Striking his most somber tone yet, Gov. Andrew Cuomo this morning said the number of coronavirus cases is more than 15,000, with nearly 2,000 hospitalized. Nearly a quarter of those hospitalized are in the ICU.
The state has 114 deaths, he said. About 70 percent who died were people 70 and older who had underlying health problems, he said. The majority of people who died who are younger than 70 also had another health issue, he said.
No one under 40 has died in New York, according to Melissa DeRosa, Cuomo’s top aide. Fifteen who died were 90 or older.
“I don’t mean to be overly dramatic,” Cuomo said, noting that 13 percent are hospitalized. “The numbers are still going up."
Forty to 80 percent of the population will get the illness, he said. “It’s going to work its way through society,” the governor said. It could take four to six to nine months for the virus to spread. No one knows the exact timeline, he said.
“But it is going to be ok,” he said. Grocery stores, pharmacies and other essential functions will remain. “Life will go on,” he said. “We are going to be the better for it.”
New York has tested more than 61,000 people, the governor said. Nearly 16,000 were tested in the last day or so, he said.
The governor is also calling on all hospitals to expand existing hospital capacity by 100 percent -- to double their ability to treat patients. He acknowledged that’s hard. But he’s requiring that hospitals increase their treatment ability by at least 50 percent. “I’m not just asking you as governor,” he said. “This is a law,” he said of the 50 percent goal.
Starting Wednesday, all elective, non-critical surgeries will be canceled across the state, he said. “That is a mandate,” he said.
Cuomo also said drug trials will start being used on Tuesday in New York. It’s an anti-malaria treatment, he said.
The governor also reiterated that young people can get coronavirus. As of today, 53 percent of New York’s cases involve people 18 to 49 years old. “It’s a nasty illness,” he said. “And you can transfer it to other people.” Older people can die from the virus, he said.
The governor also called the national government to take charge of medical equipment acquisition. He said the federal government should use the Defense Production Act to force businesses to start making medical supplies.
Cuomo also asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to start building four temporary hospitals in the New York City and Long Island areas. “From my point of view, construction can start tomorrow,” he said. The facilities are just one element, he said. Staff and equipment are needed as well.
Cuomo also is asking FEMA to build four hospitals at the Javits Center in New York City. Each FEMA hospital has 250 beds, he said.
This is a breaking story. It will be updated.
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