New York City has reached a milestone in its battle with the coronavirus. Mayor de Blasio, at his briefing today, reported that for the first time since the pandemic began there was a 24-hour period with no deaths from COVID-19.
“That is so striking and so moving, and it’s a statement again about how this city fights back,”
De Blasio said he intended to begin his remarks with this news, but instead started by talking about the 1-year old boy who was shot and killed at a family cookout in Brooklyn yesterday, the latest tragedy in the epidemic of gun violence that has ravaged the city.
As for COVID-19, de Blasio said there was also some cause for concern. He said the infection rate is on the rise among young people.
“The particular group we’re concerned about is 20 year olds to 29 year olds. We see from 30 to 39 years old some increase as well, we take that very seriously, but particularly (there is a rise) amongst this younger group.”
De Blasio also issued new guidance as more people begin to come together indoors -- keep that mask on even if you are six feet away from others. He pointed out that many times people start out six feet apart, but get to talking and tend to drift closer together.
He said the city has opened 10 new testing sites, but warned that outbreaks across the US have overloaded labs and are delaying results.