New York Governor Cuomo declares state of emergency as coronavirus cases rise to 76 after infected taxi driver walked in to Queens hospital and potentially infected 40 doctors and nurses
- Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency in New York on Saturday
- 76 people in the state have now tested positive for coronavirus; up from the 44 confirmed on Friday
- Disturbingly, two cases have been confirmed in the state’s northeast – the first outside the NYC region – indicating signs of wider spread
- More than 4000 people in the state have been urged to self-quarantine to prevent the spread of the disease; Cuomo says many are not following protocol
- Nationwide more than 360 people have tested positive to coronavirus, and 14 people have died
Governor Andrew Cuomo has declared a state of emergency in New York, with 76 residents testing positive to coronavirus.
The declaration came Saturday afternoon, with the governor revealing the number of cases in the state has almost doubled in the past 24 hours alone. On Friday, 44 people were confirmed to have the disease.
‘We have now been testing around the clock,’ Cuomo stated at a press conference, revealing that the number of cases in Westchester County has ballooned to 57.
23 new cases in the county have been uncovered since Friday, and all are related to the New Rochelle lawyer who was diagnosed as the state’s first case earlier this week.
There are now also 11 cases in New York City – up seven from yesterday.
Disturbingly, there are also signs of wider spread, with two cases now confirmed in Saratoga County in the northeast of the state – hundreds of miles away from any other cases.
Meanwhile, a Queens man who drives for taxi or ride-hailing services has now tested positive for coronavirus after showing up to St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in the borough on Tuesday.
The situation has prompted 40 doctors and nurses to go into self-quarantine amid fears they have now been exposed. The man is now in isolation at the hospital.
Investigators are now trying to piece together who he might have driven around the city in a bid to contain a possible spread.
Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency on Saturday as coronavirus cases skyrocket across New York
‘The hospital will need to replace those people temporarily. They will need money to do that. They need supplies. We need to keep the health care up and running,’ Councilman Donovan Richards Jr, told The New York Times.
Meanwhile, more than 4000 people in the state have been urged to self-quarantine to prevent the spread of the disease.
Most of those are New York City residents who have returned from the coronavirus hotsports of China, Iran, Italy, Japan and South Korea within the past 14 days.
Cuomo says he has been informed that many people are not following the self-quarantine requirements.
‘When we say you are on precautionary quarantine, that is a serious situation. We expect to act in good faith and comply with it. If you do not comply with it, there are other measures that we could take,’ Cuomo threatened.
An anxious man wears a medical mask on a New York City train on Saturday, as coronavirus cases rapidly rise in the area
John F. Kennedy Airport in Queens was nearly deserted Saturday morning, after the borough announced its first coronavirus case
A woman makes her way through Grand Central Station in Manhattan Saturday morning, just blocks from where the infected New Rochelle lawyer worked
Nationwide, at least 366 people have tested positive to coronavirus, and 14 people have died.