'Test, Trace And Take Care:' Mayor Aims To Make It Easier For People To Isolate At Home Or Hotels
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Mayor Bill de Blasio wants New Yorkers to know the city is here to help them isolate either at home or in a hotel.
So-called "resource navigators" will help those who can stay home with things like food, medication, utilities, physical and mental health services.
Additionally, there are 1,200 hotel rooms available for those who need them.
WATCH: Mayor De Blasio Deliver's Latest Coronavirus Update
"The goal here is to safely separate for a very limited period of time," the mayor said Wednesday. "It's not forever, by any stretch of the imagination. But if you do it right in those 14 days or less, you really help to make sure that the people in your life are safe and that the disease doesn't spread more throughout the city."
Health care providers can find hotels for their patients by emailing commcarecp@nychhc.com. Patients can also call 844-692-4692.
De Blasio stressed all services are free of charge.
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He also said the city is experiencing a fiscal crisis, with a $9 billion deficit. He called on the federal government for more help and on the state to grant borrowing authority as a last resort.
"There is literately no way that we can solve this problem without federal help or without having to make very, very painful choices that will affect the quality of life in this city, our ability to provide basic services and how many people we're able to employ to support you in the middle of a pandemic – in the middle of a moment when people need that public support and help more than ever, and in the middle of a moment when we're spending billions of dollars to protect your health and safety, to make sure you're fed, to make sure there's a roof over your head," he said.
CORONAVIRUS: NY Health Dept. | NY Call 1-(888)-364-3065 | NYC Health Dept. | NYC Call 311, Text COVID to 692692 | NJ COVID-19 Info Hub | NJ Call 1-(800)-222-1222 or 211, Text NJCOVID to 898211 | CT Health Dept. | CT Call 211 | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Two of the city's three indicators met the target thresholds for another day. There were 55 new hospitalizations, 431 patients in the ICU and 8% of people testing positive citywide.
The goal is to have fewer than 200 new hospitalizations, 375 patients in the ICU and 15% testing positive.
