Progress New York

Mayor Bill de Blasio won't explain how a Financial Times' model shows the Delta variant has a 31% prevalence in the U.S., but data from New York City, the former epicenter for the Coronavirus pandemic, pegs the strain at less than 7%. NYC Mayor's Office (YouTube/Fair Use)

June 20, 2021

de Blasio mum after New York City Delta variant prevalence of 6% diverges from National estimate of 31%, as revealed in FT model

Mayor Bill de Blasio won’t explain how a Financial Times’ model shows the Delta variant has a 31% prevalence in the U.S., but New York City data pegs the strain at less than 7%.

Mayor Bill de Blasio at a media availability on June 10, 2021, discussed his most preferred pizza toppings as the City of New York was about to implement new, opaque reporting for weekly Coronavirus variant sequencing studies. Increasingly, the mayor is mastering "performative" media availabilities to distract a jaded City Hall press corps. NYC Mayor's Office (YouTube/Fair Use)

June 11, 2021

EDITORIAL : Mayor Bill de Blasio is obfuscating COVID-19 sequencing studies, masking the growth of the Delta variant, and the consequences could be deadly.

Dr. Dave Chokshi, the chief New York City health minister, oversees the publication of data about the Coronavirus pandemic. Mayor Bill de Blasio refuses to explain the plunge in sample sizes used for the weekly variant sequencing studies, raising questions about the unknown breakdown of COVID-19 variants in the major sources of Coronavirus testing. NYC Mayor's Office (YouTube/Fair Use)

June 7, 2021

Letter From New York : Drop in weekly New York City COIVD-19 sequencing sample sizes prompts questions about the reliability of the weekly studies

Data analysis by Progress New York reveals that New York City appears to be undersampling COVID-19 specimens for its variant sequencing reports.

Mayor Bill de Blasio won't explain changes in the methodology for the sequencing of Coronavirus variants that may affect the reliability of weekly Coronavirus strain surveillance study results. NYC Mayor's Office (YouTube/Fair Use)

May 26, 2021

de Blasio refuses to admit to manipulating weekly Coronavirus variant sequencing data, despite steady plunge in sample size since April

Mayor Bill de Blasio won’t explain the steady drop in the sample size used for the sequencing of Coronavirus variants that may affect the reliability of weekly Coronavirus strain surveillance study results.

LETTER FROM NEW YORK : During the first, local wave of the Coronavirus pandemic in New York, the public health system collapsed, leading to a shortage of hospital beds and medical equipment. A confinement order helped to "flatten the curve" of the pandemic. A second, local wave has eased due to restrictions and vaccinations. But the spread of a new variant poses challenges as Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo make a second attempt to reopen the economy. Photograph by Faetous (CC BY-SA 4.0) ; image was cropped from the original.

May 23, 2021

In New York, an élitism informs the economic reopening, even as a foreign COVID-19 variant, B.1.617, continues its spread

As they reopen the economy, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo ignore the lessons about the spread of new variants, including B.1.617, in the U.K. and Singapore.

The family of U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss received early access to COVID-19 testing at a time when such tests were new and scarce, and the practise of providing that preferential testing access has reportedly become the subject of a Federal investigation. U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York (YouTube/Fair Use)

May 20, 2021

UPDATED : U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss didn’t receive early, “special” access to scarce COVID-19 tests, unlike her daughter-in-law, Melissa DeRosa, who did : source

U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss won’t admit or deny that she received COVID-19 tests when they were extremely new and scarce, like her daughter-in-law, Melissa DeRosa.

Overdue data released on Sunday by the de Blasio administration made the retroactive revelation that the B.1.617 variant, which was first detected in India, has been sequenced from COVID-19 samples in New York City as long back as the first week of April. NYC Mayor's Office (YouTube/Fair Use)

May 16, 2021

Following an unexplained delay, the de Blasio administration released Coronavirus sequencing data, showing the B.1.617 variant was first detected in New York City in April

The first time the Delta variant was reported in New York City was in a retroactive disclosure made by the de Blasio administration in an overdue study.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has been reportedly focused on burnishing his public image to salvage his political legacy in the final year of his two terms at City Hall. NYC Mayor's Office (YouTube/Fair Use)

May 15, 2021

de Blasio mum in the face of the unexplained delay in weekly data update of Coronavirus variants/strains in New York City

Mayor Bill de Blasio refused to explain the lateness in the release of data about Coronavirus variants, including for B.1.617, the strain first reported in India.

Personal risk sensibilities are surpassing concerns over public health as Mayor Bill de Blasio seeks to reopen the economy, despite threats from Coronavirus variants. NYC Mayor's Office (YouTube/Fair Use)

May 10, 2021

de Blasio is reopening New York City without Coronavirus mutation surveillance for B.1.617, the double-variant from India

With a focus on reopening the economy, the administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio is not tracking the noted Coronavirus double-variant of India in Genomic sequencing by City health officials.

Bill de Blasio continues with RAD/PACT conversion of NYCHA public housing.

The administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio (WFP-New York City) has announced plans to convert more than 9,500 public housing residents under the controversial RAD/PACT scheme. NYC Mayor's Office (YouTube/Fair Use)

May 7, 2021

de Blasio continuing with RAD/PACT conversion of NYCHA public housing, despite Schumer, Velázquez effort to fully-fund public housing

Mayor Bill de Blasio continues with NYCHA RAD/PACT conversions, despite effort by Sen. Charles Schumer and U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez to fund public housing.