‘New Yorkers should assume they’ve been exposed to coronavirus’: officials

New York officials have effectively stopped trying to trace COVID-19 cases — saying everyone should assume they have already come into contact with the potentially deadly virus, according to an alarming report.
Diplomats in the city were given the startling warning in a briefing Saturday afternoon by a team of New York officials led by commissioner Penny Abeywardena in the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs, according to a read-out of the call seen by Foreign Policy.
They stated that the virus is likely so wide-spread that tracing the number of infections is redundant — while warning that the city could be hurt until at least late fall, according to the report.
“Everyone in New York should assume that they have been in contact with COVID 19,” a read-out at the conference call said, according to Foreign Policy.
“Interviews with confirmed cases and contact tracing is not a good use of our resources when the virus is widespread,” they admitted, according to the report.
“There will be little emphasis on tracing.”
The city officials — also including members of NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene — warned diplomats that the Big Apple is “in the mitigation phase of the outbreak,” according to the report.

 

“This means that all individuals should assume that they have had some contact with the virus and practice maximum-possible social distancing; most cases will be mild and medical care should only be sought in urgent, worsening, or vulnerable cases,” the officials warned, according to the read-out.
“Testing is now less important — the danger of transmission is much higher as many people have now been exposed and the majority of people will only have mild symptoms,” they warned, according to Foreign Policy.
The authorities could only say they were “hopeful that exposure to COVID will make people immune,” conceding it was “too early to say definitely.”
But they offered no assurance that the city would provide special services to foreign diplomats exposed to the virus in New York, including tests.
Diplomats told Foreign Policy that they welcomed the city’s candor — while also saying they felt that not enough was being done to help.
New York officials also said that it was unlikely they would notify foreign delegations if one of their nationals tested positive, citing the importance of maintaining patient privacy.
One senior diplomat told Foreign Policy that the tone was, “It’s your responsibility not to get infected, and your responsibility to stay home if you do. Your odds of not dying are rather great — if you get close ‘give us a call.’ ”
Mayor Bill de Blasio admitted the growing spread — but dampened down the claim that everyone should assume they have been in contact.
“I don’t think we can say that,” Hizzoner told CNN Sunday.
“But wee can say because of community spread it is clearly widespread already in New York City and will continue to grow.”
https://nypost.com/2020/03/15/new-yorkers-should-assume-theyve-been-exposed-to-coronavirus-officials/