Corona Virus Effect New York City Lifeline

New York State’s unemployment website crashes

The NYS Labor Department’s website to file for unemployment benefits is having trouble keeping up with the crush of traffic coming it's way. On Tuesday, moves were made to increase capacity, the Times reports:

“We experienced a massive increase in the volume of Unemployment Insurance claims, which slowed down the server,” the department said in a social media post. “It continues to be addressed but now appears to be operational.”

MTA asks for a $4 billion bailout

With subway ridership down 60 per cent, bus ridership down almost 50 per cent, and commuter rail ridership down almost 90 per cent, the Metropolitan Transit Authority wrote to New York’s News Congressional delegation on Tuesday requesting a $4 billion bailout package. Of those funds, $300 million would go to cleaning costs related to combating the infection, while the other $3.7 billion would buttress the continent’s largest public transportation system through the period of decreased traffic.

Mayor de Blasio: New Yorkers should prepare for shelter-in-place order; Cuomo disagrees

Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Tuesday afternoon that Press Release Distribution News New York City residents should prepare for a shelter-in-place order, as it is definitely a possibility. The mayor said the decision would be likely within the next 48 hours.