New York is in a state of emergency as coronavirus cases surge to 142. Here's what the state is doing to address the outbreak.

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New York is in a state of emergency as coronavirus cases surge to 142. Here's what the state is doing to address the outbreak.
wuhan coronavirus new york city

Reuters/Bryan R. Smith

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A resident of Chinatown wears a surgical mask in New York City, U.S., January 31, 2020.

  • Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency in New York as the number of coronavirus cases surged. As of Monday, there are 142 confirmed cases statewide, with 19 in New York City.
  • 98 of those cases have been reported in Westchester County, located north of the city.
  • Cuomo has attacked the CDC for responding to the outbreak too slowly and is making efforts to ramp up testing statewide.
  • Thousands of people are self-quarantining, schools are shutting down, and more and more people are working from home.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

At least 142 people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in New York state, with 19 cases confirmed in New York City.

On Saturday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency in order to speed up the government's ability to purchase supplies and hire healthcare workers to aid in the monitoring of thousands of self-quarantined patients.

As cases surged over the weekend, Cuomo attacked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for responding too slowly to the outbreak, and not approving of enough testing centers.

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"CDC, wake up, let the states test, let private labs test, let's increase as quickly as possible our testing capacity so we can identify the positive people," he said. "Not to be using this laboratory, not to be using the other private labs around the state makes no sense whatsoever."

A growing number of schools are shutting down throughout the city, thousands are quarantining, and people are increasingly being encouraged to work from home.

Here's how New York is responding to the coronavirus outbreak.

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There are at least 142 cases in New York State, with 19 confirmed in New York City.

There are at least 142 cases in New York State, with 19 confirmed in New York City.

The majority of cases in New York State have been confirmed in Westchester County.

As of Monday, there are 98 confirmed cases in Westchester County, 19 in New York City, five in Nassau County, two in Rockland County, two in Saratoga County, one in Suffolk County, and one in Ulster County.

New York has become the second US state to report over 100 coronavirus infections.

Multiple cases have stemmed from New York's second reported coronavirus patient, a 50-year-old man in Westchester County who spread the illness to at least 28 others. He remains in critical condition.

Cases in New York City include an Uber driver from Queens, three family members on the Upper West Side, two women in Brooklyn, and a man from the Bronx.

On Monday afternoon, the head of New York and New Jersey's Port Authority, Rick Cotton, had tested positive for the virus.

The number of actual cases is likely much higher than those confirmed since the United States is badly lagging in testing patients.

On March 7, Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency.

On March 7, Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency.

As cases surged over the weekend, Cuomo declared a state of emergency in order to expedite the process of purchasing necessary supplies and hiring the proper amount of healthcare workers needed to quell the outbreak.

A state of emergency is declared when a governor believes a disaster may be imminent or severe enough to require state aid to local officials and to act quickly where needed.

According to a New York Times interview with Dr. Kryssie Woods, a hospital epidemiologist and the medical director of infection prevention at Mount Sinai West in Manhattan, declaring a state of emergency allows hospitals to house more patients and access testing supplies and equipment much faster.

Washington State, California, and Oregon have also declared emergencies.

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Cuomo attacked the CDC during a press conference on Sunday.

Cuomo attacked the CDC during a press conference on Sunday.

On Sunday, Cuomo attacked the CDC and federal government for failing to respond to the outbreak in a timely manner.

This criticism came after Cuomo declared that multiple private labs in New York State could be used for coronavirus testing if the federal government would give approval.

"The CDC has not authorized the use of this lab, which is just outrageous and ludicrous," he said of Northwell Health Labs at the Center for Advanced Medicine, located in North New Hyde Park, on Long Island.

"CDC, wake up, let the states test, let private labs test, let's increase as quickly as possible our testing capacity so we can identify the positive people. Not to be using this laboratory, not to be using the other private labs around the state makes no sense whatsoever."

Testing in New York City has remained limited—as of Saturday only about 120 people in total had been tested for the virus. But after requesting additional aid from the federal government, the city received 23,000 tests this past weekend.

Schools have shut down throughout the state, including private universities and public high schools.

Schools have shut down throughout the state, including private universities and public high schools.

Thousands of students across New York City and surrounding areas will be out of class for at least a week as authorities attempt to quell the coronavirus outbreak.

On Monday, Cuomo announced that if a student in any New York school tested positive for the virus, their school would be closed for at least 24 hours and assessed by health officials.

Among schools that have already closed down include:

  • Scarsdale, a suburb in Westchester County, has announced that it will close its entire public school district until March 18, after a middle school teacher tested positive for the virus.
  • Hofstra University, on Long Island, has canceled classes for a week, following a student exhibiting symptoms of the virus.
  • Yeshiva University in Manhattan has canceled classes for a week after a student and two faculty members tested positive for the virus.
  • Columbia University in Manhattan will not hold classes on Monday and Tuesday, and offer remote classes for the rest of the week after a student was exposed to the virus.
  • Fordham University in the Bronx will transition to online classes on Wednesday after a student began displaying symptoms and awaits test results.
  • Princeton University, in New Jersey, announced that it would move its classes online for at least two weeks after March 23.
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All international trips have been canceled for public schools in New York City.

All international trips have been canceled for public schools in New York City.

As of Monday, there are no plans to shut down any of New York City's public schools, and there have been no known cases confirmed in public schools. However, Mayor Bill de Blasio has canceled all international trips affiliated with public schools.

"I think parents want to see the schools keep going so long as it's safe, want to see their kids getting educated," de Blasio said in a news conference on Sunday.

Mayor De Blasio is bringing in 85 nurses across New York City schools and supplying cleaning products where necessary.

Mayor De Blasio is bringing in 85 nurses across New York City schools and supplying cleaning products where necessary.

Mayor de Blasio has said that New York City will add 85 nurses to city schools throughout the week, to ensure that every school building has a health care worker.

Additionally, the city will be making spot checks to make sure there are enough cleaning products and soap for public schools. The education department will also be administering aid to private, religious, and charter schools that lack the necessary products to quell an outbreak.

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New York City will issue loans to small businesses in an attempt to protect the economy.

New York City will issue loans to small businesses in an attempt to protect the economy.

In an attempt to protect New York City's economy, de Blasio said that small businesses with fewer than 100 employees are eligible for no-interest loans of up to $75,000 if they can prove that sales had decreased by 25 percent in wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Additionally, businesses with fewer than five employees could receive grants up to $6,000.

Thousands of people are self-quarantining.

Thousands of people are self-quarantining.

By Friday, at least 4,000 people have been asked to self-quarantine, with over half of those people being located in New York City.

19 people have been put under mandatory quarantine in New York City and could face charges if they break isolation.

The CDC has recommended guidelines for individuals who may have someone infected in their homes, as well as recommendations on what to buy in order to prepare for a possible quarantine.

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Authorities are recommending that people avoid crowded subway stations, close contact, and to work from home where necessary.

Authorities are recommending that people avoid crowded subway stations, close contact, and to work from home where necessary.

Mayor de Blasio has urged employers to be flexible with work hours and allow employees to work from home if possible.

Additionally, he urged New Yorkers to avoid crowded subway cars and, where accessible, to walk or bike to work. City officials confirmed that coronavirus spreads when a viral droplet enters someone's nose, mouth or eyes, making a crowded subway car a susceptible place to quickly spread disease.

Surrounding states, including New Jersey and Connecticut, are beginning to ramp up efforts.

Surrounding states, including New Jersey and Connecticut, are beginning to ramp up efforts.

On Sunday, health officials reported two additional cases in New Jersey, bringing the state's total number of cases up to six.

In total, 27 individuals are being monitored throughout nine counties in the state. And last week, the state ordered school districts to develop plans for teaching students at home in the event schools close during the outbreak.

Connecticut reported its first case of coronavirus over the weekend, a 40-to-50 year old patient who was most likely infected on a recent trip to California.

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In total, the coronavirus has infected more than 111,000 people and killed 3,800 worldwide.

In total, the coronavirus has infected more than 111,000 people and killed 3,800 worldwide.

So far, more than 111,000 people have been infected, and at least 3,800 people have been killed by the virus worldwide. The US has reported over 600 cases, and 22 deaths: 19 in Washington State, two in Florida, and one in California.

Over the weekend, Cuomo tweeted "We're testing aggressively & we are seeing the number of confirmed cases go up as expected."

Over the next several weeks, officials are prepared to see hundreds of new cases in New York, primarily due to community spread.