COVID-19: Stay Informed

COVID-19: Stay Informed image

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources and Information

The public health crisis we are all experiencing is fluid and evolving on a daily basis. We aim to share and connect you with trustworthy information and resources as they become available.

For the most up-to-date guidance from New York State visit coronavirus.health.ny.gov or call the NYS COVID Hotline at 1-888-364-3065.

As we practice social distancing, please know that you are not alone. Your health and well-being are on our minds.

We will not let the coronavirus disrupt our effort to connect people in need with the knowledge and services they deserve. If you have any thoughts or ideas for how F.Y. Eye can help at this time, we welcome your input.

Resource List

  • New York City and State Information
    • Coronavirus Health and Safety Guidance
    • COVID-19 Testing Sites
    • COVID-19 Official Updates
    • Coronavirus-Related Medical Costs
    • New York State Health Insurance Enrollment
    • Meals and Supplies for Vulnerable Populations
    • Education
    • Voting
    • Resources for Immigrants
    • Resources for People with Disabilities
    • Reporting Hate and Discrimination
    • Price Gouging
    • Public Utilities
    • Business Support
    • Resources for Artists
    • Legal Support
    • Unemployment
    • Housing
    • Mental Health Support
    • The Census
    • Environmental Guidance
    • Paid and Volunteer Opportunities
    • Translation Resources
    • Other New York Resource Hubs
  • Fun Activities You Can Enjoy at Home
    • Read a Book
    • Live Stream Concerts
    • Exercise
    • Virtual Art, Culture, History, and Nature
    • Attend a Virtual Film Festival or Netflix Party
New York City and State Information

Coronavirus Health and Safety Guidance 

  • The CDC has now determined that cloth masks protect the wearer of the mask, in addition to others, in mitigating against the risk of contracting COVID-19.
  • Consistently follow the safety practices to protect yourself and others from contracting COVID-19.
    • Wear a face covering whenever you are outside of your home, and make sure that your face covering fully covers your nose and mouth.
    • Maintain social distance of at least 6 feet from others who are not a part of your household, whether you are doing laundry, shopping, standing in line, or walking outside, etc.
    • Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or with hand sanitizer.
    • Avoid touching counters, elevator buttons, and door handles with your bare hands whenever possible, and do not touch your face with unwashed hands.
    • If you are not feeling well, please stay home.
    • Get a flu shot.
    • Work from home if possible.
    • Limit non-essential travel.
    • Limit participation in gatherings of people who are not members of your household, including holiday gatherings.
    • Avoid indoor and outdoor dining, as well as bars, for the foreseeable future. Please continue to patronize your local restaurants – just order and eat at home! Also, please order directly from restaurants instead of using apps or third-party platforms, and tip generously if you are able!
  • The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is providing up-to-date guidance for New Yorkers on symptoms, prevention, when to consult your health care provider, and safe sex.
  • The Fund for Public Health NYC breaks down some of the most common questions on the coronavirus here.

COVID-19 Testing Sites

COVID-19 Official Updates

  • NYC COVID-19 hotline: 212-COVID19 (212-268-4319). Call to get ALL your COVID-19 information, including: Testing sites, advice from medical staff, quarantine information, mental health support.
  • NYS COVID Alert App:  The official app of NYS to help track, trace and notify of exposure risks without compromising privacy or personal information. Download is available for iPhone and Android devices.

Coronavirus-Related Medical Costs

  • The City of New York has stated that it will provide care regardless of immigration status or ability to pay. For the most up-to-date information from the NYC Department of Health, please visit www.nyc.gov/coronavirus or call 311.
  • Medicare will cover lab tests for COVID-19, medically necessary hospitalizations, and more. Read their guidance here.
  • Medicaid now covers 90-day supply for most prescription medications and will allow early refills due to quarantine or outbreak. Read their guidance here.

New York State Health Insurance Enrollment

  • The New York State of Health insurance marketplace is offering a special enrollment period through June 15th. You must apply within 60 days of losing coverage. You can find more information here.
  • Visit https://findservices.ny.gov/app/survey to locate benefits and support services.

Meals and Supplies for Vulnerable Populations

  • Every public school will be distributing breakfast and lunch to any New Yorker in need. Visit www.schools.nyc.gov/freemeals for up-to-date information.
  • NY Pandemic EBT for students K-12 covers up to $420 in food benefits  (all children who would have received free or reduced-priced school lunches are eligible)
  • Most GrowNYC Greenmarkets and all Farmstand locations are open and operating on schedule.  The markets offer SNAP recipients access to fresh, healthy produce. Click here for up-to-date information.
  • Sign up at Invisible Hands for safe, free deliveries for the most at-risk community members facing COVID-19.
  • Free meal delivery for older adults is available. Call Aging Connect at 212-244-6469 or visit the NYC Department for the Aging here to learn more.
  • The City has created the GetFoodNYC food delivery program to provide food for coronavirus (COVID-19)-vulnerable and food-insecure New Yorkers not currently served through existing food delivery programs. Sign up here or call 311.
  • Access Neighborhood Guides to food and assistance from Hunger Free America here.
  • Visit https://findservices.ny.gov/app/survey to locate benefits and support services.

Youth Resources and Education

  • On March 23rd, the City of New York will launch online/remote learning for K-12; and the city is working to provide devices and internet for 300,000 students who currently don’t have access. Visit www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/health-and-wellness/coronavirus-update for up-to-date information.
  • Free online cross-curricular classes are being made available by Scholastic.
  • The Foundling’s Child Abuse Prevention Program (CAAP) has created a full database of resources for students, educators, and families, which can be accessed here.

Voting

  • The November 3 general election is coming up and we encourage all New Yorkers to:
    • Confirm that you are registered to vote here. If you are not registered to vote, or registered at the wrong address, you can register/update your voter registration here. The deadline to resgister to vote is October 9, 2020.
    • Request your mail in ballot early to ensure it arrives on time. You must postmark, apply online, email or fax completed application for the General Absentee ballot by October 27, 2020.  You may apply in-person by November 2, 2020.  Ballots will be mailed beginning on/after September 18, 2020. New York no longer requires an excuse to vote absentee – the pandemic is excuse enough.
    • You are still eligible to vote in person (Early Voting or Election Day) if you request an absentee ballot. Early Voting will take place from October 24, 2020 – November 1, 2020.
    • Consider becoming a poll worker. Learn more about paid poll worker opportunities in New York here.

Resources for Immigrants.

Resources for People with Disabilities

  • The NYC Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities has developed a comprehensive list of resources here.

Reporting Hate and Discrimination 

  • Incidents of anti-Asian or anti-immigrant discrimination can be reported to 311 or the New York State Hate Crimes Task Force hotline at 1-888-392-3644.

Price Gouging

  • To report unfair price increases on products like cleaning supplies and hand sanitizer in New York State call 1-800-697-1220.

Public Utilities 

  • New York utilities will keep the power, heat and water on for all customers in response to the coronavirus emergency and will continue to offer deferred payment plans for customers struggling financially due to the outbreak.

Business Support 

Resources for Artists

  • The New York Foundation for the Arts is providing an up-to-date list of emergency grants and resources.
  • Creative Capital has put together an extensive list of nationwide emergency resources, grants, and open calls.
  • A list of free resources, opportunities, and financial relief options for freelance artists of all disciplines is available here.
  • Check out the Viral Art Project and bring your creative talent to the Coronavirus emergency facing our world.
  • The UN World Health Organization is calling on creatives to develop COVID-19-related social media, digital publishing, streaming video, broadcast video, and radio campaigns in eighteen different languages. Click here to learn more.

Legal Support 

  • New Yorkers in legal need can contact Volunteers of Legal Service (VOLS) for support:
    • VOLS Small Business/Microenterprise project: (347) 521-5729
    • VOLS Elderly Project: (347) 521-572
    • VOLS Veteran Initiative: (347) 521-5725
    • VOLS Immigrant Project: (347) 521-5722
    • Main VOLS Office (212) 966-4400

Housing

Unemployment

  • The 7-day waiting period for unemployment assistance has been waived. If you were recently laid off (even if it’s only temporary), you can file for unemployment here. 
  • Times are tough financially for many New Yorkers, and the NYS unclaimed funds database is the electronic equivalent of searching for loose change. Search the database to see if NYS owes you any money.

Mental Health Support

  • NYC Well is your connection to free, confidential crisis counseling, mental health and substance misuse support, information and referral. You can reach the toll-free help line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by phone, text and online chat. Mental health professionals there can link you to the services you need.

The Census 

  • The 2020 Census is underway and the most important thing you can do is respond online, by phone, or by mail when you receive your invitation. Responding now will minimize the need for the Census Bureau to send census takers out into communities to follow up.

Environmental Guidance 

  • The NYC Department of Environmental Protection wants people to know that so-called “flushable” and “septic-safe” wipes contribute to clog sewers and problems with DEP wastewater treatment facilities. Learn more here.

Paid and Volunteer Opportunities  

  • Volunteer with Invisible Hands, which provides safe, free deliveries for the most at-risk community members facing COVID-19.
  • Food Bank for New York City needs able and healthy volunteers to help prepare meals, pack food, and other essentials. 
  • The Department of Sanitation has created a COVID-19 Emergency Fund to provide additional vital resources to protect sanitation workers and support families of fallen workers.
  • Sign up for alerts from New York Cares to learn more about what city agencies and community partners are doing to help those most impacted by COVID-19.
  • Volunteer New York! is operating a Virtual Volunteer Center where you can find virtual and in-person opportunities to help our communities and seniors.
  • The NYC Office of Emergency Management (OEM) has done a cavass of City-owned sites for additional hospital capacity. They welcome ideas about non-City-owned sites in your community that you may be aware of. OEM is evaluating all sites for immediate and longer-term uses. To submit ideas, go here.
  • If you are working from home, you can redistribute your metrocard to an essential worker here.

Translation Resources

  • Translators without Borders (TWB), an international NGO, is giving community organizations open access to its translation resources. TWB is launching the COVID-19 Community Translation Program to provide community organizations responding to COVID-19 with open access to its translation platform and community of translators.

Other New York Resources Hubs

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Fun Activities You Can Enjoy At Home

Read a Book

  • The New York Public Library provides a wide array of digital offerings, including e-books for borrowing on their SimplyE app, research databases, and access to a multitude of online resources. Explore the digital collection here.
  • Share books with readers you don’t necessarily know using Kindle and BEE Book Exchange.

Live Stream Concerts

  • Billboard and NPR have compiled a list of concerts you can live stream from your couch. Click here and here for the up-to-date listings.
  • Enjoy Opera Streams from The Metropolitian Opera every night.
  • See Broadway performances direct to you from the living rooms of Broadway performers.

Exercise

  • Fitness Blender is offering free, full-length workout videos, workout routines, healthy recipes, and more.
  • CorePower Yoga is offering free online classes when we all need yoga most.
  • Asphalt Green is providing free fitness programming for adults and kids, including games kids can play in small spaces.

Virtually Explore Art, Culture, History, and Nature!

Attend a Virtual Film Festival or Netflix Party 

  • ReelAbilities Film Festival: New York will be shifting to a virtual format. The schedule of events will be available on their website on Thursday, March 19th.
  • Netflix Party is a new Chrome extension that allows you to watch any Netflix show you want with loved ones while you’re social distancing.

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Get Inspired

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