New York City needs to ‘double down’ on social distancing as coronavirus hospitalizations start to stabilize, Mayor de Blasio says
April 8, 2020 / Dan Mangan, Noah Higgins-Dunn, William Feuer
Coronavirus hospitalizations in New York City appear to have stabilized and reduced the immediate need for ventilators, showing that the city needs to “double down” on social distancing measures that are helping to curb the pandemic, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday.
De Blasio cautioned that the data was preliminary and there is a risk that coronavirus cases could begin to increase at a faster rate if residents do not adhere to social distancing and shelter-in-place policies.
The data, the mayor said at a press conference, “tells us we actually have to double down, stick to the strategies that are working.”
“We know we’re not out of the woods; it’s too early,” de Blasio said, cautioning that the data should not be used to draw “bigger conclusions.”
He warned that COVID-19 infections are “going to reach a huge percentage of us,” most likely more than half the population.
