As the number of coronavirus cases in New York continues to rise, serious measures are being taken in other cities and states.
John Whoriskey Jr., who splits his time between Boston and New York City, is riding this one out. Whoriskey recently returned to Boston and is self-quarantining after the White House coronavirus task force recommended the move for anyone who recently traveled from New York.
"I feel healthy, pretty normal, to be honest. I don't really feel any effects," Whoriskey said. "I just felt like I didn't want to be stuck there."
On Thursday, Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo mandated anyone who recently traveled to New York City quarantine for 14 days. The governor also announced National Guard members will patrol bus and train stations, and Rhode Island State Troopers will pull over anyone with New York plates to see what their intentions are in the state.
"This is unusual. This is radical. I believe it is necessary," Raimondo said.
Dr. Robbie Goldstein, an infectious disease doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital, supports the aggressive push across the East Coast to self-quarantine.
"We know the virus is spreading through New York City rapidly, and the number of new cases being reported in New York is increasing exponentially every day since, so we need to get on top of that and make sure that spread is not happening in other areas of the country," Goldstein said. "If we don't implement those measures right now, we are at risk of overrunning our health care system in the same way that New York City health care system is overwhelmed."
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Whoriskey is spending his time catching up on things he normally doesn't have time for, knowing taking time now to self-isolate is the way to go.
"I don't really understand where it is all going. I think that's the scariest part for everybody," he said.
