A 1-mile containment zone has been set up New Rochelle, right outside of New York City, where one of the largest clusters of the coronavirus cases in the country.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo stated during a press conference, “New Rochelle is a particular problem. The numbers continue to go up, the numbers are going up unabated, and we do need a special public health strategy for New Rochelle.”
New Rochelle, which has a population of more than 78,000 people, has reported more cases of coronavirus than New York City. Places were large groups of people, including schools and churches, will be shut down for 2 weeks starting on Thursday (March 12). Cuomo commented on the decision, stating, “It is a dramatic action, but it is the largest cluster in the country, and this is literally a matter of life and death. That is not an overly rhetorical statement.”
National Guard troops will be helping with cleaning and disinfecting schools, churches and other areas in the city, while residents will be able to come and go as they wish. Small businesses are expected to stay open during the containment period from March 12-25.