NY emerges as new Covid-19 hub
After Hubei and Lombardy, New York is fast becoming one of the outbreak hot spots, accounting for 5% of all global coronavirus disease cases
WASHINGTON: The New York City region has emerged as the new “epicentre” of the coronavirus outbreak, accounting for nearly 5% of global cases as the number of US fatalities crossed 450.
US President Donald Trump sought to ramp up assistance to the three states hit the hardestNew York, California and Washington - with medical supplies such as masks, respirators and mobile hospitals.
The New York City region, which had been Trump’s home for many decades until recently and continues to host the headquarters of his business operations, now accounts for roughly 5% of the cases of more than 360,600 cases worldwide, with more than half of some 35,000 US cases reported in New York state. The spike is a reflection of the increase in testing, state officials have said, and not necessarily of the spread of the virus
Despite the urgency of the crisis facing many American businesses, individuals and families, US Senate failed to agree on a massive $1.8 trillion federal relief and stimulus package on Sunday. Negotiations continued as both sides are keen to find common ground.
At least 450 people died of the coronavirus in the US so far, and more than 35,000 people have tested positive including senator Rand Paul, a close ally of Trump, who is now the third American lawmaker infected. Four of his colleagues self-quarantined.
Calling Paul a “great friend”, Trump said the virus is “getting quite close to home, and it’s a terrible thing that’s going on”.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said , “I need every New Yorker to understand how serious the situation is right now. We have to change the way we live if we’re going to bend the curve of this epidemic. Do your part: stay home. That is the single most important thing someone can do right now.”
He said there have been 9,654 positive cases and 63 fatalities so far (99, according to some reports on Monday) in New York City.
The mayor has been calling his city the “epicentre” of the global outbreak, in effort to highlight the gravity of the situation.
“It is now clearly the epicentre of this American crisis - literally, one-third of all the cases in this nation right here in my city, sad to say, and two-thirds of the cases in New York State, and climbing,” he said on CNN on Sunday.
New York has turned into a virtual ghost town compared to the bustling city most residents and visitors have known it as for long. All non-essential workers are staying home on orders of the local authorities, shutting down nearly every part and aspect of the city, stores, restaurants bars.
Ravi Batra, a leading Indian American lawyer, is among the city’s growing number of people to have tested positive, along with two members of his family. Since Friday, he has been on anti-malarial drug treatment, which is scheduled to be rolled out on an expanded trial basis in New York on Tuesday, in a move strongly backed by the president.
“My fevers (come and go) with a rollercoaster vengeance, going from low to 104.3,” he wrote in a text message, adding, “I expect my fever fight to continue till Covid-19 (illness caused by the coronavirus) is beaten.”
Nearly one in three Americans are staying home as more states issued “stay-at-home” orders, restricting outdoor activities to prevent the spread of the virus.