6 MARCH 12, 2020 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Two test positive for coronavirus in Queens
BY ZACHARY GEWELB
ZGEWELB@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
Governor Andrew Cuomo declared
a state of emergency Saturday as
the number of coronavirus cases
continues to grow statewide — with
Queens being the latest county to
have a patient with the illness.
According to state Senator James
Sanders, the individual is hospitalized
at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital
in Far Rockaway. The patient is in
isolation, and no one else has been
quarantined at the medical center.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said Saturday
evening that the patient is a male
Uber driver in his 30s who drives on
Long Island. He is not a TLC licensed
driver, according to the mayor.
“The New York City Department of
Health has confirmed that a patient
at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital has
tested positive for COVID-19,” a
spokesperson for St. John’s Episcopal
Hospital said. “The patient is currently
in isolation and we are closely
monitoring team members who may
have been exposed to this patient.
We have been actively preparing
for this, and we will continue to follow
all standard infection control
guidelines.”
Elected officials including Sanders,
Councilman Donovan Richards,
Congressman Gregory Meeks, Assemblywoman
Stacey Pheffer Amato
and city agencies planned a press
conference for 1 p.m. at St. John’s
St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway. Photo via Google Maps
Episcopal Hospital but it was subsequently
canceled.
The press conference was meant
to call for increased funding and resources
to prepare Queens for more
potential cases of coronavirus.
“I was informed by St. John’s
Episcopal Hospital that they have
a confirmed case of a patient with
COVID-19, aka the Coronavirus,”
said Amato in a tweet. “The patient
has been isolated, and the hospital
are (sic) taking all necessary steps &
following all guidelines to ensuring
the safety of the rest of their patients
hospital staff, and surrounding community.
I encourage everyone to
consistently wash their hands, avoid
touching their face, and cover their
mouths when sneezing or coughing
to reduce any risk of exposure.”
‘Critically ill’ Queens senior is
second in the borough to test
positive for coronavirus
Mayor de Blasio confirmed Monday
that a second Queens resident
tested positive for coronavirus and
is in critical condition.
According to the mayor, the 75-yearold
Queens resident is “critically ill” at
a private hospital in Queens. The man
had a fever, developed pneumonia,
had shortness of breath and ended up
in the ICU, de Blasio said, adding that
the man has a pre-existing condition
of diabetes.
“This is someone we’re very, very
worried about,” de Blasio said Monday,
“His wife is asymptomatic and will be
quarantined and we are waiting to
know more on other contacts.”
Fighting against price gouging
Additionally, Cuomo called on the
New York State Department of State’s
Consumer Protection Division to
launch an investigation into reports
of unfair price increases of consumer
products such as household cleaning
supplies and hand sanitizer amid the
novel coronavirus outbreak.
“I want businesses to be aware that
you could lose your license for price
gouging. This is serious. It is not just
price gouging. It is price gouging in
an emergency situation where you are
being exploitative of the public. And
there are specifi c legal provisions for
price gouging in an emergency situation.
If you are a store, you can lose your
license and we are very serious about
this. For the few dollars that you are
going to make during this situation it is
not worth your while,” Cuomo added.
Cuomo said New Yorkers can report
suspected price gouging by calling a
toll-free hotline at 1-800-697-1220.
Governor Cuomo introduces ‘superior’ NYS hand
sanitizer made by state’s incarcerated population
BY ALEX MITCHELL
AMITCHELL@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
Some of New York state’s incarcerated population
is to thank for a new, cost-effi cient hand sanitizer
that will be distributed throughout schools, the
MTA, and other state agencies in upcoming days.
Governor Andrew Cuomo slathered on the citrusy
scented, fl oral bouquet “NYS Clean” sanitizer in Albany
on Monday, calling it “superior” to competing
brands like Purell — which the governor has also
criticized for price gouging in the wake of coronavirus
hysteria.
Cuomo also threatened to put NYS Clean on the
open market if “Mister Amazon” and others continue
to ramp up pricing of hand sanitizer and related
products.
Pumping out 100,000 gallons per week, the state’s
prison labor agency Corcraft is manufacturing
the hand sanitizer at $6.10 per gallon, $1.12 for a 7
oz. bottle, and 84 cents for a small, handheld hand
sanitizer, Cuomo announced, also boasting that it
contains 75 percent alcohol as opposed to the CDC
Governor Andrew Cuomo introduces NYS Clean Hand Sanitizer in Albany. Courtesy of Governor’s Offi ce
recommended 60 percent.
One of the fi rst batches will be sent to New Rochelle,
a “signifi cant hot spot” for coronavirus in the state,
according to the governor.
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