Good Evening,
 
I hope this email finds you safe, well, and as emotionally centered as could be expected right now. 
 
I'd like to start by thanking Gowanus By Design (GBD) , Portside NY and Resilient Red Hook , and anyone else who has shared this newsletter and sign up sheet . It's much appreciated and has helped to share information across our community.
 
The ongoing Covid-19 emergency has forced many businesses to close, jobs to be lost, and those that remain, struggle to survive the best they can. We've heard from community members, small business owners, business representatives, and the New York Times , that luxury chains, who already have security systems and gates in place, have been boarding up their storefronts even as crime is dropping . This is not conducive to sustaining the minimal commercial activity that's currently possible. For those reasons, we've sent this letter to the Department of Buildings and are hopeful the situation can be resolved. We don't want luxury brands and chains to hurt our local businesses. 
 
Below my email signature, there are listings of businesses that are still open and, if you can support them, please do. 
 
Before that, it's important to keep driving home why it's vital that we STAY HOME . 
 
When I sent out my previous newsletter on Friday , COVID19 had caused us to lose 519 people in New York State, 366 in New York City, and 82 fellow Brooklynites. That number now stands at 1,218 deaths across New York State , 790 in New York City, and 188 in Brooklyn .
 
There are now 66,6497 confirmed COVID-19 cases in New York State , 33,474 in New York Cit y , and 8,887 in Brooklyn. On Friday, those numbers stood at  44,635 in New York State , 25,573 in New York Cit y , and 6,750 in Brooklyn. 

COVID-19 doesn't discriminate. So, please, unless you are needed on the front lines, stay at home, if you are among those keeping society intact, THANK YOU .  
 
The more dedicated we are to following these guidelines, the sooner people will be able to greet their neighbors and no longer receive messages from government agencies telling them to stay away from people.  
 
Feel free to share this information ; however, you'd like and stay safe. 

Michael Racioppo, District Manager
Brooklyn Community Board 6

t.   718.643.3027 , ext. 205

P.S Please forgive any typos or brain freezes in the text as I get these updates out in haste at the end of the day, and if there is a community-centric item you think I should know about   please reach out.

P.P.S If you were forwarded this email and want to receive updates directly, sign up by texting BKCB6 to 22828 or using this link . You may also have CB6 updates sent via text message.
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