Overview

• The Central Harlem cluster has reached 83 confirmed cases and three fatalities as of August 11, prompting urgent public health measures.
• All 11 cooling towers that tested positive for Legionella are undergoing mandated decontamination while city teams continue area-wide screening.
• The Health Department’s proposal would toughen penalties for noncompliance, require labs to obtain state accreditation for Legionella testing and expand inspection staff.
• Regulators cited staffing shortages that previously led to a drop in tower inspections and aim to boost oversight ahead of warmer months.
• Local maintenance firms report a surge in service calls, with some CEOs seeing daily inquiries double as building owners seek to meet the new requirements.