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A health worker tests a student for COVID-19 at the beginning of the 2020 school year. | Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office The COVID Emergency Ends This Week. What Happens Now? By Rachel Holliday Smith, The City This article was originally published on May 9 3:08pm EDT by THE CITY NEW YORK - On Thursday, May 11, the public health emergency declarations in place since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic will end. Those edicts had given the federal government wide latitude to change or waive previous requirements when it came to health insurance, services, testing, medicines and more. The rules and regulations stemming from that time are vast and complex, as documented here by KFF, the health policy nonprofit. Some have to do with emergency use authorizations for COVID-19 treatments, liability immunity for health care providers, and how hospitals are paid for treating patients with the virus. But for most people, the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emer

Bridget McQuilken. -Photo by VNSNY By Bridget McQuilken Queens Voice  May 8, 2023 HEALTH - As I ride the train to East Flatbush, the car is quiet, with the rush of business commuters and students long gone. In the silence, I have a moment to catch my thoughts, and I am struck by how many times I’ve made trips like this—by train, by foot, by car, to go visit my patients. I remember when I first started as a home care nurse with VNS Health, how daunting but also exciting it felt to visit each new patient. Coming from my past career as a teacher, I knew how to be there for others, but this was a whole new world—one where I was there to care for my patients physically and mentally…and all in their own homes. It felt like a lot to manage!   Now, in comparison, with over a decade of experience as a nurse, I feel calm and ready for the day as I step off the train and walk to see my patient. This time, I am no longer a novice nurse but a Nurse Preceptor—a mentor for nurses entering the

QUEENS - Law enforcement officials raided several locations illegally selling marijuana and edibles including a weed mobile across the street from a school. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the takedown of three illegal cannabis operations resulting in the arrest of five individuals who were charged in connection with their roles in allegedly operating illegal mobile marijuana dispensaries from two trucks in Astoria, and an illegal smoke shop in Ozone Park located directly across the street from a middle school.   District Attorney Katz said: “Unlicensed sellers are undercutting legal vendors as they are just getting started, denying badly needed tax revenues for essential public services. The illegal outlets also are the focus of numerous community complaints, including for selling hallucinogens and edible marijuana products that have sickened young people and are marketed to children. I congratulate my team for their outstanding work and thank