• Newark:

1736 positive cases

68 deaths (8 more than yesterday)

• Essex County:

5,078 positive cases

232 deaths

• New Jersey:

44,416 positive cases

50,558 negative

1,232 deaths

• Today, we had a Zoom meeting with the 4 mayors of the cities we’re partnering with and our public safety directors, can give insight to what we’ve been doing.

• Testimony from a nurse sheroe (queenbee911) who reached out to Mayor Baraka to share that while she was comforting a patient she had to leave to tend to 14 other patients and when she came back the first one had passed away from COVID-19.  

• Thank you to caregivers and healthcare officials.

• People between the ages of 30 and 50 have more cases than our Seniors, and should be home. People should not be out here business as usual.

• We are continuing to serve meals – with a focus on our Seniors and our Residents without Addresses (homeless).

     o To help with the order that requires them to not leave the 224 Sussex Avenue shelter, we are serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. 600 meals a day (200 breakfast, 200 lunch, 200 dinner)

    o Newark Housing Authority and our Fire Department are still serving meals to the Seniors

• If you want to give, please donate to the United Way of Greater Newark.  The fund is called the Community COVID-19 Fund. Here is the link to contribute: https://uwnewark.org/covid19/fund/. There is also a Text to give - text COVIDFUND to 50155

• Every Tuesday there’s an interfaith Newark Day of Prayer and Fasting from 6am to 6pm, where our community prays ward by ward. The number to call to join in is 425-436-6345; access code is 347898#.

• For everyone who prays, please continue to lift up our City and World in your prayers.

• Reach out to federal representatives to urge the President to use the Defense Production Act, which will allow the government to mandate certain companies to produce the things we need such as masks, gowns, ventilators so we don’t have to deal with price gouging. It’s a wartime act and we are in the middle of a war fighting a silent killer COVID-19.

• We are struggling with the Census. The website is www.2020census.gov and you can also find the phone numbers on our website. We are going to need that money; fill out your form with your family.

• Gov. Murphy just signed an executive order that allows public sector employees to come back to work without affecting their pension. We need essential employees (i.e. nurses, police officers, firemen)

• Mental health numbers were given out yesterday, if you need those please check the key points for April 6.

• Mayor Baraka shared that he’s going to start ending with a poem. Today’s is by Lucille Clifton, “Won’t You Celebrate With Me”

‍

won't you celebrate with me

what i have shaped into

a kind of life? i had no model.

born in babylon

both nonwhite and woman

what did i see to be except myself?

i made it up

here on this bridge between

starshine and clay,

my one hand holding tight

my other hand; come celebrate

with me that everyday

something has tried to kill me

• Words of encouragement: Love life, keep living, stay safe, stay positive. God speed.