NYC Reports 60 Legionnaires' Cases, Orders 31 Upper East Side Towers Cleaned

3 articles · Updated · WABC-TV · Jul 14

60 people have now been diagnosed in the Upper East Side outbreak, with 15 hospitalized, as city health officials used a virtual town hall to address mounting public concern.
31 buildings have cooling towers that tested positive for Legionella, and the city ordered those systems cleaned and disinfected while investigators still try to pinpoint the outbreak's exact source.
Health officials said Legionnaires' disease is not spread person to person and that residents can safely drink tap water, bathe, shower and use air conditioning because infection comes from inhaling contaminated water vapor.
Julie Menin, the City Council speaker, kept pressing for greater transparency after criticizing the response, highlighting public skepticism even as officials called the disclosure of tower addresses an unusually aggressive step.