Astoria councilman to step down following bout with COVID, no special election planned Michael Gartland After suffering a long and difficult battle with COVID, City Councilman Costa Constantinides (D-Astoria) announced Wednesday he’ll be stepping down from elected office to take a job heading a non-profit. Constantinides, the head of the Council’s Environmental Protection Committee, came down with coronavirus early on in the pandemic. Since then, he has been open with his struggles with the disease, as his wife has also faced her own health challenges. “My time in office has not been without heartbreak and challenges at home. My wife has not been well for a long time and her condition has deteriorated over the last seven years,” the Queens councilman said Wednesday. “I am thankful for her love and support despite the challenging personal health struggles she has gone through.”