New York state's coronavirus caseload grew another 35% Monday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.
The statewide total rose from 105 to 142, with most cases linked to a cluster in suburban Westchester County, north of New York City. But patients are spread from Long Island to the Capital Region, with 19 in New York City.
The governor has declared a state of emergency to make it easier to respond to the outbreak, and he has repeatedly noted that the case tally is expected to keep rising as more people get tested for the virus that causes COVID-19.
Cuomo has stressed that most people who become infected will have mild symptoms. Some 6 percent of the patients are hospitalized, Cuomo said. Some have needed intensive care.
The disease is percolating into government itself in New York: Cuomo said the executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has tested positive and is isolated at home. The agency runs the area's airports, and Cuomo noted that director Rick Cotton had been at the facilities while travelers were returning from hotspots.
Meanwhile, the governor unveiled the state's own line of hand sanitizer, to be provided to government agencies, schools, prisons and transit workers. Sanitizer have been running short _ or running out _ in shops and online markets.
