NY sees new daily highs in Covid-19 cases and deaths

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 April 2020 at 1:24 pm

‘This stresses this country and this state in a way nothing else has frankly in my lifetime.’ – Gov. Andrew Cuomo

New York State saw its biggest one-day increase in Covid-19 confirmed cases and deaths, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said today.

The state today is reporting 10,841 new cases in Covid-19, and 113,704 cases since the first case was confirmed a month ago.

The governor also said 3,565 people have now died from Covid-19 in the state, up by 630 since Friday.

The 10 counties (areas) with the most cases in the state include: 63,306 in NYC, Nassau with 13,346, Westchester with 13,081, Suffolk with 11,370; Rockland with 4,872, Orange with 2,741, Duchess with 938, Erie with 808, Monroe with 512, and Albany with 293.

There are currently 15,905 people hospitalized with coronavirus (up by 1,095), with 4,126 in intensive care (up for 395). The state is also reporting 10,478 patients have been discharged from hospitals, up from 1,592.

New York accounts for 40 percent of the 287,216 cases in the United States and 46 percent of the 7,752 deaths.

“This stresses this country and this state in a way nothing else has frankly in my lifetime,” Cuomo said at a news conference today. “It’s stresses us on every level. The economy is stressed, the social fabric is stressed, the social systems are stressed, transportation is stressed. It’s right across the board. The most difficult level is the human level. It is for me anyway. It’s every day and it’s everywhere. My brother catches the virus. That is stressful.”

The governor said he continues to push to increase the number of ventilators, masks, respirators and other personal protective equipment health care workers.

The governor said the state had a contract with China to purchase 17,000 ventilators. But China can’t meet that demand and will be coming through with 2,500.

The governor on Friday issued an executive order for hospitals across the state to turn over 20 percent of their unused ventilators. Cuomo said that should yield 500 ventilators where they are most needed, and they would be returned or given money to buy new ones.

Cuomo also announced foundations in China have donated 1,000 ventilators and the State of Oregon has loaned the state 140 ventilators.

“We’re all in the same battle here, which is stopping the spread of the virus,” the governor said.

The governor said he is eager for the pandemic crisis to be over. He urged New Yorkers and Americans to work together and “find your better self” during what has been “a painful disorienting experience.”

“This is so emotionally taxing,” he said. “You can’t even quantify the effect on society and the effect on individuals, and the burden that we’re dealing with. So yes I want it over. If there is anything I could do to accelerate it being over I would.”

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