"New York City's health department lost more than a third of its cooling tower inspectors in the three years leading up to the current deadly outbreak of Legionnaires' disease - despite a 30% boost in funding for the unit that conducts the inspections. But the health department claims the steep drop in head count was not to blame for the recent outbreak, which has so far killed five people in Central Harlem, hospitalized another 14 people and sickened close to 100 residents in all."
"Gomez said the city aims to inspect all the cooling towers once a year. Gothamist previously reported that seven of the 10 buildings at the center of the outbreak - some of which are run directly by the city - had no inspections over the past year. The staffing shortages and lapsed inspections are among the swirl of questions around Mayor Eric Adams' handling of the outbreak"
New York City lost more than a third of its cooling tower inspectors over the three years before the Legionnaires' outbreak, even though funding for the inspection unit increased by 30%. The outbreak has killed five people, hospitalized 14, and sickened nearly 100 residents in Central Harlem. The health department said staffing decline was not necessarily responsible and noted bacteria can grow rapidly in warm weather. The city aims for annual cooling tower inspections, yet seven of the ten buildings linked to the outbreak had no inspections in the past year. Inspection numbers fell after 2017, rose in 2022, then declined again before the outbreak. The Independent Budget Office reported a 30% funding rise for the bureau, while officials said extra funds were used for other unspecified agency functions.
Read at Gothamist
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