Overview
- City officials said Tuesday that the summer cluster on the Upper East Side sickened 94 people and left 11 dead, and they declared there is no evidence of ongoing transmission after the last diagnosis more than six weeks ago.
- The Health Department tested about 183 cooling towers tied to the probe and found 59 culture‑positive towers at 58 buildings, all of which were cleaned and disinfected, city records show.
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced steps on Tuesday to strengthen oversight that include cross‑checking Health and Buildings data to find unregistered towers, adding a citywide cooling‑tower map by next spring and convening a scientific advisory panel.
- The administration said it will speed enforcement by scheduling hearings within 15 days after a summons, explore faster Legionella testing methods, and appoint a panel to study cooling‑tower technology, while genetic sequencing to match tower and patient samples is expected in September.
- The City Council held an oversight hearing to press officials and is advancing bills that would tighten cleaning schedules, increase transparency and require better communication and hotlines for residents, a move that could widen inspections and change maintenance rules citywide.