A fourth resident has died of the coronavirus at a Long Island retirement community and 13 residents have tested positive for the virus that has infected more than 12,000 people statewide as of late Saturday.
An 89-year-old woman who was in hospice care for a separate medical condition died Friday night, officials at Peconic Landing in Greenport said. The other three who died were in their 90s and were in assisted living with underlying medical conditions.
A tracking effort at Johns Hopkins University reported at least 76 deaths in the state as of late Saturday night, including at least 60 in New York City. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has declared a major disaster in the state, freeing up access to billions of dollars in relief funding.
For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms such as fever and cough, and the vast majority recover. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death.
More on the latest coronavirus developments in New York:
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INMATES INFECTED
The largest coronavirus jail outbreak in the nation has been reported in New York City, with at least 38 people testing positive at the notorious Rikers Island complex and nearby facilities.
Another inmate became the first in the country to test positive in a federal jail.
Jacqueline Sherman, interim chairwoman of the Board of Correction, said 12 Department of Correction employees, five Correctional Health Services employees and 21 people in custody at Rikers and city jails have tested positive for the coronavirus in the past week and at least 58 others were being monitored in contagious disease and quarantine units.
More than 2.2 million people are incarcerated in the United States and there are growing fears that an outbreak could spread rapidly through a vast network of federal and state prisons, county jails and detention centers.
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PRIMARY VOTING
New York Attorney General Letitia James called on the state Sunday to suspend in-person voting and send every eligible voter an absentee ballot for the April 28 Democratic presidential primary.
“Let’s make it easier for every voter to cast their vote without spreading the coronavirus and jeopardizing public health,” James said in a statement. “Democracy should not be suspended if there is a safe alternative.”
The Erie County Board of Elections released a special absentee ballot application almost two weeks ago listing “public health emergency (COVID-19)” as an option for voting absentee in the special election to fill the open seat in the 27th congressional district. James said the executive order she's seeking goes further by ensuring every eligible voter is automatically sent an absentee ballot.
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