The death toll from the coronavirus in New York state surpassed 1,000 on Sunday, less than a month after the first case was detected there.
By nightfall, New York City reported that its death toll had risen to 776. The total death toll statewide is expected to be released Monday, but at least that had been recorded by Sunday morning. 250 deaths outside the city, so the number of fatalities in the state reached at least 1,26.
The virus has wreaked havoc in New York with chilling speed. The first infection in the state was discovered on March 1 in a healthcare worker who had recently returned from Iran. Two days later, the second case was detected, a lawyer from the New Rochelle suburb.
By March 12, the state had banned any gathering of more than 500 people, closing Broadway theaters and sports arenas. Mayor Bill de Blasio closed New York City schools on the 15th of the same month.
Stronger restrictions were applied on March 20, when Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered all non-essential workers to stay home, banned gatherings of any size, and asked anyone on the street to stay at least six feet from each other. others. By that time only 35 New Yorkers had died from the virus.
Trump expresses dismay
President Donald Trump expressed concern and disbelief at the price the coronavirus is taking in New York.
Trump said he was moved by the New York scenes, particularly those at Elmhurst Hospital in his native Queens.
“I’ve been watching that for the last week on television,” he said.
“Body bags everywhere in the hallways. I’ve been seeing them bring tow trucks – freezer trucks, because they can’t handle the bodies, there are a lot of them. This is essentially in my community, in Queens, New York.” continuous. “I’ve seen things that I’ve never seen before.”
Queens represents 32% of the city’s more than 30,000 confirmed cases as of Saturday, more than any other borough.
Preparing the nation for a death toll that could exceed 100,000, Trump on Sunday extended restrictive social distancing guidelines through April, bowing to public health experts who presented him with even more dire projections for the growing pandemic of coronavirus.
On Saturday, after saying he was mulling the idea of a mandatory quarantine for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, President Donald Trump tweeted that he would instead issue a notice urging people in those states to avoid any non-essential travel. During two weeks.
De Blasio said he was concerned about the impact of the notice on families with members in New York and other places seeking to reunite.
Most people who contract COVID-19 have mild or moderate symptoms, which can include fever and cough, but also mild cases of pneumonia, sometimes requiring hospitalization.
The risk of death is higher for older adults and people with other health problems.
Hospitals in the worst affected areas are struggling to care for patients, and some lack critical supplies.
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