Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Covid Survivors Resolution topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Assembly adopts resolution recognizing COVID Survivors Day; members and survivors speak on lasting impacts
Summary
The Assembly adopted a resolution recognizing March 31, 2025, as COVID Survivors Day. Lawmakers and survivors spoke about loss, long COVID and the need for support services.
The New York State Assembly on March 31 adopted a legislative resolution recognizing March 31, 2025, as COVID Survivors Day, and members used the floor to recall the pandemic's toll and highlight survivors' ongoing needs.
Assemblymember Cruz, sponsor of the resolution (Assembly No. 288), said the date "holds a painful place in our state's history" and described the resolution as a call for research, support services and equitable health-care access for people living with long COVID. Cruz named and recognized survivors and advocates present in the gallery and described losses and ongoing hardships tied to the pandemic.
Several members spoke in support. A member who identified himself as a COVID survivor described being hospitalized and spending weeks in intensive care: "I spent two weeks on a ventilator...I spent 33 days in ICU," he said, recounting the personal aftermath and expressing thanks to health-care workers. Assemblymember Chang, who said he served during the Javits Center conversion and worked on vaccine and recovery efforts, recalled witnessing hundreds of deaths and thanked volunteers and medical examiners who responded during the crisis. Other members praised survivors' advocacy and the work of community networks represented at the session.
The resolution was adopted by voice vote after floor remarks. The clerk announced the resolutions taken together, members voted "aye" and the chair declared the resolution adopted.
Why it matters: advocates and lawmakers said the measure both recognizes survivors and signals ongoing policy needs—research, support services, workers' compensation for affected essential workers, and mental-health supports for caretakers and frontline staff. The sponsor noted specific individuals and advocacy groups present and called for continued attention to the long-term effects of COVID-19.
Text and next steps: the item was introduced as Assembly Resolution 288; the floor record includes sponsor remarks and survivor testimonies but does not record implementation directives. Readers interested in the resolution text should consult the official legislative records for the adopted language.
