The Legionnaires’ disease cluster on the Upper East Side has climbed to 23 confirmed cases and 17 hospitalizations as of Monday, and health officials say several of those patients are now critically ill.
The count has risen quickly since the cluster surfaced last week. Officials expect the number to keep rising in the coming days as testing expands and because the illness can take several days to develop after exposure.
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Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin said a number of the hospitalized patients are in critical condition in the ICU. No deaths have been tied to the cluster so far. Officials have repeatedly pointed to last summer’s outbreak in Harlem, which killed seven people and sickened more than 100, as the reason they are moving aggressively to contain this one.The monitored area has also widened. ZIP code 10075 has been added to the original 10028 and 10128, and the Health Department is now asking anyone who spent time on the east side of Central Park between 76th and 97th Streets since late June to watch for symptoms. Residents, workers, and visitors in that zone who develop a fever, cough, or difficulty breathing should contact a healthcare provider immediately. Anyone who needs help finding one can call 311 or (844) 692-4692.
The source still hasn’t been pinned down. Every cooling tower in the area is being sampled and tested at the city’s Public Health Lab, and any that come back positive will be ordered to remediate. Martin said he expects the investigation to identify “the handful of cooling towers that need remediation” and act on them quickly. Officials, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani, continue to stress that the cluster is not linked to any building’s plumbing or air conditioning — it remains safe to drink tap water, shower, cook, and run air conditioners in the affected area.
The Health Department is holding an in-person town hall tonight at 6 p.m. at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola’s Wallace Hall, at 980 Park Avenue between 83rd and 84th Streets.
The latest guidance is available from the NYC Health Department.
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