NY continues to reduce weekly deaths from Covid-19

Photo by Tom Rivers: The flag is lowered at the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orleans County in Knowlesville on Wednesday. The flag is lowered out of respect for victims of Covid-19. The total confirmed deaths in the state is now at 24,460 due to Covid-19, including 49 in Orleans County.

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 June 2020 at 12:40 pm

The number of confirmed deaths from Covid-19 this past week in New York State continued to decline.

There were 271 deaths in the state from June 7 to June 13, which was down 19.1 percent from the 335 the previous week.

It is a dramatic decline from the height of Covid-19, when the state suffered 5,226 deaths from coronavirus during week of April 5-11.

The deaths last week were 5.1 percent of the high nine weeks earlier. The state has managed to reduce the weekly death rate every week since hitting the high during the week of April 5-11.

The number of deaths on Saturday was 23, the lowest in nearly three months.

“This is really great news,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said about the declining deaths at a noon news conference today. “But of all the numbers that is the one number we can’t change. That is the one number we can’t fix, and that is the number of lives lost.”

Cuomo urged New Yorkers to continue social distancing, wearing a mask in public and using other precautions to reduce the spread of the virus, especially as more businesses are allowed to reopen.

He said he is outraged by the number of violations being reported of businesses violating safety precautions to protect people from Covid-19, including people not wearing masks and establishments violating capacity.

Cuomo today said bars and restaurants could lose their liquor licenses for violating the executive orders.

He emphasized people need to wear masks when in public and when social distancing isn’t possible.

“Show a modicum of respect and wear a mask,” Cuomo said today. “We’re not asking for much. It’s basic decency of a society.”

If the Covid-19 infections and hospitalizations spike, Cuomo said the state could be forced to roll back the reopening of businesses and activities in areas that are not complying with the executive orders, or the state could pause the reopening.

The 271 deaths last week is an average of nearly 39 a day, which is down from about about 48 a day the previous week, and the 72 daily average two weeks earlier.

Week of June 7-13: (271 deaths)

• June 7, 39; June 8, 46; June 9, 53; June 10, 36; June 11, 42, June 12; 32; and June 13, 23.

Week of May 31 to June 6 (335 deaths)

• May 31, 54; June 1, 58; June 2, 49; June 3, 52; June 4, 42; June 5, 35; June 6, 45.

Week of May 24-30: (505 deaths)

• May 24; 96; May 25, 73; May 26, 74; May 27, 74; May 28, 67; May 29, 67; May 30, 56.

Week of May 17-23: (730 deaths)

• May 17, 106; May 18, 105; May 19, 112; May 20; 105; May 21, 109; May 22, 84; and May 23, 109.

Week of May 10-16: (1,107 deaths)

• May 10, 161; May 11, 195; May 12, 166; May 13; 157; May 14, 132; May 15, 157; and May 16, 139.

Week of May 3-9: (1,568 deaths)

• May 3, 226; May 4, 230; May 5, 232; May 6, 231: May 7, 216; May 8, 226; May 9, 207.