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Vol. 50 No. 2

Riverbay Corp. working with city DOH to help identify source of Legionnaires’ Disease in the Bronx

The New York City Department of Health (DOH) has issued a health alert for Legionnaires’ Disease in Bronx County after an increase in cases was reported to the agency by health care providers last month. DOH is testing various locations, including within Co-op City, to determine the source of the infection. Riverbay Corporation has been assisting health officials as they’ve been conducting these tests. The DOH has requested that a public forum be scheduled in Co-op City, the largest concentration of residents within the Bronx with a population of more than 50,000 residents, so that anyone with concerns or questions can get accurate information from DOH officials. That forum will be held on Tuesday, January 13 at 7 p.m. in the Dreiser Auditorium. According to the DOH, cases of Legionnaires’ Disease have been reported widely throughout the Bronx, but the highest rate of infection was recorded in the Northeast region of the

Bronx although HIPAA laws prevent more specific release of information. Health officials reassure the public that Legionnaires’ Disease is not contagious. It is a water-borne disease and it is highly diagnosable and treatable with antibiotics. Symptoms are pneumonia- or flu-like and include fever, chills, cough and/or difficulty breathing, especially if you are older, a smoker or have chronic lung disease. The DOH stresses that, as a precautionary measure, anyone with pneumonia-like symptoms should seek medical attention immediately and make sure to let their health care provider know that they may have been exposed to Legionella. If you have no symptoms, there’s no need to worry. The DOH has provided Riverbay Corporation with the information below to be disseminated to Co-op City residents. Should you require additional information on Legionnaires’ Disease, please contact the New York City Department of Health by calling 3-1-1.

Legionnaires’ Disease Detected in the Bronx Health Department Working With Riverbay Corporation to Identify Source

The Health Department is investigating a cluster of cases of Legionnaires’ Disease – a type of pneumonia caused by a bacterium called Legionella. From January to December 2014, a total of 61 cases occurred in the Bronx. The highest rate of infection was recorded in the Northeast region of the borough with 18 confirmed cases. Legionnaires’ Disease is characterized by pneumonia occurring two to 10 days after exposure to an environmental source of Legionella, aquatic bacteria that grow in warm environments (77°- 108°F). People can get sick from inhaling contaminated mists from cooling towers, showers, faucets and whirlpool spas. Infection cannot spread from person to person.

Co-op City man arrested in connection with recent rash of knife-point robberies

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Legionnaires’ Disease can mimic other types of pneumonia. Symptoms may include fever, chills, difficulty breathing, muscle aches, cough, headaches, tiredness, loss of appetite, confusion and occasionally diarrhea. The risk for the disease increases with older age. Groups at high risk include people who are middle-aged or older, especially those who are cigarette smokers, people with chronic lung disease or weakened immune systems, and people who are receiving drugs that suppress the immune system. In rare cases (about 5%), Legionnaires’ Disease can be very serious and cause death. However, there is an easy

BY BILL STUTTIG Culminating a busy week of gathering police intelligence into who was responsible for a troubling rash of knife point and potentially life-threatening robberies perpetrated on fast food delivery people operating within the buildings of Co-op City in recent weeks, the Department of Public Safety and the 45th Precinct jointly announced on Wednesday evening the arrest of a 20-year-old man, a resident of Section 4, for his involvement in the crime spree. The arrest was made by 45th Precinct Detectives who worked closely with CCPD investigators at gathering information that eventually revealed the identity of the suspect who was then arrested and charged with at least four knife-point robberies.

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As the troubling and potentially deadly crime pattern became more apparent late last week, Chief Frank Apollo, Commander of the Co-op City Department of Public Safety, took the necessary steps to ensure the safety of all food delivery people operating within the community by requiring all food order drop-offs and payments to take place in the lobby of buildings and not at the front door of apartments, as is customarily done. Chief Apollo said this week: “We understand the inconvenience to some of not allowing food deliveries to be completed beyond the lobbies, but in light of the recent rash of robberies all of which involved the display of a deadly weapon to the victims,

Strict enforcement of angle parking regulations by NYPD begins (Continued on page 4)

The NYPD has informed the Co-op City Times and the Co-op City community, in general, that it will begin strict enforcement of parking regulations pertaining to angle parking spaces. Shareholders are asked to be aware that vehicles in angle parking spaces on streets, such as Asch Loop, Einstein Loop and Hutchinson River Parkway East, must be parked within the marked lines or they will be summonsed.

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