Press Room

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams released the following statement after Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the creation of a task force focused on the racial disparities in COVID-19 impact as part of the response and recovery to this pandemic. The Public Advocate first called for the creation of the task force after the city released data showing the extent of the disparity in communities of more color.

"I thank the Mayor for answering the call to confront the racial disparities exacerbated by COVID-19 with a task force of experts to rapidly implement an action plan in real time for both the immediate recovery and long-term response to this crisis in communities of more color. Who comprises this task force, how quickly they are empowered to act, and the force of that action are paramount. Throughout this crisis, our government has moved too slowly on all levels, and now we need to be quick and decisive.  "The primary function of this task force cannot be to engage in a long, protracted process of deliberation and study, dwelling on how we got here. We know this disparity was created by a long history of systemic inequities and injustices. Additional delays waste time that the people being devastated by this crisis-- those who are deemed essential but treated as expendable-- just don't have. Ultimately, we need results, not a report, and the work of this task force must have a voice in and be supported by the city's budget.  "I am glad, too, that the Mayor is asking for a preliminary roadmap to recovery - I ask him to review my own Preliminary Response and Recovery Plan, and look forward to working with the administration to create the changes this city needs in the midst and the wake of this crisis."

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams called on the state government to amend restrictions which make it difficult for grieving families to claim their deceased loved ones who have died in the COVID-19 pandemic. This follows concerns that the limited capacity of hospitals and morgues, and the inability to meet the rapid influx of COVID-19 fatalities, has made it increasingly difficult for families to hold individual burials.

In a letter to New York State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker on Thursday, the Public Advocate requested that Section 4144 of New York State Law, requiring that all bodies be removed by a licensed funeral director, be temporarily exempted or amended to allow any paid employee of a funeral home to perform body removal. This, he argued, would vastly increase funeral homes' capacity to empty our city's overcrowded hospitals and morgues.

Public Advocate Williams stated that "Considering the unique nature of this crisis, this regulation appears to do more harm than good by preventing our hospitals and morgues from releasing custody of the deceased in a timely manner," and that "With this change in place, more families would be granted the dignity of giving their loved ones an individual burial, and strain upon our hospitals and morgues would be reduced."

The full text of the Public Advocate's letter is below and can be downloaded here. Dear Commissioner Zucker:

New York City is in the midst of a public health crisis unseen in a century, placing stresses on our systems in ways we never considered. Specifically, I write in regard to the rapid influx of COVID-19 fatalities threatening to overwhelm the limited capacity of our hospitals and morgues. A contributing factor to this issue is that only licensed funeral directors are allowed to transport the deceased.

Considering the unique nature of this crisis, this regulation appears to do more harm than good by preventing our hospitals and morgues from releasing custody of the deceased in a timely manner. As you may be aware, an inability to perform this timely processing has led to troubling mass burials of "unclaimed" bodies on Hart Island.

I believe an appropriate solution to this problem would be to loosen current requirements for removal of remains that are currently dictated by Section 4144 of New York State Law. This law, which requires that all bodies be removed by a licensed funeral director, should be temporarily exempted or amended to allow any paid employee of a funeral home to perform body removal - vastly increasing funeral homes' capacity to empty our city's overcrowded hospitals and morgues. With this change in place, more families would be granted the dignity of giving their loved ones an individual burial, and strain upon our hospitals and morgues would be reduced.

I hope to see expeditious action taken to alleviate this growing problem across our state. For any questions or further discussion, please contact First Deputy Public Advocate for Policy Nick E. Smith, at nsmith@advocate.nyc.gov. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely,

Jumaane D. Williams Public Advocate for the City of New York

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams released the following statement as the holy month of Ramadan begins this evening in the Muslim community.

"I want to wish all of my Muslim brothers and sisters  'Ramadan Mubarak.' This holy month of fasting, charity and prayer is a time for reflection, a time to focus on self-reformation and how best to serve our community. Regardless of one's own personal creed, these are lessons we can all apply to our lives. Even this year, while we are unable to celebrate with traditional large iftars or gather together in prayer with our diverse communities, I know that we can see that same spirit of unity, fellowship, and common purpose with our families, in our homes. Physical distance can be overcome with spiritual closeness.

"In this time of financial hardship for so many, we should remember the practice of zakat, as those of us who are able should do what we can to support our neighbors who are struggling. 

"This month reminds us to pursue peace and justice for every human being. To work to make sure that the practice of America lives up to its promise. I look forward to continuing that work throughout this month and beyond. 

"May this month of Ramadan be a meaningful, spiritual experience."

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams released the following statement after touring two newly opened city-run COVID-19 testing sites and holding a press conference outside a site in one of the hardest-hit regions of the city. Video of that press conference is available here.

"The Mayor's actions to open new testing sites in hard hit areas and the Governor's efforts to expand both testing and treatment within NYCHA are welcome, positive steps, but must be expanded and expedited to meet the overwhelming need. The initial response to this crisis created a vicious and deeply damaging cycle - by failing to implement wide-scale testing in these areas, the full scope of the crisis went unaccounted for and unaddressed, which only further exacerbated the crisis. In places like Throggs Neck and Gun Hill, Borough Park and Mariner's Harbor, COVID-19 continues to take a  disparate toll without adequate testing to meet it. "In order to address the delay and the disparity, to get help to communities most in need, the federal government needs to provide funding directly to New York City. We can't wait for funds to move through the state, we can't wait for Donald Trump to put his name on a check, we need resources immediately- we can't buy back the lost time, but we can work to save lives through enhanced testing and treatment now."

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams released the following statement today in response to Mayor de Blasio's Fiscal Year 2021 Executive Budget.

"Crises are about our choices, and they reveal our priorities. I've always said that it's easy to be progressive in times of surplus, but that when funding is cut or curtailed, it is all the more important to stand by progressive values. Addressing the COVID-19 pandemic has put extraordinary strain on the city's finances, and in accounting for this, human responsibility must be paramount. Sacrifices will be necessary but should not be short-sighted. "The Mayor's stated goals in this budget - protecting New Yorkers' health and safety, securing their food and shelter - are strong guiding principles, particularly in the ways they meet the short-term response to this crisis. In order to create the means for long term recovery, however, it is crucial not to impose extreme austerity in ways which could cause additional harm. Wherever possible, the focus should be on adapting critical programs, not eliminating them. Meeting the needs of this moment without exacerbating those needs long-term - particularly for our most vulnerable communities. "It is an unfortunate fiscal reality that this crisis will require drawing upon our city's reserves. The years spent adding to those reserves were in anticipation of emergency need, but the scope of the health and economic impact of this pandemic on the city that is its epicenter demands further resources. In the state budget, the Governor opposed revenue-raising fairness fees which would help alleviate these cuts, fees which should be included in future legislation. I further implore our federal government to provide drastically expanded aid to the people of our city to help alleviate the budget deficit. "The federal government has both a fiscal and a moral responsibility to provide this aid for the same reason that I urge the city to adapt progressive programs rather than abandon them in this emergency - to meet financial needs and prevent human cost." The Public Advocate previously released a COVID-19 Preliminary Response and Recovery report which highlights how the city could have acted more swiftly in responding to the pandemic, while outlining ways to move forward to better protect lives and mitigate the impact of future crises.  Click here to view the full report.

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams released the following statement calling for the creation of a task force after new data showed the racial disparity in the impact of the COVID-19 public health crisis in New York City.

"As new data continues to show the disparate impact of the COVID-19 crisis on people and communities of more color, the immense toll of the virus on black and brown communities, we need clear vision, targeted expertise, and immediate action. The administration's recently announced efforts at expanded outreach are welcome but weeks late, and much more is required. "The city needs a task force of experts in place to coordinate both the immediate response to and the long-term recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in the communities of color that are being hardest hit. Rather than oversee a protracted process, this group would rapidly implement an action plan in real time to mitigate racial disparities in COVID-19 exposure, testing, access to resources, and fatalities. "I am pursuing legislation to create such a task force, but the time it will take to enact this law is time that the communities of more color that are being devastated by this crisis, the people who are deemed essential but treated as expendable, just don't have. I'm calling on the Mayor to immediately convene the necessary experts with an urgent and clear directive: strengthen communities and save lives."