Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Holds Media Availability

November 16, 2021

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Good morning, everybody. We are here again at Brooklyn Borough Hall. It's Brooklyn week, all week, City Hall in Your Borough. And we have a lot to celebrate in Brooklyn. We're going to be doing a lot of great stuff this week, but first let's celebrate what happened in Washington D.C. yesterday, which is going to be so important for Brooklyn, for all of New York City, for years, for decades to come. This was really an amazing moment. I had the honor of being at the White House yesterday with President Biden, Vice President Harris, the leaders of the Congress, everyone who made this happen. It was an extraordinary moment. I want to tell you; we didn't wait years for this to happen. We waited decades for this to happen. This was a moment. A lot of us dreamed of when our country would finally commit itself to rebuilding, to making ourselves strong, to taking care of the infrastructure, which was neglected for decades and decades.

And for so long, we didn't have a federal partner and New York City suffered, and a lot of other places suffered. But yesterday, with the stroke of a pen, President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and changed America permanently, incredibly moving moment. The work begins now to make sure these resources reach New York City. And we have wonderful partners at the federal level. I’ve have already been talking to a number of cabinet secretaries and others who are going to be helping to make sure the money reaches us. And we're thrilled. One of my former colleagues as mayor, Mitch Landrieu of New Orleans, is going to help to lead the effort and he understands how important it is to get resources directly as cities. That's very good news. So, this is a big, big deal. And it's going to allow us to do things that before were almost impossible to imagine.

We're talking about an investment in this City alone in mass transit in helping people get around and making sure we have a greener future of mass transit alone, $10 billion projected for New York City, $2 billion to repair bridges and tunnels, $685 million to improve airports. These are huge, huge investments. Any one alone would be a big deal, but they're all happening at once because of this bill. And in terms of creating a greener future, in terms of addressing climate change, $175 million for electric vehicle charging stations, that's going to be transformative. In terms of equity and inclusion, a $100 billion – excuse me, a $100 million for broadband to make sure that folks are connected to the 21st Century economy. And in terms of safety, $50 million more annually to help us build on Vision Zero. This is going to supercharge our Vision Zero efforts to make this City safer for all. Unbelievable progress, billions and billions of dollars.

What does it mean? It means more bike lanes. It means more green spaces, more resilient infrastructure, a fight against climate change. All of this combined in one piece of legislation. It's a miracle, I want you to hear now from one of the true architects of this, President, Biden deserves tremendous credit, but I can tell you something, without Chuck Schumer, this legislation never happens. This was not easy. This was incredibly difficult to put together as a bipartisan package. It is historic to see this level of bipartisanship. The only way that happened is with the leader of the United States Senate, being able to bring people together. He is an extraordinary negotiator and extraordinary diplomat and extraordinary visionary. He brought all those skills together. And since we're in Brooklyn today, I want to say, Brooklyn is proud of you today, Senator, and all New York City. Thanks to you for this extraordinary step forward. My pleasure to introduce the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, Chuck Schumer.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer: Well, thank you, Mayor. And thank you for having me this morning and thank you. The Mayor praised Joe Biden and, of course, he's at the top of the list in terms of getting this done. But the Mayor was a tremendously big support. Not only did he have input into what the legislation should do, but he also rallied mayors around the country. And I think there were, I don't know, close to 50 mayors in the audience, Democrats and Republicans yesterday, and that wouldn't have happened without the Mayor's steadfast dedication to getting this done. He's been focused like a laser on bringing money back to New York. And he and I have worked on now five bills, five major bills that have brought over a $100 billion dollars to New York in a variety of different ways. So, we want New Yorkers to know how important this legislation is.

We've already seen one result because of this legislation, because of the dollars we're sending New York, the Governor said that neither the MTA, nor our commuter rails will suffer service cutbacks or fare increases in the foreseeable future. That's a huge thing for us, but it goes way beyond that, because we don't want to just maintain. We want to make it better. This money will, this bill will have dollars to change the signal systems in our subways, making trains run on time and more reliable. Fewer breakdowns and tunnels, which drive people crazy. It'll have money for major new projects that we need. It'll have money for Gateway. I'm very confident. Now, Gateway will move forward and get completed because of the dollars in this bill. It will help us cover the Cross Bronx Expressway, something near and dear to my heart, the Mayor's heart, Ritchie Torres, a great Congressmen, and so many others in the South Bronx community.

It gives us a real opportunity for the Second Avenue subway to reach up into East Harlem, which has been transportation deprived. So, so many things in our City will benefit. It's going to help our airports. It's going to help our East River tunnels. It's going to help redo Penn Station. It's a huge amount of money. The City and State will have some flexibility as to how to use it, but it makes a really good, good start. And one other thing, people shouldn't forget, I had a plan for electric buses for the MTA that's included, it's called a Green New Wheel and that's there too.

And one other thing, Mayor, as you have pushed for, we have so many families who don't have broadband. You know, we've talked a lot about rural broadband and that's essential in large parts of New York, but we have over a million people in New York and many of them have the fiber right by their homes, but they can't afford the monthly payment. Just as Franklin Roosevelt said, electricity was in necessity in the 20th Century and connected all Americans, broadband is a necessity in the 21st and Americans and many people in New York City, in the inner city who haven't had broadband at great harm to their kids' education, to their health, with the increase of telemedicine and so much else will change.

So, I want to thank you, Mayor, for giving me a few moments here. Thank you for all your help on this bill. I thank our New York delegation, Senator Gillibrand and the House members, who've been great partners. We've kept our eye on the apple with this legislation, and now the good results, in terms of better transportation. And one more thing, I would say, it represents a four-letter word, folks. And I'm from Brooklyn, so don't get worried. J – O – B – S, jobs, more jobs, more good paying jobs, more union jobs. This is a great bill. Mayor, thank you so much for your good work.

Mayor: Thank you so much, Senator. Senator, we had that the censor was ready to beep you, if you said something too Brooklyn. But listen, amazing what you have achieved here – jobs, jobs, jobs. But, Senator, I want to say one more thing on a personal level, I remember sitting in a diner with you, I think it was 1997, and you were thinking about what your next step was going to be. You were then a Congress Member and you made – you were thinking about different options that you made to the decision to run for United States Senate. And you remember in the beginning, a lot of people thought that you weren't going to make it. There were some very prominent people in the race, but I'll tell you something that day, you made that decision, when you decided to move forward and you went to the United States Senate. There's no way in the world, you could have conceived of the role you would play in history later on. Fighting back from a global pandemic, bringing together a fractured country and achieving this legislation that we couldn't have dreamed of in our wildest dreams. So, I just want to say personally, thank God you ran for the United States Senate. Thank God, you won. And thank God you're the Majority Leader, because this is what it's all about. This is a triumphant moment. I hope you're feeling it in your core. Thank you, Senator.

Majority Leader Schumer: Thank you, Mayor. Thank you so much. And thanks for the opportunity to address our fellow New Yorkers who we love so much.

Mayor: Amen. Everybody, we have seen with this legislation, something transcendent. It's going to change the City for the better for years to come. We have a lot to look forward to, but we're still fighting the battle right now against COVID and we're winning. New York City is winning. New York City is the safest place in the nation when it comes to fighting, COVID holding it back, but we got more work to do. And yesterday I spoke with doc, with all of you and with Dr. Chokshi’s participation about the things we need to do to double down. Now I want to go back to the vaccinations, our youngest New Yorkers. Here's an opportunity to get it right to protect our children, protect our families. So, the five- to 11-year-olds, we're seeing a great response. I want to give you an update.72,000 vaccinations. It's just been a week plus now, 72,000 vaccinations, five- to 11-year-olds citywide. At the school sites alone, 26,300 vaccinations already. So, that's amazing. That's over a third of the vaccinations that happen, happen at our school sites in just a few days. So, we're going to be going back to some of the highest-demand school sites. We're going back to a number of schools on Wednesday this week, a number of other schools on Thursday, where we had high demand. Any places high demand, we're going to keep sending our mobile vaccination units, keep making sure that we can reach parents and kids who want to get vaccinated.

Now, that's part one, but part two – on November 30th, we'll be going back to schools over a 10-day period, all the elementary schools that serve our youngest New Yorkers. We’ll be providing second doses to any kids who got that first dose in the beginning of this effort. And for any kids who have still not been vaccinated, we'll provide a first dose for them. So, we're going to do a full second pass – all elementary schools, every school in New York City that serves kids five- to 11, we're going to be coming back to. This is the only city in the country offering in-school vaccination on a totally comprehensive scale, because we go to where the people are. We go to where the children are. We go to where the families are. This has been the magic of the New York City vaccination effort, going to the people. So, we're going back to the schools again. I want to thank everyone at Department of Education, Department of Health, Test and Trace Corps., Vaccine Command Center. This has been a labor of love, reaching out to our kids and families. We're going to keep doing it till we reach every single child.

And now, another piece of this fantastic outreach effort. We're going to take it to the next level, starting on Friday, and into next week – a charter school blitz. We're going to be out at charter schools, doing vaccination efforts – same thing, right in the school, reaching all our children. I want you to hear about this very exciting effort. It's going to really yield a lot and it's going to protect New Yorkers. I want you to hear from our Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter.

Schools Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter: Good morning. Good morning. Good morning. So exciting to be here and so excited about what's happening in our schools. Thank you so much, Mayor de Blasio. I could tell you, last week was one of my favorite weeks as Chancellor. It was a demonstration of why it was so important to reopen our schools. I had the great pleasure of visiting schools across the city from Staten island to East Harlem, hosting vaccine clinics. And I also had the opportunity to talk to young students, and their families, and their educators as they received this life saving vaccine. I saw zero tears and lots of joy. At P.S. 19 [inaudible] gave a thumbs up to let everyone know that she got her jab to not only keep herself safe, but also to keep her entire class safe at. P.S. 65, Ethan [inaudible] stepping up for vaccination and being a role model for his little brother as a part of a negotiating tactic to get out of some homework. I was impressed with his tactics. At Central Park East II, Taylor said it simply – I beat COVID.

We got over 26,000 young people their first dose last week, but we cannot stop there. Another – this was another great demonstration of the importance of how our schools are such a critical part of our communities and a part of our building our city back. That's why I'm so happy we get to continue offering vaccine clinics at sites across the city with high demand and bring vaccines to our partners in the charter sector. Additionally, because of the incredible hard work by our health partners, we are going to provide second doses at schools beginning the week of November 29th. And we continue to get the word out through PTA referrals, school leadership, social workers, robocalls, and the many other ways we connect with our communities. Truly this would not be possible without the leadership of the Department of Health, Health + Hospitals, the Vaccine Command Center, and the Test and Trace Corps. Together, we are bringing New York City back one vaccine at a time. Thank you so much.

Mayor: Thank you so much, Chancellor. And Chancellor, you're right, we have not seen a lot of tears but we have seen a lot of joy out there. And I'm always amazed, you know, when the parents are all nervous, but the kids are like, what's the big deal here? You know? I didn't even know – I didn't even feel it. It’s like, it was great. So, thank you. You've set the tone right, encouraging our kids and families, and we’re to keep reaching out and get more and more kids vaccinated, keep this city safe.

Alright, everyone, everything we're doing is to keep New Yorkers safe. Everything we’re doing is to bring back New York City, our recovery. And part of what's great about our recovery is when we bring back great New York City traditions. Well, we have an important announcement to make about one of our most beloved traditions, which happens every New Year's Eve. I’ve got some folks who are going to celebrate with me here, because here's the message – we love New Year's Eve in Times Square. We want it to be big. We want it to be full of life. We want it to be a great New York celebration. Guess what, everyone? A big, strong, full-strength celebration – it's coming back. This New Year's Eve, Time Square, everyone come on down. We're celebrating.

[Celebratory party horns]

Excellent. Excellent harmony, everyone. You guys did great. You all have bright careers ahead in music.

[Laughter]

Yes, we are proud to announce the Time Square – wonderful celebration Times Square the ball drop, everything coming back full strength, the way we love it. Hundreds of thousands of people there to celebrate. We can finally get back together again. It's going to be amazing. It's going to be a joy for this city. Now, let's do it the right way and let's do it the safe way. So, we've been working with our great partners in Times Square. We've been working with Department of Health and NYPD to get this right. So, here's how we're going to do it. We want to welcome all those hundreds of thousands of folks, but everyone needs to be vaccinated. All you need to do is have that proof of vaccination and a valid photo ID, and you are in. Join the crowd. Join the joy. Join a historic moment as New York City provides further evidence to the world that we are 100 percent back. I want you to hear from someone who's done great work, making Times Square come back to life. And he's going to tell us, I'm sure – he keeps track of how many pedestrians come through Times Square each day. He he's telling me regularly how it's coming back stronger, stronger, stronger – tourists coming back. He's been a great partner in bringing back this city, the President of the Times Square Alliance Tom Harris.

[…]

Mayor: Thank you so much, Tom. And it's a great opportunity, you’re right, to thank all the people that don't get enough thanks. Dan Gross, the whole team that puts on these great events for the city. I want to thank that team, everyone at our Community Affairs Unit as well does, that does great work, as you said, the street permits and all – everyone is helping to bring New York City back strong. But Tom, thanks to you, thanks to everyone at Time Square Alliance. It's great to see the energy and the excitement in Times Square. Every time I've gone through lately, just so much activity and a lot more to come. And then, New Year's Eve is going to be something beautiful and amazing as part of the comeback of this city.

Alright, everyone. Now, we're celebrating a lot today and we have a very special moment here. We're here at Brooklyn Borough Hall. We're celebrating the best of Brooklyn, the best of New York City. We have a moment where I want to celebrate someone who's contributed on just an awesome scale not only to New York City, but this entire country, to this entire world. Today, I am remembering the extraordinary actions this summer. As we were bringing back this city, we needed to give people hope, we needed to give people spirit. An amazing series of concerts were put together, including the absolutely stunning concert in Central Park that sent a message to the whole world that New York City was back and strong, never count out New York City – always believe in this place and our people. The concert said that. It was incredibly moving. I heard from people for weeks and weeks after, whether they're here or they're watching on TV someplace in the world, everyone said the same thing. They felt the spirit of New York, the love, the power, the energy of this place. And they felt New York City was back.

Well, we're going to honor someone today who has created for all of us in so many ways that joy, that spirit, that hope. I'll give you just a small example. Last night, I was listening to one of my favorite Bruce Springsteen songs – Bruce Springsteen's – from his second album – the Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle, the song New York City Serenade. Absolutely beautiful song. I remember when I first heard that song, it moved me to the core. Well, Bruce and so many other artists came to our attention because of Clive Davis. Clive Davis managed to find some of the greatest talent in the world, and help that talent to blossom, and help that talent to come to the attention of all of us so we could feel the greatness of their artistry. Clive Davis created so much of what we think of today as the culture, we love the music we love, so much of what has framed for all of us the way we came up, the things that influenced us, the things that gave us hope. You have to go back to Clive's work, because he is really the great architect of so much of what we love about the modern music industry.

Now, we've got to remember where he came from. He came from Brooklyn. Clive Davis is a proud son of Brooklyn. He is also a product of New York City's public schools – P.S. 161 Erasmus Hall High School. He represents the beauty of this dream that is New York City, someone who came up from the grassroots and then changed the world. I mentioned some of the artists he’s brought to prominence, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Simon and Garfunkel, Aretha Franklin, Jennifer Hudson, you name it – stunning career. Stunning. Five time Grammy winner himself, inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and someone who loves New York City, and has been there for us time and time again. He has been committed to this city.

When I called them about the Homecoming Concert, he instantly, instantly said not just yes, but I'm going to make it happen and it's going to be one of the greatest collections of artists you've ever seen. That is love and commitment for the City of New York. So, on this occasion, I'm going to bestow the highest honor this city has – the highest honor this city has to offer one of our own in thanks, is the Key to the City of New York. And it's my honor to present it to Clive Davis. I'm coming to you, Clive.

Clive Davis: I have a few prepared remarks, but in chatting with the Mayor just before this conference began, he asked me to reminisce about Brooklyn. And I've got to tell you, just coming over the bridge this morning, as soon as I was on my way to here in Borough Hall, the air of Brooklyn permeated and I knew I was back home in Brooklyn. So, my memories – well, let me say, I got my best advice in life that I ever got and it was from my mother. And from the beginning, I was very academically inclined. I was cerebral. I loved books. And she came to me one day and she said, book learning is fabulous, academics is wonderful, but part of life is going out and mixing with people, and learning from people, and seeing the diversity of people. So, I want you to go out every day. And I did. And there was punchball in the streets of Union Street between New York and Nostrand. And there was stickball. And then, Sundays, there was touch football in Prospect Park. And I remember every Sunday going to Brighton Beach where my grandparents lived – the boardwalks [inaudible] such a part of vivid memories. Those boardwalk games, Lundy's in Sheepshead Bay. And where I lived, Grand Army Plaza, and the Brooklyn Museum, and the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. My memories are filled with the richness, the diversity of this great borough, part of this great city. And, certainly, part of me wherever I go and whatever I've done.

I've got to say, I'm both deeply honored and, personally, very touched by this presentation. I was, as the Mayor said, born and bred in New York City. And the makeup of the city and its extraordinarily diverse array of cultures and ethnicities have definitely molded me, diversified me, and given me an opportunity and an openness to many points, many points of view. And as was said, my education here was second to none. P.S. 161, Erasmus Hall High School, where I learned to diagram sentences, learned grammar, learned the minimum of essentials, understood how important it was to spell right, to use the right grammar, and it would benefit you for the rest of your life. And I went to college at NYU. During the freshman year – during my freshman year at NYU, I lost, independent of each other, both my parents to the then incurable malady of high blood pressure. So, often – and I would add, I had $4,000 to my name, but through the beneficence of New Yorkers, I received a scholarship to both NYU and Harvard Law School. My New York education, as I said, and the requirement of my maintaining a B-plus average really led to a work ethic that I tremendously cherish to this very day. I would never have had the career I've so enjoyed without this invaluable work ethic.

And so, when I was financially able to give back, I decided that it was education that would be my focus. And I endowed at NYU's Tisch, the Clive Davis Institute for the study of recorded contemporary music, a full BFA degree and award program. So, my gratitude to New York – well, it's real and it's profound. And when Mayor de Blasio called upon me a few months ago to produce the concert on the Great Lawn of Central Park, to tell everyone that New York City was reopening to the rest of the world, I did immediately accept this great challenge. And I really want to thank you, Mayor de Blasio, for this great opportunity.

New York City – well, New York City has been tested these last two years as never before. New York City has fought back and will continue to fight back. You can feel it all around you. You can feel it in the air. You go to restaurants and they're back to being packed. The Broadway theatre is back well. New York City will unquestionably be better than ever. And I want you to know that I will be there to help make sure of that with every, every fiber of strength that I have.

Mayor: Beautiful. Beautiful. Let's give him a round of applause, everybody.

[Applause]

Clive, I think there's more of a poet in you than you realize. You brought along a lot of artists whose poetry came out in their lyrics and their music, but you think you've got a lot of it yourself. I love when you said you came over the bridge and the air of Brooklyn, because I feel that too every time. And you have really made us proud. You really made us proud. I want to say, on behalf of 8.8 million New Yorkers, you're a New Yorker who has given everything for this city and has exemplified the best of the city, and this is a moment to really recognize you live life right and this world's a better place because of you.

Davis: Thank you.

Mayor: Thank you, brother. Thank you. So, that's Brooklyn. That's what Brooklyn’s all about. I really – everyone, Brooklynites, especially, but all New Yorkers – listen carefully to that beautiful, beautiful recounting of life that Clive just gave us, and particularly his childhood. God, I felt I was walking through your life with you as you painted that picture. And so many places in Brooklyn that are great, so many places in the city that make us feel so much emotion, so much strength, that give us strength. That's what I just heard. And that was inspiring.

And we're going into our indicators. And this is inspiring too, because this is what New York City has done in the face of the greatest crisis in our history. People went out and got vaccinated and our heroes came out to make sure that people got the help they needed – our health care heroes. So, as of today, doses administered to-date in New York City, 12, 256,499 and growing all the time. Amazing. Number-two indicator, daily number of people admitted to New York City hospitals for suspected COVID-19 – today's report is 84 patients. Confirmed positivity, 20.22 percent. Hospitalization rate per 100,000 New Yorkers – 0.53. And new reported cases on a seven-day average – today’s report, 1,032 cases.

I’m going to say a few words in Spanish on the continued school vaccination effort.

[Mayor de Blasio speaks in Spanish]

With that, let's turn to our colleagues in the media. Please let me know the name and outlet of each journalist.

Moderator: We will now begin our Q-and-A. As a reminder, today, we're joined by Dr. Mitch Katz, President and CEO of New York City Health + Hospitals; Dr. Dave Chokshi, Health Commissioner; Chancellor Meisha Porter; and Tom Harris, President of the Time Square Alliance. With that, we'll go to Andrew from NBC New York.

Question: Hey. Good morning, guys. Good morning to everyone on the call. Could you and Tom clarify once more of the requirements for New Year's Eve? And also, Mayor, what's the medical rationale for requiring a vaccination for an outdoor event when, for example, right now you can be unvaccinated and sit outdoors at a New York City restaurant. Why can't you be outdoors at a Time Square celebration?

Mayor: Andrew, when you're outdoors with a few hundred thousand people packed close together for hours on end, it's a different reality. Let's be clear. There's a beautiful celebration every year and people come from all over the world to be a part of it, but you're talking about a lot of people really close for long periods of time. It makes sense to protect everyone. So, full vaccination is required in this case. Now, I want to remind everyone, it's November 16th, we're talking about December 31st. So, we're giving people lots of lead time. Full vaccination is required. So, two doses with Moderna, Pfizer, one dose with Johnson & Johnson. And then, if someone is unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons, for example, there's an alternative approach. As Tom said, all those details will be published soon. But the simplest message to anyone wants to participate in the beautiful Times Square celebration, just go get vaccinated. Go ahead, Andrew.

Question: Shifting gears, my colleague, Melissa Russo, reporting on the New York governor's race today. Where your friend and the Public Advocate Jumaane Williams is now an official candidate for governor. What is your assessment of his qualifications for that job? And are you running out of room yourself to find a progressive lane in this race?

Mayor: So, Andrew, let me just say he is my friend. I think very highly of Jumaane Williams. We've worked together on many things over the years and sometimes we've had disagreements, but it's always in the context of a lot of mutual values. I appreciated his support when I ran for mayor in 2013. I appreciate the good work he does for New York City. And he's also a proud Brooklynite and I appreciate that. In terms of where the governor's race is going again, I'm not here to be a political pundit. I think the issue is this, New York City needs a lot of change. New York State needs a lot of change. There's a lot more to be done. There's a lot that's broken in Albany that needs to be fixed. We need to have that conversation in the state. We need to figure out how we're going to move forward. And, you know, having a variety of voices, offering different visions, different ideas is a healthy thing. Way too early to start handicapping. We know a lot can change in politics. But what we need is a vibrant debate about how we move this city and this state forward. And that's something I'm always going to be participating in one way or another.

Moderator: Next we have Dana from the New York Times.

Question: Hi, Mr. Mayor. Just a couple more questions about the Times Square ball drop. Under what circumstances can a person not be vaccinated and still attend the event? And also are you requiring PCR tests for children under five who can't be vaccinated?

Mayor: So I'll have a Tom Harris add in a moment. Dana, I'll just say this. All the detailed rules will be put out very quickly. The point is we understand some people have a valid medical exemption. For example, it's fairly rare, but some people do have it. Can't be vaccinated. So, there's an alternative for folks who literally cannot be vaccinated. We want to make sure that we know if they're attending that they're safe, everyone else's safe. So, we'll get those rules out quickly. For the overwhelming number of people coming – and obviously young kids don't tend to be at this event for a lot of reasons, including the time of night and the temperature. For the vast majority of people who will be attending, overwhelming majority, the simplest best way to make sure you can participate is just to go get vaccinated. Make sure you're fully vaccinated in time. Tom, you want to add?

President Tom Harris, Times Square Alliance: Thank you, Mayor. Yes. If someone can show us proof of tests to a medical disability, they can test out for the PCR test within 72 hours. And no, as of this time, if someone is under five, they just need to be with a fully vaccinated person and wear a mask if they're able to.

Mayor: Thank you. Go ahead, Dana. Okay, go ahead, Tom.

President Harris: Okay. If that changes, we will update you and let you know on our website.

Mayor: Thank you. Go ahead, Dana.

Question: Got it, thank you. And then is the idea that you're sort of like the Homecoming Concert, trying to signal the rebirth of New York City? And if so, when do you think the message will stick and we'll be able to stop signaling New York City's rebirth?

Mayor: I think it's really coming along. I mean, you heard what Clive said about his perspective on the city being back. I think we have established it in the eyes of the world in many, many ways. I do think it's important to continue to deepen it. We just had the international tourists start to come back. That's fantastic. We want to encourage as many of them to come in of course, to get on a plane, they have to be vaccinated. So, that's great. I think we have some more work to do certainly for the remainder of this year. But I think we're going into 2022 in really strong shape. We got to stay focused on vaccination. That's the one strategic piece. The boosters, which we talked about yesterday. We got to get all New Yorkers out there, get that booster. We got to reach our young people with vaccination. But Dana, I think the simple answer is New York. City's back. We want to show the world we're back. We got a little more work to do to make sure everyone really sees it, feels it. And I think 2022 is looking very bright right now.

Moderator: Next we have Chris from the Daily News.

Question: Good morning, Mr. Mayor. I wanted to ask you about vaccination rates for the Department of Correction. The vaccination rate among uniformed staff there has been effectively stagnant now for more than two weeks at 57 percent. Meantime, as you know, the mandate for that agency takes effect in just two weeks. So, if there remain – if the rates remain that low, is it even possible for you to enforce the mandate come December 1st? Or would the staff shortage just be too steep?

Mayor: No, that's a really good question. But Chris, I think we have such a body of evidence right now that when a mandate goes into effect overwhelmingly members of the workforce honor it. Overwhelmingly. So, it's going to be the same exact process that we've seen previously. Folks who are ready to get vaccinated, want to take advantage of that incentive, that $500 incentive. That's going to be one group of folks as the deadline nears. There's going to be a group of folks who put in for an accommodation. They get the accommodation, fine. If they don't, the vast majority of them are going to get vaccinated. There's going to be a group of folks who stand apart in the beginning, but then when there's not a paycheck, decide they need that paycheck, come back. We've been down this road from the health care workers and the DOE employees. Until now, it's almost essentially the same pattern every single time. By the way, just another update related. The Fire Department has now the number and among firefighters, the firefighting side of the Fire Department has now gone up again to 87 percent. So, we see constant movement and improvement. That's what I think is quite clear will be the trajectory with the Department of Correction as well. Go ahead, Chris.

Question: So, following up on that, why in that case, did you delay the implementation of the DOC mandate until December 1st? If you're saying that, you know, things only start moving once the deadline hits? Then why did you wait more than a month for the DOC mandate to take effect compared to the other agencies?

Mayor: Because unlike any other agency, Department of Correction had gone through a particular set of challenges that needed to be addressed unto themselves. It made sense to deal with that first and then apply. It was a very particular situation. And thank God a lot of progress has been made at the Department of Corrections. And this is a very good time now to follow through on this piece. Go ahead.

Moderator: Next, we have Elizabeth from WNYC.

Question: Good morning, Mayor de Blasio.

Mayor: Good morning, Elizabeth.

Question: Good morning. I wanted to revisit the order regarding boosters yesterday. It seems as if the City is sending the message that if you're over 18 and you've already received your last dose more than six months ago, that you – if you want a booster, you can get one. My question is at what point does the City sort of cross this threshold and say, we really would like you to get a booster if you can now before the holidays?

Mayor: I think we crossed it yesterday. I'll emphasize it. We want you to get a booster now. No question, we want everyone to get a booster. And the City is making clear, we're prepared to serve everyone. It is important. It's timely. You're right. Elizabeth, holidays are coming, gatherings are coming, cold weather coming. This is the time to get a booster. Dr. Chokshi, Dr. Katz, I want to give you an opportunity to weigh in because you are boosters of the booster. So, tell people that it's time. Dr. Chokshi first.

Commissioner Dave Chokshi, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: Yes, sir. Thank you. And I do agree this is the time, we do want everyone to strongly consider this. And beyond that, what I would add to what the Mayor has said is that we're also encouraging particularly our health care partners to proactively reach out to the people whom we know will most benefit from a booster dose. To go over those categories, it's anyone over the age of 65, anyone who has an underlying medical condition, as well as people who received the J&J vaccine. So, that's where we want to be particularly proactive. But the clear message is we encourage boosters as long as your past the timeframes for Pfizer and Moderna, which is six months and J&J which is two months.

Mayor: I want to say for everyone on record, I got my booster from Dr. Dave Chokshi and I'm feeling great. So, I incurred it. Dr. Katz, you want to add?

President and CEO Mitch Katz, Health + Hospitals: Just to say, I advise all of my patients over 18 to get a booster. And I do the same with family and friends. I think this is the time to get one, if you haven't gotten one already. Thank you, sir.

Mayor: Thank you, Dr. Katz. And I want to say for Clive Davis’s benefit. Maybe you heard that Sheepshead Bay accent right there from Dr. Mitch Katz, who is leading our public health system brilliantly. A lot of Brooklynites contributing to New York City. Go ahead, Elizabeth.

Question: So, with that said, would you say it's a mistake that Governor Hochul is not opening up the eligibility as some states like California have done?

Mayor: Look, I think it's simple. I urge the Governor to open the eligibility to all. We are now going into a really important phase. We got to stop COVID once and for all. We got to end the COVID era. COVID is going to be part of our lives, but we need to put it in the background of our lives, not the foreground. And to end the COVID era, we need maximum vaccination. So, I urge strongly, make boosters available to all immediately.

Moderator: Next, we have Julia from the New York Post.

Question: I just want to follow up on Andrew's question because he asked, you know, for medical reasoning as to why people need to be vaxxed outdoors during New Years. So, I'd just love to hear from one of the two doctors on the call what the medical rationale is?

Mayor: Dr. Chokshi. And if Dr. Katz wants to add?  I'm going to state it and then turn to them. Large numbers of people in very close proximity for long periods of time. I think it's really clear why vaccination is called for. Dr. Chokshi?

Commissioner Chokshi: Yes, I think that's clearly stated. You know, for this particular event the fact that we'll have such a large crowd and people will be in close quarters. Anyone who spent New Year's Eve in Times square knows that you know, it's very difficult to maintain distance. So, that the rationale for being fully vaccinated in that setting is to markedly reduce the risk of transmission, which we know can occur outdoors, even though the risk is lower. But because the risk is greater with larger numbers of people in close proximity, this is the right decision.

Mayor: Dr. Katz, you want to add?

President Katz: Just to emphasize that when we think outdoors, we don't usually think of being face to face with somebody. But that is very much, you know, the reality of that beautiful Times Square celebration. And that's why vaccination matters.

Mayor: Well said. Go ahead, Julia.

Question: Thanks so much. Mr. Mayor, I just wanted to mention a tweet from Commissioner Shea about a man who was arrested for attempted murder of a police officer. He was again, arrested over the weekend for attacking a Bronx cop from behind. Despite that he was released without bail. Shea says do we have to wait for him to kill someone before this is taken seriously?  Wonder if you share his frustration or if not, what your thoughts are on the incident?

Mayor: I absolutely agree with Commissioner Shea. I am absolutely appalled. And I do share his frustration. And Commissioner Shea and I said from the beginning that there's a lot of good in the bail reform bill, and there's also things that need to be fixed. And this is something I'll be talking about. We've got to fix the parts of this bill that aren't working. We got to preserve the parts that are working. There are some profoundly good reforms. But episode like this points out that this is just not the way to keep people safe. We got to do better.

Moderator: Next we have Erin from Politico.

Question: Hi, Mr. Mayor. I have a question for yourself and hoping to hear from the doctors as well about the booster announcement. So, I'm just wondering, you know, prior to the announcement you made yesterday, was part of the motivation for that like, were you seeing that people who technically may have been eligible were not getting the shot because perhaps of confusion related to the guidelines? The fact that there's been a lot of back and forth? Were you finding that even people who formerly were eligible were holding off or were confused and was that part of the motivation for expanding it in this way that's more clear?

Mayor: Yes, Erin. Really, really well explained. I appreciate what you're saying. Yes. The rules weren't clear enough and the numbers weren't big enough. That's the bottom line. We see what's happening in Germany. We see what's happening in the United Kingdom. We are better positioned than they are at this moment, but we got to stay in a strong position to fight back COVID. So, it's much easier and clearer to say everyone come and get a booster. If you are able to get a booster, if you've met the basic requirements, come get a booster because this is part of what's going to keep us safe. Dr. Chokshi, do you want to add anything?

Commissioner Chokshi: Thank you, sir, and I agree. You know, the short answer to your question, Erin, is yes, we were seeing that the eligibility guidance was confusing to some people and we wanted to cut through that with a clear and simple message around boosters. And the other thing that I will say is that we're already seeing that it's working, about 20,000 New Yorkers got their booster dose yesterday. We're also seeing, you know, good demand and appointments pick up, and so that's really heartening to see. 

Mayor: Thank you. Go ahead, Erin. 

Question: Thanks. I also want to ask about this issue of the investigation into city workers who have potentially faked vaccination cards. Wondering if you can just tell us where that stands, you know, who – how many people have been disciplined and do you think this is potentially a widespread thing or – 

Mayor: No, it's an important question, Erin. I appreciate it. We believe it's a few dozen people out of a workforce of almost 400,000. So, no, we understand is it's a couple of agencies. We are very much intensely investigating through the Department of Investigation. Anyone who is involved will be held accountable. Some employees have been suspended without pay already. It's a very serious thing. I've said to people, remember way back when we were talking about vaccination cards, originally I reminded people that a fraudulent act is a very serious crime. Creating a fake vaccination card is a major crime. It comes with jail time as a potential penalty. This is not a joke. So, any employee who violated the law and attempted to circumvent the rules that we put forward to keep people safe, they are going to pay a very harsh price.  

Moderator: We have time for two more for today. Our next question goes to Yehudit from Boro Park 24. 

Question: Good morning, Mr. Mayor, welcome back to Brooklyn. 

Mayor: It's the place to be, Yehudit. How are you doing today? 

Question: I think so. So, as the thousands of city workers, religious accommodations are being processed and assessed, I'm wondering how they're being judged, for instance, what kinds of specific things would show in the lives of police officers and other city workers that they have true religious objections to vaccination? 

Mayor: You know, I'll let the experts and folks at the Law Department and labor relations who have been working on this get you more of the details. I'll give you just a big overview point. It's about a consistent and long-term, long held belief. Of course, there are some religions that are very explicit about vaccinations in a negative way, but the vast majority of religions and the vast majority of religions that New Yorkers adhere to and their leaders have in fact called for people to get vaccinated. So, there's a very small swath of the religious community where there is that longstanding tradition, and there may be other circumstances where someone can prove a deeply held long-term belief. That's the basic concept. Go ahead, Yehudit.  

Question: Okay, and so New York City has been receiving a lot of federal funds to fulfill many needs. I was wondering how you think going forward for the sake of New York City's recovery, how should this city and the city's small and large businesses focus on creating wealth rather than just spending it? 

Mayor: Well, interesting question. Look, I think this is a city that has created wealth on a grand scale for generations, and, you know, think about every day, the stories of New Yorkers who started with very little and turned it into something great, right at this table with me, Clive Davis, as he said, started with very little, created something amazing, a vast number of jobs came from that, I think it is the New York Story, Yehudit. I think the fact is that this investment that we're seeing from the federal government is actually going to allow us now to build upon our strengths, because New York City had a fundamental challenge, one of the oldest cities in America with an infrastructure that had been neglected for lack of federal investment, that's finally going to change. I think that's going to unleash an immense amount of economic activity, a lot of jobs, and then the people who get those jobs are going to create their own businesses, create wealth. I think that's the whole beautiful potential of this. 

Moderator: Our last question for today goes to Jillian from WBAI. 

Question: Hey, Mr. Mayor, how are you doing? 

Mayor: I'm doing well, Jillian, how have you been? 

Question: I'm okay, I'm okay.  I'm sorry I haven't been able to get through for several weeks now. So, I'm kind of backed up with my questions – 

Mayor: We will tell the team, Jillian. I'm going to tell the team to make sure in our last weeks of this to get you up to bat a little more. 

Question: I appreciate – oh, you don't know how much I appreciate that. I do want to point out something that was raised last week. Somebody asked you about the restoration of in-person briefings and you said that for the foreseeable future we're going to continue with a remote element hybrid, and I just wanted to emphasize to you how important that remote element is to those of us in these small news organizations with no resources and even less infrastructure, and I'm hoping that you're going to help the Mayor-elect at – that you encourage that as well. 

Mayor: Thank you, and Jillian, before you ask you a question, I just want to comment, thank you for saying that. Look, one of the things I'm proud of that we've done throughout the pandemic is we've – I've had a lot of availabilities, always trying to answer questions, I think I'm answering more questions each week than almost any other major elected official in America, and that's the right thing to do as we're fighting back COVID and coming out of this crisis. But I want to tell you, giving opportunity to alternative media, to community-based media, making sure we had diversity of voices asking the questions has been really, really important. So thank you for noting that. Go ahead, Jillian. 

Question: Well, thank you for acknowledging it. As I listen to the hearings every day, I hear a lot of the same questioners, so it's nice to once in a while here, like Yehudit, or me, or Abu, or whomever so. Well, so my first question goes to the SoHo - NoHo rezoning about which I’ve been asking you since I think last year. There are a lot of questions that I will specifically narrow it to, the fact that in June I asked about big box stores and to a lesser extent the community facilities. At the time you said you had to review the text that you “weren't certain what was in the rezoning”. So, here we are six months later, I assume you are currently familiar with the wording because there still appear to be a legalization for big box stores with no space limit, and that's been on REBNY’s wish list for years, and there's also something about community facilities which has been something on NYU's wish list for years. They really want those dorms and they really want those bonuses because they get the build bigger and denser, and this is all despite the optics with the connection to NYU in your administration and Vicki Been, as well as the understanding that in exchange for their massive expansion, NYU kind of said that they wouldn't encroach on any more neighborhoods. So, basically there's ample evidence that both of these things, these elements, but particularly stores will put a lot of pressure on the big – sorry – local mom and pop small businesses. What's your reaction? What do you either have to do with housing, affordable or otherwise, which is extensively the rationale for the rezoning in the first place? 

Mayor: Okay, an erudite question. I'm going to answer big picture and then I'm going to make sure the team gets back to you on some of the specifics. The big picture is this, first of all, the motivation for rezoning, you're absolutely right. The most powerful motivation was the creation of affordable housing in a community that had become in many ways exclusive, and where I think there's been a lot of energy and excitement around the city in favor of this rezoning, there is the notion that we want to see more and more affordable housing in places where people are doing very well, not just in places where folks have lower incomes. So, I think this is an important precedent for the city and it's a lot of affordable housing, but there's also something we've talked about from the very beginning, Jillian, which is supporting retail in that community, which has really gone through – retail sector in general has gone through a really, really tough time. Pre-pandemic, when I did State of The City beginning of 2020, pre-pandemic, I was talking about the crisis small businesses were experiencing, retail was experiencing, the things we had to do to address it. Pandemic made it worse. So, my view is this rezoning helps to move retail in that community, but not big boxes, more traditional retail. We will again, come back to you on some of the specifics, but I want to emphasize that in encouraging retail to survive in that area has been a priority from the beginning. Go ahead, Jillian. 

Question: Okay. thanks. This is a question that has been mulling around for a while, so it's almost moot at this point, but I have to ask this. The Buildings Department recently condemned nine 1840s triple landmark buildings within the Gansevoort Market Historic District because of –that they claim imminent danger at which occurred – well before I say that, triple landmark in case anybody does not understand, means City, State, and federal designation as a landmark. So, that's pretty significant. So the action occurred after the work began on a controversial office tower, okayed by the LPC, which critics say is out context and out of character. And it was called by the developer and by an inspector, but not a structural engineer, and there's been no real evidence of this dangerous situation made available to the public or why the buildings couldn't have been shored up, obviously at the developers expense because the developer caused this to happen. 

Obviously a lot of questions are raised about oversight. You've got LPC and DOB knowing that these were fragile and vulnerable edifices, so it was avoidable. You've got accountability questions. Is there going to be any kind of investigation? What if there was illegal work done or misleading plans submitted or maybe LPC didn't even adequately review the plans. And then questions about LPC’s priorities in general, and a commitment to the landmarks law. I'm going to skip this and then say, I've heard calendaring at this point at LPC is down to almost nothing, or landmarking, but I know your views on historic districts and the like, but if triple – or rather triple landmark buildings aren't – are at risk, what is safe and why even have a Landmark’s Commission or a law? Or is that the point in the end? 

Mayor: Well, listen, I'll say it this, I'm not going to pretend to have every detail of this specific situation you're talking about, but I do want learn more and I will immediately and make sure the team gets back to you on the details. But the big picture is this. I had the pleasure of getting a broad presentation a couple of years back of everything that had been landmarked in this administration and then everything that was calendared ahead to be landmarked, and it's a really stunning body of work. So, I understand, and it's healthy by the way, Jillian and you're a part of this good ecosystem in New York City where everything around land use and landmarking and, you know, there's constant debate, there's constant scrutiny, there's questioning, it is part of what actually has allowed this city to do in many cases the right kind of development, avoid the wrong kind of development, to make sure developers were held accountable and gave back to communities to preserve so much of what we preserved. This city is so much better at landmarks preservation than a lot of parts of the country. There is a good – I feel – a good set of checks and balance that's working, but I can tell you, landmarks preservation has been extremely active and has been adding landmarks constantly for the good of the city in all five boroughs. I really believe that. I think some of these specific controversies are a little more of the eye of the beholder, but I think overall that's been the trajectory and that's been a great New York story going back to – God, the tragic loss of the original Pennsylvania Station, from that moment to today, there's a good news story of how much of the city has been protected and preserved, how much you can feel our life and our culture and our history because of it. So I will follow up on this. I'll make sure the team gets back to you, but I think the big picture situation in these last eight years I feel very good about.  

Everyone as we conclude today, a lot to be proud of as New Yorkers, we are really excited looking forward to New Year's Eve celebration coming back full strength. We are honored to be in the presence of Clive Davis, who has done so much for the city, a great example of the greatness of this city and someone who had epitomizes our strength and resiliency. There are so many good things to celebrate in this city. And again, the whole way forward is vaccination. Let's reach our youngest New Yorkers. Let's get those booster shots done. Let's turn the corner on COVID and get ready for a great 2022. Thank you, everybody. 

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