A recent Legionnaires’ outbreak in Harlem is a stark reminder of the city government’s routine dysfunction. The same disease keeps hitting vulnerable communities, despite public health officials knowing how to prevent it.
The issue stems from the Department of Health’s (DoH) reduced inspection efforts and failure to issue violations to buildings that don’t meet regulations. In 2017, the DoH issued 48,000 citations, but this year, that number is expected to be around 800. The agency has also lost a third of its inspectors over the past three years.
This comes as six New Yorkers have died from Legionnaires’ Disease, with dozens more infected and hospitalized. The near-identical outbreak in The Bronx nearly a decade ago was not enough to prevent this latest episode.
The acting Health Commissioner attributes the problem to building owners’ responsibility for monitoring and treating cooling towers. However, if the city fails to inspect them, the law doesn’t apply. In fact, the DoH failed to clean cooling towers on at least four of its own buildings.
Critics argue that data transparency isn’t enough; the Health Department must take concrete steps to prevent deadly diseases. The city government’s lack of reform will likely lead to another Legionnaires’ outbreak by 2035 unless significant changes are made.
Source: https://nypost.com/2025/08/22/opinion/health-department-failing-to-stop-legionnaires-disease