Mayor Bill de Blasio is boosting up the 3-1-1 help line which has been overwhelmed with coronavirus concerns. At one point in April the call center was handling about 4 times the normal volume leading to long wait times.
“The system we depend on has gone through an undeniable strain in these last few weeks.”
Mayor de Blasio says the city has hired 285 new call takers and is setting up four new call centers. It’s also creating an express lane that will send coronavirus or food concerns to the front of the line.
“The goal here is to have little or no wait time for people who are calling about anything related to this crisis in English or Spanish.”
Meanwhile, de Blasio is lashing out at President Trump over Trump’s disinterest in coronavirus bailout money to the states. Trump told the New York Post that states needing help financially because of coronavirus are run by Democrats and he named other Republican states that he says have very little debt. Mayor de Blasio is annoyed by those comments.
“Anyone with a heart and soul would show respect and appreciation for the people of New York City, for our first responders, our health care heroes the everyday people of New York City who have fought through this."
Trump says he doesn’t think Congress is inclined to do bailouts but the mayor points to the federal money given to the airline industry.
“He’s a pure hypocrite given how much money he’s put in the hands of corporations and the wealthy already.”