Overview

• The Health Department closed its Central Harlem investigation after no new associated cases since Aug. 9, with 114 infections, seven deaths and six people still hospitalized.
• Genetic sequencing matched patient samples to Legionella in cooling towers at Harlem Hospital and a nearby city‑leased construction site at 40 West 137th Street, both since disinfected.
• Twelve cooling towers across ten buildings tested positive and were remediated by Aug. 15, with officials reporting many sites were behind on required testing or lacked recent inspections.
• City leaders proposed reforms including 30‑day Legionella testing for cooling towers, expanded inspection staffing and higher fines to strengthen compliance and prevention.
• Accountability efforts are mounting, with negligence lawsuits from construction workers and a call for an independent review of the city's response.