Governor tells more people to work at home
Cuomo shrinks in-office work populations as state coronavirus cases exceed 5,200
ALBANY » New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio warned on Thursday that the city’s hospitals are two to three weeks away from running out of essential medical supplies as cases of the novel coronavirus grew rapidly in the city and state Thursday, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo mandated smaller in-office work populations.
Cuomo stressed, though, that roadblocks and martial law for New York City were merely rumors.
Here’s look at Thursday’s developments in the outbreak.
More testing, more cases
New York state’s coronavirus caseload is growing so fast that official counts quickly become obsolete. By Thursday evening, there were over 5,200, according to numbers released by the state and New York City. At least 26 people have died.
The number is growing partly because of a dramatic increase in testing. New York has cumulatively tested 22,000 people, including more than 7,500 in the past day, Cuomo said.
New York City is expanding appointment-only testing to 10 acute-care hospitals, seven community-based health centers and four drive-through sites, de Blasio said.
Drive-through testing sites were set up this week in at least five locations in upstate New York, but officials say testing supplies are limited and only those at highest risk should be getting tested.
COVID-19 causes mild symptoms in most people but can cause serious illness for some, including older adults and those with certain conditions such as respiratory illness. Most people recover.
Dwindling supplies
While officials expect the vast majority of coronavirus cases won’t require hospitalization, hospitals around the state have been bracing for an onslaught of patients, and officials are worried that medical centers will run out of key items needed to treat them.
“We are two weeks or three weeks away from running out of the supplies that we need most for our hospitals,” de Blasio said, ticking off a list of staggering numbers of items he said health care workers in the nation’s largest city needs by early April: 3 million masks, 50 million surgical masks, 15,000 ventilators, and 25 million each of surgical gowns, coveralls, gloves and face masks.
He reiterated pleas for the federal government and U.S. military to help provide the items.
Cuomo has also said the state needs to acquire thousands of ventilators before the outbreak peaks.
“Every state is shopping for ventilators. We’re shopping for ventilators. We literally have people in China shopping for ventilators which is one of the largest manufacturers,” the Democrat said at a news briefing.
Cuomo also called on the federal government to use its powers to order manufacturers to speed up production of both ventilators and protective equipment.
U.S. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy and Gen. James McConville, Army chief of staff, said one Army combat support hospital and one field hospital will soon be deployed — and one of the likely locations is New York City, according to a defense official.
New York restrictions
Cuomo is requiring businesses in New York to decrease their in-office workforce by 75 percent, tightening a 50 percent restriction he announced Wednesday.
He said Wednesday that an executive order will exempt businesses providing essential services, including media, warehouses, grocery and food production facilities, pharmacies, health care providers, utilities and banks, and others critical to the supply chain.
But Cuomo stressed that he is not going to impose martial law.
“Somehow, people have the idea that New York City may be quarantined, may be locked off, that they may be imprisoned in their own home,” Cuomo said. “None of that is going to happen.”
Cuomo said the current restrictions in New York — which include targeted business shutdowns and work-from-home rules — are “virtually identical” to rules in place around San Francisco. But without the ominous language.
“‘Shelter in place’ is a scary term for people, especially when they don’t know what it means, and especially when you’re not doing what it means,” he said.
Legislator tests positive
Speaker Carl Heastie said a third Assembly member, Democrat Kimberly JeanPierre of Suffolk County, has tested positive for the coronavirus. Heastie said he has alerted the Department of Health that Jean-Pierre was in Albany Wednesday, though Heastie said she did not have any close contact with other members or staff.
Jean-Pierre is now selfquarantining at home and her offices will be deep cleaned.
Mortgage relief
Cuomo said his administration has directed mortgage lenders to offer payment waivers for 90 days for borrowers facing financial hardship from the outbreak. Individuals won’t face late fees or a hit to their credit score. Foreclosures also will be postponed or suspended.