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N.Y. Braces for Months Under Coronavirus Restrictions: Live Updates N.Y. Braces for Months Under Coronavirus Restrictions: Live Updates
(32 minutes later)
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, appearing on The Times’s podcast “The Daily” this morning, emphasized that his priority remained halting the spread of coronavirus — and not the economic fallout from mandatory closings and business restrictions that have been put in place. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, appearing on The Times’s podcast “The Daily” this morning, emphasized that his priority remained halting the spread of coronavirus — and not the economic fallout from mandatory closings and restrictions that have been put in place.
“You are past the time of monetizing these decisions,” he said.“You are past the time of monetizing these decisions,” he said.
“You are at a point of deciding: how many people are going to live, how many people are going to die?”“You are at a point of deciding: how many people are going to live, how many people are going to die?”
Mr. Cuomo’s comments came halfway through a week in which the authorities have eliminated most public gatherings, shuttered many nonessential businesses and all public schools in the state, as well as in New Jersey and Conecticut. More than 1,500 people in New York have tested positive for the virus, including 814 in New York City. Mr. Cuomo’s comments came halfway through a week in which the authorities have eliminated most public gatherings, shuttered many nonessential businesses and all public schools in the state, as well as in New Jersey and Connecticut.
For the past week, the number of people who have tested positive for the virus in New York State has been increasing by about 35 percent per day, a rate that if it kept up for the next two weeks would yield over 90,000 cases. More than 1,500 people in New York had tested positive for the virus as of Tuesday, up from 950 the day before; 814 of the cases were in the city, including that of a New York Police Department officer at the First Precinct in Lower Manhattan.
For the past week, the number of people who have tested positive for the virus in New York State has increased by about 35 percent per day, a rate that if it kept up for the next two weeks would yield over 90,000 cases.
“We are seeing the enemy on the horizon, and they are approaching very quickly and we don’t have our defense in place,” Mr. Cuomo said. He said the hospital system was likely to be overwhelmed. “There is no way they can handle this.”“We are seeing the enemy on the horizon, and they are approaching very quickly and we don’t have our defense in place,” Mr. Cuomo said. He said the hospital system was likely to be overwhelmed. “There is no way they can handle this.”
He continued: “I’m watching the increase in cases, and you take one measure and you see what the effect was. You take another measure and you see what the effect was. And nothing was having an effect. Nothing we were doing.”He continued: “I’m watching the increase in cases, and you take one measure and you see what the effect was. You take another measure and you see what the effect was. And nothing was having an effect. Nothing we were doing.”
Any other place, any other time, the three white tents set against Long Island Sound in the middle of a public park, with a line of vehicles waiting to get in, could have easily been the scene of a wedding or a garden party. At any other time, the three white tents set against Long Island Sound in the middle of a public park, with a line of vehicles waiting to get in, could have been the scene of a wedding or a garden party.
But the appearance of the people underneath the tents — in silver hazmat suits, face shields and masks — told a different story.
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It is New York State’s first drive-through coronavirus testing center, set in the middle of Glen Island, a 105-acre park connected by drawbridge to the mainland in New Rochelle, an epicenter of the outbreak when the coronavirus emerged in the state this month. But the appearance of the people underneath the tents — in silver hazmat suits, face shields and masks — told a different story.
It is New York State’s first drive-through coronavirus testing center, set in the middle of Glen Island, a 105-acre park connected by drawbridge to the mainland in New Rochelle, just north of New York City, an epicenter of the outbreak when the coronavirus emerged in the state this month.
New York is among roughly 10 states that have set up drive-through testing centers, as state and local leaders look to compensate for an acute shortage of tests in the United States.New York is among roughly 10 states that have set up drive-through testing centers, as state and local leaders look to compensate for an acute shortage of tests in the United States.
Mayor Bill de Blasio warned New York City residents on Tuesday afternoon to prepare for the possibility of a “shelter in place” order within the next 48 hours.Mayor Bill de Blasio warned New York City residents on Tuesday afternoon to prepare for the possibility of a “shelter in place” order within the next 48 hours.
“It is definitely a possibility at this point,” he said at a City Hall news conference, where he acknowledged that such a move had to be coordinated with state officials.“It is definitely a possibility at this point,” he said at a City Hall news conference, where he acknowledged that such a move had to be coordinated with state officials.
Mr. de Blasio did not elaborate on what such an order would look like in New York City, but a similar directive in California’s Bay Area requires people to stay at home except for essential activities.Mr. de Blasio did not elaborate on what such an order would look like in New York City, but a similar directive in California’s Bay Area requires people to stay at home except for essential activities.
Not long after the mayor made his comments, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo tamped down any suggestion that a shelter-in-place order was imminent.Not long after the mayor made his comments, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo tamped down any suggestion that a shelter-in-place order was imminent.
“Any blanket quarantine or shelter in place policy would require state action and as the governor has said, there is no consideration of that for any locality at this time,” Melissa DeRosa, a top aide to Mr. Cuomo, said in a statement. “There’s not going to be any quarantine, where we contain people within an area, or we block people from an area,” Mr. Cuomo said. “Individual mobility is what we’re all about. There’s not going to be any you-have-to-stay-in-your-house rule.”
Calling in to the NY1 cable channel later in the day, Mr. Cuomo reiterated that position. More than 200 people gathered for a wedding in Williamsburg on Tuesday, dancing in the street after the Fire Department broke up the party following complaints from neighbors (and one of the wedding musicians). Gatherings of more than 50 people have been banned in New York State since Monday.
“There’s not going to be any quarantine, where we contain people within an area, or we block people from an area,” he said. “Individual mobility is what we’re all about. There’s not going to be any you-have-to-stay-in-your-house rule.” “Everything was exactly how it would have been if there hadn’t been any kind of a pandemic,” said one of the musicians, who declined to be named because he feared losing future jobs. “I was assuming it would be canceled.”
Several large weddings have been held in New York’s Hasidic community in recent days, community activists said, highlighting the challenges of persuading people to follow public-health restrictions.
They also raised questions about coronavirus preparedness in the Hasidic community, which was hit hard by a measles outbreak that began in 2018.
Mordy Getz, a local businessman, called the gatherings “very painful” and said they did not represent the mainstream Hasidic community in New York. He blamed the influence of a small number of “extremist leaders.”
“There has been a total disrespect to everything medical authorities and the government have been telling us to do,” Mr. Getz said. “It is total defiance.”
New York City’s public transportation system, the largest in North America, is seeking a $4 billion federal bailout as the coronavirus pandemic triggers an extraordinary free fall in ridership as part of what is likely to be the local economy’s worst crisis in decades.New York City’s public transportation system, the largest in North America, is seeking a $4 billion federal bailout as the coronavirus pandemic triggers an extraordinary free fall in ridership as part of what is likely to be the local economy’s worst crisis in decades.
In a letter on Tuesday to New York’s congressional delegation, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs the city’s subway and buses and two commuter railroads, said that subway ridership had plunged 60 percent and bus ridership had fallen 49 percent on Monday compared with the same day last year.In a letter on Tuesday to New York’s congressional delegation, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs the city’s subway and buses and two commuter railroads, said that subway ridership had plunged 60 percent and bus ridership had fallen 49 percent on Monday compared with the same day last year.
Other parts of the system experienced similarly steep drops during the Tuesday morning rush compared with the same day last year: 90 percent on the Metro-North Railroad, which serves communities north of New York City, and 67 percent on the Long Island Rail Road. Ridership was down 90 percent on the Metro-North Railroad, which serves communities north of New York City, and 67 percent on the Long Island Rail Road.
“The M.T.A. is now facing financial calamity,” Patrick J. Foye, chairman of the transit authority, said in the letter.“The M.T.A. is now facing financial calamity,” Patrick J. Foye, chairman of the transit authority, said in the letter.
Almost a dozen calls with five health care providers over five hours. Two hours of hold music. Two hours in a hospital. Four days of anxiously checking an online portal for results. And lots of confusion.Almost a dozen calls with five health care providers over five hours. Two hours of hold music. Two hours in a hospital. Four days of anxiously checking an online portal for results. And lots of confusion.
That’s the winding path through bureaucracy that took me from placing my first phone call last Wednesday to getting my positive coronavirus test results on Monday night. Five days in limbo.That’s the winding path through bureaucracy that took me from placing my first phone call last Wednesday to getting my positive coronavirus test results on Monday night. Five days in limbo.
I’m 33 years old and healthy without any existing respiratory conditions, so the illness itself is perfectly manageable. It feels like a medium-grade flu, with some extra coughing and chest pain.I’m 33 years old and healthy without any existing respiratory conditions, so the illness itself is perfectly manageable. It feels like a medium-grade flu, with some extra coughing and chest pain.
But the process to get me here was a maze of inefficiency, and I’m one of the fortunate ones.But the process to get me here was a maze of inefficiency, and I’m one of the fortunate ones.
Christina Goldbaum, Matthew Haag, Tim Herrera, Sarah Maslin Nir, Andy Newman and Liam Stack contributed reporting. Jonah Engel Bromwich, Christina Goldbaum, Matthew Haag, Tim Herrera, Sarah Maslin Nir, Andy Newman and Liam Stack contributed reporting.