The situation with coronavirus in New York: the number of cases, the work of transport and institutions

The number of patients with coronavirus in New York rose to 216 people. Many schools have switched to online learning. Authorities are urging business owners to pay quarantined employees and transfer the rest of the staff to work online. Read more about what is happening in the state in connection with the epidemic COVID-19, told the publication Newsday.

What's going on

In NYC over the past two days, the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus has increased dramatically. Today, 52 cases of COVID-19 have been identified here, according to the State Department of Health.

Mayor Bill De Blasio in an interview with Channel 11 said: “We must admit that the more tests we do, the more cases we will find. Thank God we got to the truth. ” He urged people to avoid crowded subway cars, if possible to work from home and go to work after hours.

From Tuesday, March 10, the number of confirmed positive coronavirus test results all over new york state increased by 43 cases, to 216. This was stated by State Governor Andrew Cuomo. According to him, the staff plans to use 28 laboratories for testing.

В nassau county 28 cases of COVID-19 have already been confirmed.

В Suffolk County the number of cases rose to six people.

Training

In connection with the epidemic of coronavirus, SUNY and CUNY students will continue to study remotely, via the Internet, or using other mechanisms, the report said. According to State Governor Andrew Cuomo, some classes and activities, such as laboratory classes, can still be held on campuses.

Melissa DeRosa, Secretary of the Governor, said talks with SUNY and CUNY on how to deal with the final exams are ongoing. However, according to her, most likely, the exams will take place personally.

Work

Regarding work, the governor said he would ask the state legislature to pass a bill requiring employers to pay quarantined workers to prevent the spread of the virus.

Cuomo also added that he spoke with hundreds of business leaders and asked them to voluntarily allow workers to work from home or in different shifts to keep them away from each other and avoid getting infected with the virus.

The test is

The United States is lagging behind in testing the population, the governor said. Today, the country has 5000 tests per day, compared to South Korea (15000 tests) and China (up to 200 tests per day). "Our ability to conduct tests is nowhere near where it should be," Cuomo said.

At the same time, he added that 28 laboratories will begin testing for the virus. These are the laboratories the health department has worked with, and they have experience in virology, the governor said.

Some of them are still awaiting the approval of testing protocols from the US Food and Drug Administration, he added.

On the subject: How coronavirus has affected everyday life in New York: local observations

In addition, the health department is developing a test for antibodies that fight the new coronavirus, Cuomo said. This will allow the state to find people who once carried the virus in order to better track the spread of the disease, he said.

Number of cases COVID-19

In Hempstead in nassau county 20 cases were found, three in Oyster Bay and two in North Hempstead. Acting County Governor Laura Curran said so on March 11, before Cuomo announced three additional cases.

In Nassau, 153 people are in mandatory quarantine and 79 are in “precautionary quarantine,” Curran said.

The last two cases in Suffolk County - These are the men living in Brookhaven, said County Executive Steve Bellone. Both are in isolation at Stony Brook University Hospital. Another 20-year-old man with coronavirus is also in this hospital. He lives in Brookhaven, Bellone said.

In addition, eight people are under quarantine in Suffolk, Bellone said. An 80-year-old man diagnosed with coronavirus is in St. Catherine’s Hospital in Smithtown.

All of these people were infected with the virus while in their cities, and not while traveling abroad, Bellone noted.

The district also monitors the condition of 72 people who recently returned home from abroad and are in preventive quarantine; these people have no signs of coronavirus yet, he said.

Suffolk authorities reported that the centers for the elderly in the cities of East Hampton, Southold and Riverhead are closed, but the centers continue to provide meals to patients home. Elderly people are believed to be particularly vulnerable to coronavirus, as are patients with weak immunity and other diseases.

Suffolk County Information Technology Commissioner Scott Mastellon said Wednesday that officials were considering acquiring technology that would allow employees to work from home. For this, he said, it will be necessary to purchase webcams for nearly 10 employees, which may cause difficulties.

The fact is that an epidemic can cause the financial condition of local authorities to suffer. A report from the Suffolk County Budget Review Office said the county’s “high probability” budget assumptions would change due to lower sales tax revenues, in part due to lower consumer spending, and that the county’s revenue from Jake's 58 casinos could fall.

Transport

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) began twice as often to sanitize subway stations. Previously, such measures were carried out once a day, officials said. Thus, they count on preventing the spread of the virus among passengers.

According to MTA officials, disinfection focuses on frequently used surfaces such as turnstiles, ticket machines and handrails.

Nicholas Peluso, national representative of the Transportation Communication Union, which employs 150 LIRR station cleaners, said the plan might require the involvement of former station cleaners.

Disinfection protocols will be strengthened at the Metro-North station in New Rochelle, the city that has the largest group of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States. A special team was sent to this station, MTA officials said.

In addition, the MTA continues to disinfect its entire fleet every 72 hours, including nearly 1400 LIRR train wagons.

Meanwhile, Amtrak, the owner of Penn Station, announced on March 11 an increase in cleaning frequency on trains and stations.

Amtrak also announced the suspension of three trains running between New York and Washington, “due to lower demand,” and is considering other schedule changes.

The shipping company Bridgeport and Port Jefferson Steamboat Co., which operates ferries across Long Island Sound, has announced that it will operate two of its three vessels before further notice. It also increases the number of personnel responsible for cleaning ships and terminals.

Greenport Harbor Brewing Co., Pekonik, March 11, began to thoroughly clean the premises after one of the employees confirmed the disease COVID-19.

In other local events, the Nassau Republican Party has canceled one of its largest fundraising events, the Theodore Roosevelt dinner, which usually attracts around 1000 people. It was to take place at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury.

Overpriced

In Nassau, the Department of Consumer Affairs is investigating a number of cases of manipulating the prices of goods that are in demand during the coronavirus epidemic (wipes, disinfectants, etc.).

Several businesses were fined $ 5000. Among them: a gas station in Great Lake, where hand sanitizer was sold for $ 10, instead of $ 3; a store in Hicksville selling small bottles of 7-Eleven hand sanitizer for $ 13. Syosset also allegedly sold masks at an inflated price of $ 16 each.

“Masks are our biggest concern right now,” says David Nemiroff, President and CEO of Long Island FQHC Inc., a non-profit organization that oversees 10 health centers in Nassau County that serve many underprivileged residents. ...

Centers that serve between 500 and 700 people a day would have an even smaller supply of masks if they had not asked the county to provide more last week, he added.

Recall that on March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the spread of the new coronavirus has reached the stage of a pandemic, as most countries and all continents are affected.

As ForumDaily New York wrote earlier:

• As of the end of January, deadly coronavirus spread rapidly worldwidefrom Wuhan (China), where it is believed that it originated. In this regard, New York began to prepare for the "inevitable" epidemic.
• In mid-February, it was reported as Chinese coronavirus has affected the economy in New York State, but did not affect the health of residents.
• In late February, it became known that New York will spend $ 40 million to prepare to the expected outbreak of coronavirus.
• March 2 in New York confirmed first coronavirus infection.
• March 3 New Yorkers began to stock up on non-perishable productsand household items as fears grow that the outbreak of the new virus will become nationwide.
• March 10, it became known that New York began to release own hand sanitizer.
• March 11, it became known that in New York will create the first quarantine zone in the United States.
• Also on March 11th it became known that some New York schools and universities closed or switched to online training due to COVID-19.
• At the same time, amid the panic over COVID-19 Broadway tickets getting cheaper.