NYC correction worker who had ‘limited contact’ with prisoners is city’s seventh coronavirus death

A New York City corrections employee with pre-existing medical conditions has died after contracting the coronavirus, officials announced on Monday.

The employee, 56-year-old David Perez, is the seventh person to die of coronavirus-related illness since the outbreak.  

A statement from the Department of Correction said that Perez had limited contact with inmates. 

David Perez, 56, is the seventh person to die in New York City after contracting the coronavirus

‘He just passed away Sunday morning so we’re in the midst of a lot of stress, a lot of grief,’ Raymond Perez, David’s brother, told the New York Daily News.

‘My brother was one of the best men on earth – very honorable,’ a tearful Raymond Perez said.

‘He cared for his mother up until the last day he lived with her.’

David Peretz worked at the department for 10 years, according to the Daily News.

‘[My brother] is going to be dearly missed,’ said Raymond Perez. 

‘He was just a great, great guy.’ 

‘Last night, a member of DOC staff who had tested positive for COVID-19 passed away at a local hospital,’ DOC Commissioner Cynthia Brann said in a statement.

‘This person was an investigator and had limited contact with people in custody.

‘We are heartbroken and send our deepest condolences to our colleague’s family, loved ones, and co-workers.

‘As we endure this loss to our community, we will continue to do everything to keep our facilities safe for everyone.

‘Consistent with CDC and DOHMH guidance, anyone who was in close contact with this individual has been notified and appropriate precautions taken.’

The New York City Department of Correction announced on Monday that one of its employees died late on Sunday after contracting coronavirus. The person worked at the DOC's Investigation Division, who headquarters in Queens is seen above

The New York City Department of Correction announced on Monday that one of its employees died late on Sunday after contracting coronavirus. The person worked at the DOC’s Investigation Division, who headquarters in Queens is seen above

The person who died worked at the DOC’s Investigation Division at department headquarters in Queens.

The individual was pronounced dead at around 11:30pm on Sunday.

The department circulated an internal memo stating that the employee tested positive for coronavirus.

‘One person who worked in close proximity to the employee is under 14-day quarantine and we will continue to trace close contacts,’ Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Peter Thorne said on Sunday.

As of Monday, there were 950 confirmed cases of coronavirus in New York State – 463 of those in the city, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo. 

New York will close its bars and restaurants at 8pm on Monday night for ‘as long as necessary’ along with casinos, gyms and movie theaters as part of an effort with neighboring states Connecticut and New Jersey to stop the spread of coronavirus. 

As of Monday, there were 950 confirmed cases of coronavirus in New York State - 463 of those in the city, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo

As of Monday, there were 950 confirmed cases of coronavirus in New York State – 463 of those in the city, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo

New Jersey has also launched a statewide ‘curfew’ between the hours of 8pm and 5am for all ‘non essential travel’ but it is unclear what that is or what will happen to anyone who does not follow the rules. 

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has not confirmed whether or not people will be able to go to work between those hours or how he plans to enforce it, but is only saying that he ‘strongly discourages’ anyone from leaving home between those hours.  

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the shutdown in a tweet on Monday morning after urging President Trump to shut down the country to fight coronavirus and said the current ‘patchwork quilt’ system of some states being more vigilant than others is not working.

The order applies to New York City too. 

The shut-down had been planned for Tuesday morning at 9am.

Cuomo sped it up on Monday, saying the tri-state decided to take matters into their own hands after a lack of action from the White House. 

He earlier pleaded with President Trump to order shut downs across the country, saying the ‘patchwork quilt’ approach of seeing some states taking more vigilant action than others ‘is not working’. 

There are more than 4,000 cases of coronavirus in the US and 71 people have died. 

After Cuomo’s announcement, shift workers in bars and restaurants panicked and started asking how they would be able to pay their rent. 

In Maryland, the city-wide shutdown will be in effect from 5pm tonight. It applies to restaurants, bars, gyms and movie theaters.

There has been no firm answer yet on how to alleviate the financial burden of the crisis on individuals. 

White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow told DailyMail.com Monday the administration ‘might’ get behind new proposals to give cash to American households in the neighborhood of $1,000 each per month.  

In New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, all bars and restaurants will be forced to switch to take-out and delivery orders only from 8pm on Monday night. 

A delivery worker rides his bicycle along a path on the West Side Highway on Monday in New York. New York state entered a new phase in the coronavirus pandemic Monday joining with Connecticut and New Jersey to close bars, restaurants and movie theaters starting Monday night

A delivery worker rides his bicycle along a path on the West Side Highway on Monday in New York. New York state entered a new phase in the coronavirus pandemic Monday joining with Connecticut and New Jersey to close bars, restaurants and movie theaters starting Monday night

In New York, Cuomo will relax liquor laws to allow people to order alcohol from their local bars and restaurants.

Movie theaters, theaters, gyms and casinos will close and will remain closed indefinitely. 

He said the rules would last for ‘as long as necessary’ to cope with the crisis.   

In Hoboken, New Jersey, a 10pm curfew is in place but it remains unclear how it is being enforced and what happens to anyone who breaks it.  

Earlier, in an interview on Good Morning America on Monday, Governor Cuomo said it made no sense for him to take harsh action in New York but have neighboring states like New Jersey and Connecticut not, because people would simply migrate there to keep living their lives and potentially spread the virus.

‘This government has to get more engaged. 

‘There’s been no country that hasn’t handled this on a federalized level. 

‘This patchwork quilt of policies doesn’t work. It makes no sense for me to do something in New York and New Jersey to do something else. 

‘I close the bars? They go to Jersey. You need the specific rules. 

‘Every state cannot come up with its own rules, you’ll just have people going from state to state. 

‘You’ll go to New Jersey, Connecticut, wherever you can be served. 

‘That’s the last thing we want. 

‘Set the national standards and let’s live with them,’ he said.

Several states and local governments across the country have instituted shutdowns to combat the spread of coronavirus

Several states and local governments across the country have instituted shutdowns to combat the spread of coronavirus 

The joint effort came hours later. 

Despite President Trump’s insistence that the pandemic was under ‘tremendous control’ over the weekend, health care experts are bracing for a tidal wave of patients. 

There is grave concern over how the nation’s hospital system will cope with the onslaught of patients who will soon need care.

Over the weekend, experts predicted as many as 10 million people will need to be hospitalized because of the virus, but there are not even one million hospital beds in the country. 

Cuomo has repeatedly requested the Army Corps of Engineers to come to New York and start fitting out available buildings as hospitals, saying the ‘wave’ of the virus will ‘break’ on New York’s hospital system tomorrow if it they do not. 

‘We have been behind this disease from day one. 

‘We saw it develop in China, we weren’t ready and we’ve been playing catch up ever since. 

‘You need to get ahead of this. It’s about the next war. 

‘The next war is going to be overwhelming our hospital systems.’ 

Cuomo has already pleaded with the federal government to mobilize the army to fit out buildings in New York to turn them into temporary hospitals. 

There are more than 950 cases in New York State, almost half of them are in New York City. 

Pedestrians in New York City pass by a shuttered Apple store that was closed due to the coronavirus outbreak

Pedestrians in New York City pass by a shuttered Apple store that was closed due to the coronavirus outbreak

Cuomo revealed that there are only 50,000 hospital beds in the entire state and only 3,000 of them are in intensive care units. 

‘The only hope we have at this late date is retrofit existing facilities. 

‘Get some of the people from the hospitals into those new medical facilities and back fill the beds with coronavirus. States can’t build – it’s the army corp of engineers. 

‘Let them come in today. Today. Time is short,’ he warned.  

Other cities have implemented their own shutdowns but the federal government is yet to take a position on it. 

Trump told Americans to ‘settle down’ on Sunday and warned them to stop stockpiling supplies, saying food stores would remain open no matter what happened. 

However he is being widely criticized for his approach to the pandemic, which many say has been too slow from the beginning.

On Monday morning, the Dow opened down more than 2,200 points.

The S&P 500 futures index fell by eight percent at the opening bell, triggering a circuit breaker which halted trading for 15 minutes. 

When the market reopened, it fell further and flirted towards a second circuit breaker, by dropping by as much as 11.5 percent. 

It recovered and held throughout the rest of the morning. 

Now, there are fears over how the country’s healthcare system is going to react to the surge in patients that will flood through hospitals in the next weeks and months. 

Two emergency room doctors have become the latest are in the hospital in critical condition after contracting coronavirus. 

One is a 70-year-old who has respiratory problems but the other is in their 40s and had no underlying health concerns. 

Dr. James Pruden from Paterson, New Jersey, is in isolation after contracting the virus. 

He was hospitalized 10 days ago with respiratory problems and has since agreed to be named and pictured in the hope that it will urge others who came into contact with him to take the necessary precautions. 

It is unclear whether Dr.Pruden contracted the virus by treating patients, or if he was exposed outside the hospital. 

‘He recognizes by sharing his name and condition it may encourage others to come forward and get tested.  

‘The point we want to make is we are all at risk of this,’ St. Joseph’s Health President Kevin Slavin said last week. 

The other doctor has not been named. 

He works at EvergreenHealth Medical Center in Kirkland, Washington, where there have been 40 deaths.   

Dr Liam Yore, the immediate past president of the Washington Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians, told The Seattle Times the doctor was in his 40s. 

Yore told the newspaper the doctor had used personal protective equipment and that it was not known whether the physician contracted COVID-19 in the community or at work.        

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