Fast Facts:
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The governor was upset with federal funding received so far saying that $6 bilion had been promised, but just $1.3 billion was received
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The governor said the state needs to repair the immense damage done to its economy, housing and health care system
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It”™s been 39 days since the first COVID-19 case in New York
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The governor said “We are flattening the curve by our efforts and actions.”
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The number of lives lost yesterday was 799
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389 deaths in Westchester
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7,067 deaths in the state
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New York has set up and emotional support hotline: 1-844-863-9314
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo warned today that just as the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 came in three waves, COVID-19 could deliver additional devastation in the months ahead despite increasing evidence that the state’s actions to enforce social distancing and a business shutdown have flattened the curve, or trajectory, of disease progression.
“We’re on the first wave. Everybody is assuming, ‘Well, once we get through this we’re done,’” Cuomo said. “I wouldn’t be so quick to assume that. This virus has been ahead of us from day one. We’ve underestimated the enemy and that is always dangerous. We should not do that again.”
Although he didn’t mention him by name, there was no mistaking that Cuomo had in mind President Trump as one of the advocates pushing for a premature return to business-as-usual.
Cuomo cited an article in the Los Angeles Times that reports the city of Wuhan in China,where the virus was first identified, along with Singapore and Hong Kong are seeing a second wave of infections.
“There is a theory that this virus can mutate and change and come back,” Cuomo said. He said that those who think of the pandemic as being a war also need to realize they are now fighting only the first battle in that war.
Cuomo reported that 200 additional COVID-19 patients were hospitalized in New York state yesterday, a sharp drop from the 586 who went into hospitals the day before and a dramatic decline from the 1,427 who entered hospitals on April 2. Only 84 people had to be moved into intensive care units yesterday, down from 302 on Tuesday but more than double the 35 entering intensive care on Monday.
The death toll in New York has risen to 7,067, which represents 44.6% of the 15,826 deaths in the entire U.S. The U.S. had 449,555 known cases of the virus as of this morning, compared with 159,937 cases in New York state. Worldwide, there have been 1,563,839 confirmed cases of the virus resulting in 91,830 deaths so far.
The latest statistics from the state Department of Health show that 17,004 cases had been confirmed in Westchester. There were 6,665 cases in Rockland, 438 in Putnam, 4,090 in Orange and 1,493 in Dutchess.
There were 389 deaths in Westchester, with 359 of the patients known to be residents of the county. The virus has claimed the lives of 126 Rockland residents and 21 Putnam residents. There have been 21 deaths in Dutchess, 19 of whom were residents of the county. In Orange, 79 deaths occurred with 76 of the individuals being county residents.
Cuomo said he is launching an effort called “New York Loves,” which is going to be a coordination of all the charities and nonprofits and people who want to help. Cuomo said the idea would be to coordinate resources and make sure there is no duplication and needs are addressed. He said that Secretary of State Rossana Rosado would lead the effort along with Fran Barrett, the interagency coordinator for nonprofits in Cuomo’s office.
Cuomo said that to help deal with the state’s financial situation, he is suspending for 90 days 2% raises for about 80,000 state workers. State Budget Director Robert Mujica said it is projected the move will save $50,000,000.
“We’re looking at a revenue shortfall of between $10 billion to $15 billion and those numbers are trending more toward the middle of that right now,” Mujica said, “We don’t have the money to make these payments. At this time it makes sense to take a pause. Two percent raises don’t go into effect for at least 90 days and in 90 days we’ll review it once we have a better picture of what the fiscal picture looks like. We’ve been asking the federal government to provide assistance to the state.”
Cuomo’s Secretary Melissa DeRosa reported that last week the state received 350,000 unemployment claims. She said that so far 600,000 claims have been processed from among those filed in recent weeks. She said that before 7 p.m. today a new Department of Labor Unemployment Insurance Application website will debut. New procedures will eliminate the need for applicants to follow-up online applications with a telephone call to the department. Instead, if there’s a problem with the online application, someone from the department will call the applicant within 72 hours, according to DeRosa.
Cuomo said that when he becomes chairman of the National Governors Association in August, he’ll focus on creating a buying consortium for the states in view of the Trump administration taking the position during the pandemic response that providng the states with emergency equipment and supplies is not the federal government’s role.
“If the federal government is not going to do it, then the states have to do it and they have to know that they have to do it and they have to be prepared,” Cuomo said. “What happened now can’t happen again. And it can’t continue to happen.”
