City officials face scrutiny over response to Legionnaires' cluster that killed 11
UPPER EAST SIDE, Manhattan (WABC) -- City officials are expected to face tough questions Wednesday as the New York City Council holds a hearing on the Upper East Side Legionnaires' disease outbreak that killed 11 people and sickened dozens more.
According to city health officials, 94 cases have been linked to the cluster, though the exact source of the outbreak has still not been identified. No patients remain hospitalized.
The hearing comes a day after city leaders announced a series of new measures aimed at preventing future outbreaks and strengthening oversight of cooling towers, which can spread Legionnaires' disease through contaminated water mist or vapor.
Among the changes, the city plans to cross-reference Health Department records with Department of Buildings permit data to identify potentially unregistered cooling towers. Officials also intend to launch a citywide mapping tool that will allow New Yorkers to view registered cooling towers across all five boroughs.
The administration is also exploring faster testing methods, accelerating enforcement actions against cooling tower violations and evaluating alternative cooling tower technologies. Officials say the goal is to identify potential sources more quickly and reduce the risk of future outbreaks.
Health officials have pointed to lessons learned from previous outbreaks, including the 2025 Harlem cluster that killed seven people. During the announcement of the new measures, Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin said unregistered cooling towers remain a major concern.
"This is critically important. Think about last year in 2025. What was at the source of that cluster was an unregistered cooling tower," he said.
While officials say there have been no new Legionnaires' cases in more than a month, many questions remain unanswered about what caused the Upper East Side outbreak and whether the city's response was adequate.
The hearing is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. and is expected to focus on the city's response, enforcement efforts and plans to prevent another deadly outbreak.
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