Coronavirus Cases Rise To 44 In NY, Officials Say

NEW YORK, NY — The number of new coronavirus cases in New York climbed from 33 to 44 on Friday afternoon, with new cases confirmed on Long Island and the Hudson Valley. Eight more cases were confirmed in Westchester County, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday, and the number of cases on Long Island increased from one to four, all in Nassau County. Cuomo said officials believe each of the eleven are linked to existing cases.

"The cases in Westchester have a number of young people and they have older people," Cuomo said. "

The Westchester cases included a 12-year-old girl, three boys ages 7, 14 and 17, and four men ages 45, 51, 55 and 82, Cuomo said. The Nassau cases included women ages 36, 41 and 63.

Overall, Westchester County has the most confirmed cases. Dozens remain under mandatory quarantine across the state and thousands are self-isolating across the state as a precaution.

Among the cases announced Friday morning were three members of the Young Israel of New Rochelle congregation, two Rockland County residents who worked at a bar mitzvah at the synagogue and three people connected to the sick man's initial visit at Lawrence Hospital, Cuomo said.

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Cuomo on Friday morning stressed he's not urging "calm," but rather "reality." More people continue to die from the flu than coronavirus, he said, pointing to the fact that five of the 33 sickened by COVID-19 have been hospitalized, or about 15 percent.

"You have to separate the hype from the facts," Cuomo said at a news conference Friday afternoon.

Cuomo likened the virus to a "flu on steroids," and said he remains most concerned about seniors and people with compromised immune systems.

"I've said all along senior citizens, for the flu or the coronavirus, are the most vulnerable population," Cuomo said.

Worldwide, there have been more than 100,000 cases of coronavirus, known as COVID-19, spanning 79 countries, according to Johns Hopkins University. About 3,400 people have died. In the United States, coronavirus has killed at least 14 people and infected about 240 as of Friday morning, according to the organization. No deaths have been reported in New York.

On Long Island, school district officials confirmed the island's lone confirmed patient was a Uniondale resident in Nassau County.

In New York City, a man in his 40s and a woman in her 80s tested positive and were sent to hospitals for intensive care, officials said Thursday morning. Later Thursday, officials said the total increased by 11 overnight due to a significant number of tests. Eight of the new cases are connected to a series of positive tests in Westchester County, two were in New York City and one was on Long Island, officials said.

A 50-year-old Hudson Valley man was diagnosed with coronavirus, known as COVID-19, this week and hospitalized because he had an underlying breathing illness. He is in stable condition in intensive care and was said to be improving, state health officials said. Nine people linked to the man also tested positive. This includes his wife, two sons and daughter, as well as a neighbor who drove him to the hospital, a family friend and members of the friend's family. The school the friend's children attend closed as a precaution.

The first coronavirus case in the state was a 34-year-old New York City health care worker who traveled to Iran. She is recovering at home.

Amid concerns over the spread of the virus, officials said students at SUNY and CUNY schools studying abroad in China, Iran, Italy, Japan or South Korea — where coronavirus outbreaks are most widespread — will return to New York and remain quarantined for two weeks.

Dr. Robert Amler, a dean at New York Medical College and former chief medical officer at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, told Patch this week the public's overall risk in New York and in the rest of the United States remains low — even "very low."

"Even if exposure occurs, even if infection occurs, for the vast majority of people the risk is still low," he said.

But widespread panic has led to a run on hygiene products at stores nationwide, with soaps, paper towels and hand sanitizers disappearing faster than stores can restock shelves.

Coronavirus fears prompted numerous employers to issue travel advisories to workers, forcing many to rethink plans to visit countries such as Italy, South Korea, China and Japan. Numerous airlines are also waiving change fees for affected travelers.

Concerns also forced Starbucks to tell investors this week it would no longer allow customers to use personal cups and "for here" cups that customers could request. Those who bring in their own cups will have to take a disposable cup.

Many schools have also issued letters to parents about their preparation plans.

The outbreak forced President Donald Trump on Friday to sign an $8.3 billion measure from Congress to tackle the new coronavirus outbreak. The money would pay for a multi-dimensional attack on the virus that is beginning to threaten major disruptions in the United States.

See also:

• LI's First Coronavirus Patient Is Uniondale Man, School Confirms
• 11 New Coronavirus Cases In New York, All Westchester-Connected
• Positive Coronavirus Test For Scarsdale Youth Hockey Assn. Player
• New Rochelle Rabbi Tests Positive For Coronavirus
• Tappan Zee High School Staffer Self-Quarantined
• Rye Brook Mayor Updates Residents On Coronavirus
• G.O.O.D. For Girls Cancels Career Expo At Pace University
• 2 Coronavirus Cases Confirmed In Rockland County: Update