NY.- The mayor of NY, Bill de Blasio, asked this Friday for help due to the situation facing the city, which already has more than 5,100 confirmed cases of coronavirus, and he described the metropolis as the new “epicenter of the crisis” in the United States.
“I hate to say this, but the truth is that we are now the epicenter of the crisis, in the largest city in the nation“the New York mayor said at a press conference.
De Blasio assured that the current situation is “without a doubt one of the biggest crises in this country in recent generations.”
“And even so, the president today has not offered any evidence of action,” insisted the mayor, who again denounced the passivity of the federal government and President Donald Trump.
De Blasio said he had asked the New York delegation to Congress, Vice President Mike Pence, and “anyone who listens to me,” for help, but reported not having received “not a single response from anyone” regarding the thousands of fans and the millions of face masks that the city needs.
“I warn people that in two or three weeks at this rate we will be left without” those inputs, he predicted, while stressing that a third of all those infected in the US and two thirds of New York State are in the Big Apple.
Specifically, De Blasio pointed out that a total of 5,151 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus and 29 people have died so far in New York, while the neighborhood of Brooklyn, with 1,518 infections, is the most affected in the city.
The more than 5,000 cases are more than double those reported the previous day in New York City, as 2,469 infections were announced Thursday.
He further noted that the New York hospital system at the moment “can support a very large increase” in patients, but that will only be until mid-April, approximately.
“I think I have been very direct about the fact that within two or three weeks, we enter a very different reality,” he warned.
The saturation of the health system would occur despite the cancellation of non-urgent surgeries and the discharge of patients who are not serious have led to the release of some 1,200 hospital beds, and the fact that some 2,000 retired medical professionals have volunteered to help in the crisis.
The mayor also spoke about the decision made Friday by New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo to order the closure of all nonessential businesses in the region, saying it was the “right move to protect us all.”
He also announced that there will be a marked greater police presence on the streets of the metropolis to ensure that the population follows the rules of “social distancingl “Given the usual concentrations in parks and open spaces that have continued to occur, although he did not describe a detailed plan for this.
“It is not going to be an imposition, but a communication” by law enforcement, said New York Police Commissioner Dermont Shea, who asked for the collaboration of citizens, although he said he understood that it is the Social distancing is a “great adjustment” for everyone.
Shea also revealed that in the last week there has been a “marked decrease” in both the crime rate in New York and in the complaints to the police service number, 911, “except for sick calls, as is logical.”
Regarding transportation, De Blasio announced some changes to the public transportation system, such as the temporary installation of special lanes in response to the increase in the use of bicycles as a means of transportation, and a lower frequency in the ferries that connect Staten Island with the rest of the city due to the low number of passengers that have been registered.
– .
Related
