The governor of New York declared a state of emergency amid a growing outbreak of the coronavirus in the state.
During a press conference on Saturday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo confirmed there were 76 cases of the virus in New York, the majority of which, 57, are in Westchester County. There are 11 cases in New York City and the rest are spread across three other counties, he said.
Only 10 people are currently hospitalized. Cuomo said that the state is set to receive “hundreds” of tests and will continue to push for more. New York now joins states like Maryland, California and Utah that have also declared a state of emergency over the outbreak.
The declaration gives the state more leverage to divert resources to local health care systems who are monitoring patients or quarantining those who have the virus, according to Cuomo.
“There’s no doubt that massive quarantine is the best way to slow the spread,” he said.
I am declaring a State of Emergency for New York amid an outbreak of #Coronavirus.
We will continue to provide updates to New Yorkers.
For more information on #COVID19, visit:https://t.co/u23HkuJln1
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 7, 2020
