NY, with more than 37K Covid-19 cases, now has more than half of the cases in US
‘I don’t want to sugarcoat the situation. The situation is not easy, but easy times don’t forge character. It’s the tough times that forge character, and that’s what we’re looking at right now.’ – Gov. Andrew Cuomo
New York State now has 37,258 confirmed cases of Covid-19, which is more than half of the 72,700 total confirmed cases in the United States.
Andrew Cuomo
In New York, the state’s confirmed cases increased by 6,447 from the 30,811 cases announced on Wednesday. That is the biggest one-day increase in cases.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo reported today that 5,327 of those with coronavirus have been hospitalized and 1,290 have been in intensive care. The number of deaths increased from Wednesday by 100, to 385.
Cuomo said today that 1,517 of the Covid-19 patients have been discharged.
The state has increased testing for Covid-19. On Wednesday there were 18,650 tests and there have been 122,104 people tested for the virus so far in the state.
The governor said the state in a prolonged fight against the virus. He urged people to practice social distancing (staying at least 6 feet apart), wash their hands frequently and stay home as much as possible.
“This is a life moment,” Cuomo said during a news conference in Albany. “It’s a moment in the life of this country. It’s a moment in the life of the world. It’s a moment in our family lives. It’s a moment for each of us. Each of us is dealing with it in our own way, and my observation has been that when the pressure is on, is when you really see what people are made of, in a personal relationship in a business relationship.
“You know, people can be great when everything is great,” Cuomo said. “The question is what does a person do when things aren’t great and what does a person do when the pressure is on them? And that’s when you can see a little crack in the foundation of a person. But when the pressure is on that little crack, that little crack can explode and that foundation can crumble. Or, you can see the exact opposite. You can see them get stronger. But you get to see what they’re really made of and you get to see the best. You get to see the worst. You get to see the beauty in people. And you get to see the opposite.”
The governor said there has been an outpouring of support for New Yorkers around the country and world.
On Wednesday, he said 40,000 medical staff volunteered to help the state’s hospitals and healthcare system care for expected surge in patients. That volunteer base grew by another 12,000 and now is at 52,000.
The governor also said the number of mental health professionals who are offering to volunteer is up to 8,600. They could offer mental health services electronically, through Skype or over the telephone, Cuomo said.
“It gives me such strength and such inspiration,” Cuomo said about the volunteers. “But I don’t want to sugarcoat the situation. The situation is not easy, but easy times don’t forge character. It’s the tough times that forge character, and that’s what we’re looking at right now. People say to me, people are getting tired of this situation. They’ve been home, its going on a couple of weeks. They’re getting tired. Well, the truth is this is not a sprint. This is a marathon. We always said, this is not going to be over quickly. I understand people are tired, but I also understand that people in this situation are really stepping up to the plate and are doing phenomenal work.”
The governor highlighted the work of doctors, nurses, firefighters, police officers, transportation and grocery workers, and many others who are responding daily with critical services.
“So yes we’re tired but look at what others among us have to do in the challenge they’re under and how they are stepping up. And who am I to complain about being tired when so many people are doing such heroic efforts?” Cuomo said.
