NEW YORK - Mayor Bill de Blasio on Wednesday announced the city is boosting coronavirus testing and staffing at nursing homes.

This comes as questions arise over the well-being of seniors amid the coronavirus pandemic. And with elderly New Yorkers encouraged to stay home to avoid exposure to coronavirus, there are growing concerns over how the city’s most vulnerable population will obtain food and other important services.

City Council member Margaret Chin says the city must ensure seniors living alone have access to home care attendants and healthy food. 

“If we’re talking about keeping seniors at home we’ve got to make sure that they have a home care attendant, whether it’s 24 hours care, so they’re not left alone,” said Chin. “We’ve also got to make sure that they have the nutritious meal program that can keep them healthy and strong."

Earlier this month, Chin, who serves as Chair of the City Council's Committee on Aging, requested $26.2 million in additional funding to boost the city’s home delivery meal (HDM) program.

Chin says this money not only strengthens the program but ensures that elderly new Yorkers are not further compromised during the pandemic.  

“The bottom line is that we’ve got to make sure the senior centers who’ve been providing nutritious meals and the home delivery meal provider who have been doing this for a long time get the resources they need,” Chin told NY1.