New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo shut down a claim made by a member of the New York City Council that bodies might be buried in parks during the coronavirus outbreak.
The Democrat reacted to Councilman Mark Levine, the chair of New York City Council’s health committee, claiming bodies would be temporarily buried in city parks because the spike in deaths created a shortage in morgue space.
“I have heard nothing about that. I have heard a lot of wild rumors, but I have not heard anything about the city burying people in parks,” Cuomo said during a news conference on Monday.
Cuomo said he would not support such actions taking place even if city officials brought up the issue with him, which he maintained they had not. The governor’s remarks contradicted what Levine had said earlier in the day.
“The freezers at [the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s] facilities in Manhattan and Brooklyn will soon be full. And then what?” Levine tweeted. “Soon we’ll start ‘temporary interment’. This likely will be done by using a NYC park for burials (yes you read that right). Trenches will be dug for 10 caskets in a line.
He added: “It will be done in a dignified, orderly — and temporary — manner. But it will be tough for NYers to take.”
Soon we’ll start “temporary interment”. This likely will be done by using a NYC park for burials (yes you read that right). Trenches will be dug for 10 caskets in a line.
It will be done in a dignified, orderly–and temporary–manner. But it will be tough for NYers to take. 9/
— Mark D. Levine (@MarkLevineNYC) April 6, 2020
Levine later clarified that the measures were not yet necessary, tweeting, “I want to clarify: the is a contingency NYC is preparing for BUT if the death rate drops enough it will not be necessary.”
This tweet has gotten a lot of attention. So I want to clarify: the is a contingency NYC is preparing for BUT if the death rate drops enough it will not be necessary. https://t.co/6wLO8qWtML
— Mark D. Levine (@MarkLevineNYC) April 6, 2020
As of Monday, New York had more than 130,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and 4,758 related deaths. New York City, in particular, has been a hot spot for the coronavirus, with more than 2,400 deaths and 14,205 patients in intensive care as of Sunday.
