Gov. Andrew Cuomo crossed the Rubicon and decided to call in the National Guard to help control the coronavirus outbreak that New York is suffering.
The state of New York has seen an explosion of cases and if the rest of the world is any guide getting this under control and slowing transmission so it does not overwhelm our healthcare system is critical to saving lives.
This is a big step and one hopes that many people who are not currently taking this seriously will start to.
WCBS reported that Cuomo announced the National Guard will be deployed to New Rochelle to help deal with the coronavirus outbreak on Tuesday.
The governor made the announcement in Albany while confirming the state had reached a total of 173 positive cases of the virus.
He notes that New Rochelle, where the first positive case was confirmed in the state, is the most impacted by the outbreak with a total of 108 cases. Many of the cases can be linked to the 50-year-old attorney.
To help contain the spread of the outbreak in the area, Cuomo said there will be a 1-mile containment zone surrounding New Rochelle. The National Guard will be deployed to the area to deliver food and assist in cleaning surfaces.
Beginning March 12, there will be a two-week period in which all public facilities within the containment zone will be closed – including all schools.
Meanwhile, the state and a private health system will be setting up a temporary testing facility in the area.
“This is literally a matter of life and death,” Cuomo said of the outbreak.
Cuomo said that he understands that the closure will cause a disruption in the area, but that it needs to be done to slow the spread of the virus and to give scientists more time to study the virus and come up with the best recommendations for those who have been sickened.
