Mayor Bill de Blasio has issued a warning during a press conference stating that half of New York City’s population will contract the coronavirus by September.
According to the New York Post, the NYC mayor said during a press conference at City Hall about the outbreak that he believes 2 million New Yorkers will contract the virus within the next few months. Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot said the percentage could be higher by the fall:
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“We think 50 percent by the end of this epidemic, this pandemic, so by the time September rolls around likely 50 percent, but it could also be much higher,”
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The mayor also added that medical officials could not clearly indicate the actual start of the outbreak in NYC but said 80 percent of those who contract the virus will have mild symptoms. Barbot stated that 10,000 civilians have been in contact with the coronavirus or contracted it.
“That’s why it’s so important for people to stay home. We don’t want all those people to be seeking health care at the same time.”