Weather: Showers and possibly heavy thunderstorms, with a high in the upper 70s. Scattered storms Saturday afternoon, but Sunday should be mostly sunny.
Alternate-side parking: In effect until Aug. 15 (Feast of the Assumption). Read about the amended regulations here.
As fall looms, New York is continuing to stem its coronavirus outbreak. This week, only about 1 percent of tests each day in the city were positive. Statewide, hospitalizations for the virus have hit new lows.
Still, New York City and its suburbs are grappling with how to head off a potential second wave when the weather turns colder and people retreat indoors. And just days ago, Dr. Oxiris Barbot resigned as the city’s health commissioner, citing her “disappointment” with Mayor Bill de Blasio’s handling of the virus crisis.
Here’s what else happened this week:
The city said it was aiming to safely reopen schools this fall because New York has maintained a low infection rate.
But a torrent of logistical issues and political problems could upend that plan.
Mr. de Blasio’s proposal includes safety measures such as having children report to school one to three days a week — with masks and social distancing required. But that hasn’t quelled the fears of some parents who saw their neighborhoods ravaged by the virus, and some teachers are threatening a sickout.
Many large districts in the country are starting their school years fully remote. In finalizing plans for New York City, officials are weighing factors including the past failures of online learning; examples of the virus rapidly coming through school doors; and the potential for a child care crisis.
The mayor said he was using the city’s sheriff’s office to inform travelers about the state’s mandatory quarantine rules.
Mr. de Blasio announced this week that drivers would be stopped at “traveler registration checkpoints” at bridges and tunnels, and that people from places on New York State’s required quarantine list would be asked to fill out forms detailing their travel.
But the authorities won’t be stopping every car. They also most likely won’t be at the same locations on any given day. And the sheriff’s office can’t force travelers to comply with the 14-day quarantine.
Some elected officials have criticized the plan, saying they do not believe that checkpoints would be effective. Others have raised concerns about privacy risks.
The delay in counting votes for New York’s primary raised concerns about conducting elections during the pandemic.
It took six weeks for Representative Carolyn B. Maloney and Councilman Ritchie Torres to be declared the winners in their races.
After Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo ordered a wide expansion of absentee voting this year because of the coronavirus, New York City received a deluge of 400,000 mail-in ballots. Nearly a month and a half after the June primary, some of those votes were still being counted.
Officials cited several problems with the primary. Thousands of ballots were mailed out only a few days before the election, not giving voters time to return them. There weren’t enough staff members to tally the votes. Also, the Postal Service apparently had trouble processing the ballots’ prepaid return envelopes, which may have caused an unknown number of votes to be wrongfully disqualified.
Now, some candidates and political analysts fear that what occurred in New York could happen nationally in November, creating a nightmare situation.
Table Of Contents
Back to School
Updated Aug. 6, 2020
The latest highlights as the first students return to U.S. schools.
President Trump has also jumped into the fray, repeatedly citing the New York primary for his unfounded claims that mail-in voting is susceptible to fraud.
From The Times
Outages Pile on Misery for 1.4 Million Coping With Pandemic
Violence at Rikers at an ‘All-Time High’ Despite City’s Promise to Curb It
Want more news? Check out our full coverage.
The Mini Crossword: Here is today’s puzzle.
What we’re reading
New York’s moratorium on evictions was extended until September as many tenants continued to struggle to pay rent. [New York Post]
Nearly 20 police unions are suing New York City over lawmakers’ ban on the use of chokeholds. [Daily News]
What we’re watching: The Times Metro reporters J. David Goodman and Matthew Haag discuss New York’s road to economic recovery on “The New York Times Close Up With Sam Roberts.” The show airs on Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and Sunday at 12:30 p.m. [CUNY TV]
The Times’s Melissa Guerrero writes:
Although most performance spaces, museums and community centers are closed, people are finding creative ways to connect through virtual events and programs. Here are suggestions for maintaining a New York social life this weekend while keeping a safe distance from other people.
Giving Birth in America: Examining the Maternal Health Crisis
On Friday at 5 p.m., as part of the Strong Like a Mama summit, a panel of obstetrician-gynecologists and other experts, including Dr. Taraneh Shirazian from N.Y.U. Langone Health, will hold a discussion about maternal mortality rate and access to quality maternal care.
Register on the event page.
Sacred sites in Flushing
On Saturday at noon, the author and historian Jason Antos will lead a virtual outing highlighting religious diversity in Flushing, Queens. The tour will start at the Quaker Meeting House and end at the Hindu Temple (Hindu Temple Society of North America).
R.S.V.P. on the event page to watch the livestream.
188 Years of Commuter Railways: Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road
On Saturday at 12:30 p.m., learn about two of the most-used commuter rail systems in the United States without leaving your couch. Sam Angelillo, a New York Transit Museum educator, will host a talk about the history of the railways and their importance in connecting the city to its suburbs.
To attend the livestream, register on the event page.
It’s Friday — T.G.I.F.
Metropolitan Diary: Checking in
Dear Diary:
My wife and I came to New York in November 2002 for my second New York City Marathon. We splurged and booked a room at a boutique hotel near the New York Public Library, where runners board early morning buses that take them to where the race starts on Staten Island.
We registered at the desk with an assistant manager, who struck us as the type of well-mannered, middle-age gentleman one might encounter at a traditional European hotel.
I made conversation by mentioning the huge number of international runners I had seen. He volunteered that he was from what had been known as Czechoslovakia. We fell into an easy, extended chat about distance running.
Eventually, he insisted on personally showing us to the room we had booked on a lower floor. He seemed intent on continuing our conversation.
As he pulled our luggage trolley onto the elevator, a twinkle came to his eyes.
“I bet you don’t know the name of the greatest Czech distance runner of all time,” he said.
Somehow, my usually unreliable memory jumped to life.
“Um, yeah, Emil Zatopek,” I stammered.
His face lit up, and he beamed with pride.
After a moment’s reflection, he spoke again.
“The room you reserved just isn’t right for you,” he said. “Allow me to upgrade you to a larger suite on an upper floor.”
— Geoffrey Vincent
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