Covid-19: More Than 1,000 Have Now Died In US With 280 In NYC Where Morgues Are Near Capacity

With 223 deaths related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the last 24 hours in the United States, the number of people who have died from the disease in the nation is now more than 1,000.

The novel strain of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
Photo Credit: *Pixabay*

Joe Lombardi

03/26/2020 7:38 a.m.

A total of 1,001 fatalities have been reported as of Thursday morning, March 26.

New York State's number of COVID-19 cases has climbed to 32,741 with 334 fatalities. Of those deaths, 280 happened in New York City, accounting for 85 percent of the state's fatalities. The number of deaths in New York City increased 110 percent since Tuesday night, March 24.

Interactive local COVID-19 case tracker

The Department of Homeland Security has reportedly been notified by city officials that morgues in NYC are expected to reach capacity next week.

Ninety-six percent of the deaths in the New York City involved patients with pre-existing conditions, the NYC Health Department said. More than have the deaths were men.

The grim news comes as New York City hospitals are experiencing a spike in the number of cases.

At Mount Sinai West in Manhattan, some workers posted photos of nurses wearing trash bags due to a lack of protective gear. At that hospital, assistant nursing manager at Mount Sinai West, Kious Kelly, died from COVID-19 Tuesday night. New York City has also reportedly asked FEMA for emergency mortuary assistance.

Related story: Details Emerge On How Party In Fairfield County COVID-19 Hotspot Became 'Super Spreader'

Thirteen people died within 24 hours at 545-bed Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens where a doctor described the dire situation as “apocalyptic,” according to The New York Times.

For a rundown of cases around the nation and around the world, check the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center here.

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