ALBANY — The state’s largest organization for nurses said this week that health care workers need much stronger protections to deal with the threats posed by coronavirus and other infectious diseases.

The virus, also known as COVID-19, has now infected at least 33 New Yorkers, a number expected to increase rapidly, state officials said.

The New York Nurses Association, which represents unionized nurses in collective bargaining contracts, called on the federal government to institute emergency standards for health care clinics and hospitals to protect staffers from the threat of infections.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration could enforce the protections if it were simply empowered do so by the government, said Carl Ginsburg, spokesman for the Nurses Association.

“You have to take the cuffs off of OSHA and let OSHA do its job,” Ginsburg told CNHI.

Four of the 33 New Yorkers who have tested positive for the virus are now being treated in downstate hospitals, including a 42-year-old man who became the first Long Island resident infected.

A total of 17 cases have been traced to a 50-year-old New Rochelle lawyer who commuted by train regularly to his midtown Manhattan office and was the second New Yorker to test positive. How he acquired the virus has yet to be determined, state officials said.

As the virus spreads, there are heightened concerns regarding potential impacts to tourism, a major industry for both upstate and downstate regions.

A new report this week from the Federal Reserve noted that attendance at Broadway shows in Manhattan dropped by more than the seasonal norm following the Christmas and New Year’s celebrations. Overall, tourism data presented a mixed picture.

A few contacts reported that the coronavirus has deterred visitors, though New York City hotels have continued to report good business, the Federal Reserve said in a report known as the Beige Book.

Another concern arising from the spread of COVID-19 relates to the adequacy of blood-bank supplies relied upon by hospitals.

The New York Blood Center, a nonprofit group that organizes blood donations, said some school and community groups were canceling planned drives in response to the virus outbreak.

“These cancellations pose a significant threat to the blood supply,” the center said in a statement Thursday.

Responding to questions from reporters, Gov. Andrew Cuomo suggested there is no reason to cancel or postpone upcoming public events such as high school or basketball tournaments to contain the spread of the virus.

Cuomo said people who believe they were exposed to coronavirus should stay home, just as they would if they came down with the flu.

“There is no reason for undue anxiety,” Cuomo said. He did point out he is mainly concerned with impacts on nursing homes, senior-citizen centers and people who already have compromised immune systems or are grappling with respiratory illnesses.

Cuomo also described New York’s $35 million share of an $8 billion national allotment Congress has made available to counter COVID-19 as “insufficient.”

Throughout the nation, people returning from five nations experiencing significant outbreaks of coronavirus or have come into contact with people known to be infected are being directed to stay in their homes for 14 days to ensure they have not been infected.

The number of New Yorkers who are in what officials call voluntary quarantine is now estimated to exceed 2,000.

Cuomo said about “two or three dozen” individuals are being involuntarily quarantined, with state and local health officials following up to ensure they are not venturing out of their homes.

Some officials fear there is an inadequate supply of testing equipment for the virus.

“We urgently need the CDC to increase our supply of Covid-19 test kits and expedite the approval of any testing approaches developed by private companies,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

Without greater testing capability, de Blasio said, “We cannot beat this epidemic back.”

Joe Mahoney covers the New York Statehouse for CNHI’s newspapers and websites. Reach him at jmahoney@cnhi.com.