Transcription
TELLING PEOPLE HE THINKS THEY SHOULD GO VISIT.
A LEGIONNAIRES OUTBREAK ON THE UPPER EAST SIDE LEAVES A FIFTH PERSON DEAD. IT COMES AS THE CITY BELIEVES THE OUTBREAK HAS BEEN CONTAINED. ELIJAH WESTBROOK JOINS US HERE IN THE STUDIO WITH THE VERY LATEST ON THIS, ELIJAH.
THAT'S RIGHT. CHRIS AND CINDY, THE CITY SAYS THIS LEGIONNAIRES OUTBREAK APPEARS TO BE SLOWING DOWN. BUT THIS MORNING, THERE'S SOME TOUGH NEWS AMID THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS. AS MENTIONED, A FIFTH PERSON HAS DIED. A WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUIT IS NOW IN THE WORKS, AND QUESTIONS ARE GROWING ABOUT WHETHER THE CITY MOVED FAST ENOUGH TO CONTAIN THE OUTBREAK.
AS OF 6:30 A.M., HERE ARE THE LATEST NUMBERS FROM THE CITY'S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. IT CONFIRMS THAT THERE HAVE BEEN AT LEAST 82 CASES. CREWS HAVE TESTED 183 COOLING TOWERS ACROSS 160 BUILDINGS, AND EVERY TOWER THAT TESTED POSITIVE HAS NOW BEEN CLEANED.
CITY COUNCIL SPEAKER JULIE MENIN SAYS THIS OUTBREAK SHOWS THE CITY NEEDS TO DO A BETTER JOB KEEPING PEOPLE INFORMED. IN FACT, SHE RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THERE WILL BE AN OVERSIGHT HEARING IN SEPTEMBER. SO THINK OF IT AS A PUBLIC REVIEW OF THE CITY'S RESPONSE. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WANT TO KNOW WHAT WORKED, WHAT DIDN'T, AND WHETHER FASTER ACTION COULD HAVE PREVENTED SOME OF THESE CASES.
WE'RE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET. ONCE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAD INDICATED TO US THAT THEY HAD IDENTIFIED THE EPICENTER, WHY NOT START PROACTIVELY DISINFECTING? SEVERAL WEEKS AGO THOSE TOWERS, WHICH PRESUMABLY COULD HAVE PREVENTED MANY OF THESE CASES.
NOW THE WIDOW OF ONE OF THE VICTIMS WE TALKED TO SAYS HER HUSBAND WAS HEALTHY BEFORE BECOMING SICK. HER ATTORNEY SAYS THEY'RE PREPARING TO SUE. ONCE INVESTIGATORS FIGURE OUT WHICH BUILDING IS RESPONSIBLE, HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY THEY'RE NOW FOCUSED ON DNA TESTING, WHICH THEY HOPE.