NY gov deploys National Guard, creates containment zone for town hard hit by coronavirus

State officials are deploying the National Guard and creating a containment zone around a city in Westchester County as the coronavirus outbreak spreads, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced Tuesday.

“This is the single greatest public health challenge we have right now,” Cuomo said at a press conference on Tuesday, about the outbreak in New Rochelle. 

New Rochelle, a small city in Westchester County just north of New York City, is the hub of the outbreak in New York. 

Westchester County has 108 of the state’s 173 confirmed COVID-19 cases. New York City has 36 confirmed cases of the virus, Cuomo announced at the conference. 

“New Rochelle is a particular problem, it is what they call a cluster,” Cuomo said. “The numbers have been going up, the numbers continue to go up. The numbers are going up unabated and we do need a special public health strategy for New Rochelle.” 

BREAKING: NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo announces containment zone around New Rochelle, lasting until 3/25; National Guard to be deployed to assist in food delivery, cleaning.

“This is the single greatest public health challenge we have in the state right now.” https://t.co/waOLY1RvC9 pic.twitter.com/ubq6lFo0yH

— ABC News (@ABC) March 10, 2020

The one-mile containment zone around New Rochelle will last through March 25. 

The National Guard will deliver food to homes and help with the cleaning of public spaces in the containment zone, Cuomo said. 

A satellite testing facility will be set up within New Rochelle, as well, he said. 

Schools and other large gathering facilities, such as community centers and houses of worship, within the containment zone will be closed, Cuomo said, according to The New York Times. 

The virus which originated in Wuhan, China, has been spreading globally. More than 116,000 cases have been confirmed across the globe, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. 

Nearly 800 cases have been confirmed in the U.S., according to the university’s data.