[cld51860]

Yeah, is it really necessary? Another scare tactic?

[John W]

That’s what I’m thinking. He should have tried this one a week or two ago.

[glorgau]

There’s not a meat locker anywhere in the country that can be repurposed?

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Yeah, is it really necessary? Another scare tactic?

As far as I can tell, in 2015, 335 people in NYC died daily from all causes. As of yesterday, over 2475 people have died in NYC from coronavirus, with the first confirmed case on March 1. So we're talking about an additional 69 deaths per day, or an increase of about 20% a day. Depending on how close to capacity mortuaries in NYC normally run at, it could require emergency measures.

[Varda]

This is a scare tactic. If anything calls out for cremation, it's bodies of people who died from infectious disease. Funerals in the park is about having a public spectacle.

[Rurudyne]

Democrats today: “Fear itself!”

[ThunderSleeps]

Yeah, is it really necessary? Another scare tactic?

Obviously a scare tactic. NYC boasts an average death rate of somewhere between 150 and 200 people per day. That's just the way it is in a city of 8 million plus.

So the hoopla over "nearly 1000 deaths!" in the last 31 days due to the virus is BS. In that same 31 days anywhere from 4600 to 6200 people have died of other things. Even if you take the 1000 deaths attributed to covid-19 as complete "extra" deaths over and above the usual, it still isn't particularly taxing to the system. However, it is highly likely that the 1000 deaths attributed to covid-19 include a fairly high percentage of people with other significant health issues. Many of them probably would've been in that 4600-6200 body count anyway.

I'm sure individually some hospitals and/or morgues are experiencing more variability and temporary swings than usual. But taken as a whole? No, there's no reason to even contemplate such drastic actions. Pure grandstanding. I wonder if city officials will require hospitals etc. to hold onto bodies longer before releasing them to funeral homes etc. - just to make the situation appear worse than it really is. I would not put it past the fear mongers.