New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday reported declines in total hospitalizations, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and intubations as the death toll in the state from the coronavirus pushed above 12,000.
“The good news is it means we can control the virus … we can control the spread,” Mr. Cuomo said.
After earlier projections that the state could need upwards of 110,000 hospital beds at the apex of the crisis, the number of hospitalizations dipped below 18,000, continuing a string of declines in the past few days.
Mr. Cuomo did report that there were 606 new coronavirus-related deaths, which pushes the total above 12,000 deaths in a state with a population of nearly 20 million people.
“That is still continuing at a really, really tragic rate,” the governor said.
The 606 deaths were down from other daily totals in the past week or so, though Mr. Cuomo has said the public shouldn’t read too much into single-day tallies when looking at such data.
As President Trump gets set to roll out new guidance for states, Mr. Cuomo announced that he is extending closures of nonessential businesses, a ban on public gatherings, and other social distancing rules until at least May 15.
“I don’t want to project beyond that period,” he said.
Starting Friday at 8 p.m., New Yorkers will have to wear face masks or coverings when they’re in public and aren’t in a position to practice typical social distancing. Mr. Cuomo announced that mandate on Wednesday.
On Thursday, he said the mask requirement applies to everyone who is at least 2 years old.
Mr. Cuomo said people using public transportation and for-hire vehicles — along with operators and Uber and Lyft drivers — have to wear a mask at all times.
“I’m fully aware of the opposition to wearing a mask,” he said. “We want to see fewer people die. I’m asking New Yorkers to wear a mask not just to protect yourself, but to protect other people from you.”
Mr. Cuomo also said the state would be sending 100 ventilators to New Jersey, after saying Wednesday New York would send 100 ventilators to Michigan and 50 ventilators to Maryland.
“The wave hasn’t crested in New Jersey,” he said.
He said past models projecting a significantly more dire situation and greater need for such vital equipment at the peak of the crisis had assumed higher rates of spread.
“If their rate of spread actually happened, we would [have] been in a much, much worse situation,” he said. “We slowed the infection by our actions and that’s why we’re in a better position today.”
There are more than 213,000 coronavirus cases in New York — easily the most of any state in the U.S. — and more than 526,000 people have been tested.
There are more than 640,000 positive coronavirus cases in the U.S. and more than 31,000 people have died, according to a tracker from Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 3.2 million people tested in the country.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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