Governor will allow hospitals to again do elective surgeries in most counties
Deaths from Covid-19 in New York State near 15,000
Photo by Tom Rivers: The American flag is lowered outside the Treasurer’s Office on East Park Street in Albion, with the Orleans County Courthouse in back. The governor has directed flags to be lowered out of respect for the victims of Covid-19 until at least May 15, while the state is on “pause” with schools and non-essential businesses closed. The governor today reported 481 people died from Covid-19 on Monday. That brings the state’s death toll from the virus to 14,828, including 177 in Erie County.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is allowing elective outpatient treatment in counties and hospitals without significant risk of Covid-19 surge in the near term.
The governor acknowledged today that not allowing elective surgeries has hurt the finances for many hospitals, leading to layoffs. He will allow elective surgeries as long as hospitals can still respond to Covid-19 patients.
The governor’s directive today doesn’t include hospitals in New York City, or the counties of Erie, Westchester, Albany, Dutchess and Rockland, which continue to see many Covid-19 patients.
The governor said the Covid-19 cases are on a descent in New York City, and seem to be plateauing in Erie County. But the governor said different regions around the state are experiencing different curves with the virus.
State-wide the hospitalization admissions have declined from 1,308 on Monday, 1,560 on Sunday, 1,758 on Saturday and 1,962 on Friday.
Cuomo said the state will direct resources to different regions that are experiencing peak cases.
“Nobody is on their own,” Cuomo said at a news conference in Buffalo at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. “We are one state, we are one family, and we are there to help one another.”
Cuomo also announced there will be regional teams to reopen the economy around the state.
