Keep focused
Andy worried about virus bump
— Gov. Cuomo encouraged New Yorkers to redouble their efforts to stem the spread of coronavirus Friday as the Empire State surpassed 400,000 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began.
New York reported 786 new cases of the deadly virus, bringing the statewide total to 400,299. New York City recorded its first case on March 1.
Despite the stunning number, the state’s infection rate remains largely flat, with roughly 1% of the more than 70,000 tests conducted Thursday coming back positive, according to the governor.
While other states are seeing mounting death rates and hospitalizations, New York continues to make gains as only 826 patients are currently being treated for COVID-19, 25 fewer than a day earlier. Only eight people died from the virus Thursday. In April, as New York became the epicenter of the outbreak in the U.S., nearly 800 people were dying daily.
“New York’s COVID-19 numbers are stable and continue to trend in the right direction, but amid an alarming spike in cases throughout the nation and reports of lack of compliance here at home, it’s vitally important that residents continue practicing the behaviors that have successfully bent the curve,” Cuomo said in a statement Friday.
More than half of the states in the country are currently dealing with increasing cases and infection rates, including 19 states on a travel advisory mandating visitors to New York self-quarantine for two weeks.
Cuomo also announced that New York is sending a shipment of remdesivir, a medication that could help treat 280 COVID-19 patients, to Florida despite Gov. Ron DeSantis repeatedly taking shots at the Empire State’s response to the virus.
Florida reported an additional 11,433 coronavirus cases on Friday, bringing the total number of cases in the Sunshine State to 244,151. A total of 93 Floridians died from the virus over the past 24 hours.
During an afternoon radio interview, Cuomo predicted the nationwide uptick in cases will inevitably impact New York as he blasted the Trump administration for not doing enough to rein in the outbreak.
“We’re going to go through an increase, I can feel it coming,” he told Albany’s WAMC. “And it is so unnecessary and so cruel.
“The other states don’t take the same precautions, it rises up in the other states and then is going to come back here from the other states,” he added. “That’s what’s going to happen.”
Cuomo, who said he’s considering writing a book on the lessons he’s learned from handling the pandemic, added that he will “probably” travel to another state next week to assist with their virus response. The governor did not specify which state.