State Courts in White Plains Closed for Cleaning After Lawyer Tests Positive
On Tuesday evening the New York State courthouse in White Plains was informed that a New Rochelle lawyer practicing in the matrimonial courts in the building at 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. last week had tested positive for COVID-19.
By Wednesday morning, all lawyers whose firms appeared in matrimonial court last week were notified of the confirmed case by phone.
Referring to the case during a press conference Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that six courtrooms had been closed for cleaning and that everyone in contact with the lawyer in the courts were on precautionary quarantine.
With a specific focus on density where clusters of the virus have been identified, Cuomo further said during the press conference that CUNY and SUNY campuses would remain open, but beginning on March 19, would move to a distance-learning model. He also recommended that businesses do something similar by allowing people to work from home, telecommute, or to work in rotating team shifts. Cuomo has asked for a bill to ensure people would be paid by their employers if they are quarantined. “Anyone working for the State who is quarantined either mandatory or voluntary, will be paid by the State,” he said.
Regarding public transportation, Cuomo said the cleaning protocol had been doubled, although there is conflicting information about how long COVID-19 lives on stainless steel and plastic.
Emphasizing the need for people to remain at distances of 6 feet or more from each other, Cuomo said he was considering cancelling the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in NYC next Tuesday. “Decisions have to be made about reducing large gatherings,” he said. “Why risk having more than a thousand people together,” he said.
By Wednesday, there were 13 new confirmed COVID-19 cases in Westchester County, for a total of 121. There are 212 confirmed cases statewide.
While precautions are necessary, Cuomo reiterated that the facts do not justify the amount of fear rising in the population. Last year, more than 80,000 people died of the flu, he said.
Please note that a previous version of this story said the Southern NY District Court (the federal court) in White Plains had been affected. It is the State Court in White Plains (Supreme and County Court of Westchester) that was affected with six court rooms closed for cleaning.
