A dangerous new coronavirus (COVID-19) is rapidly spreading in the U.S., with new cases increasing at an exponential rate.

The oldest among us and those with chronic health conditions are most at risk, but everyone and anyone can be affected, including the young and healthy, and people who are not exhibiting symptoms can carry and spread the virus unknowingly. We are seeing in Italy what happens when hospitals become overwhelmed and no longer able to provide appropriate care or have the necessary equipment to save everyone. Some hospitals have stopped intubating anyone over 60, simply due to lack of ventilators. 

Public health experts agree that more than a million lives are at risk nationwide. if our degree of surveillance and intervention remains low, the number of affected individuals in the US may be 1,382,926 by April 30th. About 0.5-8% of them will die, depending on our ability to respond. In contrast, if we implement even modest intervention measures, we could drastically reduce that number of affected patients to 355,873, saving potentially tens of thousands of lives. 

We must act aggressively or we will be Italy before we know it. Forcing businesses to temporarily close is not an easy political choice, but it is the only clear one. Waiting even one more day will result in more preventable deaths. 

If the federal government will not take decisive action, state and local governments must. Governor Cuomo, please close all non-essential businesses, especially malls, bars, and restaurants which draw large crowds, to prevent unnecessary contagion and save lives.

We recognize that this will take a significant financial toll on many families, and urge you to work with the federal government to allocate funds to cover rent, mortgage, and food stamps for those in need.