New York intensifying restrictions to tackle coronavirus
New York has ramped up efforts to avoid transmission of coronavirus by so that it is mandatory to wear face coverings in places where it isn't possible to remain at least six feet from other people.
The most recent decision comes even while politicians talk about "reopening" the country.
While other isolation measures seem to have worked in keeping new infections down, New Yorkers continue steadily to die by the hundreds every day. Meanwhile, New York City officials said they might create an emergency food reserve and take other steps to fight hunger in a city where huge numbers of folks have been thrown out of work.
Here are the latest coronavirus developments in New York:
FACE COVERINGS
New York residents will be asked to wear face coverings anytime they come into close connection with other persons outside their homes, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday.
The mandate will require a mask or face covering, such as a bandanna, on busy streets, public transit, or any situation where people cannot maintain 6 feet of social distancing, whether or not it is passing a person briefly on a wooded trail. The order takes effect Friday.
"Stopping the spread is everything. How can you not wear a mask if you are going to come close to a person?" Cuomo said at his daily briefing. "On what theory would you not do this?"
The governor, who has himself eschewed masks during his daily news briefings, though he comes within six feet of his staff, said there will in the beginning be no civil penalties for noncompliance, but he's urging merchants to enforce it among customers.
Though hospitalizations from the outbreak have leveled off, NY officials remain trying to lessen the rising death toll. NY recorded 752 deaths Tuesday, for a complete of practically 11,600 because the outbreak began.
Those figures don't include roughly 4,000 more deaths in New York City that city officials say were probably due to the virus, but haven't been confirmed by a lab test.
Cuomo's announcement came hours after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called for stores to create customers wear face coverings as a way to protect personnel against exposure. De Blasio had previously recommended face coverings in public in the city.
The brand new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for many people. For some, especially older adults and persons with existing health problems, it can cause more extreme illness or death.
FOOD PLAN
In a city where 1.2 million residents - including one in five children - struggle sometimes to feed themselves, the number is expected to grow as an estimated half-million New Yorkers have lost or will probably lose their jobs soon.
"We can make sure everyone gets the food they want," de Blasio said in unveiling a $170 million intend to help.
The town already is offering 250,000 free meals a day at schools and delivering 25,000 a day to older persons. Officials be prepared to provide 10 million free meals in April and expect the necessity to grow to as much as 15 million in May.
Meanwhile, the town has contacted some 11,000 taxi and livery drivers - whose livelihoods have already been shattered as persons stay home - to employ them to provide meals to those that can't leave home.
While officials said the location food supply is stable, in addition they plan to create a $50 million reserve of as much as 18 million shelf-stable meals.
NURSING HOMES
The virus has been unmerciful on assisted living facilities, killing 2,500 patients in just a few weeks, but up to now New York state has refused to reveal the names of facilities where persons have died.
State officials took one step toward transparency Wednesday, saying they'll now require facilities to tell residents and their families within a day if another patient at the house has contracted the virus or died. The upcoming executive order will include adult homes, where a lot more than 580 people have died.
However the state will continue steadily to withhold the names of nursing homes that have experienced serious outbreaks from others, saying patients deserve privacy.
The change was designed to help people like Cindy Coughlin, who told The Associated Press she's struggled to get info on whether there exists a COVID-19 outbreak at the nursing home in Johnson City where her 83-year-old father in-law resides.
Coughlin said she's baffled to understand the way the public release of information would endanger anyone's privacy.
"I wish they would do this," Coughlin said. "I don't' know if it could cause you to feel worse or better, but I believe I'd feel better knowing there is only 5 cases there rather than 25. I assume that's one thing I cannot understand."
THE ECONOMIC EQUATION
Cuomo said getting people back again to work safely before a vaccine is developed will demand not only large-scale testing, but tracing the personal contacts of people who test positive and isolating infected people.
But testing and tracing persons in a state of 19 million is not possible without federal help, he said.
"That is a massive undertaking," he said. "It's intelligent but it's massive."
In the meantime, NY will get started testing 2,000 persons a day for virus antibodies this week with a newly developed finger-prick test. Priority will get to nurses, NEW YORK police and other first responders, to allow them to know if they've been infected.
Both Cuomo and de Blasio said leaders ought to be deliberative about trying to rev up the economy without creating an opportunity for the coronavirus to come roaring back.
"I would like to restart the economy desperately ... however the best way to accomplish it is to be cautious," de Blasio said.
Cuomo said the state could consider lifting restrictions first for businesses that pose a smaller risk of infection and are considered more "essential."
OUT OF PRISON
Former NY state Senate leader Dean Skelos was expected to be released soon from prison to home confinement after testing positive for the coronavirus.
Skelos has been serving a four-year and three-month prison term after he was convicted of extortion, wire fraud and bribery.
Source: www.theindependentbd.com
