New York City is announcing more furloughs as the city deals with a massive fiscal hole because of coronavirus.
Last week it was the mayor’s office that got notified of furloughs. Now, Mayor Bill de Blasio says more than 9 thousand managerial and non-union employees will go a week without pay to save the city 21 million dollars.
“Something that’s very painful to have to announce, has real human consequences but it is necessary.” And we continue our conversations with the labor unions. We continue conversations with Albany, trying to get relief."
That relief he’s refereeing to is borrowing authority from Albany. The mayor says furloughs buy the city some time with layoffs still a real possibly.
Mayor de Blasio says urgent action is being taken to address an uptick in coronavirus cases in several Queens and Brooklyn neighborhoods.
Mayor de Blasio says two yeshivas tied to clusters have been shut and the city will do whatever it takes to contain the spread.
“Outreach to the community has been non-stop. Rabbinical leadership, elected officials, community organizations, very widespread, sounding the alarm. And I think a number of community leaders are themselves are sounding the alarm because this uptick has come on very intensely.”
The mayor is bringing in health officials and law enforcement to enforce coronavirus rules in Midwood, Borough Park, Bensonhurst, Williamsburg, Kew Gardens and Far Rockaway. Those neighborhoods make up 20 percent of the city’s coronavirus cases since September 19th.