Gov: Fear could be worse than disease

Gov. Cuomo urged New Yorkers to refrain from panicking over the coronavirus Thursday, claiming “fear” could be worse than the pandemic itself, as the number of confirmed cases in the state soared above 5,000.

“We’re fighting the virus and we’re fighting fear and p a n i c ,” Cuomo said in a morning appearance on NBC’s

“Today.” “The fear and panic is, if anything, worse than the virus.”

After his cable news hit, the governor held a briefing from Albany, in which he shared some not-so-comforting numbers.

He reported there were at least 2,469 confirmed coronavirus cases in New York City alone, more than double from Wednesday, with nearly 800 people hospitalized statewide.

But that wasn’t the end of it, as Mayor de Blasio revealed later in the day that there were actually at least 3,954 confirmed cases in the Big Apple, meaning there are more than 5,200 cases statewide.

Back in Albany, Cuomo repeatedly insisted there’s no plan to implement a “shelter in place” order for the city, a measure de Blasio has said may be necessary within days.

“Words matter,” Cuomo said. “Shelter in place is a scary term for people, especially when you’re not doing what it means.”

Cuomo also announced new restrictions on businesses and some relief for taxpayers.

First, he said all non-essential businesses must chop their on-site workforce by 75%, up from the 50% he declared Wednesday. Then, he declared a 90-day grace period for mortgage payments, as hundreds of thousands of homeowners are forced out of the job market because of the fastspreading virus. Echoing comments made by President Trump, Cuomo said constituents must acknowledge the country’s in a “war” and offered some tepid praise for the federal government’s belated uptick in testing and production of medical equipment.

“This is a war, we have to treat it like a war,” Cuomo said. “In a war, you need the federal government.”

He also said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is finally authorized to start ramping up the creation of temporary hospitals in the state, but did not offer a timeline.

The governor appeared at the press conference with his 22-year-old daughter, Michaela Kennedy-Cuomo.

“Young people can get coronavirus,” the gov said, his daughter seated next to him. “Young people do get it, and young people can transfer it … You can wind up infecting someone and possibly killing someone.”