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September 11 Memorial Lays Off Staff Members and Furloughs Others September 11 Memorial Lays Off Staff Members and Furloughs Others
(8 days later)
Since its subterranean galleries opened in 2014, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in Lower Manhattan has depended upon income from millions of visitors to pay for programming, operating costs and security.Since its subterranean galleries opened in 2014, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in Lower Manhattan has depended upon income from millions of visitors to pay for programming, operating costs and security.
Now, deprived of ticket revenue because of the coronavirus pandemic and facing a deficit of up to $45 million over the next year, the organization has started a fund-raising campaign and resorted to furloughs and layoffs that affect almost 60 percent of its staff.Now, deprived of ticket revenue because of the coronavirus pandemic and facing a deficit of up to $45 million over the next year, the organization has started a fund-raising campaign and resorted to furloughs and layoffs that affect almost 60 percent of its staff.
“We’ve had to make difficult and painful decisions to forestall the deficit and address the loss of revenue,” the memorial and museum’s president and chief executive, Alice M. Greenwald, said in a statement, adding: “It is not easy to let go of dear friends and colleagues who have contributed so much to this sacred place.”“We’ve had to make difficult and painful decisions to forestall the deficit and address the loss of revenue,” the memorial and museum’s president and chief executive, Alice M. Greenwald, said in a statement, adding: “It is not easy to let go of dear friends and colleagues who have contributed so much to this sacred place.”
Although the outdoor memorial is scheduled to reopen on July 4, the museum is expected to remain closed for now, in accordance with city and state guidelines.Although the outdoor memorial is scheduled to reopen on July 4, the museum is expected to remain closed for now, in accordance with city and state guidelines.
The eight-acre memorial, with sunken granite pools in the footprints of the ruined towers, opened in 2011. Battles over financing delayed the opening of the 110,000-square-foot museum, constructed 70 feet below the memorial site, until 2014.The eight-acre memorial, with sunken granite pools in the footprints of the ruined towers, opened in 2011. Battles over financing delayed the opening of the 110,000-square-foot museum, constructed 70 feet below the memorial site, until 2014.
Since then visitors from all 50 states and more than 170 countries have come to the museum, which is filled with artifacts that evoke the pain and sacrifice of the people touched by the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The museum’s collection includes part of the fuselage of American Airlines Flight 11, the passenger jet that struck the north tower; steel fragments from that tower’s facade; and the charred shell of a fire truck.Since then visitors from all 50 states and more than 170 countries have come to the museum, which is filled with artifacts that evoke the pain and sacrifice of the people touched by the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The museum’s collection includes part of the fuselage of American Airlines Flight 11, the passenger jet that struck the north tower; steel fragments from that tower’s facade; and the charred shell of a fire truck.
The collection also includes an assortment of everyday items — a pair of glasses, a comb, a wallet, a wedding ring — that were recovered from the rubble of the towers and had belonged to people who perished there.The collection also includes an assortment of everyday items — a pair of glasses, a comb, a wallet, a wedding ring — that were recovered from the rubble of the towers and had belonged to people who perished there.
Officials with the memorial and museum said that it does not regularly get city or state money. It has received $4.6 million from the federal Paycheck Protection Program that will go toward payroll, rent and utilities, they added, and has applied for a grant of $2 million in government money made available under the 9/11 Memorial Act.Officials with the memorial and museum said that it does not regularly get city or state money. It has received $4.6 million from the federal Paycheck Protection Program that will go toward payroll, rent and utilities, they added, and has applied for a grant of $2 million in government money made available under the 9/11 Memorial Act.
Earned revenue, mainly museum admissions, covers more than 95 percent of the memorial and museum’s annual expenses, the officials said, adding that the organization’s annual operating expenses of about $80 million had recently been cut by about 50 percent, in part through furloughs and layoffs.Earned revenue, mainly museum admissions, covers more than 95 percent of the memorial and museum’s annual expenses, the officials said, adding that the organization’s annual operating expenses of about $80 million had recently been cut by about 50 percent, in part through furloughs and layoffs.
Out of 337 employees, 148 had been laid off, memorial and museum officials said, 138 had been retained and 51 had been furloughed. Hourly staff members will receive $500 in severance. Other severance packages are based upon years of employment, with a minimum of $5,000 and a maximum of $20,000.Out of 337 employees, 148 had been laid off, memorial and museum officials said, 138 had been retained and 51 had been furloughed. Hourly staff members will receive $500 in severance. Other severance packages are based upon years of employment, with a minimum of $5,000 and a maximum of $20,000.
Updated June 24, 2020
Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles.
A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico.
The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth.
The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
The organization has also implemented tiered salary reductions for all full-time employees. Those ranged from five percent for lower paid employees to 15 percent for Ms. Greenwald, who was listed in 2018 tax documents, the most recent that are publicly available, as receiving a base salary of $530,000.The organization has also implemented tiered salary reductions for all full-time employees. Those ranged from five percent for lower paid employees to 15 percent for Ms. Greenwald, who was listed in 2018 tax documents, the most recent that are publicly available, as receiving a base salary of $530,000.
Because the pandemic has limited travel and tourism, it is likely to be difficult for the museum to match its previous attendance numbers immediately upon reopening, officials with the institution said. That is part of what has prompted the creation of a page on its website that asks for donations and cites one of its most ardent supporters, former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.Because the pandemic has limited travel and tourism, it is likely to be difficult for the museum to match its previous attendance numbers immediately upon reopening, officials with the institution said. That is part of what has prompted the creation of a page on its website that asks for donations and cites one of its most ardent supporters, former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.
“The 9/11 Memorial is a beacon of hope as this city recovers from a health crisis,” Mr. Bloomberg, the chairman of the board of the memorial and museum, is quoted as saying, “And it will provide inspiration to many around the world.”“The 9/11 Memorial is a beacon of hope as this city recovers from a health crisis,” Mr. Bloomberg, the chairman of the board of the memorial and museum, is quoted as saying, “And it will provide inspiration to many around the world.”
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