COVID-19 pandemic in New York City


The first case relating to the COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed in New York City in March 2020 by a woman who had recently traveled to New York City from Iran, a country already seriously affected by the pandemic at the time. Nearly a month later, the metropolitan area was the worst-affected area in the country, with its medical infrastructure overtaxed. By April, the city had more confirmed coronavirus cases than China, the U.K., or Iran, and by May, had more cases than any country other than the United States.
On March 20, the governor's office issued an executive order closing down non-essential businesses. The city's public transportation system remained open but experienced crowding due to reduced transit service and an increase of homeless persons seeking shelter on the subway.
By April, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers were out of work with lost tax revenues estimated to run into the billions. Low income jobs in the retail, transportation and restaurant sectors are especially affected. The drop in income, sales tax and tourism revenues including hotel tax revenue may cost the city up to $10 billion. Mayor Bill de Blasio has said the city's unemployment system collapsed following a surge in claims and it will require federal assistance to maintain basic services.
The ongoing pandemic is the deadliest disaster by death toll in the history of New York City.

Timeline

Before March

Although the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in New York State on March 1, 2020, genomic analysis suggests the disease was introduced as early as January, and that most cases were linked to Europe, rather than Asia. The 39-year-old health care worker, a resident of Manhattan, had returned from Iran on February 25.
A Queens man contracted COVID-19 via community transmission in late February, falling ill on February 29.

March

On March 3, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the first recorded case of person-to-person spread in New York State had been confirmed via a New Rochelle man who was working at a law firm within One Grand Central Place in Midtown Manhattan. Six days later, on March 9, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that there were 16 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New York City.
The virus then grew exponentially: by March 25, over 17,800 cases had been confirmed in New York City, with 199 deaths. At the time, the city's infection rate was five times higher than the rest of the country, and its cases and were one-third of total confirmed US cases. The reasons for the high infection rate continue to be discussed. On March 27, infection in New York City surpassed 23,000, with 365 deaths. Queens was the worst-affected borough by number of deaths, with over a third of total deaths; the majority of the deceased had underlying health issues. Between March 28 and 29, the number of deaths in New York City tripled from the previous 24-hour period; 222 people died of the virus bringing the city's fatalities to 672, with 30,765 confirmed cases.
The hospital ship arrived in New York Harbor on March 30. Field hospitals were also set up in several places citywide. Refrigerator trucks were set up on city streets outside hospitals to accommodate the overflow of bodies of the deceased. On March 31, the first death of a child from COVID-19 in New York City was recorded.

April

On April 4, Governor Cuomo announced that the Chinese government had arranged for a donation of 1,000 ventilators to be sent to New York through foundations run by Jack Ma and Joseph Tsai. The state of Oregon was reported to be sending 140 ventilators. Trump announced that 1,000 additional federal medical soldiers would be deployed to New York City. It was reported that "Urban Area Medical Task Forces" made up of army reservists would be working in the New York City field hospitals and other parts of the country., there were 1,200 medical military personnel serving on the USNS Comfort. 2,700 New York State National Guard forces had also been deployed.
, during the COVID-19 pandemic
On April 5, it was reported that a tiger at the Bronx Zoo had contracted COVID-19, the first known case of a tiger anywhere being infected with the disease. Several other "big cats" were found to have COVID-19, the first of which had started showing symptoms on March 27; they were believed to have contracted COVID-19 from an infected zookeeper who was not yet showing symptoms. This was also the first known case of an animal contracting the disease from human contact in the US. On April 22 it was reported that four additional tigers plus three lions had tested positive.
On April 6 there were 72,181 confirmed cases, with at least 2,475 deaths. NYC accounted for 25% of COVID-19 deaths in the United States. The next day Gothamist reported that the death toll in New York City was undercounted. It was estimated that 1,125 people had died at home or on the street in NYC in the first five days of April, an eight-fold increase compared with FDNY figures for 2019. Due to the large increase, many of the deaths were presumed to be caused by COVID-19, but only residents with confirmed infections had been recorded in the official count. Due to the crisis circumstances of the pandemic, the real death toll was unknown. Bodies of those who had died at home, around 280 per day, were being picked up by the US Army, National Guard, and Air National Guard.
Some of the communities most affected by the pandemic included densely-populated neighborhoods in north-central Queens with high immigrant populations, including Corona, East Elmhurst, Elmhurst, and Jackson Heights., these communities, with a cumulative 600,000 residents, had recorded 7,260 COVID-19 cases. On April 23, state officials said that based on preliminary antibody testing results, they estimated around 21.2% of city residents had contracted COVID-19.

May

On May 10, de Blasio said 38 children were known to be affected by an inflammatory syndrome believed to be linked to an immune response to COVID-19. Known as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, this life-threatening condition resembles Kawasaki disease and other pediatric inflammatory conditions, such as toxic shock syndrome. Symptoms include high fevers that can last for days, rash, racing heart beat, changes in skin color, redness of the tongue, and severe abdominal pain. At least one child has died in New York City, and two additional deaths have been reported statewide. The link with COVID-19 has not yet been proven. On May 19, Cuomo confirmed 137 cases of the illness, stating it was "the tip of the iceberg" with 90% of the cases testing positive for the virus or antibodies. By May 26, three deaths and 89 cases of MIS-C had been confirmed in the city, mostly effecting children and teenagers. Doctors reported that the risk of death or serious illness for MIS-C was mitigated by early detection. Hospitals were instructed to prioritize kids for testing.
A survey conducted May 5–12 and reported in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found that 42% of 286 respondents residing in the New York City metropolitan area knew someone who had tested positive for COVID-19, and 23.1% knew someone who had died.
During May, COVID-19 cases started to decline. After the George Floyd protests in New York City started in late May, public officials expressed concern about the spread of COVID-19 via the crowded events. The gatherings had led to fears about another wave of illness but no COVID-19 spikes have been recorded to date.

June

On June 8, the city commenced the first phase of its reopening plan after meeting seven conditions of the stay-at-home order, which had been put in place three months earlier. Safety protocols were put in place to limit occupancy of confined spaces like elevators to one person at a time, and occupancy ceilings were reduced to under 50% of their usual capacity. On June 24, New York state, along with New Jersey and Connecticut, began requiring travelers to self-quarantine for 14 days if traveling from an area with high infection rates.

July

Patience and Fortitude, the lion statues outside the New York Public Library Main Branch, were masked as a symbol of the city's resilience. Health experts have noted that the effectiveness of contact tracing in preventing resurgence would depend on careful monitoring of hospitalizations and targeted testing of high-risk populations to screen for asymptomatic carriers.
Plans to open indoor dining during the Phase 3 reopening were postponed due to the heightened risks posed by customers refusing to wear face masks and the uncertain role of air conditioning on spread in indoor spaces. Indoor dining in other states has resulted in superspreading at certain venues. To compensate in part, outdoor space was expanded by shutting down certain areas to create more space for outdoor eating. Malls will be allowed to reopen only after installation of antiviral air filtration systems.
COVID hospitalizations fell below 700, the lowest levels since mid-March, but more cases were reported in the age group between 21 and 30.
In late July over 130 bars were cited for violations of COVID related regulations. The governor warned bars would be shut down again if compliance didn't improve. At least 40 businesses have lost their liquor licenses since March. Some restaurants have reported difficulty controlling the crowds gathered outside, despite hiring security.
On July 30, the total number of positive cases in the city was 225,148 with 285 new cases reported that day.

August

By August 1, the total number of establishments who had their liquor licenses suspended for not following social distancing guidelines had risen to 52.

Government response

On March 2, de Blasio tweeted that people should ignore the virus and "go on with your lives + get out on the town despite Coronavirus". At a press conference the next day, New York City Commissioner of Health Oxiris Barbot said: "We are encouraging New Yorkers to go about their everyday lives". On March 4, she said: "There’s no indication that being in a car, being in the subways with someone who’s potentially sick is a risk factor." New York City Councilmen Robert Holden and Eric Ulrich wrote to Mayor de Blasio asking him to relieve Barbot of her position.
On March 7, Cuomo declared a state of emergency in New York State after 89 cases had been confirmed in the state, 70 of them in Westchester County, 12 in New York City, and 7 elsewhere.
On April 20, de Blasio announced that major events had been cancelled through June including the Pride March and the Puerto Rican Day Parade.

Stay-at-home order

On March 14, before the statewide stay-at-home order was put in place, all New York Public Library branches in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island were temporarily closed. The Queens Public Library and Brooklyn Public Library were also closed. Theaters, concert venues, and nightclubs in NYC have been shut down since March 17, and restaurants were restricted to take-out and delivery only. Schools were closed until at least April 20. Gyms were closed as well.
On March 17, despite de Blasio's message to New Yorkers that they should be "prepared right now" for the possibility of "shelter in place" orders, Cuomo expressed doubts about whether the policy would be effective. The governor's office issued a statement that the shelter in place order could only be put in place by the governor's office; the Mayor's office agreed. On March 20, with 5,683 confirmed cases in NYC, the governor's office issued the PAUSE order that would go into effect on March 22 at 8 PM. The order put in place the following restrictions, summarized in the executive order in ten points:
  1. Effective at 8pm on Sunday, March 22, all non-essential businesses statewide will be closed
  2. Non-essential gatherings of individuals of any size for any reason are canceled or postponed at this time
  3. Any concentration of individuals outside their home must be limited to workers providing essential services and social distancing should be practiced
  4. When in public individuals must practice social distancing of at least six feet from others
  5. Businesses and entities that provide other essential services must implement rules that help facilitate social distancing of at least six feet
  6. Individuals should limit outdoor recreational activities to non-contact and avoid activities where they come in close contact with other people
  7. Individuals should limit use of public transportation to when absolutely necessary and should limit potential exposure by spacing out at least six feet from other riders
  8. Sick individuals should not leave their home unless to receive medical care and only after a telehealth visit to determine if leaving the home is in the best interest of their health
  9. Young people should also practice social distancing and avoid contact with vulnerable populations
  10. Use precautionary sanitizer practices such as using isopropyl alcohol wipes
The governor said the provisions would be enforced. Businesses that violated the order faced fines and closure. Businesses that qualified as "essential businesses" under the stay-at-home order included but were not limited to:
On April 6, the statewide PAUSE order was extended through April 29. The rate of increase had slowed from 10,000 new confirmed cases daily to 8,700. Intubation and ICU admission rates were slowing. Fines for violating social distancing protocols were increased from $500 to $1000. On April 16, the statewide PAUSE order was extended through May 15, in coordination with "a multi-state council".

Four-phase reopening plan

Governor Andrew Cuomo first announced the four-phase reopening plan for businesses on May 7. In order for the New York City region to begin reopening in Phase 1, it needed to meet these seven metrics:
As of July 20, the four-phase reopening plan for New York City is detailed as follows:
Some types of businesses, such as drive-in theaters, landscaping and gardening, and places of worship, were allowed to reopen regardless of the phase as part of a separate executive order. As of July 20, some types of businesses have not been allowed to open regardless of the phase, including but not limited to gyms, concert venues, and arenas. On May 14, Governor Cuomo issued an executive order to extend the PAUSE order through May 28 for New York City and other regions that did not meet the state's requirements to begin Phase 1 of reopening. A week later, it still had only met four of seven reopening conditions.
Phase 1 of reopening in New York City began on June 8, allowing some non-essential businesses to reopen for curbside pickup, as well as allowing construction and manufacturing to resume. In total, between 200,000 and 400,000 people were expected to return to work during Phase 1. On June 22, the region moved to Phase 2 with an expected 300,000 returning to work. This allows commercial building management, hair service businesses, outdoor food services, offices, real estate, non essential retail stores, among others, to begin re-operating. Cuomo announced in late June that shopping malls would need to install virus-filtering air conditioning systems before reopening. On July 6, New York City entered Phase 3, despite indoor dining being postponed. On July 20, the region entered Phase 4, the final phase, allowing low risk outdoor venues to reopen at 33% capacity, but leaving out the reopening of indoor dining, gyms, malls, movie theaters, and museums over concerns of a potential second wave.

Social distancing and face masks

has been recommended nationwide by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization since COVID-19 was first declared a national health emergency back in March 2020. It was mandated by Cuomo on March 20 as part of the statewide stay-at-home order.
Face masks were first mandated by law via an executive order issued by Cuomo on April 15. The order states that face masks or face coverings must be in all public places when social distancing is not possible. On May 28, another executive order gave business owners the authority to decide whether patrons must wear a face covering to enter. Some businesses have required face coverings completely, while others only require them when social distancing is not possible. Additionally, employers must provide masks to employees who will be interacting with patrons less than six feet. Throughout June and July, additional guidelines have been given to businesses regarding masks. For example, most restaurants only require them when customers are not seated.

Public transport

New York City issued new commuter guidelines following the start of the outbreak, asking sick individuals to stay off public transit, encouraging citizens to avoid densely packed buses, subways, and trains. Beginning March 25, service on buses, subways, and commuter rail was reduced due to decreased ridership. Ridership had decreased by 92% on April 8, when 41 Metropolitan Transportation Authority workers had died. By April 22, 2020, COVID-19 had killed 83 agency employees; the agency announced that their families would be eligible for $500,000 in death benefits.
On April 20 four City Council members requested that subway service be temporarily suspended, saying that reduced service had resulted in crowding on the subway and that entire cars had been taken over by homeless people. The request was to shut down the subway was initially rejected by the governor's office and criticized by interim New York City Transit President Sarah Feinberg. Starting in May 2020, stations were closed overnight for cleaning; the overnight closures would be a temporary measure that would be suspended once the pandemic was over. Of the approximately 800 homeless people on the subway system, about half have been willing to accept offers of assistance from the city government. On June 8, 2020, regular subway and bus service resumed with Phase 1 of the city's reopening, though the overnight subway closure remained in place.
Jeffrey E. Harris, a member of the economics faculty at MIT, has said the service cuts "most likely accelerated the spread of coronavirus." In his study published on April 15 he argues that public transportation was a "major disseminator" of novel coronavirus in New York City. The MTA has said the study was "flawed – period." The advice to continue taking public transportation given by city officials during the early stages of the pandemic is now believed to have contributed to the intensity of the outbreak in New York City.
The subway was slated to resume full service during Phase 1, but the city continues to recommend limiting subway rides to essential trips only. The MTA will be supplying real time information to riders about crowding to help riders plan their trip. Riders will be expected to wear face coverings, and high traffic stations will have hand sanitizer dispensers and PPE vending machines. Staggered shifts and remote work are expected to relieve some of the pressure of crowded subway cars.

Education

On March 8, all NYC school trips were canceled. On March 13, de Blasio stated that he would keep the schools open, citing the need for school meal programs and child care to continue. On March 15, all schools in the New York City Department of Education system closed until at least mid-April.
On April 11, de Blasio ordered all schools to remain closed for the rest of the academic year, while Cuomo insisted that the authority to close and reopen schools throughout the state belonged to himself as the governor, not to de Blasio or any other mayor. On May 1, Governor Cuomo announced that all schools would be closed for the academic year and continue to provide distance education.
On July 2 De Blasio announced that schools will be opening in September. Cuomo's office has said the final decision will be made by the governor's office. Cuomo said that a final decision on schools would be based on the infection rate in the state: "You can't open a school if the virus is on the increase." New York City has said that full remote learning will be an option even if schools do reopen.
As of July 30, the city was planning for 2 to 3 days of classroom instruction, with remote learning on other days. School staff will be tested for COVID-19 before the start of the school year. There are plans for confirmed cases:
  1. If there are one to two confirmed cases in the same class, the class will switch to full time remote learning while the students and staff self-quarantine for two weeks.
  2. If there are two or more confirmed cases in multiple classes in one school, the entire school will close and switch to full time remote learning. Contact tracers will investigate.

    Parks

On April 1, Cuomo ordered all playgrounds in the city to be shut in order to promote social distancing. Parks would mostly remain open. The exceptions were Fort Totten in Queens, which was closed to provide a staging area for first responders, and the High Line, which was closed because it is a linear park with few means to spread out. Sports fields and facilities were also closed, as were the historic-house museums operated by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. With the start of the summer season in May, public beaches remained closed as well.
On May 7, de Blasio said that entry to public parks may be limited to prevent overcrowding and to promote social distancing. It was later announced that access might also be limited within parts of parks, such as Sheep Meadow at Central Park. On July 1, the city's public beaches were opened. On July 2, Mitchell Silver announced that the High Line would reopen to the public on July 16 through free timed-entry passes in order to limit capacity in order to allow for social distancing.

Open Streets

On April 27, de Blasio announced plans to convert of streets to open streets. The affected streets would be closed to through traffic and blocked-off by temporary wooden or metal barricades with DOT signage. The purpose of the Open Streets is to provide "the space for essential workers to pursue safer commuting options, provide outdoor opportunities for vulnerable New Yorkers, and give families the chance to play beyond the four walls of their home". The totals reached in May and in June. Starting in July, some of the open streets were made available for outdoor dining from Friday through Sunday.
The program has been largely successful, but has received some criticism from transit activists due to the poor enforcement and upkeep of barricades, the choice of segments which are too-short or border existing parks, and racial and socio-economic disparity in street choice and upkeep.

Temporary burials

On April 6, the New York Times reported that the city's overall death rate had tripled and that morgues were overwhelmed. After councilman Mark D. Levine tweeted that temporary internment "likely will be done by using a NYC park for burials", NYC officials said they were not considering temporary burials in city parks.
The mayor's press secretary said that a next resort could be to store or bury bodies on Hart Island off the coast of the Bronx in the Long Island Sound. Following reports that mass burials had begun there, the mayor clarified that Hart Island was only being used for unclaimed bodies or for those who chose it as a burial place. Bodies are ordinarily held at the city's morgues anywhere from 30 to 60 days, but to make room for the influx of deceased individuals during the pandemic, the city's medical examiner's office announced a new policy of holding unclaimed bodies for only up to 15 days before they are transferred to the island.
On April 29, authorities discovered dozens of decomposing bodies in two trucks parked outside a funeral home in Brooklyn.

Economic impact

By April 20, The New York Times reported that hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers were unemployed, with at least $7.4 billion lost tax revenue projected over the year. Broadway theaters, restaurants, hotels and the subway are among the most affected; construction and real estate development activities have halted, and millions of renters are uncertain as to how their rents will be paid. Law firms, financial services companies and other white collar businesses expect declining profits, and in some cases losses as a result of the pandemic. Between 475,000 and 1.2 million jobs, mostly low-wage positions in the retail, transportation and restaurant sectors, were expected to be cut by the end of April.
Before the pandemic, a demographic study by the Brookings Institute had found that the largest metropolitan areas in the U.S., including New York City, had been losing population for several years. High rents and cost of living in the city contributed to slowing growth by the mid-2010s as salary in the city was no longer competitive after adjusting for the cost of living. Some residents have questioned whether the high rents can be justified while public spaces, theaters and other event venues remain closed. Employees who have been furloughed from corporate jobs at institutions like Macy's may not renew their lease agreements. Realtors have reported an increase in inquiries about suburban home purchases and rentals from residents of Manhattan and other densely populated urban centers.
The drop in income, sales tax and tourism revenues including hotel tax revenue may cost the city up to $10 billion according to the Mayor's office. De Blasio said "We're not going to be able to provide basic services and actually have a normal society if we don't get help from the federal government."
Some stores and restaurants have closed permanently. Record Mart, the oldest record store in NYC announced that its shop, located in the mezzanine area of the Times Square subway station, would not be reopening. Momofuku owner David Chang said Nishi would be closed permanently, and Ssam Bar would be moved from the East Village to South Street Seaport and combined with another Momofuku restaurant. Other businesses that have closed permanently include the Copacabana nightclub, the Gem Spa, recognized for serving New York style egg creams; and two locations of Gimme! Coffee. According to the New York City Independent Budget Office, a full economic recovery might not be achieved until 2024., four Michelin starred restaurants had announced permanent closures: Gotham Bar and Grill, Nix, Jewel Bako and Ukiyo.

Social impact

Social distancing

On March 30, the mayor announced that most religious buildings had shut down in accordance with quarantine regulations. However, he warned that some churches and synagogues were not in compliance and would be shut down by authorities if they remained open. Several summonses and arrests were made for violating social distancing rules. On March 28, a Brooklyn bar owner was arrested for defying Cuomo's ban on bars and restaurants. On April 3, the NYPD broke up a party in the Bronx where several dozen people had gathered in violation of social distancing rules. On April 7 NBC News reported violations of the statewide PAUSE order throughout the city, and de Blasio said violations of the order could be reported to 311.
One epidemiologist at Columbia University noted "Social distancing is a privilege that not everybody has equal opportunity to practice." Of the five boroughs, Manhattan had reported the lowest number of confirmed cases. Epidemiologists have observed that low income communities were being disproportionately affected. Many residents of these neighborhoods work in essential jobs where it may not be possible to work from home.
After some arrests for violations of social distancing protocols turned violent, the city relaxed enforcement. As the weather warmed large groups began gathering at parks and beaches. Some non-compliant bars and restaurants, limited to take out service during the pandemic, continued to allowing customers to dine in or to gather outside bars with drinks. De Blasio said non-compliant establishments risk closure.
During May and June 2020, there were mass arrests due to the George Floyd protests, and due to the nature of the arrests, the probability of a second wave of COVID-19 increased significantly. Several outlets criticized police working the events for failing to wear face masks as required by policy and by order of the governor. As the number of arrests during the protests increased, many people were detained for longer periods and, as of June 5, hundreds were still waiting to see a judge, being held in close quarters in the meantime. Some of the arrested also had inadequate access to water to wash their hands.

Police and crime

At the beginning of March, prior to the confirmation of the first case of COVID-19, and the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in New York City, a 20 percent spike in crime for the first two months of 2020 was reported. After movement in the city became restricted, New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea stated that the pandemic had curtailed crime. At the end of March, Shea said that crime had decreased sharply during the epidemic, though there is concern that domestic violence was not being reported.
By the end of the month, 911 calls were at a record high, and 1,048 officers and 145 civilian employees had tested positive for COVID-19. 5,657 uniformed officers, or more than 15% of the force, called out sick on March 31. The percentage of officers out sick rose to nearly 20 percent, as reported on April 6. By April 30, 4,959 members of the NYPD had tested positive for the virus, and 37 had died.
Xenophobia and racism against Asians in the city increased due to the pandemic. Police investigated 11 anti-Asian hate crimes between January 1 and March 29, 2020, up from three during the same time period in the previous year.

Deaths

Several prominent restaurant owners and chefs have died of COVID-19 including Indian chef Floyd Cardoz and Andreas Koutsoudakis. Maria Mercader, a news producer at CBS, died on March 29. Musician Alan Merrill died on March 29 at Mount Sinai Hospital.
Nursing homes have had high fatality rates, accounting for at least 2,056 deaths in the city as of April 20. New York State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker stated that the policy was for nursing home residents who test positive back to be readmitted to nursing homes.
Between March 11 and May 2 there were 32,107 deaths in the city; based on past data, this number was higher than expected by 24,172. According to official figures, COVID-19 is linked with 18,879 of the excess deaths.

Public health impact

Hospitals

New York City usually has about 20,000 hospital beds and 5,000 ventilators, many of which are routinely in use to keep ICU patients alive. Social distancing measures were implemented to slow the spread of the virus and prevent the hospital system from collapsing. In the early days of the crisis, on March 14, the Health and Hospitals Corporation and New York-Presbyterian cancelled non-emergency surgeries. Northwell Health put out a call for retired nurses to return. The Tisch Hospital of NYU Langone converted a pediatric emergency ward into a respiratory ward. Personal protective equipment was rationed due to shortages. By March 25 the situation at Elmhurst Hospital, one of the worst-affected hospitals in the city, had deteriorated to the point that staff described it as "apocalyptic." Dr. David Reich, President and COO of Mount Sinai Hospital, announced in March that the hospital was converting its lobbies into extra patient rooms to "meet the growing volume of patients" suffering from coronavirus. set up in the Javits Center
In response to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases at the end of March 2020, several temporary field hospitals were built or proposed, including the Javits Center in Manhattan, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, and in Central Park in Manhattan. Field hospitals were also proposed at the New York Expo Center in the Bronx, Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, and the College of Staten Island. At the request of the Mayor, veterinary clinics sent their ventilators to human hospitals. The USTA field hospital only treated 79 COVID-19 patients. Due to rules constraining transfers and preventing 911 calls from going there, it remained mostly empty as at least three COVID-19 patients quarantining at home died and nearby hospitals exceeded capacity. USTA also had its own ambulances it could not use to pick up transfers due to exclusivity agreements between hospitals and ambulance companies. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, private hospitals had spare beds while some public hospitals were unable to offload enough patients to stay within normal capacity, unlike during Hurricane Sandy, when patients were actively balanced across the region.
Although the number of new patients admitted to the hospitals started to slow in early April, Cuomo stated that social distancing protocols would continue to be enforced to prevent a rise in these figures that could overwhelm the strained healthcare system. The USNS Comfort was originally intended to take non-COVID patients to ease the burden on city hospitals, but most New Yorkers remained isolated in their homes and non-COVID admissions decreased dramatically; the admission processes for patients who did present at the emergency room was cumbersome. On April 21, when Cuomo told Trump that the Comfort was no longer needed, the ship had treated 179 patients. Another field hospital, built in Brooklyn for $21 million during April, was closed the next month without ever seeing any patients.

Shortages and policy changes

The New York City healthcare system continued to experience major shortages with its COVID-19 testing capacity. An alert sent out on April 11, 2020, by the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene stated that the city's hospitals are close to running out of cotton swabs used for COVID-19 testing. The same alert reminded the providers that only those patients admitted for hospitalization should be given COVID-19 tests.
Some doctors have been trying to crowdsource tablets so patients can say goodbye to loved ones. The last contact patients have with their families was when they were dropped off at the hospital or taken by ambulance.
Due to the demand from the pandemic on New York City hospitals, emergency medical services personnel were ordered not to transport adult cardiac arrest cases to the hospital, if the EMS personnel were unable to restart the patient's heart at the scene. On April 21 this order was modified to "do not resuscitate", meaning EMS should no longer try to revive persons on scene.

Guidelines

On April 5 a state Health Department official confirmed that seriously ill patients were being treated with hydroxychloroquine. The effects are being observed by the University of Albany's School of Public Health. On April 23, Cuomo said that one based on one study the drug "didn't really have much on an effect on the recovery rate." Although studies are still ongoing, hospitals have stopped using the drug as treatment.
On May 1, 2020, the New York State Department of Health issued fresh COVID-19 guidelines for the Medicaid providers who are serving low-income families, nursing homes, and physically disabled individuals. These guidelines were directed towards the providers of the following home and community-based services  — social daycare services which also included the elderly organizations and providers of Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program. However, just a month ago, New York State signed a 2021 fiscal budget to cap Medicaid long-term care enrollment at 3% under the managed long-term care plans. In the long run, the 3% capping will gradually reduce the number of individuals served by current Medicaid LTC plans, and also reduce the number of provider organizations able to contract with MLTC plans. However, the LTC recipients are a substantial population at risk for COVID-19 and there are cost involved to make sure the LTC facilities are adequately staffed and that infection control protocols are closely followed.

Demographics

On April 5, it was reported that 51% of lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in NYC involved people at least 50 years old. In previous weeks, the dominant cohort of cases had been men between 18 and 49 years of age.
By early May, over 5,200 Latinos in the city had died of COVID-19, making them the ethnic group with the highest number of deaths from the disease.

Data

Graphs

Adapted from nyc.gov. Note that the cases are by date of diagnosis, and deaths are by date of death. Due to delays in reporting, historical counts may be subject to change and recent data may be incomplete.

Cases over time