March 30, 2020

Council Member Joe Borelli has sent a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio, calling on them to work with pension boards to ensure that first responders or essential employees of any city agency, state agency, or public authority, who perishes from COVID-19 is presumed to have contracted the virus in the course of their work, and are, as a result, entitled to full contractual line of duty death benefits.

He is joined by Staten Island Borough President James Oddo, Council Member Steven Matteo, Council Member Debi Rose, NYS Assembly Member Nicole Malliotakis, NYS Assembly Member Mike Reilly, NYS Assembly Member Charles Fall, NYS Senator Andrew Lanza, NYS Assembly Member Mike Cusick, NYS Senator Diane Savino, and NYC Council Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo, and NYC Council Members Francisco Moya, Paul Vallone, Andy Cohen, Chaim Deutsch, Carlina Rivera, Bob Holden, Margaret Chin, Justin Brannan and Mark Treyger.