Report: New York City Was Primary Source of Coronavirus in U.S. in Early March

The New York Times reported Thursday that New York City had become the primary source of coronavirus infections throughout the rest of the United States by early March, thanks to travel to and from the city.

The Times reported:

New York City’s coronavirus outbreak grew so large by early March that the city became the primary source of new infections in the United States, new research reveals, as thousands of infected people traveled from the city and seeded outbreaks around the country.

The research indicates that a wave of infections swept from New York City through much of the country before the city began setting social distancing limits to stop the growth.

…

The central role of New York’s outbreak shows that decisions made by state and federal officials — including waiting to impose distancing measures and to limit international flights — helped shape the trajectory of the outbreak and allowed it to grow in the rest of the country.

The city joins other densely populated urban hot spots around the world, starting with Wuhan, China, and then Milan, that have become vectors for the virus’s spread.

The Times that New York City is no longer driving the spread. Read the full Times analysis here.

New York officials, including Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, have been criticized for a slow response to the coronavirus pandemic.

For example, Cuomo only ordered that New York City subways be cleaned thoroughly last week.

Still, 81% of New York registered voters approve of Gov. Cuomo’s response to the coronavirus, and 63% of registered voters in New York City approve of de Blasio’s performance, according to a Quinnipiac poll released this week.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). His new book, RED NOVEMBER, is available for pre-order. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.