NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Senior citizens in New York City on Wednesday gathered in Manhattan to call on Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo to reopen senior centers in the five boroughs.
“Why would we keep senior centers closed at a time when everything else is opening up,” asked one demonstrator.
Senior citizens who gathered say much of their population in New York City is vaccinated and note that centers are a way for them to overcome the isolation caused by the pandemic.
“To see everybody that you haven't seen and know that they’re surviving – we follow rules. I’m 72-years-old, I have to follow rules, or I wouldn’t be here,” said Rosalind Rickets.
Rickets is part of an early riser group, who she calls “La Familia,” at the Goddard Riverside Senior Center on the Upper West Side. She says they used to meet for breakfast at the center daily but, have not done so since it was closed in March 2020.
Caroline Trim, who also came to demand the center be reopened, says the facility used to see 150 seniors pass through daily, and is confident the centers members will be safe.
“We have enough space that we can really be six feet apart. And we’re the generation where we’re used to rules and regulations. We will follow the rules,” Trim said.
On Monday, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer sent a letter to Gov. Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio asking that the centers reopen. She says keeping them closed only leads to more depression and social isolation among a highly vaccinated population.
“How come the senior centers are closed and the gym is open? The coffee shop is open! The restaurant is open, and the museum is open! The senior centers need to open,” Brewer said at the Wednesday rally.
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