Published 14:32 IST, March 9th 2020
Schools, colleges suspended as coronavirus cases cross 100 in New York
As the number of coronavirus cases in New York jumped to 106, schools and colleges in the state have reportedly announced the suspension of classes.
As the number of coronavirus cases in New York jumped to 106, schools and colleges in the state have reportedly announced the suspension of classes. According to reports, New York has also declared a state of emergency which has also forced the closure of classes at the Columbia University. The coronavirus cases have been multiplying across the United States and the recent step of suspending the classes was taken in a bid to contain the spreading of the deadly virus.
As per reports, the novel coronavirus has already infected more than 500 people and claimed 22 lives across US. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on March 7 declared the state of emergency to help New York quickly and effectively contain the spread of the virus. According to an international media outlet, the state of emergency will allow expedited procurement of cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer, and other essential resources.
Furthermore, it will allow qualified professionals other than doctors and nurses to conduct testing, expedite procurement of testing supplies and equipment, expedite personnel onboarding and leasing of lab space, allow medical personnel to transport patients to quarantine locations other than just hospitals and provide a clear basis for price gouging and enforcement investigation. The NY Governor has also criticised the Trump administration over its handling of the coronavirus crisis. He reportedly said that the CDC has been slow in responding to the epidemic and has also been slow in allowing states to do more testing.
'Perfectly coordinated'
However, Trump, on Sunday, said that his administration has a “perfectly coordinated” and fine-tuned plan to combat the outbreak. He also lauded Vice President Mike Pence who is spearheading the combat efforts. Trump, in his tweet, also slammed the ''Fake News Media'' and blamed them for making his government look bad in public eyes.
Meanwhile, as of now, eight states in the US have declared an emergency in response to coronavirus which includes Washington, Florida, California, Kentucky, New York, Maryland, Utah and Oregon. Governor Kate Brown was the latest to declare emergency as he put Oregon under emergency on March 8. Virginia and Connecticut reported their first cases on March 8.
Updated 14:32 IST, March 9th 2020