Fleeing New Yorkers - The Super Spreaders of COVID-19?

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As the White House continues to battle the spread of Coronavirus, another issue has arisen. Residents of New York City are fleeing the state to avoid infection. But what if, rather than escaping COVID-19, they simply bring it with them?

Trump Administration Warns Fleeing New Yorkers

White House officials are urging people leaving New York City to self-quarantine for 14 days to prevent taking the virus to their destinations. During a task force briefing, Dr. Deborah Birx pointed out that more than 60% of new Coronavirus cases in the United States are occurring in the New York metro area.

“We remain deeply concerned about New York City,” Birx said. “About 56% of all the cases in the United States are coming out of that metro area and 60% of all the new cases are coming out of the metro New York area and 31% of the people succumbing to this disease.”

Birx noted that the people fleeing New York might have already been exposed prior to leaving. If this is the case, they could bring it with them to people in other states, thus making the situation worse – all while still becoming sick.

According to Birx, there is evidence that people leaving the city have spread the virus. She pointed to a number of new cases in Long Island. “That suggests people have left the city, so this will be very critical that those individuals do self-quarantine in their homes over these next 14 days to make sure they don’t pass the virus,” she explained.

Should New Yorkers Be Concerned?

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently indicated that the state still hasn’t seen the worst of the virus’ spread. He stated that COVID-19 was still 14 to 21 days from peaking. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, noted that the rate of infection in New York is eight to ten times higher than in other states.

Currently, there are about 22,000 new coronavirus cases in New York, and 280 have died. If Cuomo is right about the future increase in cases, it makes sense that residents would be concerned.

Andrew Cuomo

Cuomo has previously said the state would not take measures similar to those in California, where the governor issued shelter-in orders and shut down non-essential businesses. He has criticized FEMA, claiming that they have failed to provide an adequate supply of ventilators. Cuomo is also calling on the Trump administration to nationalize the manufacturing of various medical supplies.

The governor recently announced that the state would act to combat the spread of the virus. These actions include creating temporary hospitals in three New York City suburbs and potentially closing some streets to give pedestrians more space. The city’s hospitals have already reported a drastic increase in coronavirus patients and have expressed concerns that they could face a shortage of crucial supplies.

Despite Cuomo’s criticisms, the president is working hard to provide critical resources for high-risk states. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has clashed with the president on multiple occasions, praised the efforts being made by the Trump administration to halt the spread of the virus.

The White House’s warning to fleeing New Yorkers seems apt, given the high number of Coronavirus cases in the state. By temporarily self-quarantining, they will decrease the chances of further spreading the illness. But will they take the advice of the experts? Only time will tell.

Read more from Jeff Charles.

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