Brooklyn Coronavirus Update and Open Thread: City Cuts Composting (4/17/20)

We’re in the fifth week of sheltering in place and the 19th day of home schooling for New York City schools.

Cuomo has extended the end of the coronavirus shutdown order from April 29 to May 15, but don’t be surprised if it lasts through June, at least. Consensus among public health experts is widespread testing, monitoring, protective equipment and more hospital beds will be needed if restrictions can be eased before a vaccine is developed.

New York City is cutting its budget to meet huge projected deficits caused by the shutdown and will scale back on garbage pickup and stop collecting compost, said The New York Times. Other drastic cuts such as closing swimming pools for the season, dropping the summer youth employment program, and cutting back on traffic control and Vision Zero make sense if the shutdown continues. All May permitted events have been cancelled. A city hiring freeze is now in effect, but so far there are no layoffs nor cuts to essential services such as housing and food.

Meanwhile, money for loans to small businesses, to keep them going until the shutdown ends, ran out yesterday after only 13 days. Among those left high and dry are Williamsburg-based free arts weekly paper and nonprofit The Brooklyn Rail.

More than a quarter of New York’s working-age, employed workforce is now unemployed, according to our calculations. has applied for unemployment insurance thus far, according to our calculations. New York City unemployment claims reached 1.2 million by Thursday, and normally there are approximately 4 million employed people who live in the city.

How are you weathering the shutdown, and what are your concerns and thoughts? What do you think should be done here in New York City to combat the spread of the virus and save local businesses and jobs? Please feel free to comment in a respectful manner (please, no personal attacks, nothing libelous). If you are not already logged in, go up to the top right hand side of the page and log in to be able to comment.