NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — New York City is taking specific actions at two cruise ship terminals to prevent the spread of coronavirus days after the State Department warned Americans against traveling by cruise ships.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday that health care workers will be on site at cruise ship terminals at Red Hook and Manhattan's West Side to make sure passengers entering and leaving New York City are healthy.
"Anyone who attempts to get on a cruise and has a temperature of over 100.4 will not be allowed on a cruise ship," de Blasio said.
For passengers arriving in New York City, anyone who comes off a cruise ship with a termperature of 100.4 will either be allowed to go home and self-isolate or be admitted to a hospital or other health care facility.
A cruise ship scheduled to arrive at the Manhattan terminal on Sunday, March 15 will be met by Department of Health officials. The next incoming cruise to the Red Hook Terminal is April 9.
The two terminals are also being thoroughly cleaned.
Coronavirus cases have now been confirmed in all five boroughs. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday the number of confirmed cases across the city is 36.
The news comes as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced he is deploying the National Guard to help control the virus in New Rochelle, where a 1-mile containtment zone is being set up from the epicenter of the outbreak in Westchester, which has the largest number of cases in the state.
Staten Island confirmed its first case of the virus on Monday. The patient went to Staten Island University Hospital over the weekend exhibiting symptoms. He was isolated, tested, and then sent home for self-quarantine. The staff that cvared for him is now being evaluated.
On Monday, it was announced that the coronavirus affected a 7-year-old Bronx girl who attends the now-closed Westchester Torah Academy and an EMT worker in Brooklyn, who has been quarantined.
Rick Cotton, the executive director of Port Authority, is under quarantine and will be working from home after testing positive for novel coronavirus.
According to the Port Authority, which operates New York's airports, Cotton is currently asymptomatic.
"He's been at the airports obviously when many people were coming back with the virus," Cuomo said, adding that Cotton's senior team will also be tested for the virus and are also working from home while under quarantine.
Cotton's wife said she also has the virus. Elizabeth Smith, president of the Central Park Conservancy, experienced mild symptoms, and is working from home, according to a statement from her group.
City Council Speaker Corey Johnson announced Tuesday he is postponing his State of the City speech, which was scheduled for Thursday, out of an abundance of caution.
"We felt this was the right decision to ensure that Council employees and the hundredsof guests we invited remain safe and healthy," Johnson said. "I was looking forward to the speech, but at a time when we are urging New Yorkers to consider measures like telecommuting and staggered work hours, it seemed an unnecessary risk."
New York City's Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot is cautioning that transmission of the coronavirus could last in the city until September, which she says is the best estimate based on what they're seeing abroad in China.
Asked on whether he's thought about canceling the St. Patrick's Day Parade scheduled for March 17, the mayor said "We have no plan to cancel it." Other cities including Boston and Dublin have already called off their parades.
The number of cases statewide have nearly doubled since Saturday when Cuomo declared a state of emergency to clear the way for more testing, purchases of more supplies and hiring of more workers.
The governor announced a new policy this week that would require a school to close for an initial 24-hour period if a student tests positive in a school. After an assessment, he said a decision will be made on what to do longer term with a particular school.
Cuomo on Monday also unveiled New York State Clean — a hand sanitizer made by the State of New York in response to price gouging and supply shortages. It will be provided to government agencies, schools, the MTA, and prisons.
The governor has continued to urge calm and said people with compromised immune systems and senior citizens are most at risk.
COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has flu-like symptoms ranging from mild to severe, including fever, cough and shortness of breath. The CDC advises those who are mildly ill with the virus to stay home and avoid public areas to avoid spreading it.
Still, as a precaution, Mayor de Blasio has announced a ban on international travel for city workers and international trips for city schools. He also said sick New Yorkers should avoid taking the subway and urged people to work from home.
The mayor has said that financial assistance will also be coming for small businesses in the city that have been impacted by the coronavirus. Many businesses in Chinatown, Flushing and Sunset Park have reported a drop in foot traffic because of fears over the virus. The assistance includes a $75,000 interest-free loan for businesses with up to 100 employees and a $6,000 grant for businesses with under five employees.
The mayor said that the city’s public health apparatus “is already planning on the assumption that we will be at hundreds of cases over the next two or three weeks.”
In preparation for more widespread illnesses, the Jacob Javits Center has also canceled a number of upcoming events, according to WCBS 880’s Peter Haskell.
The Vison Expo East, World Floral Expo, Beauty Experience in New York and the Spa Show will no longer be held. All have said to be impacted by the international travel restrictions.
It’s unclear if any financial penalties will be levied. The combined revenue from the shows was expected to be over $50,000 and hotels, restaurants and other businesses will soon feel the effects.