New York’s Decision To Make Its Own Hand Sanitizer Using Prison Labor Draws Mixed Reactions

Time: New York Using Prisoners To Make Hand Sanitizer
New York State is using prison labor to manufacture its own hand sanitizer amid an outbreak of the novel coronavirus, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Monday. Cuomo unveiled the “NYS Clean” hand sanitizer during a press conference, calling it superior to existing products thanks to its scent and alcohol content of 75%. That exceeds the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s recommendation of 60%. Cuomo said that New York has the capacity to make 100,000 gallons of NYS Clean a week, at the cost of $6 a gallon. (Bates, 3/9)

The Wall Street Journal: Coronavirus Cases In New York Rise To 142
The number of novel coronavirus cases in New York state rose to 142 on Monday, and included a high-ranking government official who oversees airports in the New York City area and an emergency medical technician who works in Brooklyn, officials said. Rick Cotton, the executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Sunday evening, according to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. (West and Vielkind, 3/9)

The New York Times: Coronavirus In N.Y.: Confusion Over Quarantine Feeds Anxiety
For two women who had learned just the day before that they had tested positive for the coronavirus, the call on Saturday from the New York City Health Department offered some implausibly good news. One of the women had to stay under quarantine. The other, who had been without symptoms for a few days, was free to go about her life. (Newman, 3/9)

Politico: Trump Attacks Second Democratic Governor Over Coronavirus Criticism
President Donald Trump on Monday accused New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo of attempting “political weaponization” of the coronavirus crisis, attacking another Democratic governor who has declared a state of emergency as a result of the outbreak. Responding to a Saturday interview on MSNBC in which Cuomo criticized the “mixed messages” put forth by the federal government in response to the coronavirus, Trump wrote on Twitter: “There are no mixed messages, only political weaponization by people like you and your brother, Fredo!” (Forgey, 3/9)

The Wall Street Journal: To Stop Coronavirus Spread, New York Enlists Disease Detectives
Public-health officials are turning to disease detectives to try to halt the growing spread of the novel coronavirus. Teams of public-health nurses, infectious-disease doctors and epidemiologists track down and interview patients and anyone they came into contact with, all to assemble a trove of data. They are part of the largest mobilization of public health in New York state’s history. (West, 3/10)

The Wall Street Journal: Head Of N.Y. Port Authority Tests Positive For Coronavirus
The executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, as the state of New York surpassed Washington state with the most cases in the country, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. Rick Cotton, the Port Authority head, is presently working from home, and members of his senior team are being tested, Mr. Cuomo said at a news conference Monday morning. The governor didn’t say how Mr. Cotton contracted the virus. The Port Authority oversees the airports in the New York City area, as well as a commuter railroad, a bus terminal and port facilities. (West and Vielkind, 3/9)