New York reports first coronavirus deaths, 2 politicians test positive

All schools in the ultra-Orthodox Crown Heights neighborhood were closed after three cases were confirmed in the community.

By AARON REICH
A woman wears a face mask on the subway as the coronavirus outbreak continued in Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S., March 13, 2020 (photo credit: REUTERS/ANDREW KELLY)
A woman wears a face mask on the subway as the coronavirus outbreak continued in Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S., March 13, 2020
(photo credit: REUTERS/ANDREW KELLY)
New York state politicians Helene Weinstein and Charles Barron were diagnosed with coronavirus, a statement released by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie announced Sunday morning.
The statement made clear that neither Weinstein nor Barron have been in Albany since early March.
"We have spoken with the Senate and are undertaking an intensive cleaning of the Capital and the Legislative Office Building," the statement said. "All legislators and staff that have come in contact with these members will be tested to ensure the safety of everyone."
Additionally, out of an abundance of caution, we are closing the Capitol to visitors effective tomorrow."
Earlier on Saturday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio released a statement confirming the city's first death from the novel coronavirus.
The patient was an 82-year-old woman from Brooklyn with advanced emphysema who was one of the first cases in the city.
De Blasio thanked the hospital staff for their efforts in trying to save the woman's life.
Another death was also reported Saturday in Rockland County, northwest of the city, The New York Times reported. The patient, a 65-year-old man from Suffern, died Thursday, according to county officials. The Rockland County chief medical examiner said that significant preexisting health problems likely contributed to his death, according to the Times.
This is following the announcement Saturday of the second coronavirus death in New Jersey. According to New Jersey Governor Philip D. Murphy, the second death was a woman in her 50s.
These announcements come as the outbreak of the coronavirus continues to worsen in New York. On Friday, all schools in the ultra-Orthodox Crown Heights neighborhood were closed after three cases were confirmed in the community.
"All Crown Heights schools will be closed as of 12 p.m. today until further notice, under the guidance of all the Rabbonim of the Crown Heights Beis Din," the statement read.
The statement further explained that while there is no worry that any children will be seriously ill, it is important to prevent the spread of the virus to the vulnerable members of the community, such as the elderly.
"Professionals advised that young children should not visit the elderly and that everyone should take extra precautions and stay home as much as possible," the statement said.
"It is very important to note that many children who are carrying the virus will not even appear sick. We need to keep them home regardless to stop the spread.
"It is our job as parents and teachers to model calm behavior and to reassure our children by talking to them about bitachon and safe health practices."
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in New York is over 600, with many are worried that the hospitals – especially the ones in New York City, which many consider among the best in the world, according to the Times – are moving too slowly for the increasingly worsening outbreak.
The worst concentration of cases is in New York city, where nearly 270 patients have been diagnosed with the coronavirus. Just north of the city, in Westchester County, almost 180 people have tested positive.
The city at the epicenter of the Westchester outbreak, New Rochelle, has been given a quarantine area with a mile-long radius to stop the spread of the virus.
"The containment area is a geographic region, one mile in radius, within which large institutions like schools and houses of worship are prohibited from having large gatherings, which is a common sense measure to slow the spread of the virus in an area with a high concentration of positive tests," New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson told The Jerusalem Post in an interview.
The mayor added that the people of the city have been doing their best to handle the situation calmly and by listening to the advice of medical experts.
Omri Nahmias contributed to this report.