The novel coronavirus is continuing to spread in New York, as the state's total of confirmed cases has ballooned to 142, among the most of any U.S. states.
Schools around Nassau County were closed Tuesday after districts learned that some employees had tested positive for the virus, more specifically dubbed COVID-19. On Tuesday morning, two school bus drivers tested positive, bringing the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nassau County to 19.
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran noted that the school bus drivers are responsible for transporting about 80 students daily on several routes. Most of the families of those students have been contacted.
There are 25 confirmed COVID-19 cases in NYC, with more than 80 in nearby Westchester county.
Later Tuesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo was scheduled outline a specific response plan for the spread of COVID-19 in New Rochelle, NY. He called the town, which was home to one of the state's earliest cases of the virus, the "most significant cluster" of COVID-19-affected people in the country.
NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio announced several new cases of the virus Tuesday morning, including a 7-year-old Bronx girl, the youngest patient to date in the state.
As New Yorkers are urged to telecommute and avoid the subways if possible, Cuomo addressed the possibility of the city's annual St. Patrick's Day parade on Tuesday, March 17, being cancelled.
Cuomo says officials are still assessing the situation, but canceling the parade is a possibility.
The CDC has authorized six private labs in New York to conduct testing. Cuomo has attempted to stem hysteria around the virus by emphasizing that an enhanced testing ability will lead to more positive tests.
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