438 deaths were reported on Thursday, down from 474 reported Wednesday. The number of deaths during the first four days of this week is down 33 percent from the first four days of last week. New York State’s death toll is now 15,740. The number of virus patients entering hospitals has stayed around 1,350 per day for the last three days. That is down from around 2,000 per day last week.
But Cuomo noted the number of new coronavirus hospitalizations was relatively flat which is “not great news.”
Cuomo said that 3,000 antibody tests conducted across New York indicate 13.9% of state residents are positive for antibodies. But those figures vary dramatically by region. While 21.2% of New York City residents tested positive, only 3.6% of residents from upstate New York have the antibodies.
Cuomo said a 13.9% infection rate would translate to 2.7 million people infected statewide. Considering the more than 15,000 deaths recorded by the state, New York’s coronavirus death rate is approximately 0.5%, which is lower than some estimates had predicted.
Cuomo announced the state would launch an investigation into nursing homes’ handling of coronavirus. Cuomo said the investigation would be jointly overseen by the state department of health and the state attorney general. The governor empashized that nursing homes must be taking every possible step to limit the spread of coronavirus, warning that facilities found to be negligent could be subjected to a fine or lose their license.
Nearly a quarter of New York’s 15,740 coronavirus deaths have come from long-term care facilities, prompting criticism of officials’ oversight of the facilities, Guardian noted
More than 3,500 people have died in nursing homes since the outbreak began, according to state data — roughly 20 percent of all deaths in New York
Andrew Cuomo criticized Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell for suggesting states should declare bankruptcy rather than receive more federal funding. The governor warned that states declaring bankruptcies could cause “a collapse of this national economy.
Cuomo also lamabasted McConnell for suggesting relief money for states would represent a bailout for Democratic states, which have generally been harder hit by the virus. “If there’s ever a time for humanity and decency, now’s the time,” Cuomo said. “How irresponsible and how reckless.”
