200415 New York
Outside Elmhurst Hospital in Queens on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic. Image Credit: New York Times

New York: The number of coronavirus-linked deaths in New York City soared past 10,000 on Tuesday after officials said almost 4,000 people who never tested positive were presumed to have died from COVID-19.

The city’s health department announced that 3,778 people had probably succumbed to the illness — on top of the 6,589 confirmed fatalities.

The new figures, released at 4pm (1am Wednesday UAE), saw the total number of deaths in the Big Apple, which quickly became America’s coronavirus epicentre, soar to 10,367.

“While these data reflect the tragic impact that the virus has had on our city, they will also help us to determine the scale and scope of the epidemic and guide us in our decisions,” the city’s health commissioner, Oxiris Barbot, said.

Read more