De Blasio blasts fake rumors that Manhattan will quarantined

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio slammed fake rumors that Manhattan was on the brink of being quarantined and called for residents to remain ‘clear-headed’ and’go about their lives’ amid coronavirus chaos on Friday. 

On Thursday, de Blasio declared a state of emergency in the city as the number of cases of COVID-19 in New York City soared.

It triggered a wave of false rumors online and what he called ‘conspiracy theories’ that the city was about to be shut down, and that the subways were no longer functioning. 

On Friday, he dismissed them, saying: ‘There’s a tremendous amount of fear and anxiety, tremendous amount of confusion.  

‘Who wouldn’t be confused?  If you’re feeling scared, anxious – if you need help there’s nothing wrong with that. Help is always there for you. 

Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Friday there had been false information and rumors spreading about New York’s coronavirus plan after he declared a state of emergency on Thursday 

‘This really feels like a crisis that changes almost by the hour. Most of the news we get isn’t real good, there are things happening. 

‘I want to clarify what our state of emergency here means. Understandably, there’s a lot of questions. 

‘There were the rumors yesterday that – I can’t say I’m ever shocked by anything – but I was troubled by them, the rumors of Manhattan being quarantined and everything shutting down, bore no semblance to what was going on. 

‘I have to tell you how many people, many many people, bombarded me with emails asking me if it was true. 

‘We have got to be sober and clear-headed in this crisis. Its not going away. It’s going to be here a long time. 

‘For every day New Yorkers, you can go to NYC.gov/coronavirus.’ 

Rumors started circulating on Thursday night that de Blasio was shutting down the city 

De Blasio and the NYPD rushed to crush the false rumors on Thursday night 

There are now more than 400 cases of coronavirus in the state of New York including 154 in New York City. 

After de Blasio’s state of emergency was declared on Wednesday afternoon, jittery New Yorkers jumped onto Twitter to ask what it meant and how it would impact them. 

WHAT A STATE OF EMERGENCY MEANS

Declaring a state of emergency allows de Blasio to enact several extreme measures. 

It is important to note he has NOT  enacted any of them yet, but he can now. 

They include; 

• Imposing a curfew 
• Regulating specific parts of the city where people can do 
• Closing down public transport
• Ordering hospitals to postpone elective procedures
• Rationing supplies 
• Suspending or limiting alcohol use, firearms, explosives, flammable materials and liquids 
• Regulating or closing public spaces
• Creating or designating emergency shelters 
• Limiting maximum building occupancy  

It led to a firestorm of tweets which made a range of claims but the most common was that the subway system was shutting down. 

Both de Blasio and the NYPD Twitter account rushed to contradict them last night.  

Yesterday, he predicted that by next week, there will be 1,000 cases of coronavirus in New York City. 

However, de Blasio insisted the city is not on the brink of a shutdown.  

He and his experts are monitoring the number of beds currently available in ICU units across the city. 

If the healthcare system becomes overrun, emergency teams will set up ICU units and makeshift hospitals anywhere they can, he said.  

Gatherings of more than 500 people have now been banned and de Blasio warned sports arenas like the Barclay’s Center and Madison Square Garden will remain nonoperational for months. 

Public spaces – like bars and restaurants – must now operate at 50 percent of their legal capacity. 

Schools will remain open, he said, but activities like school plays, recitals, PTA meetings and assemblies, that can be moved online will be.  

‘Yesterday morning feels like a long time ago. A lot has changed. 

‘Last night, the world turned upside down,’ he said. 

‘This is painful. It’s not something we ever want to do but we have to do. 

‘This is going to be a long, long battle. We are going to lose some of our fellow New Yorkers.

‘That is inevitable,’ he said.  

There are now more than 2,000 cases of coronavirus in the US and 43 have died 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk