Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that more than 14,000 people have been tested for coronavirus in the state of New York. There are 2,382 total cases of coronavirus in New York state with 1,008 new positive cases.
“The numbers are going up. Hence the increased actions to reduce the spread, the density reduction,” Cuomo said.
There are 549 people currently hospitalized in the city.
Cuomo announced that the President Trump will be dispatching the USNS Comfort hospital ship to New York to assist with the health care capacity. Cuomo said it would be docked in New York City harbor. The President and Cuomo are also discussing the possibility of the federal government putting up mobile hospitals in New York to help with capacity, the governor said.
Cuomo announced a new mandatory order for non-essential businesses that says they can have no more than 50 percent of workforce report for work outside the home. He is doing this by executive order.
Overall, there are at least 7,111 cases of the novel coronavirus in the United States, according to the state and local health agencies and governments and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to the CDC, there are 70 cases from repatriated citizens. And according to CNN Health’s tally of US cases that are detected and tested in the United States through public health systems, there are 7,041 cases in all 50 states, Washington, DC, and other U.S. territories, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases to 7,111.
In total, 117 people have died.
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Meanwhile, anticipating a spike in coronavirus patients, New York City-area hospitals are clearing out beds, setting up new spaces to triage patients and urging people with mild symptoms to consult health professionals by phone or video chat instead of flooding emergency rooms that could be overrun.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned that demand for hospital beds could soon outstrip capacity by tens of thousands as the outbreak surges to an expected peak in 45 days.
At Mount Sinai Health System’s emergency rooms, the numbers of people turning up with respiratory complaints “have increased dramatically” in recent days, said Dr. Brendan Carr, the chair of emergency medicine. Most have mild to moderate symptoms but are looking for tests and answers, he said, and the increase has been offset somewhat by a drop in other patients and moves to devote additional space and staff to emergency rooms.
Elsewhere, people have shown up demanding to be tested even when they haven’t shown any symptoms. Because testing capacity is still limited, merely showing up to an emergency room doesn’t guarantee a coronavirus test, said Dr. Robert Femia, the head of emergency medicine at NYU Langone Health.
Mayor Bill de Blasio pleaded Tuesday with people who suspect they have coronavirus symptoms to stay home and see if they improve in a few days before even calling a doctor.
“Do not go to the emergency room unless it is a true, immediate and urgent emergency,” the Democrat said.
Cuomo is meeting with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials Wednesday after calling on the agency to build temporary hospitals in the state. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in an interview on Fox News that he had given the governor “my full commitment that we would get the Corps of Engineers up there soonest, to assess the problem and see how we can help out.”
For most people, COVID-19 results in only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, but severe illness is more likely in the elderly and people with existing health problems. Worldwide, the disease has killed several thousand people, though tens of thousands who got it have recovered.
Hospital officials expect a surge in cases to start in the next week or two. They’re getting ready by canceling elective surgeries — as the city has ordered — and freeing up space by discharging patients who are well enough to recover at home.
“Right now, the volume in our emergency departments is pretty manageable,” said Northwell Health spokesman Terence Lynam. “This is really the calm before the storm.”
At Brooklyn Hospital Center, people who suspect they have the virus will be directed starting Wednesday to a tent for screening to determine whether they need testing. Northwell, which runs hospitals, walk-in clinics and doctor offices, is looking to set up similar screening near its emergency room in Manhasset, on Long Island.
NYU Langone Health, which has several hospitals in the region, is steering about 1,000 patients a day to video-based consultations known as telemedicine.
Building on a model that debuted in a coronavirus hotspot north of the city, the state is opening more drive-through test sites. Laboratories are boosting test capacity and speed, and some hospitals are adjusting criteria for testing.
At Northwell Health, people are now eligible if they’re hospitalized and sick or symptomatic and believe they were exposed to the virus. Before this week, they had to have had contact with a diagnosed person.
“We have done a lot, a lot, a lot to prepare, and right now, we are managing,” said Mount Sinai’s Carr. “The next couple of weeks will be determined, I think, by how effectively we social distance and how effectively we stop spreading this to each other.”
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6 Responses
YWN should publish the dramatic letter from the Chicago Rabonim to the Chicago community last night, closing all shuls and telling the community to cut back pretty much all social interaction, including no minyanim, no playdates for kids, etc. Please publish the letter.
As well as all the pleas from all the nurses, doctors, EMT’s. Unfortunately, people in my neighborhood are living with their heads buried in the sand. They are getting their medical advice from Rabbi’s who should stick their heads back into their Gemorrah’s so that they don’t have to be Chas Vesholom Mevatel Torah to attend Levayos.
When davening this morning, I was struck by something. In the paragraph that begins “Eilu devorim she’adam ochail pairosayhem b’olam hazeh…”, most of the things mentioned are things we can no longer do under the current circumstances:
Kibud av v’eim- We are not supposed to visit our older parents lest we bring the virus into their home.
Gemilas chasadim – So many good deeds cannot be done because of social distancing.
Hashkamas Bais Hamidrash Shacharis v’Arvis – We are not allowed to go to shul or to the bais medrash.
Hachnasas Orchim – We cannot invite guests to our home.
Bikur Cholim- We cannot visit the ill in hospitals or elsewhere.
Hachnasas Kallah – Weddings are being postponed, and those that take place have limited guests.
Levayas Hameis – Levayos can only have limited amounts of people, Misaskim is not able to provide their services now, and we are not supposed to make shiva visits in person.
BUT HASHEM HAS STILL LEFT US WITH SOME OPPORTUNITIES! Let’s continue….
Iyun tefillah – We CAN concentrate better on our davening because hopefully no one is talking to us or around us when we daven in the confines of our home. We CAN concentrate better because we know that only Hashem can help us in our current situation.
Ha’va’as shalom ben adam l’chaveiro – We CAN use our phones, email, etc. to make peace with those we were not at peace with. We CAN ask for forgiveness from others and grant forgiveness to others (even if they do not ask us for forgiveness). Rav Kanievsky, shlita, said now is the time to “let things slide.”
Talmud Torah knegged kulam – We CAN learn Torah in our homes – from seforim, shiurim being given online, etc. And we now have more free time to learn Torah because we cannot go to restaurants, movies, malls, gyms, sports events, parties, etc.
Why did Hashem leave us these three things and take away all the rest? Perhaps He is sending us a message that we are lacking in these three areas. Therefore, in His kindness and rachamim, He is still giving us the opportunity (Baruch Hashem) to improve in these three areas to bring zechusim to Klal Yisrael and the world. And b’ezras Hashem, if we ALL do the best we can to improve in these areas, we can help bring the Geulah Shelaima b’karov in an easy way!
before today: “stop the fake news, YWN is like Der Sturmer” etc
today: “oh i think it’s dangerous”
Gold: Beautiful!!!!
Thank you!
Dr’s and nurses across all the hospitals are aware that shuls and weddings halls are still operating business as usual and its is a big hillul Hashem that they put their lives on the lines, while we ignore the regulations and warnings from higher up’s