New York City Council Members Call Out 'Serious Dysfunction' Behind The Scenes Of City's Coronavirus Response
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- There's more fallout from City Hall as council members blast infighting between the city's top health agencies during the coronavirus pandemic.
New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot wasn't at Mayor Bill de Blasio's daily press conference again Friday after being absent on Thursday.
The mayor says he still hasn't spoken to Barbot about the alleged heated phone call in March between her and NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan over PPE for police when she allegedly said, "I don't give two rats' a***** about your cops. I need them for others."
"I've talked to Chief Monahan and I will be speaking to Commissioner Barbot this weekend," de Blasio said.
The health department says Barbot apologized, but it's still unclear what, if anything, Chief Monahan said and why two months later the call is now playing out in the public.
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The mayor was also asked about a March 10 email written by Dr. Mitchell Katz, the president and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals.
In it, he said the city was better off keeping things like schools and the subways open.
"I think there's a whole host of medical professionals who were basing their judgments on what they knew at the time, but it's been an ever-changing reality with this disease," de Blasio said.
Last week, the mayor put Katz's agency in charge of the New York City Test and Trace Corps.
Contact tracing is something the health department used to oversee, having done it for years with Ebola and other infectious diseases.
"What is clear is the serious dysfunction playing out behind the scenes," Council Speaker Corey Johnson said.
"I'm disappointed that our two health-related agencies have had their infighting exposed," said Councilwoman Carlina Rivera.
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On Friday, the City Council held a hearing on the switch in authority.
"There's no reason to pretend that everybody is happy with it," Katz said.
Katz told the council his agency is better equipped for the massive task, since it not only involves contact tracing but also testing and isolating.
"Two of the three pillars necessary for success were already in Health and Hospitals. The testing piece was already Health and Hospitals and the hotel program that would isolate and quarantine people," Katz said. "Health and Hospitals is able to hire people rapidly, makes a difference."
Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, of the department of health and mental hygiene, also answered questions about the partnership.
"We are providing 40 of our best staff," he said.
The agencies say despite reports of fighting, they are working together because they believe the most important thing is having the program succeed.