Report: New York City Was Primary Source of Coronavirus in U.S. in Early March

The New York Times reported Thursday that New York City had become the primary source of coronavirus infections throughout the rest of the United States by early March, thanks to travel to and from the city.

The Times reported:

New York City’s coronavirus outbreak grew so large by early March that the city became the primary source of new infections in the United States, new research reveals, as thousands of infected people traveled from the city and seeded outbreaks around the country.

The research indicates that a wave of infections swept from New York City through much of the country before the city began setting social distancing limits to stop the growth.

The central role of New York’s outbreak shows that decisions made by state and federal officials — including waiting to impose distancing measures and to limit international flights — helped shape the trajectory of the outbreak and allowed it to grow in the rest of the country.

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