Cuomo calls hysteria over novel coronavirus overblown  

He unveils state-produced hand sanitizer

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ALBANY, NY — At a press conference on March 9, Governor Andrew Cuomo lamented the fact that retailers are price-gouging in the sale of hand sanitizer, which has become much in demand as the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)  and the illness it causes (COVID-19) have spread to a growing number of states.

The frustration with the price gouging, and lack of availability, prompted Cuomo to have the state produce its own supply. He unveiled three sizes of the state-produced sanitizer at the news conference. He said, “This is a superior product to the other products now on the market.”  The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) suggest that hand sanitizer be at least 60% alcohol, Purell sanitizer contains 70%.  “This is 75% alcohol,” he said, rubbing some into his hands and sniffing the product, “and it has a very nice floral bouquet, a little lilac, hydrangea.”

He said the sanitizer is being manufactured by Corcraft, which is division of the NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, which manufactures products “to assist in the department's overall mission to prepare offenders for release through skill development, work ethic, respect and responsibility,” according to Corcraft’s website.

Under current state law, products produced by Corcraft can only be sold to schools, governments and their agencies and certain nonprofit organizations.

Cuomo said Corcraft will be manufacturing 100,000 gallons a week of hand sanitizer, and a gallon bottle costs $6.10, which is much less than the brands on grocery store shelves.

When he turned to address the number of cases of COVID-19 in New York State, he said West Chester is a hot spot, and schools in New Rochelle have been closed and will likely remain closed for several weeks. The administration is adopting a policy for all schools that will require if a student tests positive for the 2019-nCoV virus, the school will be closed for 24 hours so the NY Department of Health can assess the situation to determine if the school should be closed longer based on the facts in any particular situation.

Cuomo said he is also working on legislation that will require that people who are ordered into quarantine, even on a voluntary one, be paid sick leave. Cuomo said that Rick Cotton the director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has tested positive for the virus and is in quarantine at this home.

Cuomo said that elderly people with underlying health issues are at most risk of death with COVD 19, but that otherwise the public is over-reacting to the reality of the virus.  “The fear and hysteria is outpacing the reality, but the reality is that people in that group should be careful.”

He noted that overall numbers of infection worldwide, which is being tracked on the Johns Hopkins COVID-9 Daily Tracker.  It showed on the morning of March 9, there were 111,363 cases worldwide, with 3,892 deaths, 62,375 people have recovered from the illness, and 45,096 cases are pending.   

Cuomo noted that in New York State there were a total 142 cases with 98 being located in cases in West Chester.  Only 8 of the infected people in the state are hospitalized.

Sullivan launches COVID-19 website
On March 6, Sullivan County Public Health Services debuted a webpage on the county website, www.sullivanny.us/departments/publichealth/coronavirus, exclusively about COVID-19, commonly known as 2019 novel coronavirus.

County staff, led by the county’s Incident Command System (ICS) team, are actively monitoring and preparing for this strain of coronavirus. While highly contagious, the virus is lethal in less than 3 percent of cases, often resulting in mild to moderate flu-like symptoms, so Public Health Services is urging residents to become informed and prepared for the impacts of this illness, rather than simply worry about the ongoing headlines regarding coronavirus.

“COVID-19 has not yet been found in Sullivan County, but as of March 6, it’s as close as Rockland County,” Sullivan County Public Health Director Nancy McGraw related. “Sullivan County leaders, including myself, are taking this very seriously and are daily engaged in planning for its imminent arrival.

“This new webpage is designed to show what we, the state and the federal authorities, are doing in response, and to arm viewers with facts instead of fear,” she added. “We are ready to take immediate action with any coronavirus cases that manifest in Sullivan County. In the meantime, residents should stay calm and take everyday precautions such as washing your hands, staying home if sick, covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing and getting a flu shot (it’s not too late to get one).”

hand sanitizer, coronavirus, 2019-nCoV, COVID-19

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