WCBS Newsradio 880

LATEST NYC CORONAVIRUS NEWS

US Navy Hospital Ship Set To Arrive In NYC On Monday

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will send off a naval hospital ship Saturday before it heads to New York City, as he aims to highlight the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic. The USNS Comfort, a 1,000-bed hospital ship, had been undergoing planned maintenance, but was rushed back into service to aid the city which is now the epicenter of the nation’s outbreak. It is scheduled to arrive Monday at a Manhattan pier a week after its sister ship, the USNS Mercy arrived in Los Angeles to preform similar duty on the West Coast. The president acknowledged that making the 140-mile trip to Naval Station Norfolk wasn’t necessary, but said he was doing it to recognize the work of sailors and medical professionals who worked to get the ship out of maintenance more than a week ahead of schedule. “I think it's a good thing when I go over there and I say ‘thank you,’” Trump told reporters Friday. He added he wanted to make the trip to show “spirit for the country.” Trump, 73, is in a high-risk category because of his age, and federal guidance for weeks has advised those in that pool to refrain from non-essential travel of all sorts. He has already tested negative once after close contact with officials who came down with the virus. “It doesn't mean I'm going to be hugging people and it doesn't mean that I'm going to be shaking people's hands and everything,” Trump said. “But I think it sends a signal when the president is able to go there and say thank you. So, you know, we'll be careful.” It marks Trump’s first trip outside Washington since March 9 and only his second outside the gates of the White House since a March 19 trip to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It comes a day after the president took a round of steps to expand the federal government’s role in helping produce critically needed supplies to fight the coronavirus pandemic even as he warned the leaders of hard-hit states not to cross him. “I want them to be appreciative,” Trump said Friday after the White House announced that he would be using the powers granted to him under the Korean War-era Defense Production Act to try to compel auto giant General Motors to produce ventilators. Yet Trump — who hours earlier had suggested the need for the devices was being overblown — rejected any criticism of the federal government's response to a ballooning public health crisis that a month ago he predicted would be over by now. “We have done a hell of a job," Trump said, as he sent an ominous message to state and local leaders who have been urging the federal government to do more to help them save lives. Trump said he had instructed Vice President Mike Pence not to call the governors of Washington or Michigan — two coronavirus hotspots — because of their public criticism. “If they don’t treat you right, I don't call,” Trump said. The nearly 900-foot-long USNS Comfort, which was once an oil tanker, is a floating trauma hospital designed to care for service members who’ve been in combat. But on this mission, it will essentially serve as a community hospital. “What we're bringing to the people of New York is a hospital ship with a maximum capacity of 1,000,” said Capt. Patrick Amersbach, the commanding officer of the medical treatment facility aboard the Comfort. The ship has 12 operating rooms as well as radiology suites and a CT scanner. It also has ICU beds, a lab and a pharmacy. The 1,100 or so medical staff on board are mostly active duty service members from the U.S. Navy, and some reservists, who serve on the East Coast. “I really want to thank the families - those who are staying behind,” Amersbach said. “Because this is a national crisis. And their loved ones are leaving to go north to help those in New York. I really appreciate what they’re doing and the sacrifices they are making.” The arrival of the oblong ship, with its white hull and red crosses, is often a signal of the severity of a crisis. Since the current iteration of the USNS Comfort launched in 1987, the vessel has responded to wars in the Middle East, Hurricane Katrina and New York City after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. But the current mission is unprecedented in the ship’s century long history, which stretches back to World War I. “We’ve never deployed a hospital ship stateside specifically for a response in a global pandemic,” said André B. Sobocinski, a historian for the U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. The closest the USNS Comfort has come to being in a situation like this was during World War I and the flu pandemic, Sobocinski said. The ship ferried soldiers from Europe back to the states, and some of the men most likely had the flu. The Comfort also handled overflow soldiers from military hospitals in New York. The difference now is that the ship is handling overflow from civilian hospitals in the city, Sobocinski said. —- Associated Press writer Ben Finley in Norfolk, Virginia, contributed to this report.

March 28, 2020

WATCH: NYC Honors Essential Workers With Citywide Applause

Sign up for WCBS 880's daily newsletter for the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic.NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — This is how New York says, "Thank you."While the city may look and feel like a ghost town, the Big Apple came alive Friday night in an amazing show of support for those on the front lines of the coronavirus battle. Residents all across the city took to their windows, balconies and rooftops at 7 p.m. to show their appreciation for all of the doctors, nurses, first responders and other essential workers. The quiet of the night was shattered for two minutes as residents cheered, clapped, whistled, and banged pots and pans to express their gratitude.From Long Island City to the Upper East Side, here's what it looked and sounded like all across the city.SOUND ON: People in the Long Island City neighborhood of New York City took to their balconies to clap and cheer for health care workers ending their hospital shifts. #clapforourcarers #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/IFK3gOfooL— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) March 27, 2020 What a beautiful NYC moment. Cheering at 7pm for our healthcare workers! -------------------- @CBSNewYork pic.twitter.com/DwwiuI25qf— Alice Gainer (@GainerTV) March 27, 2020 Can you hear the people scream? New Yorkers cheer out their windows, thanking all the health and other essential workers putting their lives on the line right now. This was captured on the UES pic.twitter.com/GOs9NaHaxC— Jordan Zakarin (@jordanzakarin) March 27, 2020 Across the street from my building is the Manhattanville Bus Depot and at 7pm they had a shift change. So, the residents, collectively, wanted to show the workers appreciation for their efforts during this pandemic. Here’s what I caught. pic.twitter.com/UM6cvzlY6f— Low (@LowKeyUHTN) March 27, 2020 Powerful moment this evening in #NYC as we united on our roofs and outside our windows to clap for healthcare and emergency response workers. I love this city and am proud to be a f***ing new yorker. *SOUND ON* #clapbecauseyoucare pic.twitter.com/RgaRRERsl8— Nathan is Social Distancing. You Should Too (@natepoekert) March 27, 2020 Upper East Side, New York City. #ClapBecauseWeCare #clapforNHS #clapforourcarers #ClapForCarers pic.twitter.com/O25JSQBBz0— Paula P. (@MustLoveClutter) March 27, 2020 #ParkSlope #Brooklyn thanks all of the healthcare workers, restaurant & delivery workers, grocery store workers #clapforourcarers #ClapForCarers #clapforourcarers pic.twitter.com/l9TnoNRrIM— dpoveromo (@oldtimeyyo) March 27, 2020 Yes Yes!!! #Williamsburg #brooklyn sent some love tonight to our healthcare and frontline workers risking their lives! #SolidarityAt8 #clapforourcarers #clapbecausewecare #GetMePPE #nyc #CoronaLockdown pic.twitter.com/9HU2ZD6KsM— SolidarityAt8 (@SolidarityAt8) March 28, 2020 Brooklyn says “Thank you” to all those who are working to keep us alive. #clapforourcarers pic.twitter.com/23kzgmXYQC— NataliJewel (@NataliJewel) March 28, 2020 Thank you New York!!!! #clapforourcarers pic.twitter.com/0U9dVHaQ8Y— Danielle (@DMGarofalo) March 28, 2020 Chelsea clapping for doctors, nurses, first responders, and essential workers. #clapforourcarers #clapbecausewecare pic.twitter.com/mYMREP5fd4— Dr. Nancy Hightower (@NancyHightower) March 28, 2020 Stay informed, stay connected — follow WCBS 880 on Facebook and Twitter. Download the RADIO.COM app + favorite WCBS 880 for breaking news, traffic and weather alerts.

March 27, 2020

'Dismal Situation' As New Jersey Hospital Overwhelmed With Coronavirus Patients

RIDGEWOOD, N.J. (WCBS 880) — New Jersey has the second most coronavirus cases in the country, and one hospital is already becoming overwhelmed.WCBS 880’s Lynda Lopez spoke with Dr. Robert Brenner at The Valley Hospital Systems to hear how they are handling the onslaught.“Valley has, currently, 144 in-patients that are either suspected of having – we call them PUI, which are patients under investigation – or confirmed. Thirty-five patients are on ventilators and 16 of those are confirmed. Corona patients, either suspected or positive, is occupying three of our four floors and 50% of our census right now is related to this epidemic,” explains Dr. Brenner.He notes the hospital has already seen 15 deaths from the virus and he says the hospital does not have enough equipment to get through the pandemic.When Lopez asked if he felt the hospital had enough ventilators, he responded, “I would say no.”ooo“If you think about our volume, and I just want to go into this, on March 14th, we had zero cases. On the 18th, we had 73, on the 22nd, we had 104 and today we have a 144 – so the doubling is every five days,” Dr. Brenner explains. “So, right now, we have six ventilators left and we’re sometimes borrowing from other hospitals as things go up and down.”He says, unfortunately, many patients who were on ventilators have died, but the hospital has to make tough decisions as to who can get one and who cannot.Meanwhile, the staff is working overtime to ensure patients are in good sprits as they try to deal with the shortages.“I round up there, I put my mask on and go up to the units and I try to keep their morale up,” he said. “I've given out masks of various colors to make them happy – it's very hard to console them. They're dealing with a very dismal situation where all you see throughout the entire intensive care unit are people on ventilators and people that are very sick.”But, he says the staff are holding up and he’s hopeful new field hospitals will help ease some of the pressure off the hospital.

March 27, 2020

Cuomo To National Guard: 'This Is A Rescue Mission'

Sign up for WCBS 880's daily newsletter for the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic.NEW YORK (WCBS 880) -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday morning that he will ask the federal government for permission to build four more emergency hospitals in New York City to deal with the coronavirus. In a press conference at the Javits Center in Manhattan, Cuomo said that they are hoping to building the temporary facilities at the New York Expo Center in the Bronx, the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, and the College of Staten Island. Each hospital would have 1,000 beds.WATCH: A Look Inside The New Temporary Hospital At Javits CenterCuomo also said that schools in the state will remain closed until at least Apr. 15, and that schools will continue to provide distance learning and meals. The number of cases in New York State has increased to 44,635 cases, with 25,398 in New York City.In total, 519 people have died from COVID-19, up from 385 yesterday.We mourn the 519 New Yorkers lost to this vicious virus.This is the worst news I can give New Yorkers. It is heartbreaking.Sadly, we expect this number to rise as patients who have been on ventilators for weeks succumb.We will keep fighting to save every life we can.— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 27, 2020 So far, 6,481 people have been hospitalized in the state. The rate of the hospitalization increase is slowing, with the numbers doubling every four days now, up from every two last week. Another 1,000 hospital beds will become available on Monday when the USNS Comfort arrives in New York Harbor.The governor said that he was also looking the dorms at City College and Queens College, as well as the Marriott Brooklyn Bridge Hotel and the Brooklyn Center Nursing Home, for extra bed capacity over the next several weeks..@NYGovCuomo wants to build 4 more temporary hospitals at specific locations in Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island and Brooklyn.He is also looking at locations in Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties. https://t.co/In5YwLjYRh pic.twitter.com/lkxgVgfzGQ— WCBS Newsradio 880 (@wcbs880) March 27, 2020 Speaking to the National Guard who had set up the temporary hospital at the Javits Center, he thanked them for their hard work. (Video on top of page)"This is a different beast that we're dealing with," Cuomo said. "This is an invisible beast, it is an insidious beast. This is not gonna be a short deployment. This is going to be weeks and weeks and weeks. This is going to be a long day and it's going to be a hard day and it's going to be an ugly day and it's going to be a sad day. This is a rescue mission that you're on, the mission is to save lives. That's what you're doing and as hard as we work, we're not going to be able to save everyone." "And what's even more cruel is this enemy doesn't attack the strongest of us, it attacks the weakest of us. It attacks our most vulnerable, which makes it even worse because these are the people that every instinct tells us we're supposed to protect. These are our parents and our grandparents, these are our aunts and uncles, these are our relatives that are sick. And every instinct tells us protect them, help them because they need us and those are the exact people that this enemy attacks.""Every time I've called out the National Guard, I've said the same thing to you. I promise you that I will not ask you to do anything that I will not do myself and I'll never ask you to go anywhere that I won't go myself. And the same is true here. We're going to do this and we're going to do this together.""My second point is, you are living in a moment of history. This is going to be one of those moments they're going to write about and they're going to talk about for generations. This is a moment that is going to change this nation. This is a moment that forges character, forges people, changes people - makes them stronger, makes them weaker - but this is a moment that will change character.""And 10 years from now you'll be talking about today to your children or your grandchildren and you will shed a tear, because you will remember the lives lost and you'll remember the faces and you'll remember the names and you'll remember how hard we worked and that we still lost loved ones. And you'll shed a tear – and you should because it will be sad – but you will also be proud. You'll be proud of what you did, you'll be proud that you showed up when other people played it safe, you had the courage to show up. And you had the skill and the professionalism to make a difference and save lives. That's what you will have done."At the Javits Center in New York City giving a briefing on #Coronavirus. WATCH: https://t.co/Fwj4LXm0vn— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 27, 2020 "And at the end of the day nobody can ask anything more from you. That is your duty, to do what you can, when you can and you will have shown skill and courage and talent. You'll be there with your mind, you'll be there with your heart and you'll serve with honor. And that will give you pride and you should be proud. I know that I am proud of you.""Every time the National Guard has been called out they have made every New Yorker proud and I am proud to be with you yet again and I'm proud to fight this fight with you and I bring you thanks from all New Yorkers who are just so appreciative of the sacrifice that you are making, the skill that you're bringing, the talent that you're bringing and you give many New Yorkers confidence. So I say, my friends, that we go out there today and we kick coronavirus ass and we're going to save lives and New York is gonna thank you."Stay informed, stay connected — follow WCBS 880 on Facebook and Twitter. Download the RADIO.COM app + favorite WCBS 880 for breaking news, traffic and weather alerts.

March 27, 2020

NYPD Suffers 2nd Coronavirus Death; More Than 500 Members Test Positive; 4,000 Call Out Sick

Sign up for WCBS 880's daily newsletter for the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic.NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — The coronavirus outbreak is taking its toll on the NYPD.As of Friday, 442 uniformed officers and 70 civilian members have tested positive for the coronavirus.Another 4,111 NYPD uniformed employees were on sick report, accounting for 11.4% of the Department’s uniformed workforce. The department has lost two civilian members to the virus. The NYPD confirmed Friday that Giacomina Barr-Brown, a Civilian Member of the Service, died Thursday night in her home. Barr-Brown, seven-year veteran of the NYPD,was assigned to the 49th Precinct Roll Call Office, where she helped to ensure that patrol and administrative assignments were adequately covered on a daily basis.On Thursday, NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea posted a video on Twitter confirming city custodial assistant Dennis Dickson, who served with the NYPD since 2006, died from complications related to the coronavirus at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn."Today we lost one of our own,” Shea said. “Custodial Assistant Dennis Dickson, a member of the NYPD since 2006. When Hurricane Sandy struck, he worked 17 days straight and since the coronavirus has struck New York City he's been keeping the NYPD safe so our officers can keep you safe.” Dennis C. Dickson (3rd from the left) during the cleanup of Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The 62-year-old Dickson was a custodian assigned to Police Headquarters."Mr. Dickson was a revered member of the custodial staff at Police Headquarters once spending 17 days at the headquarters building during Super Storm Sandy assisting with emergency cleanup operations," the department said in a statement. "Mr. Dickson was again on the front line cleaning and disinfecting 1 Police Plaza so that our personnel could be here safely, allowing them to continue to serve the people of the City Of New York."We are sad to announce the passing of our own NYPD family member, Custodial Assistant Dennis Dickson. Mr. Dickson faithfully served this department for 14 yrs & is the 1st member to succumb to the COVID-19 virus. Our thoughts go out to his loved ones during this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/YIKzhMXsuc— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) March 27, 2020 The commissioner said the NYPD family is sending thoughts and prayers to Dickson’s friends and family."The whole NYPD is grieving," Shea said.Today we lost one of our own:City Custodial Assistant Dennis Dickson, who faithfully served with the NYPD since 2006, has passed away from complications related to the coronavirus.Our deepest sympathies & all of our prayers go out to Dennis’ colleagues & family.#NeverForget pic.twitter.com/EOcWNsBAHY— Commissioner Shea (@NYPDShea) March 27, 2020 There are also reports that NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Counterterrorism and Intelligence John Miller is hospitalized in serious condition with coronavirus symptoms and is awaiting testing. In an interview Friday morning with WCBS 880, Shea told anchor Steve Scott that he would not go into specifics on individual members and their health, but said he's spoken to Miller and he is doing well and will be okay.Shea said keeping his members safe is paramount and for now they have the supplies they need to protect their members but the department is making the accomodations to get more equipment where needed, when it's needed."We're trying to be conscious, make decisions about how we conseve, but we do not want to be in a position where we have them on reserve and they're not in the hands of those who need them," Shea said. "It's an ongoing process, and it's something that we're definitely concerned about."As more people are self-isolating and staying home, Shea said the overall major crime reported to the department has declined significantly, but they are seeing some spikes."We're seeing a drop in radio calls, we're seeing a drop in people on the street for the obvious reasons," Shea said. "We had a tough day yesterday in New York City with several homicides, we have some burglaries occurring, some car breaks occurring throughout the city. So the city that never sleeps is slumbering a little bit, but its definitely not sleeping."Shea assures the public that the men and women of the NYPD are out on the streets to keep New Yorkers safe, fighting traditional crime, enforcing social distancing rules, making sure establishments are closed and even delivering groceries throughout the city to senior citizens who should not be venturing out at the moment."It's a struggle and we're pulling from different parts of the department, but we are very well resourced," Shea said. "So we're doing all of that and we will get through this together," Shea said.Officers have been enforcing social distancing with the assistance of clergy and community leaders and educating the public on how to flatten the curve. The NYPD is using its helicopters over parks and pedestrian plazas to assist patrol officers on the ground.Stay informed, stay connected — follow WCBS 880 on Facebook and Twitter. Download the RADIO.COM app + favorite WCBS 880 for breaking news, traffic and weather alerts.

March 27, 2020

New Rochelle Residents Wondering When Quarantine Will End

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. (WCBS 880) — Those who were among the first group of coronavirus cases in New York State remain in quarantine weeks later, and they’re wondering when it will end.Congregants at the Young Israel of New Rochelle were among the first to test positive for coronavirus after a 50-year-old attorney became infected with the virus and then attended services at the temple.Many tested positive and were told to enter quarantine for 14 days. Those residents then became part of the state’s first quarantine zone.It’s been over the 14-day minimum, but the congregants have yet to be cleared from quarantine – and they’re wondering if they will be anytime soon.“We were the first to get hit, you know, it made a major impact on our lives. But, nobody, surely, expects us to stay in until the Messiah returns,” said Eli Epstein.He says he had a slight fever, testes positive for the virus and has felt fine for weeks.The state is following guidelines set by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention that says a person can only be allowed out of quarantine when they receive two negative tests.The problem is, testing kits have been scarce and it seems unlikely that everyone who tested positive will be allowed to receive two additional tests.“There’s no uniform answer to any of the questions and people understand where we’re coming from, they simply don’t know how to answer it,” Epstein said.About 100 people are in a similar situation in New Rochelle.Now, Epstein says prestigious universities are contacting them to donate their blood for antibodies in the search for a cure.“The answer is: No, you have to come to us,” he joked, since the residents are unable to leave their homes.

March 27, 2020

WATCH: A Look Inside The New Temporary Hospital At Javits Center

Sign up for WCBS 880's daily newsletter for the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic.NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — The Ritz Carlton it is not. The cavernous Javits Center has been transformed into a 1,000-bed hospital in a bid to nearly triple current hospital capacity in New York as the state battles a rising surge in coronavirus cases.WCBS 880's Peter Haskell had a chance Friday to tour the facility. He reports the new temporary rooms are more like cubicles. They're small and spartan. They feature three temporary walls with a curtain in front and the bed is more like a beach lounge chair. There's also a folding chair, lamp, humidifier and table with a small plant.Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants to build four more facilities, one in every borough.The goal is to increase capacity to 140,000 beds.Cuomo is looking at college dorms, hotels and nursing homes as other possible locations. Meanwhile, the Navy hospital ship, USNS Comfort, is expected to arrive in New York Harbor on Monday. The ship features 1,000 rooms and will help take some of the pressure off hospitals by caring for non-coronavirus patients.Watch the video above for an inside look at the new facility at the Javits Center.Stay informed, stay connected — follow WCBS 880 on Facebook and Twitter. Download the RADIO.COM app + favorite WCBS 880 for breaking news, traffic and weather alerts.

March 27, 2020

Mayor: City May Be Shut Down Until May; COVID-19 Cases Surpass 25K

NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Mayor Bill de Blasio on Friday said New York City may essentially be shut down through May as the number of coronavirus cases and deaths continue to rise.The city has a total of 25,573 coronavirus cases and has seen 366 deaths from the virus, de Blasio announced during a press conference.Earlier in the day, the mayor appeared on “Good Morning America,” saying New Yorkers should prepare for a near-shutdown lasting past April. “Should we expect New York City to be closed basically through May?” ABC’s George Stephanopoulos asked the mayor.“I think, George, we have to be ready for that,” the mayor said.FULL INTERVIEW: New York City Mayor @billdeblasio speaks with @GStephanopoulos on the coronavirus emergency in NYC, the race to supply hospitals with equipment and expectations heading into April and May. https://t.co/Y7dKQRF9le pic.twitter.com/T2dYF39Qfr— Good Morning America (@GMA) March 27, 2020 De Blasio said President Donald Trump and the federal government must step up and send more medical supplies to New York, with officials projecting many more cases in the five boroughs in the coming weeks.In the afternoon, he said President Trump had made a comment about New York State exaggerating the number of ventilators needed, but the mayor said the numbers show the truth.“I think New York State has been exactly right in asking for the number they think they need,” de Blasio said. “Governor (Andrew) Cuomo is exactly right to identify those numbers of ventilators.”New York has requested 30,000 ventilators and the city has requested 15,000 – which the mayor remained firm on.“Unfortunately, we think this crisis is going to grow through April into May—that’s the truth,” de Blasio said. “And we need the president and everyone in Washington to understand that’s just the blunt reality. We’re looking at the numbers, we’re looking at the human impact. We can’t ignore it, we can’t minimize it.”“When the president says the state of New York doesn’t need 30,000 ventilators, with all due respect to him, he’s not looking at the facts of the astronomical growth of this crisis. And a ventilator means someone lives or dies,” de Blasio said. “If they don’t have a ventilator, a lot of people are just not going to make it.”De Blasio said the city has received about 2,500 ventilators in the last week and millions of medical masks, gowns, gloves and other articles of personal protective equipment.The mayor notes thousands of people have answered the call to help and anyone who wants to donate items or volunteer can call (833) NYC-0040.De Blasio reiterated the city's estimate that over half of the people in New York City will get the coronavirus and estimated half a million New Yorkers might lose their job by the end of the pandemic.He said the only other time that he could compare recent weeks to is the Great Depression.“We believe over half the people in this city will ultimately be infected,” the mayor said.“Thank God for 80 percent that will be very little impact,” de Blasio. “For about 80 percent, we see this consistently, it’s like having a cold or flu-like dynamic, and you get through it in 7 to 10 days.”“But for 20 percent of the people infected, it’s going to be tough, and for some of them, of course, it’s going to be fatal,” the mayor said. “Before it comes down, we’re going to go through a very sharp growth period.The NYPD announced its first coronavirus-related death Thursday night. NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said City Custodial Assistant Dennis Dickson, a member of the NYPD since 2006, had passed away due to complications of coronavirus.Many of the other fatalities in the city have been at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, where conditions are being described as “apocalyptical.”The city-run hospital has 545 beds and saw a number of deaths over a 24-hour period on Tuesday, New York City Health and Hospitals spokesman Christopher Miller said.A refrigerated truck is currently parked outside of the hospital to act as a temporary morgue.Mayor de Blasio said dozens of additional staff members have been sent to the hospital, which he called “the epicenter of the epicenter.”

March 27, 2020

Amid Pandemic, New Yorkers Step Up Volunteering Efforts

NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — With many New Yorkers stuck at home, many are looking for new ways to put their time to good use by volunteering.In the face of a pandemic, New Yorkers are showing their true colors and Gary Bagley, the head of New York Cares, says they have been flooded with 7,000 new volunteers.“We're incredibly grateful and, by the way, that number has been going up between 500 and 1,000 a day,” he said.The challenge, however, is keeping those new volunteers safe from infection.“It's a very hard question to figure out exactly what people can do and it actually varies,” Bagley adds.Not every mission will need to be in person, but Bagley says regardless of where you go, please pitch in.“There will be a lot of ways people can help. Right now, New York Cares is just in the final stages of setting up phone banking,” he explains.Meanwhile, chef Jose Andres, who became a folk-hero of sorts while feeding the hungry in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, is working to feed New York City with his charity, World Central Kitchen.“It's really about providing people that dignified plate of food,” said Sam Bloch, director of field operations. He says 20,000 meals are being offered at 25 locations every day.“We're actually giving out multiple days of meals at one time. So, all the food is precooked. But then has been chilled and ready for them to just reheat,” he explains.The food is made at a kitchen in Edison, New Jersey.

March 27, 2020

Fleet Week New York Canceled Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Sign up for WCBS 880's daily newsletter for the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic.NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — The Navy on Friday announced Fleet Week New York was officially canceled due to the growing spread of coronavirus in the state.“We did not come to this decision lightly, but feel it is necessary to cancel this year’s Fleet Week New York to help mitigate further spread of the virus,” said Rear Adm. Charles W. Rock, Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic in a release on Friday. “Fleet Week is a tremendous partnership between the people of New York City and our Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard team. We appreciate your understanding during these challenging circumstances.”PHOTOS: Fleet Week 2019The last time Fleet Week was canceled was in 2013, due to budget shortfalls stemming from sequestration.To our New York City partners, Fleet Week volunteers, and those who travel from all over the country to celebrate our sea services: we regret to inform you that Fleet Week New York 2020 has officially been CANCELED due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Stay healthy!#FleetWeekNYC pic.twitter.com/bJypEoBNCg— Fleet Week New York (@FleetWeekNYC) March 27, 2020 There are no current plans to reschedule the event currently.The Navy plans to refocus efforts to prepare the hospital ship, USNS Comfort, to deploy to New York City. The ship will be used to treat non-coronavirus patients.The move is expected to free up thousands of hospital beds throughout the five boroughs.Stay informed, stay connected — follow WCBS 880 on Facebook and Twitter. Download the RADIO.COM app + favorite WCBS 880 for breaking news, traffic and weather alerts.

March 27, 2020