By: Brooke Pitcoff
It may seem that heroic people and good news are hard to come by. However, there is no shortage in New York. It is very important to focus on the positive aspects of our community in order to see the good in the world. There are many good samaritans in New York that should not be overlooked, and the decline in COVID-19 cases should be celebrated.
There are many New Yorkers who have done great deeds which deserve recognition. One of these people is Maddy Park. Due to the rise in Anti-Asian hate crimes, Park donated thousands to provide Asian-Americans with cab rides so they can avoid public transportation and possibly being the target of an attack. Her charity, CafeMaddyCab, greatly helps the community. Another person that deserves to be highlighted is Patricia Taylor, from Wyandanch, New York. She is a track coach who teaches self-esteem to her runners. Taylor’s acts are very notable and positively impact many people. Another Long Islander, Rick Spellman, saved a life recently. When on a golf course, he used his past CPR training in order to resuscitate a woman who had just suffered a heart attack. There are many good samaritans that do so much to better our community.
In addition, there is a lot of good news in regards to COVID-19. As of May 10th, children ages 12-15 were authorized to get the Pfizer vaccine. This will increase public health and put people at a decreased risk of getting the Coronavirus. Because over fifty percent of New York’s population has been vaccinated, positivity rates have decreased. According to the New York Times COVID tracker, cases have dropped from an average of over 10,000 Covid cases a day earlier this year to just over 1,000 Covid cases a day in May. This progress is saving many lives and is protecting many people from suffering from COVID-19. Because of the increases in the vaccinated population and a lowering positivity rate, mask mandates and restrictions have been eased in many places. This is good news for many Long Island businesses that have been struggling because of the pandemic.
Although it is easy to see the flaws in our community, there are still good people, and there is still positive news out there. Good samaritans of New York deserve to be appreciated because of the great strides they take in making our communities a better place. A decrease in Covid- 19 positivity rates is also great news for New York. With so much sadness in the news this past year, we should train ourselves to see the good and focus more on the ways in which our communities have thrived!
Photo courtesy of New York Post.
