New York City officials are getting ready to do wide scale coronavirus testing once the tests become available. In the coming weeks, a test and trace program will get going. Mayor Bill de Blasio says this involves quickly tracking down and assessing people in contact with someone with coronavirus.
"We could be talking about thousands of people in isolation at a given point, tens of thousands. We are going to build anapparatus that will keep expanding toaccommodate whatever that true number is because it's the only way we protect people and it's the only way we drive this disease back."
De Blasio says the city is now working on identifying public buildings for tests sites, hotels for quarantine spots, labs and lining up city employees to help with this massive testing effort.
Meanwhile, the mayor says despite the unknown with coronavirus, the huge Macy’s fireworks show on Fourth of July will go on but it may be done differently.
"There's no day like the fourth of July, It's special and even if we have to do something different, we have to mark it in a very meaningful way especially at this moment where everyone is fighting shoulder to shoulder to get through this disease."