Throughout New York City, residents are stomping on spotted red insects on sight. And yet, no matter how many crushed spotted lanternflies litter the sidewalks, more living ones seem to appear on trees and benches throughout Morningside Heights and West Harlem.

Angel Quince Cancel was wary of cannabis growing up. An East Harlem native, Cancel’s initial distaste for the drug stemmed from his environment growing up.

As a group of police approached his mobile dispensary, the Green Truck, Mikey looked nervously over his jars of cannabis flower. He geared up to “handle the situation,” but the officers were not there to harass him this time—they were just looking for a COVID-19 testing center.

When COVID-19 vaccines first became available in New York City, Central and East Harlem were among the neighborhoods with the lowest rates of vaccination and the highest rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths. Now, with 70 percent of New York City residents vaccinated, Harlem’s vaccination rates have begun to bridge the previous gap and are now up to 64 percent full vaccination in ZIP codes such as 10027, which encompasses Morningside Heights and West Harlem.

This summer, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter announced the New York City Universal Academic Recovery Plan, which aims to address the deficiencies and learning loss following the interruption of traditional schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Part of this plan includes literacy screenings, which will be used to gauge the pandemic’s effects on kindergarten through second grade students.

Last week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that New York state would be significantly expanding vaccine eligibility, with all New Yorkers above the age of 16 becoming eligible for vaccination starting April 6. However, even as vaccine distribution has ramped up across the country and in New York City, West Harlem residents, especially seniors, still face significant uphill battles in getting a vaccine.

April Tyler, a prominent community leader in West Harlem who was known for her advocacy for affordable housing, died on Feb. 16. She was 60 years old. Her unexpected death has impacted many residents in West Harlem, as friends and colleagues mourn her death and reflect on her decades of service to the community.