State officials are deploying the National Guard and creating a containment zone around a city in Westchester County as the coronavirus outbreak spreads, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced Tuesday.
BREAKING: NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo announces containment zone around New Rochelle, lasting until 3/25; National Guard to be deployed to assist in food delivery, cleaning.
"This is the single greatest public health challenge we have in the state right now." https://t.co/waOLY1RvC9 pic.twitter.com/ubq6lFo0yH
— ABC News (@ABC) March 10, 2020
“This is the single greatest public health challenge we have right now,” Cuomo said at a press conference on Tuesday, about the outbreak in New Rochelle.
New Rochelle, a small city in Westchester County just north of New York City, is the hub of the outbreak in New York.
Westchester County has 108 of the state’s 173 confirmed COVID-19 cases. New York City has 36 confirmed cases of the virus, Cuomo announced at the conference.
“New Rochelle is a particular problem, it is what they call a cluster,” Cuomo said. “The numbers have been going up, the numbers continue to go up. The numbers are going up unabated and we do need a special public health strategy for New Rochelle.”
The one-mile containment zone around New Rochelle will last through March 25. The National Guard will deliver food to homes and help with the cleaning of public spaces in the containment zone, Cuomo said.
A satellite testing facility will be set up within New Rochelle, as well, he said.