Coronavirus Closes 6 County Courtrooms For Cleaning

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY — With 217 confirmed cases of new coronavirus in New York as of midday Wednesday, the state has the largest outbreak in the U.S.A. At the epicenter, Westchester County had 121, with 13 new cases confirmed since Tuesday. Ulster County officials reported two confirmed cases, one new, and Rockland County held steady with six.

One of the newest Westchester cases is an attorney who practices at the Westchester County Courthouse in White Plains, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said at a news conference.

"Six court rooms are closed for cleaning, and employees who had contact with that attorney will be on precautionary quarantine," Cuomo said. "And anyone who needs a test we will do."

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Elsewhere in Westchester, a one-mile containment zone goes into effect Thursday in the Wykagyl neighborhood of New Rochelle. It was recommended by State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker to contain the outbreak of what is officially called COVID-19 that cascaded from a series of large gatherings at a local synagogue.

The area currently has 108 confirmed cases and is considered a "cluster," state officials said.

The protocols for the zone have to do with closing schools, houses of worship and other large gathering facilities within a one-mile radius for a two-week period, from Thursday to March 25.

The zone does not affect people going about other daily routines. Only people who are confirmed contagious with coronavirus are under mandatory quarantine.

The state will partner with Northwell Health to set up a satellite testing facility in New Rochelle. Visits would operate by appointment only. More information will be posted soon on the State Department of Health website.

"We're continuing to prioritize ramping up testing capacity because the more people you identify as having the virus, the better you can contain it," Cuomo said. The point is to slow the rate of infection and mitigate the outbreak.

"Again I want to remind people to keep this in perspective: the facts do not justify the fear in this situation and the facts here should actually reduce anxiety," he said.

In the zone, National Guard troops deployed to a Health Department command post in New Rochelle will assist. They will deliver food to homes and help with cleaning public spaces in the containment area, officials said.

Also, the New York State Department of Health will grant $200,000 to a local food bank. Nine schools in the city are currently closed as a result of the containment zone, and the funding will help any student or family who relies on free or reduced-price school lunches.

The number of confirmed cases recently topped 1,000 in the United States, with 30 deaths recorded as of Wednesday afternoon, according to Johns Hopkins University. COVID-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that's a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past.

Across New York, the governor announced that the State University of New York and the City University of New York will implement plans to maximize distance learning and reduce in-person classes, beginning March 19, for the remainder of the spring semester.

All campuses, including SUNY New Paltz, Purchase College, and community colleges in Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, Westchester and Ulster, will develop distance-learning and other options catered to the campus and curriculum-specific needs while reducing density in the campus environment to help slow possibility for exposures to novel coronavirus.

"We have been working closely with the Governor and the Department of Health to allow SUNY students to continue their education online or remotely, thus limiting their exposure to the COVID-19 while ensuring academic continuity," SUNY Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson said. More than 100,000 students currently take one or more courses online. "We believe we are prepared and well-positioned to take advantage of remote instruction to further our students' education during this crisis."

Coronavirus in New York and beyond

• Coronavirus United States: Update For Wednesday, March 11
• New Rochelle Grappling With New Coronavirus Containment Zone
• To Avoid Coronavirus, Americans Over 60 Should Hunker Down: CDC
• Common-Sense Reasons Not To Panic Over Coronavirus