Covid-19 Update #13: Phase 2 Reopening Begins Monday, Police Reform, and Reminder to Vote by Mail ? or Vote Early ✅

Dear Neighbor,

This coming week New York City is entering Phase 2 of the reopening thanks to our essential workers, staying home, social distancing and wearing masks. Please be sure to mail your ballot and if you haven't received it yet, then it's not too late to vote early today or tomorrow by 4pm. On Thursday, the City Council took its first steps towards police reform by passing legislation to ban the chokehold and kneeling on a person's neck.

Regards,

Ben Kallos
New York City Council Member

NEW YORK CITY PHASE 2 REOPENING

Phase 2 of New York City’s reopening will begin this Monday, June 22. This means restaurants, bars can offer outdoor dining, professional services, office-based jobs, real estate rental/leasing, in-store retail, hair salons, and barbershops can re-open. Over the coming days, more than 300,000 New Yorkers are expected to return to work.

The state has outlined a set of mandatory and best practices for each industry set to reopen.

Office-Based Work

In Phase II, limit the total number of occupants at any given time to no more than 50% of the maximum occupancy for a particular area as set by the certificate of occupancy.
A distance of at least 6 ft. must be maintained amongst all individuals at all times, unless safety of the core activity requires a shorter distance.

Outdoor and Take-Out/Delivery Food Services

In outdoor spaces, all tables with seats must be at least 6 ft. from any other table, seat, patron, or pedestrian thoroughfare or corridor.
Ensure an indoor capacity to accommodate patrons who may need to enter/exit through the indoor space to access the outdoor seating, restroom(s), or payment location, and allow such access/egress in a socially distanced manner.
Close indoor dining and seating areas to customers.
Employees must wear face coverings at all times.
Patrons must wear face coverings at all times, except while seated; provided that the patron is over the age of two and able to medically tolerate one.
Limit outdoor capacity to the number of tables that can be safely and appropriately arranged, such that each table is a minimum of 6 ft. away from another. Wherever distancing is not feasible between tables, enact physical barriers between such tables. Individuals seated at the same table must be members of the same party (but may be from different households), with a maximum of 10 people per table. Communal tables are only permitted if at least 6 ft. can be maintained between parties.
Clearly signal 6 ft. spacing in any lines for customers waiting to order, pick-up food, be seated, or use the restroom, as well as in any pick-up or payment location.

Essential and In-Store Retail

Ensure 6 ft. distance between individuals, unless safety or core function of the work activity requires a shorter distance.
Reduce interpersonal contact and congregation through methods such as limiting workforce presence to only the employees necessary to conduct retail activities.

Hair Salons and Barber Shops

Limit the workforce and customer presence to no more than 50% of the maximum occupancy for a particular area as set by the certificate of occupancy.
Ensure 6 ft. distance between individuals, unless safety or core function of the work activity requires a shorter distance (e.g. haircuts).
Ensure that customer seating allows customers to maintain 6 ft. distance from all others except for the employee providing services, unless a physical barrier is in place Waiting rooms must be closed and lines should be avoided, to the extent possible. Walk-in customers who are not able to be immediately served should be provided a time to return.

Real Estate

Ensure that workforce (e.g. salespeople, workers, subcontractors, and vendors) and customer presence total occupancy is limited to 50% of the maximum occupancy for a particular area as set by the certificate of occupancy.
A distance of at least 6 ft. must be maintained amongst all individuals at all times, unless safety of the core activity requires a shorter distance (e.g. cleaning, maintenance, measurement for appraisals, unit inspections).

Vehicle Sales, Leases and Rentals

Reduce interpersonal contact and congregation through methods such as limiting in-person presence to only personnel necessary for the current tasks, and/or adjusting retail hours to spread employee and customer traffic over a longer period of time.
For any vehicle sale, lease, or rental activity, the workforce and customer presence must be limited to 50% of the maximum occupancy for a particular area as set by the certificate of occupancy, inclusive of customers, who must maintain 6 ft. of space from others and, in all cases, wear an acceptable face covering.

Retail Rental, Repair, and Cleaning

Reduce interpersonal contact and congregation through methods such as limiting in-person presence to only personnel necessary for the current task(s), and/or adjusting retail hours to spread employee and customer traffic over a longer period of time.
The workforce and customer presence must be limited to no more than 50% of the maximum occupancy for a particular area set by the certificate of occupancy, inclusive of customers, who must maintain 6 ft. of space from others and, in all cases, wear an acceptable face covering

Commercial Building Management

Ensure, together with tenants, that, during Phase II, total occupancy is limited to 50% of the maximum occupancy for a particular area as set by the certificate of occupancy.
A distance of at least 6 ft. must be maintained amongst all individuals at all times, unless safety of the core activity requires a shorter distance.
Any time workers or visitors must come within 6 ft. of another person, acceptable face coverings must be worn (ensuring that mouth and nose are covered). Individuals must be prepared to don a face covering if another person unexpectedly comes within 6 ft.

The City is working with community groups to find more spaces for new seating counting on more Open Streets coming in July. Business owners are encouraged to call 1-888-SBS-4NYC for general questions on seating and the rules. Restaurants can work with their local BID and the New York City Department of Transportation to request additional seating in plazas reaching out to Plazas@dot.nyc.gov with copy to Coronavirus@BenKallos.com.

As this reopening moves forward, the key to its success will be testing for Covid-19. Please go get your free test.

POLICE REFORM

On Thursday the New York City Council took its first steps towards police reform by passing a package of legislation that included a ban on chokeholds and kneeling on a person's neck. I ran for office inspired by now Public Advocate Jumaane Williams who authored the "Right to Know Act" and even signed a motion to discharge in order to pass it last term. More needed to be done and the City Council should have acted sooner on many of these bills that I sponsored last term and sponsored again this term. Thanks to those of you who have taken to the streets and the over one hundred thousand who have sent emails we were able to take these first steps as we continue to move forward with defunding NYPD in favor of investing in our children and communities.

The legislation that I co-sponsored and passed includes:

The Right to Record (Introduction No. 721-B) by Public Advocate Williams codifies your right to film police activities, prohibit interference or threats to those recording, and provide a private right of action.
Ban on Chokeholds (Introduction No. 536-B) bans and criminalizes the use of restraints that restrict the flow of air or blood by compressing another individual’s windpipe or arteries on the neck, or by putting pressure on the back or chest, by police officer making an arrest. This would cover chokeholds, as well as maneuvers like placing a knee on a person’s neck. Any officer found guilty of using such a restraint could be found guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
Public Oversight of Surveillance Technology (POST) Act (Introduction No. 487-A), would provide civilian oversight for surveillance technologies used by the New York Police Department (NYPD). The Department would be required to issue a surveillance impact and use policy about these technologies, including a description and capabilities, rules, processes and guidelines, and any safeguards and security measures designed to protect information collected.
Display of Badge Numbers (Introduction No. 1962-A) requires officers to display their shield number or rank designation at all times when the officer is performing their duties with private right of action if an officer refuses.
Disciplinary Matrix (Introduction No. 1309-B) creates a “disciplinary matrix” with a recommended range of penalties for each type of violation.
Early Intervention (Introduction No. 760-B) expands categories of information included in the NYPD Early Intervention System to include information on types of arrests, incidents of excessive force, and ongoing disciplinary proceedings.
Supporting the Eric Garner Excessive Use of Force Prevention Act of 2019 (H.R. 4408) (Resolution T2020-6256) urging the United States Congress to pass The Eric Garner Excessive Use of Force Prevention Act of 2019 (H.R. 4408) sponsored by U.S. Representative Hakeem Jeffries. If made law, this bill would make the use of chokeholds a civil rights violation. This would enable federal authorities to hold accountable police officers who use the deadly technique.

JUNE 23RD PRIMARY

Please be sure to make sure your Absentee Ballot postmarked by Tuesday, June 23rd.

If you have not received your Absentee Ballot by today, please take advantage of your opportunity to Vote Early today and tomorrow Sunday, June 20 from 10 am - 4 pm.

New York County Early Voting Poll Sites Serving Upper East Side - Find Your Poll Site: