Baraka Sends up COVID-19 Distress Signal in Newark
His face covered by a “Newark Strong” mask, Mayor Ras Baraka this morning sent out a distress signal for federal and other aid for his COVIID-19-besieged city, which he estmates more than a $143 million budget loss as a consequence of the crisis.
“We absolutely positively need some assistance or we will be in a very, very, very difficult situation very shortly,” Baraka told reporters at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC).
The COVID-19 numbers in his city:
2,238 women have tested positive for the virus;
2,220 men have tested positive;
128 women have died;
179 men have died.
The city is increasingly finding it hard to run.
“If we don’t get relief, we may even have to lay employees off,” Baraka said.
Services will be impacted: police, code enforcement, water, fire.
“It is important for us to receive dollars, obviously from the county and from the state if we can,” said the mayor.
Also, he said he is urging New Jersey’s federal delegation (U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, and U.S. Representatives Donald Payne and Albio Sires] to push the Menendez bill and to further secure last-crunch resources for Newark and New Jersey.
“We believe Newark and Essex County and Bergen County should get funding based on… need,” said the mayor. “There have been more deaths in Newark than any other city in the state.”
COVID-19 cases are growing amid worries about multiple people not following stay-at-home orders. In particular, residents are not obsevring social distancing measures around liquor stores.
“We have not plateaued yet,” Baraka said, regarding the ongoing influx of COVID-19 cases.
“We are coming to a wall if we don’t act or ask,” he added. “We are facing a deadly situation the wrecking of our budget but our ability to provide services to the city. There’s too much politics being played in D.C. regarding people’s healthcare and their lives in these states [like New Jersey].”
Toward the end of the press conference, the mayor mentioned his intetions to create greater access to COVID-19 testing for Newarkers, envisioned in part as a partnership between the city Housing Authority and Rutgers Medical.
“Prayerfully we’ll be able, by the end of this month, to stand up a few more testing sites,” Baraka said.
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