Message from Commissioner Hendon on COVID-19

During this crisis, DVS will continue to provide the essential services that New York City veterans have come to depend on as well as serve as a linchpin of information for how this is impacting our community. Please follow us at @nycveterans on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram to keep abreast of vital news to veterans, service members, and their families.

At DVS our top priority is your safety. To that end, I also wanted to provide some facts about the virus that I hope will alleviate any concerns that you have.

About the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause a range of illnesses from the common cold, to pneumonia. COVID-19 is a new coronavirus identified in December 2019. The incubation period, or the period between exposure to infection and appearance of symptoms, is estimated to be 2-14 days. Symptoms can range from asymptomatic (displaying no symptoms), to mild to severe and can include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath

Transmission
Coronaviruses most commonly spread from an infected person to others through droplets released over short distances, such as when the person coughs or sneezes.

General Infection Prevention Strategies
The NYC Health Department continues to advise the following infection prevention strategies for common respiratory viruses (e.g., influenza or “flu,” “common cold viruses”). These same strategies should be used for COVID-19. These include:

• Stay home if you are sick.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing (in the absence of a tissue, cough or sneeze into your shirt sleeve or bent arm).
• Keep your hands clean (wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds). Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Get the flu shot (at this time, there are no current vaccinations for coronaviruses).

Face Masks
In line with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the NYC Health Department does not recommend the routine use of masks if you are healthy. It is important to note that individuals wear face masks for many reasons, including seasonal allergies, pollution or have been directed by their healthcare provider to do so. They should not be harassed or targeted for wearing one.

More Information
For up to date please information, visit the Health Department’s website and social media channels, which are a trusted source.

• Website: www.nyc.gov/coronavirus
• FB: www.facebook.com/nychealth
• Twitter: @nychealthy

If you are experiencing stress or feel anxious, please contact NYC Well at 888-NYC-WELL (888-6929355) or text WELL to 65173. NYC Well is a confidential helpline that is staffed 24/7 by trained counselors who can provide supportive therapy, crisis counseling, and connections to behavioral health treatment, in more than 200 languages.

Thank you.

All the best,
Commissioner James Hendon

Need to Know

The Veterans Advisory Board Meeting, scheduled for Thursday, March 19th, has been canceled due to concerns over COVID-19.

To secure the safety of our constituents, we are planning alternatives to in-person VAB meetings. We will provide updates as soon as possible. For more information about this event, please contact us directly at connect@veterans.nyc.gov.

We have postponed the Hidden Heroes NYC Summit, originally scheduled for Wednesday, April 8th. The summit was to convene community leaders and caregivers to collaborate and share best practices for supporting caregivers in NYC. We will provide a new date for this event soon. 

There’s a way you can support New Yorkers who are about to be impacted by COVID19 - fill out the 2020 Census.

VA Updates on COVID-19

To minimize any potential exposure, the New York Harbor Health Care System is conducting active screenings for all patients, visitors, and employees.  The following locations have modified visitation hours and updated information on new admissions:

New York VA Medical Center: Restricted visitation. Active screening at the front entrance from 6:00 am to 7:00 pm.  No entry for visitors during the hours of 7:00 pm to 6:00 am. Visitors must be 15 years old and above. 

Brooklyn VA Medical Center: Restricted visitation. Active screening at the front entrance from 6:00 am to 7:00 pm and at the rear entrance during the hours of 7:00 am to 4:00 pm.  No entry for visitors during the hours of 7:00 pm to 6:00 am. Visitors must be 15+ years old. 

The number of visitors per patient will be limited at both the New York VA Medical Center and the Brooklyn VA Medical Center. Additional restrictions may be imposed based on the patient’s clinical status.

St. Albans Community Living Center: All visitation to the St. Albans Community Living Center in Queens has been suspended and all VA nursing homes have suspended new admissions. However, they can accept resident transfers from other VA facilities once medical personnel has determined they are not at risk for infection or transmitting the infection.

Inpatient Locations:  One visitor per adult patient.

Emergency Departments: Visitors are prohibited in ED patient areas. For patients requiring assistance, one visitor may be permitted.

Outpatient Locations: One person is allowed to accompany each patient to an appointment unless an aide or assistant is required. 

STAY CONNECTED with VA NY Harbor Updates:
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/VANYHarbor
Twitter:  https://tinyurl.com/r23v8ey
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/vanyharbor/
 

What does this mean to me?

The answer depends on the type of action taken by the school, the timing of the action, and how the current program is approved.

• If your school temporarily closes because of an emergency situation, VA may continue benefit payments (including the Monthly Housing Allowance under the Post-9/11 GI Bill) for up to 4 weeks during a 12-month period.

• If your school remains open (virtually, rather than physically), and you are now taking online classes, then your benefit payments will be impacted as follows:
• If the change from training in-residence to online classes happens during the term, and your program has been approved by the State Approving Agency for delivery through an online modality, your benefit payments will remain the same for the rest of the term.
• For any future terms that are solely online, your housing allowance will be reduced to one-half of the national average of DoD’s Basic Allowance for Housing rates for an E-5 with dependents.
• The most important thing you need to know is if your program has not been approved by the State Approving Agency for an online modality, all of your education benefit payments will stop when you begin your training online.

We understand Congress is looking to address this issue.

If you have questions about your specific circumstance, please contact the Education Call Center at 1-888-442-4551 between 8 am and 7 pm Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. 

For additional information on how COVID-19 may impact education benefits visit the SVA's Frequently Asked Question page here. 

For the latest news on legislation regarding student veteran benefits, see the COVID-19 News section below. 

Veteran Events 

COVID-19 News

Additional Resources