Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Cuomo And De Blasio At Odds Over Fatal Legionnaires' Outbreak
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Aug 11, 2015
Modified Aug 11, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Aug 11, 2015
Modified Aug 11, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio, ever the political thorn in each others' sides, have been issuing conflicting reports on the Legionnaires' disease outbreak that has killed 12 people and sickened hundreds in the Bronx.
De Blasio's office, which says the outbreak is beginning to taper off and has been contained, identified 12 cooling towers that came back positive for Legionella bacteria, out of a total 22 towers tested. But the Governor's office had already identified a total of 15 towers and reported them to the press.
NY State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker later claimed that he called NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett to let her know about the state's findings, but got her voicemail because she was already in the press conference. 3 out of 4 doctors agree that calling someone while they're holding a press conference is one of the best ways to advance your boss's grudge against de Blasio.
Anyway, Zucker and Bassett finally stopped playing phone tag and released this information, which breaks down the 18 buildings that were found with legionella—11 are in the so-called "impact zone" and seven are outside the impact zone:
Contaminated buildings in the impact zone:
· Concourse Plaza, 198 E. 161st. St.
· Opera House Hotel, 436 E. 149 St.
· Lincoln Hospital, 234 E. 149th St.
· Streamline Plastics, 2950 Park Ave.
· Daughters of Jacob Nursing Home, 1160 Teller Ave.
· Post Office, 558 Grand Concourse
· Verizon, 117 E. 167th St.
· Bronx Housing Courts, 1118 Grand Concourse
· NYC Department of Education, 455 Southern Boulevard. Also called Samuel Gompers High School.
· DHS PATH Intake Center, 151 East 151st Street.
· Bronx Hall of Justice, 245 E 161ST Street
Contaminated buildings outside the impact zone:
· Verizon, 1106 Hoe Ave.
· Police Dept., 1086 Simpson St.
· 1201 Lafayette Ave.
· 230 East 123rd St.
· Plus three other sites that will be identified by NY State..
Cuomo has dispatched state workers and firefighters to inspect water cooling towers in the South Bronx. His crew tested 50 towers this weekend, after Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. reportedly begged Albany to amplify what he felt was an insufficient response from City Hall. And apparently, when state health commissioner Dr. Howard A. Zucker tried to contact city health commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett to inform her of the state's findings over the weekend, he was unable to reach her and left a voicemail—the city was then unaware of the state's numbers, hence the differing reports.
Meanwhile, 12 have died from the outbreak thus far. Officials say the majority were either elderly or middle-aged, and/or suffered from underlying medical issues. Of the buildings that identified as testing positive for the bacteria, the Opera House Hotel on East 149th Street is looking like a likely source for the outbreak.
The Times reports that at least three people who had direct contact with the hotel were diagnosed with Legionnaires', and three people who live in an apartment building behind the hotel got sick as well. Officials say no guests that had stayed at the hotel since July 1st came down with Legionnaires'.
Tagged
governor cuomo
legionnaires
Legionnaires disease
mayor de blasio
South Bronx
the bronx
Rebecca Fishbein
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
Mid-October through mid-December is deer mating season, which can be a danger to drivers as the sex-seeking creatures cross roadways throughout the Garden State.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Published Oct 16, 2026 at 4:22 p.m. ET
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
News
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
Inside the plan to fix the nearly collapsed Pfizer Building, 1/64th of an inch at a time
By
David Brand
School bus carrying autistic students got lost in Brooklyn for 4 hours last year
By
Jessica Gould
NYC’s bridges can last 'forever,' if we take care of them
By
Clayton Guse
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .