The Briefly for April 15, 2020 – The "All Hail New York City's New Kings: The Rats" Edition
Today - Low: 43˚ High: 52˚
Partly cloudy throughout the day.
The details are sparse, but the mayor said NYC would begin producing 50,000 of its own COVID-19 tests each week in May. If 50k New Yorkers were tested each week, it would only take three years to test us all. (Kathleen Culliton for Patch) NYC added 3,778 to the total novel coronavirus death count on Tuesday, bringing the total number above 10,000. The new total number of deaths include people who died at home or in nursing homes but did not have a positive test result. People whose death certificates don't mention COVID-19 were still not counted, which would be an additional 8,184 deaths. (Erin Durkin for Politico) How can we find the cowards who fled the city during the pandemic? Check the trash. (Gabriel Sandoval, Ann Choi and Rosa Goldensohn for The City) With less trash on the streets, New York City will have a new king. ALL HAIL OUR NEW LEADERS, THE RATS! (David Cruz for Gothamist) An interactive map of novel coronavirus cases by zip code. (Michelle Young for Untapped New York) The MTA announced health insurance for spouses and independents for three years and a $500,000 lump sum payment for the families of transit workers who die from COVID-19. (Kathleen Culliton for Patch) Okay, so you've been home for a very long time. What do you want in your next home? (Michele Petry for StreetEasy) A directory of mutual-aid networks, some borough specific and some citywide. (Maya Kaufman for Patch) How to make space in kitchen cabinets, essential cookware, what to keep in a smaller-than-usual fridge, the spices you need, and more as a part of how to stock a tiny kitchen. (Jordi Lippe-McGraw for StreetEasy) Getting desperate for something new? How about assembling a glamping text inside your apartment. (Will Gleason for Time Out) The mayor put out a "renter relief" agenda on Monday, but the mayor has no authority to implement it. (Erik Engquist for The Real Deal) Photos: With no cars on the road, New York City's vehicle storage problem has come into focus. (Joseph Anastasio for Untapped New York) Governor Cuomo is moving on from embarrassing Mayor de Blasio in public to standing up to the president, claiming if the president tries to reopen New York Trump would "have a problem," but he's also saying it's not a feud. (Quint Forgey for Politico) Are you ready for an “At-Home Gala” from The Metropolitan Opera? The first Met Gala I'm aware of where pants are 100% optional for everyone. (Devin Gannon for 6sqft) San Francisco limited third-party delivery services to a 10% commission inspired city officials to ask for something similar in New York. Typical commissions are usually around 30%. (Erika Adams for Eater) There's a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York alleging delivery companies violated U.S. antitrust laws by requiring that the restaurants charge customers the same price for dining in and delivery. (Tanay Warerkar for Eater) The idea of giving birth during this pandemic is terrifying, but it's happened hundreds of times across the city since the start of March. Inside the Brooklyn Hospital Center, not a single baby has been lost, even if their mother tested positive for COVID-19. (Sheri Fink for NY Times) RIP Hank Steinbrenner, co-owner of the Yankees and the eldest son of George Steinbrenner. His death was not COVID-19-related. (Joe Pantorno for amNewyork Metro) Remember when you were told to wear a mask, even if it was a Spider-Man mask? All the respect in the world to the New Yorkers out there wearing Spider-Man masks to stay safe. (EV Grieve) Video: I can't get enough of these drone videos of an empty New York. (Shaye Weaver for Time Out) It's a fridge full of free food in Bed-Stuy on Van Buren St. Volunteers at Community Solidarity, who run free food markets, restock the fridge multiple times a day. (Rose Adams for Brooklyn Paper) It's the other side of rising prices in a crisis, how suppliers are raising prices and how higher prices trickle down to the consumer. (Kitty Greenwald for Gothamist) You see a seemingly endless list of sandwiches named for celebrities and you panic. Do you choose the Obama, Korean, Mona Lisa, Jackie Chan, Bernie Sanders, Mr. Bloom, or one of the dozen others? A review of Sunny & Annie’s Jackie Chan. (Robert Sietsema for Eater) A look inside the operations of the field hospital in Central Park. The group, Samaritan's Purse, has set up field hospitals in Mosul, Bangladesh, Ecuador, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and now New York City. (Sheri Fink for NY Times) The Special Commissioner for Investigations for city schools is probing the Department of Education’s bid to quiet coronavirus infection information in the chaotic days before schools were closed. (Greg B. Smith for The City) 30 great spots for burger delivery. (Matt Tervooren for The Infatuation) Thanks to reader Xan for today's featured photo!