NY must prepare health care system for coronavirus wave or it will buckle, Cuomo says

Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks at ceremony

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a ceremony in New York City in a file photo.Mark Lennihan | AP Photo

Albany, N.Y. — New York must begin preparing its health care system for a wave of coronavirus patients or it will face tragic consequences, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said today.

It’s a new phase in the battle against the virus. If the state doesn’t prepare properly, its hospitals will be overwhelmed, given what’s happened in other countries, Cuomo said.

He mentioned Italy, where scenes of patients awaiting care on gurneys in hospital hallways have become commonplace. Doctors there have been forced to make gut-wrenching choices about which patients to care for.

“We know what lies ahead,” Cuomo said. “You don’t have to guess. You just have to project.”

Cuomo said today that he’s organizing the National Guard and will work with unions and private developers to find existing spaces in the state that could be adapted to serve as temporary health care facilities.

He also said the state Health Department will suspend a number of regulations to give hospitals more flexibility to deal with the pandemic. That includes rules on how many beds are allowed per room, required space between beds and how much space is required in hallways.

Cuomo said the state may soon move to cancel elective surgeries as well. Those surgeries account for 25 to 35 percent of the state's current hospital beds.

Even though the state has responded with strong measures to slow the spread of the virus, Cuomo said he doesn’t believe the rate of infection will slow enough for existing capacity in the system to handle the disease.

New York has 53,000 hospital beds with just 3,000 intensive care beds, Cuomo said. It’s likely thousands more will be needed to confront the pandemic.

Places like dorms and former nursing homes could all be retrofitted to serve as sites for coronavirus patients, Cuomo said. But it won’t be easy.

Even setting aside basic construction challenges, much of the equipment used to treat seriously ill coronavirus patients is becoming scarce, Cuomo said. Numerous nations now need more ventilators and oxygen gear.

The state actions Cuomo announced today aim to create 9,000 additional hospital beds.

Cuomo has been calling for days for help from the federal government. He has asked President Trump to use the Army Corps of Engineers to begin building new facilities that could handle coronavirus patients.

"This is a national problems and we need federal leadership," he said. "You see a whole hodgepodge of efforts across the country. It's chaos."

But absent a federal response, the state has to act, Cuomo said.

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS

NY closing gyms, restaurant dining rooms, more starting tonight

List of CNY schools closing

A county-by-county map of cases, deaths in New York State

How fast is coronavirus growing in New York?

Here are the latest closings of events

Sign up for free text messages on coronavirus in Central New York

Click here if you’re having trouble seeing the sign-up form

Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-282-8598

Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.