Community

STOP THE SPREAD OF COVID-19! LEARN HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND OTHERS AT HOME.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19? • The most common symptoms are fever, cough, sore throat and shortness of breath. Other symptoms include feeling achy, loss of taste or smell, headache, and diarrhea. • Most people with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) will have mild or moderate symptoms and can get better on their own.

WHO IS MOST AT RISK FOR SERIOUS ILLNESS? • People age 50 or older (people age 65 or older are at the highest risk) • People who have other health conditions, such as:

Lung disease Asthma Heart disease Obesity Diabetes Kidney disease Liver disease Cancer A weakened immune system

If you are sick with COVID-19 symptoms, assume you have it. When you are sick: • If you have trouble breathing, pain or pressure in your chest, are confused or cannot stay awake, or have bluish lips or face, call 911 immediately. • Call your doctor if you are age 50 or older or have a health condition that puts you at increased risk, or if you do not feel better after three days. • Always contact a doctor or go to the hospital if you have severe symptoms of COVID-19 or another serious health issue. • Do not leave your home except to get necessary medical care or essential food or supplies (if someone cannot get them for you). • If you must leave your home:

Avoid crowded places. Stay at least 6 feet from others. Cover your nose and mouth with a bandana, scarf or other face covering. Wash your hands before you go out, and use alcohol-based hand sanitizer while outside. • Household members can go out for essential work and needs but should monitor their health closely. If you or someone in your home is sick: • Create physical distance:

Do not have visitors. WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I GET SICK

WITH COVID-19 SYMPTOMS?

Stay at least 6 feet from others. Sleep head-to-toe if you share a bed with someone who is sick, or sleep on the couch. Keep people who are sick separate from those at risk for serious illness. • Cover up:

Cover your nose and mouth with a bandana, scarf or other face covering when you are within 6 feet of others.

Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue or your inner elbow. • Keep it clean:

Throw tissues into the garbage immediately after use. Wash your hands often with soap for 20 seconds, especially after you cough or sneeze. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if you are unable to wash your hands. Frequently clean surfaces you touch, such as doorknobs, light switches, faucets, phones, keys and remote controls. Wash towels, sheets and clothes at the warmest possible setting with your usual detergent, and dry completely. Do not share eating utensils with others, and wash them after every use.

• If you have been sick, stay home until: You are fever-free for three days without Tylenol or other medication and It has been at least seven days since your symptoms started and

Your symptoms have improved • Reminder: New York is on PAUSE. This means that even if you have been sick, you should only leave your home for essential work or errands, or to exercise, while staying at least 6 feet from others. WHEN CAN I LEAVE MY HOME AFTER BEING SICK?

NEED HELP? • If you are having a medical emergency, call 911. • If you do not have a doctor but need one, call 844-NYC-4NYC (844-692-4692). New York City provides care, regardless of immigration status, insurance status or ability to pay. • For more information, call 311 or visit nyc.gov/coronavirus.

HARLEM COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS HEALTH Newly Unemployed? Understanding Your Health Insurance Options

With millions of people nationwide filing for unemployment since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals and families across the country are suddenly finding themselves without health insurance at a precarious time. Fortunately, new options may be able to help those on tight budgets.

“The sudden and unexpected loss of health insurance only compounds the stress caused by job loss amidst this unprecedented economic and public health crisis. However, unemployed individuals have more options for affordable health insurance than they did during past economic recessions thanks to provisions in the Affordable Care Act, along with actions recently taken by Congress and some states,” says American Medical Association (AMA) president, Patrice A. Harris, M.D.

Whether you recently lost your job-based health insurance or were uninsured before COVID-19 struck, the AMA, a longtime advocate for health insurance coverage for all Americans, is highlighting the following options: • Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplaces: Family and individual health plans can be bought in the health insurance marketplaces created by the ACA. Losing a job is a qualifying life event that allows unemployed individuals up to 60 days to enroll in a marketplace health plan before the close of a special enrollment period. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, certain states have reopened enrollment periods when all consumers -- not only those who have experienced a job loss -- can enroll in marketplace health plans and potentially qualify for financial assistance to purchase these plans based on their income.

Subsidies available to eligible individuals through the health insurance marketplaces can help with premiums and out-of-pocket costs, making coverage more affordable. The Kaiser Family Foundation can help calculate an estimate of premiums and subsidies based on an individual’s income, age and family size. It will also estimate an individual’s eligibility for Medicaid. • Medicaid: While each state’s program has unique attributes for coverage, Medicaid can offer no- or low-cost coverage for those with the lowest incomes with limited cost-sharing requirements. Unlike the ACA marketplaces, there is no defined open enrollment period for Medicaid, and eligible people can sign up at any time. State eligibility requirements and income qualifications vary by state. Every state covers low-income children, pregnant women and people with disabilities, while 36 states and the District of Columbia have expanded Medicaid coverage so that adults with income up to 138 percent of the federal Discount applied at time of purchase. Terms and Conditions Apply. * Subject to 3rd party credit approval. Minimum monthly payments required. Receive a free American Standard Cadet Toilet with full installation of a Liberation Walk-In Bath, Liberation Shower, or Deluxe Shower. Offer valid only while supplies last. Limit one per household. Must be fi rst time purchaser. All offers subject to change prior to purchase. See www.AmericanStandardBathtubs.com for other restrictions and for licensing, warranty, and company information. * CSLB B982796; Suffolk NY:5543IH; NYC:HIC#2022748-DCA. Safety Tubs Co. LLC does not sell in Nassau NY, Westchester NY, Putnam NY, Rockland NY. ✓EXPERIENCE YOU CAN TRUST!

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poverty level can qualify. • Beware Short-Term Plans: The AMA cautions patients to avoid shortterm limited duration plans whenever possible, especially during this pandemic. Short-term plans are designed to fill temporary gaps in health insurance when comprehensive coverage may not be an option. But it is important to understand that these plans offer very limited benefits and do not usually cover COVID-19 testing and treatment, preexisting medical conditions, mental health services, prescription drugs, and preventative and wellness care.

“Avoiding gaps in coverage should be a top priority for anyone who has recently lost their health insurance,” says Harris. “The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of having meaningful health insurance coverage.”

Harlem Community Newspapers | May 14. 2020 5 BP DIAZ, BX TOURISM COUNCIL & BRONXNET CELEBRATE ‘THE BEST OF THE BRONX’ IN PLACE OF ‘BRONX WEEK’ O n Friday, May 8, 2020, the office of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., in collaboration with The Bronx Tourism Council and BronxNet, launched the start “The Best of Bronx Week” broadcast.

Due to restrictions caused by COVID-19, the 11-day celebration of the “Best of The Bronx” has been cancelled for the first time in 47 years. The annual initiative honors the history and culture of the borough, paying tribute to entities and individuals from within government, business, and civic communities through a series of events. Bronx Week culminates each year with a black-tie gala, Bronx Walk of Fame Inductions and the Grand Finale Celebration, which features a festival, concert, and parade down Mosholu Parkway.

Though Bronx Week was originally slated to take place from May 7 through May 17, the Borough President’s Office, along with Bronx Tourism Council and BronxNet, will instead acknowledge the contributions individuals and organizations have made throughout the years through an eight-day multi-platform broadcast of footage from past Bronx Week activities.

Coverage beganMay 8, 2020 and will air on BronxNet TV (channel 67 on Optimum / channel 33 on Verizon Fios) and streaming on BronxNet.TV.

“While we are disappointed to have made such a difficult decision, we felt it best to cancel Bronx Week 2020 in order to do our part in flattening the curve and protect our borough from the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “With that said, I want to thank The Bronx Tourism Council and BronxNet for finding a way where we can still come together as a borough and honor those seniors, veterans, businesses, community leaders, and elected officials who have helped make our borough great. We are saddened to have canceled Bronx Week, but this will not keep us down. We will rebound, stronger than ever, as a borough and look forward to having a bigger celebration in 2021.”

“It hurts me that we cannot be together, physically, however, we can continue to still celebrate together, virtually,” said Olga Luz Tirado, Executive Director of The Bronx Tourism Council. “We continue to commemorate the best that we are to remind ourselves that we are ‘New York Tough’ and ‘Bronx Strong,’ even during the worst of times.”

“In addition to broadcasting vital updates to the public, BronxNet is helping audiences reconnect with arts and culture during this time,” said Michael Max Knobbe, Executive Director BronxNet TV. “BronxNet is enormously proud of our longstanding partnership with the Bronx Borough President, The Bronx Tourism Council and The Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation, and pleased to broadcast vibrant presentations of dynamic Bronx Week highlights over the years via the BronxNet TV channels, social media and BronxNet.TV.”

The Bronx Tourism Council was established in 1991, as a division of the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (BOEDC), creating a cohesive and symbiotic relationship between arts and culture and economic development. The role of the Bronx Tourism Council is to promote the borough’s rich history, its institutions, and cultural diversity on a local, national, and international level.

BronxNet provides local television by the people of The Bronx, for the people of the Bronx, keeping borough residents in touch with the issues, neighborhoods and activities that make The Bronx what it is today. Their channels feature inhouse produced shows created by community access producers as well as provide a training ground for local residents in television production, providing hands-on internships and career preparation. High school and college students can prepare for media careers behind and in front of the camera through BronxNet’s Training Program for Future Media Professionals.