Mayor Bill de BlasioVerified account

Our single greatest challenge is the lack of fast federal action to increase testing capacity — without that, we cannot beat this epidemic back.

To ensure we are able to test as many people as possible, we urgently need the CDC to increase our supply of COVID-19 test kits and expedite the approval of any testing approaches developed by private companies.

We are taking the same decisive steps in every case to shut transmission down: isolate and test each suspected case, trace close contacts, and isolate and test them as well.

We are going to see more cases like this as community transmission becomes more common. We want New Yorkers to be prepared and vigilant, not alarmed.

Both are currently hospitalized and in the intensive care unit. City disease detectives are tracing close contacts of both individuals and will ensure they are appropriately isolated and tested immediately.

There are two new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New York City. One new patient is a man in his 40s, and one new patient is a woman in her 80s. Neither patient has a connection to travel nor any of the other local individuals diagnosed with COVID-19.

This crisis could be with us for a long time. For most people, COVID-19 has the same symptoms as the flu or common cold — if you feel ANY symptoms of COVID-19 and have any nexus to the affected countries, contact your doctor right away.

All 200,000 TLC drivers have been instructed on wiping down surfaces in their vehicles daily with disinfectant to keep passengers and themselves healthy. We have also reiterated to EVERY driver that discrimination against passengers will not be tolerated.

Attendance rates right now are exactly the same as last year. Thank you to parents and students for going about your lives as normal!