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NYC Cold Snap Death Toll Hits 14 as City Opens Single-Room Shelter Units

The administration reserves involuntary removals for people deemed a danger to self or others, with the medical examiner reviewing suspected hypothermia cases.

Overview

  • City Hall said 14 people were found dead outdoors during the extended freeze, with preliminary reviews indicating hypothermia in eight cases pending final determinations.
  • Officials reported more than 860 placements into shelters and safe havens since Code Blue began Jan. 19, including 16 involuntary transports under danger-to-self-or-others criteria.
  • New single-room shelter units opened Sunday in Upper Manhattan and a low‑barrier site was added, alongside 20 warming buses and 17 on‑call ambulettes offering heat, food and medical care.
  • City Hall said none of the deceased were found in tents or encampments, even as scrutiny intensifies over the prior pause on encampment sweeps and the city’s enforcement posture.
  • At least six of the earlier identified victims had prior interactions with the shelter system, and critics including former Mayor Eric Adams urged reinstating encampment clearings.