New York City officials will begin to count suspected COVID-19 deaths of people who die at home following a
WNYC/Gothamist report revealing a staggering number of such deaths that were not included in the official tally.
In a statement, Stephanie Buhle, a spokeswoman for New York City’s Health Department, said the
city would no longer report only those cases that were confirmed by a laboratory test.
Over the last two weeks, FDNY officials said
2,192 New York City residents died in their homes, compared to 453 during the same time period last year. On Tuesday evening, the city reported 3,544 people have died of coronavirus, as confirmed by lab tests.
Earlier in the day, Mayor Bill de Blasio acknowledged that the vast majority of deaths taking place at home were likely also due to the virus,
meaning the death toll could be as much as 70 percent higher than currently reported figures.
“We do want to know the truth about every death at home, but it’s safe to assume that the vast majority are coronavirus related,” he said. “That makes it even more sober, the sense of how many people we are losing.”