He said that early reports show that at least half a million people in New York could lose their jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic. This has led state and local leaders to close down businesses and schools all over the state.
“It’s shocking. These are just the first numbers, and they will likely get worse,” de Blasio said. He mentioned that many people are having trouble even reaching out to apply for unemployment benefits.
“Right now, our early estimate is that sadly at least half a million New Yorkers will be unemployed, and many are already without work or will be soon,” de Blasio explained.
He also said that more than 21,800 people in the city have been infected with the virus, and at least 281 have died. Normally, New York City has about 20,000 hospital beds, but by May, they expect to need three times that number.
New York City is the center of the outbreak in the state, where the number of cases has been doubling every three days. The city now has more than half of all COVID-19 cases in the United States.
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