National Guard sent into New York suburb to control coronavirus
Published:Tuesday | March 10, 2020 | 2:06 PM
New York’s governor announced Tuesday he is sending the National Guard into a New York City suburb to help fight what is believed to be the nation’s biggest cluster of coronavirus cases — one of the most dramatic actions yet to control the outbreak in the United States.
The move came as health authorities contended with alarming bunches of infections on both sides of the country and scattered cases in between.
Schools, houses of worship and large gathering places will be closed for two weeks in a “containment area” centred in New Rochelle, and the troops will scrub surfaces and deliver food to the zone, which extends a mile in all directions from a point near a synagogue connected to some of the cases, Governor Andrew Cuomo said.
“It is a dramatic action, but it is the largest cluster of cases in the country,” he said.
“The numbers are going up unabated, and we do need a special public health strategy.”
New Rochelle and surrounding Westchester County account for at least 108 cases out of 173 statewide.
New York City, with 100 times the population of New Rochelle, has 36 known infections.
Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.