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Coronavirus Updates: With No Stimulus Aid In Sight, De Blasio Announces More Furloughs

By

Elizabeth Kim

Published Sep 23, 2020

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Large digital ad in Times Square shows a woman wearing face covering.

 

Dennis Fraevich / Flickr

By

Elizabeth Kim

Published Sep 23, 2020

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This is our daily update of breaking COVID-19 news for Wednesday, September 23rd, 2020. Previous daily updates can be found here, and up-to-date statistics are here.

New York City is in Phase 4 of reopening now, which includes zoos, botanical gardens, museums, and gyms. A look at preparing for the spread of coronavirus is here, and if you have lingering questions about the virus, here is our regularly updated coronavirus FAQ. Here are some local and state hotlines for more information: NYC: 311; NY State Hotline: 888-364-3065; NJ State Hotline: 800-222-1222.

Here's the latest:

1:20 p.m. New York City will furlough 9,000 managerial and non-union employees for five days in an effort to address the financial crisis brought on by the pandemic.

The five-day furlough, which will begin in October for some employees, is expected to save more than $21 million, Mayor Bill de Blasio said during a press briefing on Wednesday.

"[It's] something that's really painful to announce. It has real human consequences," de Blasio said. "But it is necessary."

The city is facing a $6.6 billion hole in the upcoming fiscal year. Last week, the mayor announced a weeklong furlough for nearly 500 City Hall staffers, including himself. That measure was expected to yield just $1 million in savings, the mayor said at the time.

Deeper cuts and large-scale layoffs are still looming. De Blasio has repeatedly said that he could be forced to lay off as many as 22,000 employees should the federal government fail to provide the city with adequate stimulus funding. (Instead, the Trump administration is attempting to slash federal funding to NYC.) The city is simultaneously seeking state approval to borrow up to $5 billion to cover operating costs and negotiating with unions on givebacks.

All told, the city employs 333,859 people, a number that has steadily increased since the 2008 recession.

Harry Nespoli, head of the city's Municipal Labor Council, an umbrella group representing some of the city's most powerful unions, has pressed the mayor to find other ways to save money so as to avert layoffs, and to also wait until after the election in the event that a new White House administration might deliver on funding.

Johnson & Johnson Launches Phase 3 Vaccine Trial On 60,000 Participants

Johnson & Johnson announced Wednesday that it has begun a clinical stage 3 trial for an experimental coronavirus vaccine that would enroll 60,000 participants.

The company now joins three others engaged in late large-scale studies comparing the effects of a vaccine with those of a placebo.

Johnson & Johnson has said that it is seeking to deliver a vaccine for emergency federal approval by early next year.

"This pivotal milestone demonstrates our focused efforts toward a COVID-19 vaccine that are built on collaboration and deep commitment to a robust scientific process. We are committed to clinical trial transparency and to sharing information related to our study, including details of our study protocol," said Alex Gorsky, the chief executive officer of Johnson & Johnson, in a statement.

According to the New York Times, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine candidate may prove to have a crucial advantage—requiring only a single dose—unlike three other competitors that have also initiated stage 3 trials.

The vaccine also does not need to be stored in subzero temperatures.

Moderna and Pfizer, considered front-runners in the race to produce a coronavirus vaccine, separately launched their own stage 3 trials in late July. Another promising contender, Astrozeneca, recently resumed its stage 3 trial after it was forced to halt the study when a participant became ill.

Johnson & Johnson said the stage 3 trial would enroll individuals over the age of 18 in the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and South Africa. As with other candidates, the U.S. has agreed to an advance purchase of 100 million doses if the vaccine proves to be safe and effective. The company has committed to producing more than one billion doses.

Tagged

covid-19 updates

coronavirus

Elizabeth Kim

Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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