Residents at a Manhattan building are demanding answers after learning two tenants were diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease within the last 12 months.
“There’s a lot of fear right now, rightfully so, among the members of our community,” Councilmember Shaun Abreu said.
What You Need To Know
- Residents at 3333 Broadway in Manhattan are demanding answers after learning two tenants were diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease within the last 12 months
- The concern also comes in the shadow of the Harlem outbreak this past summer, which killed at least seven people and sickened more than 100
- The city is evaluating towers A and B because they share the same water supply
“We are not here to place blame. We are here to demand accountability,” Heaven Berhane, a tenant at 3333 Broadway, said.
Residents gathered outside the building ahead of a meeting with health department officials, pressing for clarity.
They say the guidance from a meeting with management last week wasn’t clear, and that’s left them frustrated.
“We are asking for all towers to be tested,” Berhane said.
The concern also comes in the shadow of the Harlem outbreak this past summer, which killed at least seven people and sickened more than 100.
But health officials say the situation is not connected to that community cluster, and they stress this is not being treated as an outbreak.
“There is no cooling tower at this building. We are looking specifically at the hot water supply,” Assistant Commissioner at the New York Health Department Ricky Wong said.
According to Wong, there is no risk to the surrounding community.
It’s still unclear how those two tenants were exposed. But the city is currently evaluating towers A and B because they share the same water supply. Sampling is still underway.
“When the science and the evidence point us to a commonality like a shared address, we focus on that particular building,” Wong said.
Meanwhile, the management company says it’s fully complying with the health department.