Researchers are confirming what many had suspected: a lack of testing may have allowed this virus to spread undetected in the New York area for weeks.
Those scientists at Mount Sinai and NYU studied the genetic make-up of the coronavirus from a group of patients.
The research, first reported by the New York Times, found COVID-19 was circulating in the New York area by mid-February, well before any lockdowns or European travel restrictions.
Asked about studies suggesting the virus was spreading in New York in mid-February - with most of those cases coming from Europe - Dr. Anthony Fauci told "Good Morning America" that's "probably correct."
"The epicenter switched to Europe, particularly northern Italy, and given the air travel from anywhere in Italy, particularly northern Italy, it's just not surprising that unfortunately and inadvertently New York was seeded before they really knew what was going on," he said. "And that is why they are in the difficult situation they are in now."
President Donald Trump frequently trumpets the travel restrictions on China in late January as a key mitigation strategy, but he didn't impose restrictions on Europe until mid-March.
While the president has in the past expressed hope that warmer weather conditions, Dr. Fauci said "one should not assume that we are going to be rescued by a change in the weather."
New York state set another new one-day death toll on Wednesday - 779 people. 6,268 people have died from COVID-19 in the state. Flags will be flown at half staff for those who died.
MORE CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 COVERAGE
Where are the testing centers
See how our communities are making a difference
Free educational resources for parents and children
How you can help victims of coronavirus
Coronavirus news and live updates in New York
Coronavirus news and live updates in New Jersey
Coronavirus news and live updates in Connecticut
New York City updates
Long Island updates
Pedestrians wear protective masks during the coronavirus pandemic while walking on the boardwalk Friday, May 22, 2020, in Long Beach, N.Y.AP
The names of more than sixty persons who died from COVID-19 and associated with Make the Road New York (MRNY) are displayed on butterfly cutouts during a vigil in Corona PlazaAP
Stylists from Shortcut trim the hair of surgical residents Tyler Draeger and Justin Gauthier both frontline workers from Mount Sinai Hospital South Nassau in Oceanside, New York.AP
New York City Fire Department vehicle drives along an empty Orchard Beach Saturday, May 23, 2020, in the Bronx borough of New York.AP
People cheer for medical workers at 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 19, 2020, in New York, amid the coronavirus pandemic.AP
People engage in social distancing on the beach during the coronavirus pandemic, Friday, May 22, 2020, in Long Beach, N.Y.AP
Vehicles move through a nearly empty Times Square during the coronavirus pandemic, Saturday, May 23, 2020, in New York.AP
Kevin Heine relaxes on a mostly empty beach Saturday, May 23, 2020, in Belmar, N.J., during the coronavirus pandemic.AP
Patrons enjoy lunch on the patio of the Crab Shell restaurant, Wednesday, May 20, 2020, in Stamford, Conn.AP
Stephen Wilmer, of Lindenhurst, N.Y., tries to catch a breeze to get his kite aloft, Thursday, May 21, 2020, at Jones Beach in Wantagh, New YorkAP
A group plays a game of spike ball at Jones Beach amid the coronavirus pandemic, Thursday, May 21, 2020, in Wantagh, N.Y.AP
People walk on a mostly empty beach Saturday, May 23, 2020, in Belmar, N.J., during the coronavirus pandemic.AP
A customer wearing a protective mask waits to be served at D'jais Oceanview Bar & Cafe beside a mostly empty beach in Belmar, N.J.AP
Kaylee Wilmer, 9, of Lindenhurst, N.Y., gets help from her father, Stephen Wilmer, as they fly a kite, Thursday, May 21, 2020, at Jones Beach in Wantagh, N.Y.AP
With the Williamsburg Bridge as a backdrop, Michelle Shurunova jumps rope on a grassy hill at Brooklyn Bridge Park during the current coronavirus outbreakAP
A pedestrians wearing a protective mask during the coronavirus pandemic walks along Seventh Avenue in Times Square, Saturday, May 23, 2020, in New York.AP
Ridley Goodside wears a rubber diving head covering along with goggles and a special air filtration mask to protect himself from the spread of coronavirus at Brooklyn's Domino ParkAP
Two young women relax in a circle marked on the grass for proper social distancing in Brooklyn's Domino ParkAP
In this May 12, 2020 photo, Adriano Cuzco, a relative of Manuel Dutan, tosses flowers into the grave of Dutan, who died of COVID-19, at St. John's Cemetery in QueensAP
Runners pass a New York Police Officer as they warm weather during the coronavirus pandemic in Central Park Saturday, May 16, 2020, in New York.AP
A person dressed as the "Grim Reaper" joins protesters gathered near the State Capitol, Saturday, May 16, 2020, in Albany, N.Y., calling for the state to reopen the economy.AP
A registered nurse draws blood from Beulah Johnson during a COVID-19 antibody test drive at the Abyssinian Baptist Church, Thursday, May 14, 2020, in HarlemAP
Jayden Deltoro watches "Trolls World Tour," while wearing a protective mask amid the coronavirus pandemic, at the Four Brothers Drive In Theatre, May 15, 2020, in Amenia, NYAP
A man wears a protective mask and gloves as he walks along Fifth Avenue during the coronavirus pandemic Friday, May 15, 2020, New York.AP
A sign posted on a street corner close by announces free COVID-19 at the Bethany Baptist Church, Wednesday, May 13, 2020, in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of BrooklynAP
A sign on stairs to the 25th Avenue stop on the D subway line indicates that the subway system is closed overnight for cleaning during the coronavirus pandemic in BrooklynAP
People wear protective masks during the coronavirus pandemic while walking on the boardwalk of Coney Island Beach Friday, May 15, 2020, in the Brooklyn borough of New York.AP
Brooklyn Immigrant Community Support volunteer coordinator Amy Khoshbin lines up quarts of chilate de pollo in Bay Ridge for members of the community in needAP
Jayden Hardowar, 8, is greeted by neighbors and members of the FDNY emergency services on his return home from hospitalization, Tuesday, May 12, 2020, in QueensAP
Guests watch a showing of "Trolls World Tour," at the Four Brothers Drive In Theatre amid the coronavirus pandemic, Friday, May 15, 2020, in Amenia, N.Y.AP
A storefront displays "For Rent" signs in the window in the Red Hook neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough of New York. Some small businesses are closing for goodAP
President Donald Trump poses for a photo with NYPD officer Spencer Garrett during a ceremony at the White House. Garrett has returned to duty after recovering from coronavirus.AP
Pedestrians wait in line for food donations during the coronavirus pandemic, Wednesday, May 13, 2020, in the Brooklyn borough of New York.AP
Ai Feng, 6, parades up and down her block with a United States flag in the Greenwich Village neighborhood Thursday. She and her neighbors turned out to honor healthcare workersAP
A Jet Blue plane passes over the Hudson River on a path around New York to honor medical workers Thursday, May 7, 2020, in New York.AP
A JetBlue plane passes over the Hudson River on a path around New York to honor medical workers, Thursday, May 7, 2020, in New York.AP
The Statue of Liberty rises in the distance above refrigerator trucks intended for storing corpses that are staged in a lot at the 39th Street pier, in BrooklynAP
A person passes a sign announcing the closing of the subway at night as he leaves the 111th Street subway station Friday, May 8, 2020, in QueensAP
Bicyclists and runners enjoy Central Park, Saturday, May 9, 2020, in New York during the coronavirus pandemic.AP
Homeless people sleep on a train at the Coney Island Stillwell Avenue Terminal Wednesday, May 6, 2020, in the Brooklyn borough of New York.AP
Pedestrians walk along 42nd Street Friday, May 8, 2020, in New York.AP
A sign in a closed fish restaurant tells the public it will reopen on May 14, along the Fifth Avenue shopping district in the Sunset Park neighborhood of BrooklynAP
A man wearing a face mask to protect against the coronavirus walks past boarded up store with coronavirus inspired graffiti, Thursday, May 7, 2020, in SohoAP
Meals on Wheels delivery driver Pasquale Fabbricatore, 66, delivers meals to homebound senior Theresa Rustico, 83, during the coronavirus pandemic in Bay RidgeAP
Police officers notify a man that the Coney Island, Stillwell Terminal is closed Wednesday, May 6, 2020, in the Brooklyn borough of New York.AP
Pedestrians walk in Maxwell Place Park in Hoboken, N.J., as the Empire State Building in New York is lit in red to honor healthcare workers Thursday, May 7, 2020.AP
A cyclist wears a mask as he bikes in Liberty State Park, Monday, May 11, 2020, in Jersey City, N.J., during the coronavirus pandemic. Behind him is some of the New York skylineAP
COVID-19 inspired graffiti is painted onto a door on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Monday, May 11, 2020.AP
Karen Malo, right, pauses after planting flowers during a visit to her mother Margaret Dunphy's grave, with her daughter on Mother's Day at Calvary Cemetery,AP
A store for rent sign hangs in the window of an empty storefront on Broadway, Thursday, May 7, 2020, in the Soho neighborhood of Manhattan in New York.AP
Pedestrians walk through a nearly empty Oculus during the coronavirus pandemic Saturday, May 9, 2020, in New York.AP
A patient is moved by healthcare workers at Maimonides Medical Center, Wednesday, May 6, 2020, in New York during the coronavirus pandemic.AP
A visitor wearing a protective mask walks through Domino Park, Friday, May 8, 2020, in the Brooklyn borough of New York.AP
A bicycle-riding delivery person rides down a street in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn during the current coronavirus outbreak, Monday, May 11, 2020, in New York.AP
The military's elite flight demonstration squadronsNavy's Blue Angels and the Air Force's Thunderbirds performed "a collaborative salute" to honor those battling the pandemicAP
The military's elite flight demonstration squadronsNavy's Blue Angels and the Air Force's Thunderbirds performed "a collaborative salute" to honor those battling the pandemicAP
People enjoy the Union Square GreenMarket Saturday, May 2, 2020, in New York.AP
Construction workers stand on a mound of dirt as they watch and take photos as the Navy's Blue Angels and the Air Force's Thunderbirds performAP
People leave home for the outdoors as the temperature hovered around 70 degrees, even as the stay-at-home order remained in effectAP
Some of the hundreds of masks sent to New York from individuals who want to help beleaguered front-line workersAP
NYPD officers salute the USNS Naval Hospital Ship Comfort as it is pushed out into the Hudson River by tugboats, Thursday, April 30, 2020AP
Medical personnel attend a nightly evening applause in their honor during the coronavirus pandemic, Tuesday, April 28, 2020, outside NYU Langone Medical CenterAP
Hundreds of mourners gather in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Tuesday, April 28, 2020, to observe a funeral for Rabbi Chaim Mertz, a Hasidic Orthodox leaderAP
People practice social distancing while enjoying the nice weather at Central Park's East Meadow in New York. Saturday, May 2, 2020.AP
Commuters navigate through an empty Grand Central Terminal due to coronavirus concerns, Wednesday, April 29, 2020, in New York.AP
NYU Langone Medical Center staffers ask a New York City firefighter to photograph them in front of the firetrucks gathering for the 7 p.m. appreciation clap for health care workersAP
A NYPD officer walks up beside rental trucks and a hearse that have their back-ends covered by a tarp outside Andrew T. Cleckley Funeral Home, Thursday, April 30, 2020, in BrooklynAP
A PSE&G utility worker watches the Navy's Blue Angels and the Air Force's Thunderbirds conduct "a collaborative salute" to honor those battling the COVID-19 pandemic with a flyoverAP
A pedestrian passes a boarded up business while wearing personal protective equipment to protect against coronavirus, Friday, May 1, 2020, in the Manhattan borough of New York.AP
U.S. Navy Blue Angels and U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds flyover New York City skyline, Tuesday April 28, 2020, in New York.AP
Friends and family have gathered at a social distance to help Jennifer DeSena celebrate her 60th birthday, Saturday, May 2, 2020, in Long Beach, N.Y.AP
NYPD officers wake up sleeping passengers and direct them to the exits at the 207th Street A-train station, Thursday, April 30, 2020, in the Manhattan borough of New York.AP
A social worker holds the hand of a passenger found sleeping on a subway car as NYPD officers clear the trains and direct riders to the exits at the 207th Street A-train stationAP
Protestors with prop body bags rally outside New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's office on Friday, May 1, 2020.AP
NYPD officers wake up sleeping passengers and direct them to the exits at the 207th Street A-train station, Thursday, April 30, 2020AP
Blossoms fallen from trees cover part of a sidewalk as people walk past on a sunny spring Saturday, May 2, 2020, in BrooklynAP
An electronic sign over Interstate 87 in the Bronx reads "Outside With No Mask? Fuhgeddaboutit" during the coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday, April 29, 2020, in New York.AP
People ride bicycle in New York's Times Square, Wednesday night, April 29, 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic.AP
Stage star Brian Stokes Mitchell sings "The Impossible Dream" from his apartment window, Monday, April 27, 2020, in New York.AP
A once busy stretch of 42nd Street in Manhattan has very little traffic during the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday, April 21, 2020 in New York.AP
This image provided by the New York State Governors office shows Gov. Andrew Cuomo during a news conference in Albany, N.Y., on Saturday, April 25, 2020.AP
Seagulls gather on an unusually empty Brighton Beach in the Brooklyn borough of New York, on Saturday, April 25, 2020. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)AP
Mayor Bill de Blasio wears a mask during a 7 o'clock ceremony to honor healthcare workers at Brooklyn's Kings County Hospital CenterAP
A woman wearing a mask walks by Church Fruit Farm, Friday night, April 24, 2020, in the Brooklyn borough of New York.AP
A woman sleeps on Brighton Beach in the Brooklyn borough of New York as seagulls flutter around her, on Saturday, April 25, 2020.AP
People pray as the casket of Traffic Section Commander Mohammed Chowdhury are brought out of the funeral home during his funeral in New York, Wednesday, April 22, 2020.AP
Taiwan McCall, left, helps James Reese fill out some forms before getting tested for COVID-19 in the Harlem section of New York, Monday, April 20, 2020.AP
Food Bank for New York City volunteers hand out packages at a mobile food pantry during the coronavirus pandemic at Barclays CenterAP
A man wearing a protective mask walks through Times Square Wednesday, April 22, 2020, in New York.AP
Flag waving, sign bearing protesters line up on the street during a protest against New York's social distancing restrictions in front of the State Capitol Building in Albany, N.Y.AP
Food is loaded into trunks of cars to be delivered to those in need at the Al Oerter Recreation Center Thursday, April 23, 2020, in the Queens borough of New York.AP
A pedestrian wearing personal protective equipment to protect against the spread of coronavirus, passes EMS station 26, the Tinhouse" Thursday, April 23, 2020 in the BronxAP
Police officers patrol a quiet street on foot Wednesday night, April 22, 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, in the Bronx borough of New York.AP
Healthcare workers react to applause at Brooklyn's Kings County Hospital Center during a 7 o'clock ceremonyAP
A man walks on the platform of a quiet 61st StreetâWoodside subway station in the Queens borough of New York, Thursday night, April 23, 2020, during the new coronavirus pandemic.AP
A passenger wearing a mask enters the St. George Ferry Terminal, Tuesday, April 21, 2020, from the Staten Island borough of New York to take the Staten Island Ferry to Manhattan.AP
Clarence McCollum wears a mask and plastic shield to protect himself from the coronavirus, Thursday, April 16, 2020, in New York.AP
A man sells flowers to motorists at an intersection in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Sunday, April 19, 2020.AP
People wait for a distribution of masks and food from the Rev. Al Sharpton in Harlem, after a new state mandate was issued requiring residents to wear face coverings in publicAP
A person in a car hands a police officer hand sanitzer outside NYU Medical Center Thursday, April 16, 2020, in New York.AP
A pedestrian walks past the English Bros Funeral Home as a casket is unloaded in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Sunday, April 19, 2020.AP
People cheer for medical workers near NYU Medical Center Thursday, April 16, 2020, in New York.AP
Pedestrians wear face masks while walking in Battery Park on Saturday, April 18, 2020, in the Manhattan borough of New York.AP
The Apollo Theater is closed due to the coronavirus pandemic but carries the message "Be Well," Thursday, April 16, 2020, in the Harlem neighborhood of New York.AP
Cyclists and pedestrians make their way through Central Park during the coronavirus pandemic Saturday, April 18, 2020, in New York.AP
Nurses and medical workers react as police officers and pedestrians cheer them outside Lenox Hill Hospital Wednesday, April 15, 2020, in New York.AP
Police officers and pedestrians cheer medical workers outside NYU Medical Center Thursday, April 16, 2020, in New York.AP
A patient on oxygen speaks with her loved one as FDNY paramedics Elizabeth Bonilla, right, and Keith Kahara, left, prepare to load her into their ambulance on an emergency callAP
A pedestrian wearing personal protective equipment due to COVID-19 concerns walks past a sign thanking medical personal outside Elmhurst Hospital Center in QueensAP
A clerk wears personal protective equipment as they stock shelves at a grocery store, Saturday, April 18, 2020, in the Harlem neighborhood of the Manhattan borough of New York.AP
The Empire State Building is lit in red to honor emergency medical workers during the coronavirus outbreak, Friday, April 17, 2020, in New York.AP
A patient is loaded into an ambulance by emergency medical workers outside Cobble Hill Health Center, Friday, April 17, 2020, in the Brooklyn borough of New York.AP
Pedestrians move through Father Duffy Square in Times Square Friday, April 17, 2020, in New York.AP
San Gennaro restaurant is closed but the tables are set in the Bronx borough of New York on Friday, April 17, 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic.AP
A man wearing a face mask waits for a subway at a quiet Fordham Road station in the Bronx, Friday, April 17, 2020, in New YorkAP
A subway conductor wearing a fa e mask looks out a window to check on passengers entering and leaving the train, Friday, April 17, 2020, in the Bronx borough of New York.AP
A rainbow stretches across the sky in New York. The normally busy Lower Manhattan streets are almost vacant due to social distancing restrictions .AP
A man's blood is collected for testing of coronavirus antibodies at a drive through testing site in Hempstead, N.Y.AP
A man leans out the window on Mulberry Street in New York's Little Italy and bangs together pot lids to show his support for those in the front linesAP
A sign on the Coney Island boardwalk reminds people to keep their distance in New York, Sunday, April 12, 2020.AP
A patient arrives in an ambulance cared for by medical workers wearing personal protective equipment due to COVID-19 concerns outside NYU Langone Medical CenterAP
Nurses march during a vigil in honor of healthcare workers and calling for more personal protective equipment, outside Lincoln Hospital in the BronxAP
Attending physician Mollie Williams takes a selfie with firefighters who arrived to applaud medical workers at 7pm outside Brooklyn Hospital Center,AP
A pedestrian wearing personal protective equipment due to COVID-19 concerns passes a shuttered pizzeria near Brooklyn Hospital Center, Tuesday, April 14, 2020AP
A sign by the New York City parks department indicates the appropriate measurement for social distancing as pedestrians linger in a field at Fort Greene ParkAP
A man wearing a mask walks through Brooklyn Bridge Park, Tuesday night, April 14, 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic in New York.AP
Patients and medical workers wear personal protective equipment due to COVID-19 concerns outside the emergency room at NYU Langone Medical Center, Monday, April 13, 2020AP
FDNY firefighters gather to applaud medical workers at 7pm outside Brooklyn Hospital Center, Tuesday, April 14, 2020, in New York.AP
People practice social distancing while waiting in line to enter the Flatbush Food Coop, Monday, April 13, 2020 in the Brooklyn borough of New York.AP
The Charging Bull statue is empty of visitors on a rainy day in New York, Monday, April 13, 2020.AP
A cyclist wears a mask and goggles Saturday, April 11, 2020, in New York.AP
A member of the clergy looks out over empty pews before the start of an Easter Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New YorkAP
A reporter kneels to take pictures before the start of an Easter Mass, without congregants, at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, Sunday, April 12, 2020.AP
A man watches an injured pigeon while sitting on the steps of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York on Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020.AP
Workers help build a medical facility for NewYork-Presbyterian at Columbia University's Baker Field Saturday, April 11, 2020, in New York.AP
The sun sets behind the Unisphere in Flushing MeadowsâCorona Park, Saturday, April 11, 2020, in the Queens borough of New York.AP
Staff member Jake Mincy helps organize and pack boxes of food donations for distribution to the public Saturday, April 11, 2020, in New York.AP
Christopher Love, general manager of the Covenant Mercy Mission wears personal protective equipment as he helps prepare food donation boxes for distribution to the publicAP
The Empire State building and the Manhattan skyline are seen behind the tombstones at Calvary Cemetery, Saturday, April 11, 2020, in the Maspeth neighborhood of QueensAP
A State Trooper stands ready to direct traffic at a drive thru COVID-19 testing sight Saturday, April 11, 2020, in the Flatbush neighborhood of BrooklynAP
A man wearing a mask walks through New York's Times Square, Thursday, April 9, 2020, during the coronavirus epidemic.AP
A man tosses bread into a fire as part of a Jewish ritual of cleansing a home of leavened bread, Wednesday, April 8, 2020 on the first day of Passover in WilliamsburgAP
A funeral director wears personal protective equipment due to COVID-19 concerns while collecting a body at The Brooklyn Hospital Center, Thursday, April 9, 2020AP
Madison Square Garden is lit in blue to acknowledge essential workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic Thursday, April 9, 2020, in New York.AP
The mast of One World Trade Center is lit in blue to acknowledge essential workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic Thursday, April 9, 2020, in New York.AP
Emergency medical technicians wheel a patient into Elmhurst Hospital Center's emergency room, Tuesday, April 7, 2020, in QueensAP
The Vessel is lit in blue to acknowledge essential workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic Thursday, April 9, 2020, in New York.AP
Medical supply donations from The Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation to assist efforts in combating the coronavirus stand on the sidewalk outside Kingsbrook Jewish Medical CenterAP
A Manhattan-bound D subway train rounds a curve as a U.S. flag flaps in the wind Thursday, April 9, 2020, in the Brooklyn borough of New York.AP
In this April 7, 2020, photo, a subway rider wears a mask and a bandana to protect himself against COVID-19 in New York.AP
Jewish men and children gather on a sidewalk, Wednesday, April 8, 2020 on the first day of Passover in the Williamsburg neighborhood of New York during the coronavirus pandemic.AP
Street performer Robert John Burck, known as The Naked Cowboy, poses for photos in New York's Times Square, Thursday, April 9, 2020, during the coronavirus epidemic.AP
Actor E. Clayton Cornelious poses for a portrait at the Imperial Theatre, Tuesday, April 7, 2020, in New York. The stages are quiet and the seats are empty on BroadwayAP
Rabbi Shlomo Segal holds a copy of his Passover haggadah, a guide to the seder, in front of his laptop computer for participants while streaming the serviceAP
A medical worker wears protective equipment due to COVID-19 concerns at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, Monday, April 6, 2020, in New York.AP
A patient is wheeled out of Elmhurst Hospital Center to a waiting ambulance, Tuesday, April 7, 2020, in the Queens borough of New York, during the current coronavirus outbreak.AP
An MTA worker wears personal protective equipment at the Grand Army Plaza station Tuesday, April 7, 2020, in the Brooklyn borough of New York.AP
Emergency medical technicians wheel a patient into Elmhurst Hospital Center's emergency room, Tuesday, April 7, 2020, in the Queens borough in New YorkAP
A medical worker wearing personal protective equipment wheels a body to a refrigerated trailer serving as a makeshift morgue at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, April 6, 2020AP
Car driers move on the Grand Central Parkway during rush hour Tuesday, April 7, 2020, in the Queens borough of New York.AP
Men pass the Shmura Matzos bakery in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, Tuesday, April 7, 2020AP
Subway riders, some wearing masks as a protective measure over coronavirus concerns, use the New York City subway system Tuesday, April 7, 2020, in New York.AP
US Navy personnel wearing surgical masks to protect against the coronavirus, arrive at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, Tuesday, April 7, 2020, in the Brooklyn borough of New York.AP
Wearing his personal protective equipment, emergency room nurse Brian Stephen leans against a stoop as he takes a break from his work at the Brooklyn Hospital Center, April 5, 2020AP
A woman walks her dog past the Oculus and transit center at the World Trade Center, Sunday, April 5, 2020, in New YorkAP
A sign acknowledging the work of doctors and nurses is posted on a traffic control box outside Brooklyn Hospital Center Sunday, April 5, 2020AP
A woman jogs in Brooklyn's Fort Greeene park, Sunday, April 5, 2020AP
People practice social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic at Travers Park Saturday, April 4, 2020, in the Jackson Heights section of the Queens borough of New York.AP
A woman wearing a mask walks on Roosevelt Avenue Saturday, April 4, 2020, in the Queens borough of New York.AP
Customers in masks line up outside a grocery store on Flatbush Avenue, waiting to enter after other shoppers have left, because of social distancing effortsAP
People wearing masks gather to form a "bread" line at Bread Alone outdoor market, while standing apart from each other to maintain social distancing requirementsAP
Washington Street is empty as the Empire State building is lit in red and white lights to honor emergency medical workers Saturday, April 4, 2020, in BrooklynAP
A medic of the Elmhurst Hospital Center medical team reacts after stepping outside of the emergency room, Saturday, April 4, 2020, in QueensAP
Security stands at the entrance for the Bronx Zoo where ambulances are parked Friday, April 3, 2020, in the Bronx borough of New York.AP
Pedestrians wear personal protective equipment as they walk along Main Street Wednesday, April 1, 2020, in the Flushing section of the Queens borough of New YorkAP
A patrons wearing personal protective equipment waits in line at a Trader Joe's location Wednesday, April 1, 2020, in the Queens borough of New York.AP
A pedestrian crosses Main Street near Kissena Boulevard Wednesday, April 1, 2020, in the Flushing section of the Queens borough of New York.AP
A medical worker transports a patient at Montefiore Medical Center, Wednesday, April 1, 2020, in New York.AP
A couple pauses to take a picture of the Samaritan's Purse field hospital as they walk their dog in New York's Central Park, Wednesday, April 1, 2020.AP
A delivery worker passes a message scrawled on a sidewalk thanking them while wearing personal protective equipment due to COVID-19 concerns, Wednesday, April 1, 2020, in New York.AP
Registered Nurse Elizabeth Schafer, 36, of South St. Paul, Minn., stands for a portrait before entering Beth Israel Mount Sinai Hospital for her second day volunteeringAP
Pedestrians wear personal protective equipment while walking in Hunters Point South Park, Tuesday, March 31, 2020, in the Queens borough of New York. (AP
A body wrapped in plastic that was unloaded from a refrigerated truck is handled by medical workers wearing protective gear due to COVID-19 concerns at Brooklyn Hospital CenterAP
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio arrives for a news conference at the USTA Indoor Training Center where a 350-bed temporary hospital will be built Tuesday, March 31, 2020AP
The Empire State building is lit in red and white lights to honor emergency medical workers Tuesday, March 31, 2020, in New York.AP
A medical worker wearing protective equipment due to COVID-19 concerns rests beside a refrigerated container truck functioning as a makeshift morgue at Brooklyn Hospital CenterAP
Medical personnel talk to chaplains, left, as they tour the Samaritan's Purse 68 bed emergency field hospital especially equipped with a respiratory unit in New York's Central ParkAP
A woman watches from a park bench as the Samaritan's Purse crew and medical personnel work on preparing to open a 68 bed emergency field hospital in New York's Central ParkAP
Bags of wine are staged inside a wine shop waiting for customers to pick them up during the coronavirus pandemic, Wednesday, March 25, 2020 in the Brooklyn borough of New York.AP
A woman picks up bags of food from Masbia Soup Kitchen during the coronavirus pandemic, Wednesday, March 25, 2020 in the Brooklyn borough of New York.AP
A customer leaves a shop advertising personal protective equipment near Elmhurst Hospital Center, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in New York.AP
An FDNY medical worker wears personal protective equipment outside a COVID-19 testing site at Elmhurst Hospital Center, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in New York.AP
People line up outside Elmhurst Hospital Center to be tested for the coronavirus, Tuesday, March 24, 2020, in the Queens borough of New York.AP
Patients wait in line outside an urgent care pharmacy while wearing personal protective equipment, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in the Queens borough of New York.AP
People make their way inside Grand Central Terminal, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in New York.AP
A man wears personal protective equipment as he waits on a line to enter a COVID-19 testing site at Elmhurst Hospital Center, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in New York.AP
Refrigerated trailers are seen parked at the site of a makeshift morgue being built in New York, Wednesday, March 25, 2020.AP
A woman waits for a city bus on a quiet Brooklyn street during the coronavirus pandemic, Wednesday, March 25, 2020 in New York.AP
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, center, speaks while practicing social distancing against a backdrop of medical supplies during a news conference at the Jacob Javits CenterAP
Two women who were out shopping in their Queens neighborhood, stop to pose for a portrait with their colorful masks, Friday, March 27, 2020AP
In this Thursday, March 26, 2020 photo, a postal worker wears a mask and gloves as she delivers the mail in the Brooklyn borough of New York.none
An NYPD traffic officer wearing personal protective equipment stands at a barricade after the city closed down a section of Bushwick Avenue due to COVID-19 concernsAP
Members of the Rhode Island National Guard look for passengers getting off from a train from New York as it arrives Saturday, March 28, 2020, in Westerly, R.I.AP
Bicyclists and a pedestrian pass through a quiet Manhattan street, Thursday, March 26, 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic in New York.AP
Cars head along FDR Drive next to the Manhattan skyline, Thursday, March 26, 2020, during the coronavirus outbreak in New York.AP
A dormant COVID-19 testing tent stands outside SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Friday, March 27, 2020, in New York.AP
A member of the Brooklyn Hospital Center COVID-19 testing team puts on a glove before entering the testing sight, Thursday, March 26, 2020,AP
Nazeema Baboolall jogs with her dog Nova along a section of the Grand Concourse that has been temporarily closed to vehicular trafficAP
A subway rider wears a glove while holding a pole as several riders wear face masks during the coronavirus outbreak on the D train in the Brooklyn borough of New YorkAP
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, briefs the media inside a nearly completed makeshift hospital at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York.AP
Workers wearing personal protective equipment builds splash guards during a mass manufacturing operation to supply New York City government with protectionAP
Nahid Chowdury usses hand sanitizer to clean his protective plastic gloves Thursday, March 26, 2020, at Al-Baraka Grocery in the Brooklyn borough of New York.AP
Yellow cabs line and empty 42nd St. waiting for fares outside Grand Central Terminal, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in New York.AP
A pedestrian passes by a New York Yankees baseball souvenir shop, March 26, 2020, in the Bronx borough of New York.AP
A large sign encourages people to practice social distancing by standing six feet apart as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19, outside Brooklyn's Prospect Parknone
New York City Department of Parks and Recreation employees remove the basketball hoop from a court in Tompkins Square Park, Thursday, March 26, 2020, in New York.AP
A nurse demonstrates outside the emergency entrance at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx borough of New York, Saturday, March 28, 2020AP
A patient wears protective gloves and a mask while waiting for COVID-19 testing outside Elmhurst Hospital Center, Friday, March 27, 2020, in New York.JAP
In this March 28, 2020 photo Mayor Bill de Blasio helps load a carton containing some of 250,000 face masks into a truck on a loading dock at U.N. headquarters.AP
Gerald Bryson, left, join workers at an Amazon fulfillment center in Staten Island, N.Y., protesting conditions in the company's warehouse, Monday March 30, 2020, in New York.AP
A medical worker sticks her head outside a COVID-19 testing tent set up outside Elmhurst Hospital Center in New York, Saturday, March 28, 2020.AP
President Donald Trump salutes as the U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort pulls away from the pier at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Va., Saturday, March 28, 2020.AP
A member of the Rhode Island National Guard Military Police directs a motorist with New York license plates at a checkpoint on I-95 near the border with ConnecticutAP
President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Mark Esper arrive to speak in front of the U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Va.AP
A cyclist and a dog walker are seen along West 16th Street near Union Square, Sunday, March 29, 2020, in New York.AP
Emergency medical workers wear protective masks due to COVID-19 concerns while delivering a patient to the emergency room at Brooklyn Hospital Center, Sunday, March 29, 2020.AP
The tents used to test for COVID-19 at Elmhurst Hospital Center are seen next to the Trauma Center entrance, Sunday, March 29, 2020. MAP
A pedestrian wearing a protective mask and gloves walks down a mostly empty Dekalb Avenue, Sunday, March 29, 2020AP
Traffic is seen in the background as a pedestrian walks across the Bowery while pigeons feed in the roadway, Sunday, March 29, 2020, in New York.AP
Pedestrians and traffic are seen on Canal Street Sunday, March 29, 2020, in New York.AP
A man wearing a facial mask walks across the middle of 5th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan of New York, Sunday, March 29, 2020.AP
A woman wearing a facial mask makes her way across 6th Avenue near Radio City Music Hall, Sunday, March 29, 2020, in New York.AP
A patient is given a COVID-19 test by a medical worker outside Brooklyn Hospital Center, Sunday, March 29, 2020AP
The Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort passes lower Manhattan on its way to docking in New York, Monday, March 30, 2020.AP
A Samaritan's Purse crew works on building a 68 bed emergency field hospital specially equipped with a respiratory unit in New York's Central Park across from Mount Sinai HospitalAP
A man walk alone on the promenade under the FDR drive in Lower Manhattan, Sunday, March 29, 2020.AP
Light traffic frames a woman and child as they walk across Madison Avenue, Sunday, March 29, 2020, in Midtown Manhattan of New York.AP
Patients wait in line while wearing protective masks and gloves for a COVID-19 test at Brooklyn Hospital Center, Sunday, March 29, 2020, in Brooklyn borough of New York.AP
A pedestrian makes his way across 46th Street, Sunday, March 29, 2020, in New York's Times Square.AP
A journalist records speakers at a press briefing following the arrival of the USNS Comfort, a naval hospital ship with a 1,000 bed-capacity, Monday, March 30, 2020, at Pier 90AP
A medical worker holds an umbrella as she checks to to see if anyone is waiting in line outside a COVID-19 testing center at Elmhurst Hospital Center in New YorkAP
How coronavirus is leaving ghost towns in its path
Coronavirus prevention: how clean are your hands?
Social distancing: What is it and how does it stop the spread of coronavirus?
Coronavirus closures and cancelations
Coronavirus tips: What Americans need to know
Related Information
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on coronavirus