma and Dr. Katz in a second. Here's what I’d say, we've had this conversation internally many times and Dr. Varma is – because he has studied the different challenges all over the world, not just with COVID, but other epidemics, he will be a good voice of caution here. Here's what I think we can say for sure. When you vaccinate at this high level, 6 million people have gotten at least one dose, that changes the entire dynamic. We've never been here before, since the pandemic began, we've never had this kind of massive consolidation of vaccination and there's more to come. There's a lot more to come. So, that changes the dynamic profoundly. That is, to me, the big, big story here. But you're right, cold weather is a factor, and we need to be smart about that. We need to keep getting people vaccinated and we need to keep taking smart measures to protect ourselves going forward. You can't declare a mission completed until it's really completed, or mission accomplished. We can't say that until we know we're out of the woods. So, there is good news, but we've got more to do to consolidate our gains for sure. Dr. Varma then Dr. Katz.  

Senior Advisor Jay Varma: Great. Thank you very much, Andrew, for the question. And I, you know, I wish I had a perfectly satisfying answer. I think that the real lesson of COVID for many of us is to be very humble in our predictions because there are so many factors from human behavior, to the way the virus evolves and obviously, vaccines that can determine what our COVID rates are. So, let's focus on a couple of things that we definitely know. The first is that in the past month, our hospitalization rate has dropped in half. And really the best explanation for that is the impact of vaccinations. And I think you also see that in the fact that we did have a surge in our cases in July, but it plateaued at a level that was very manageable for our health system. That was far below what we saw in other places in the country. And that is almost certainly again due to immunity from vaccinations. So, we definitely know that vaccines are having a very important impact on what happens with COVID right now. As you and the Mayor have very rightly pointed out, we also have some favorable trends that we don't have control over. With the weather being temperate, people are more likely to spend time outdoors, less likely to gather indoors. And there's some aspects related to the, you know, the atmosphere that increase the transmission of certain viruses. So, we have to see what happens. And that's why really keeping the full court press on getting vaccinations is going to provide us that cushion that will hopefully let us be able to continue to have favorable trends. We always need to be prepared for the possibility that there could be more influenza transmission. And so also put stress on our hospitals. But I do think the vaccines are having an impact. What will happen in the winter is still an unknown. And that's why the, you know, building our reserve of immunity is so important with vaccinations.

Mayor: Amen, Dr. Katz?

President and CEO Mitch Katz, Health + Hospitals: Yes. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I review every week, our admissions due to COVID at Health + Hospitals, and every week for the last several weeks, the number of admissions has decreased. And I think that's objective evidence of what Dr. Varma is saying. That the most profound impacts of the vaccine are in preventing people from getting sick. We will – COVID I do not believe is going to go away. I believe the virus will continue to circulate. But if we're all vaccinated, then we're going to all stay healthy. And I would add, yesterday, I called one of my patients because I saw in the lab record that she had tested positive for COVID. I knew she was vaccinated. I called her out of concern, how you feeling? And she said, I feel just great. I have a slightly stuffy nose and otherwise she felt great. And I think that that's likely to be the future of a fully vaccinated city. Is that there will still be some circulating COVID. It will circulate more in the winter. But if we're all vaccinated, then we will stay healthy. Thank you, sir.

Mayor: Amen. Thank you. Go ahead.

Moderator: Our next question goes to Debralee with the Manhattan Times and Bronx Free Press.

Question: Hey, good morning everyone. Can you hear me?

Mayor: Yeah, Debralee. How are you doing?

Question: I’m well, thank you. Good morning again to all. I want to just shift the conversation Mr. Mayor, to an industry that we haven't had discussed in the briefings for some time. And I wondered if you could speak to this. To what degree are the members of the independent liberty cab and medallion cab industries being specifically incentivized to be vaccinated if they aren't already? And are there any plans to consider more serious measures, including the possibility of mandates or some semblance thereof? Given their role, particularly their outsized role in communities not as readily serviced by public transportation? What are the – what is the thinking there to really get them to be more on board? And how are you tracking that?

Mayor: Really good question. Debralee. Look, we don't have – I'll be very straightforward. We don't have a specific plan at this moment. But what we are doing now, which I think speaks to your question, is we're looking at the different parts of our city, different parts of our society and saying, where do we need to do more on vaccination? And what tools can we bring to bear? So, we're going to be looking at a number of different options. Because we needed to, first of all, put the basics in place. The different types of public employee mandates, the indoor dining, entertainment, fitness, we – those were areas that we thought we could make a very big impact. We needed to see how they worked. We needed to see what we needed to do to adjust. Obviously, we had quite a bit of activity in courts we had to get through. Now we're in a position to think about a variety of additional options. So, this is something we'll certainly look at, as one of the areas that's important. Go ahead, Debralee.

Question: And then switching topics as, you know, a number of elected officials throughout the city, but specifically in the Bronx have been trying to draw attention to the fact that youth in the Bronx and again, across the city, but in the Bronx in particular, have been essentially fallen victim to, and are perpetrators of a lot of youth-on-youth violence. I know that earlier in the administration where instances like this have surfaced, that specific borough wide initiatives were implemented because of that. Because of this specific need that the administration identified within a particular borough including the Bronx Plan, for example, on the education side, occurred. My question is, do you see that happening in these last days of your administration as regards the real, essentially the epidemic of violence within the youth community in the Bronx.?

Mayor: It’s a very powerful question. Thank you. And we've talked about this in different ways, over the last few weeks in different press conferences about, you know, whether it's education or public safety. But there is a particular challenge in the Bronx. And also, in some ways in Northern Manhattan that we've had to double down on addressing. Some of this of course is a policing issue. And that is about sending additional police resources into the areas that needed the greatest help. And also things like gang takedowns where the focus now more and more will be in the Bronx and Northern Manhattan. But you're also pointing out the things we have to do to reach young people. And so more of the focus also is going to be on the community-based anti-violence efforts, Cure Violence, Crisis Management System. A lot of resources have been moved into the Bronx and Northern Manhattan for that. The work the NYPD is doing with families, with schools through the youth coordination officers. This is what we can do right now immediately. But I think your question points to exactly what we were trying to do with the Bronx Plan in terms of school. There's got to be a bigger shifting, still of resources to reach young people in every way, schools, recreation, you name it. And there's an ongoing challenge in the Bronx, but I do think we have some of the tools we need. And we're certainly applying the ones that we can right away.

Moderator: Our next question goes to Dana with the New York Times.

Question: Hi, Mr. Mayor. A question on the Thomas Jefferson statue. I know you said it is – will ultimately be in the hands of the Public Design Commission to decide. You control that commission, you appoint its members. What do you think you will decide?

Mayor: Well, you know, Dana, I want to be careful in really nailing the reality of commissions. I want to give them their respect. I name people for sure. But they then exercise their judgment. But I do think, look, the request came from the Council. It's an understandable request, a request to move it to the Historical Society. That's obviously a fair setting. I start with the assumption that it will be approved, but I don't know. That's ultimately the decision that that commission makes. I think the important thing here is just to recognize the City Council spoke out of their belief of what is right for their chamber for their side of City Hall. And that to me is just a straightforward matter. If that's what they feel, I want to respect them as another branch of government. Go ahead, Dana.

Question: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And then on an entirely different topic, a couple of days ago, The City reported that you still owe hundreds of thousands of dollars to Kramer Levin for its representation of you during various investigations a while back. You said you would set up a legal defense fund to repay the firm, but you have yet to set it up. What are your plans as far as that debt is concerned?

Mayor: Yeah. Dana, look, I think we would be having an entirely different conversation if we hadn't over the last year and a half, had a global pandemic. Everything got put on hold. Obviously, I intend to address that debt and put together the resources over time. It will take time, but I absolutely intend to address it. That's what I've done in the past. You know, on the campaign side, it's not unusual to have debt. You pay off your debt. I've done it plenty of times. I'm going to take care of this as well.

Moderator: Our next question goes to James with PIX 11.

Question: Hey. Good morning, Mr. Mayor, and everyone on the call.

Mayor: Good morning, James. How are you?

Question: Great. Thank you for asking.

Mayor: You know, it is, today is a particularly beautiful day in New York City. As you and I are often keenly aware of when we have a special day. This is one of those days.

Question: Agreed, agreed. Very, very true. Thank you. That the City already has a protocol for booster doses of Pfizer, the Pfizer vaccine. While an FDA panel meets today and tomorrow regarding Moderna and Johnson & Johnson boosters, I'm just trying to get more information about what preparations are being made for administering those boosters? And for that matter to get people to get a first shot?

Mayor: Well, I'll start, I'll turn to Dr. Katz then Dr. Varma. Obviously, Dr. Katz in Health + Hospitals have been profoundly important to operationalizing what we need to do to reach people. They've had an incredibly positive experience with that. I'm going to say to begin with the first shot is still the strategically most important part of the equation. We all agree on that. 6 million New Yorkers who have had at least one dose, that's stunning. Now we're going for more and more and more. We, you know, we are going to keep going after every single adult, there's still a lot of young people we can reach. And then we're going to be able to reach hundreds of thousands of young people when the new authorization comes. So, first dose is the strategic priority still. In terms of preparations for Moderna boosters, let's start with Dr. Katz.

President Katz: Thank you, sir. I’ll give us the example that when we got approval for Pfizer vaccine boosters, we didn't know exactly what groups would be approved. And it was in fact, a lot of debate between the CDC and the FDA, as to what would be approved. When we finally got the approval, we were ready the next day. We had all of the computer systems set up so that people would get the appropriate booster. So that people who came for a booster, but had previously had Moderna would be told to, that they needed to wait until there was a Moderna. So, we will see the same thing here. As soon as there is guidance that is clear, we will be ready the next day. If there does need to be shipments, if the Moderna vaccine is approved, that a smaller dose, which is one of the issues. Then as soon as the new booster doses are received, we will be ready. There – very unlike the beginning of the vaccine effort, we have so many providers in the hospitals, at the pharmacies, at community-based organizations. We have a huge network. And thanks to you, Mr. Mayor, for first vaccines, we're able to give people a hundred dollars. So, for those people who have not yet gotten vaccinated there's that great incentive right in front of them. Thank you, sir.

Mayor: Thank you, Dr. Varma, you want to add. 

Senior Advisor Varma: No, nothing else for me. 

Mayor: Thank you. Go ahead, James. 

Question: [Inaudible] much. Also, this hospitalization rate of 0.69 per 100,000, I'd say by any measure is low. Can you or anyone on the call, give us some sense of context there. When has it been that low here in New York City? And what does it say about the overall trend of COVID in the city? 

Mayor: I'll turn to Dr. Katz and Dr. Varma. I mean, I'll just frame it and say it really says that vaccination works, and it says we're moving in the right direction, and notwithstanding the challenges of cooler weather and other factors we got to take seriously, it says just keep going deeper with vaccination. But in terms of when we were last at this low level, Dr. Katz or Dr. Varma, do you know? 

President Katz: Yes, sir. We haven't been this low since the beginning of the pandemic, and just to give people some sense for the 11 Health + Hospitals, which represent about a fifth of all hospitalizations in New York City, we currently have about 70 patients with COVID in the hospital and about 16 of them are in the Intensive Care Unit. At the peak, we had 3,700 patients in the hospital with COVID and we had 960 in the ICU. So, 960 down to 16, 17. 3,700 down to a much lower number now very manageable around 70, so huge progress, sir, and the best numbers we've seen since the beginning of the pandemic. 

Mayor: Amen. Thank you. 

Moderator: Our next question goes to Juliet with 1010 WINS. 

Question: Yes. Hi, good morning, Mr. Mayor, and good morning, everyone. So, in that strain here do you think you'd be able to declare the end of the COVID era as your term comes to a close and what would it take to declare that? 

Mayor: That's a powerful question, Juliet. I – first I don't start with that assumption because I think we have to be – to pick up on what Dr. Varma said – you know, one thing we've learned from COVID is expect the unexpected. So, the first thing we should do is be cautious and careful and say, it will be over when we get even more people vaccinated and we drive the rates down even more and we prove we can sustain them even in the colder weather. But I do think by the end of my term we can be in a very, very strong position. My goal is get a lot more people vaccinated before my term ends, consolidate our gains, get our recovery into be in a very, very strong, consistent place. But let's – again, let's be careful on mission accomplished until we are a 100 percent sure. What is true, Juliet, is the COVID era can and will end, and I think it's going to be during the year 2022 that we can turn the page as a city, put COVID in the background the same way as influenza, where it's a real issue, it's a real threat, and we got to deal with it, but it's something we deal with on a manageable way, not something that dominates our life the way COVID has. So, I want to consolidate those gains in 2021, handoff to my successor, and then I think 2022 becomes a year that we can finally put COVID in our past. Go ahead, Juliet. 

Question: Okay. Thank you. Different subject, earlier you mentioned that we will be seeing international travelers here, most likely for the holidays, and I know there's a proposal out that Rockefeller Center, the plan is to shut it down during traffic. So, what I like – are there plans to intelligently divert from that area without his backing everything else up around it? 

Mayor: Well, great question. We're obviously looking at very carefully. I spoke to our transportation commissioner, Hank Gutman, just a few days ago on this very topic. We want to be really smart about it. I do think you're right. Lots of folks are going to want to come out who didn't have as much opportunity last year. We got to make sure it's safe for all the visitors, all the pedestrians, but also manage the traffic carefully. So, we are working on that right now. Thank God it's still October. We got some time, but we are keenly aware that that's going to be a real important issue. 

Moderator: We have time for two more questions today. Our next question goes to Elizabeth with Gothamist. 

Question: Good morning, Mr. Mayor. 

Mayor: Elizabeth, how have you been? 

Question: I’m good. [Inaudible] to ask you about property tax reform. Bloomberg News had a story today saying, you know, underscoring how flawed and unequal the city's property tax system is, but they didn’t just indict the State, they say that the City is very much complicit in this. So, I'd like you to respond to that and also say, what do you think can be done before the end of your term on this issue? 

Mayor: Well, Elizabeth, first of all, I think it is everybody's problem. I mean, it's a historic – if you – I had the occasion to study the last 50 years of this issue as part of what our commission did working with the City Council, and it's quite astounding when you look at how many times these problems have been raised and how little has been done over the last half century to truly address them. It's complex stuff, it's charged politically, I understand it's been tough, but the proposal that our commission has put together, joint commission with the City Council really addresses the equity concerns. The broad proposal was put out previously last year, the specific proposal is going to come out shortly, and will be presented to the legislature. So, yes, the city has things that has to do too, but the truth is we can't change the overall structure without state legislation. And so, I think there is a way to get to a much fairer system. I think there is a way to treat neighborhoods with more equality. I think there's a way to be more transparent and consistent. That's what the proposal we are perfecting will address. It will be given to legislature. It’ll be made public. I think it's going to be our best chance in literally decades to make these big changes. Go ahead, Elizabeth. 

Question: But that's also - it's also something that's going to go to the next mayor. I mean, what, realistically, do you think there is a political appetite for a new mayor to take this on? 

Mayor: Well, that’s a fair question. Look, Elizabeth, this is another just pure fact. I mean, there was real progress being made and I think if it weren't for COVID, this is one of the things that would have been front-loaded and we would have had a real shot of finding that common ground in Albany. This would have been a great year to do it in fact because it would not have been a state election year and you're pointing out what a new mayor deals with, the most pertinent reality is what the legislature is willing to deal with. And the conventional wisdom is these kind of big sprawling, tough decisions are better done in an off year, rather than an election year. So, if not for COVID, it would have been this year, and I think this would have been the right time. I think it's going to be an important moment for a new administration as they start to deal with a lot of priorities. I'm not going to be surprised if the legislature is not ready to fully deal with it next year, but having a formal proposal is going to make a big difference, because this has been the missing link, Elizabeth, we've needed a really thoughtful, careful balanced proposal. When you look at the folks on this commission, it's literally an all-star team of folks who have worked on these issues for decades to understand the complexities, and really worked hard to figure out the balance point. So, it'll be public in the coming months, and that will [inaudible] a lot of debate. In a perfect world there's action next year in Albany, worst case scenario, I'd say the year after, but this is going to be our best chance to make really big reform. 

Moderator: Our last question for today goes to Julia with The Post.  

Question: Good morning, Mr. Mayor, thanks for taking my call – or my question. On the Jefferson statue, you had appointed the First Lady to the Commission on Racial Justice and Reconciliation in June 2020 and tasked that group with determining the fate of not only the Jefferson statue, but the Washington statue at City Hall, you know, the name of Gracie Mansion, and I'm wondering, you know, what happened to that? Did the First Lady and the Commission end up not getting involved? And then on the Public Design Commission, why is it not up for public debate before the Design Commission? Two people told me they'd been asked to testify and haven't heard back. 

Mayor: I do not know the intricacies of how the Public Design Commission schedules debate. I just don't. Our team will follow up with you on that. Again, something requested by the City Council is a particular reality and it's – I just respect the Council. I respect as their side of the building. That's what's generated this. To the Commission, I want to make sure there's not misunderstanding, Julia, the Racial Justice Commission has been up and running now for months, First. Lady's not a member of that. She's co-chair of our internal Task Force on Racial Inclusion and equity, different – different reality. That's all government officials working to move a variety of initiatives. They're not the ones looking at the bigger issues of monuments, that is something Racial Justice Commission has within its purview. They're still going to be doing their work for months to come and we'll see what they say. But on this one, this was a request from the City Council, and that's what motivated, and we'll see what the Public Design Commission does next. Go ahead, Julia. 

Question: Thank you. And then this week we've been talking about inequality and education. I've asked her repeatedly to your DOE for answers on this and I haven't gotten anywhere, so I'm coming to you. You were supposed to get an education remediation plan from yeshivas by mid-January 2020. We're in the seventh year since this investigation was launched, advocates say nothing has changed and there's been no real enforcement. Can you promise us that this will be wrapped up by the end of your tenure? 

Mayor: Yeah. Everything that can be, will be. I mean, some of these pieces, remember, depend on the State Department of Education. They by law are the arbiter in a variety of situations. What the advocates just don't want to see, I'm going to say it that way, is the many situations where the issue has been addressed favorably. I made a decision early on, I was very open about it, I thought a cooperative approach because we are dealing with – there's constitutional issues. There's issues of trying to figure out the best way to get the outcomes for kids. You could do confrontation, or you could do cooperation, we tried to do cooperation, but with a forceful approach that made clear there wasn't cooperation, there would be real consequences. Also, of course, needed to depend on the State Department of Education to back that up. What we've seen is a variety of schools that really have improved their approach, improved their curriculum. The last I saw there was literally a few left that there were still issues around out of hundreds and hundreds of yeshivas. So, I would dare say the advocates have not presented the full picture, and I do think there's been a lot of progress, but we will get you an update and anything we can finish while I'm here I want to finish.  

And with that, everyone, look today we went over a number of things, but the, the biggest news is the thing to focus on, six million New Yorkers have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine. That's just staggering. That is beautiful. And that's something everyone should be proud of. This has been the ultimate team effort. So, thank you to every New Yorker who made that decision. Thank you to every family member who let their family loved ones know how important it was to get vaccinated. Thank you to the vaccinators, Test and Trace Corps, everyone who was out there promoting vaccination, it's working. Thank you, everyone.  

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