Hits: 22

WPCNR SUNDAY GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO BRIEFING REPORT. By John F. Bailey. April 19, 2020:

“ We are past the high point, we are now on the descent. The maximum inflo (of new corona virus hospitalizations) is less than what it is. The net intubations is down,” was the good news Governor Andrew M. Cuomo reported to day in Manhasset, Long Island where he was visiting the Northwell Health complex in Nassau County to give his daily report on the coronavirus battle.

“But this, (he pointed to the new hospitalizations rate) is a reality check, 1,300 people yesterday tested positive. A lot of people, but less than the overall curve of new cases (2,000 a day average previously). 507 persons died yesterday. 400 persons with the disease were put on intubations (ventilators).”

He congratulated health care workers across the state, and the 85,000 medical personnel who have volunteered to aid New York health care professionsals to care for the thousands with coronavirus.

He saluted the vital forces: police, fire, transit workers, EMS professionals who came to work to serve and help in a massive effort to help the sick, all risking their lives by going to the diseased and the suffering. The governor said he would be forever grateful for their sacrifice and courage and dedication to public service, most of whom are immigrants.

The Governor announced the New York State-developed antibody test for coronavirus antibodies presence in persons has been approved by the Federal Drug Administration.

He said beginning tomorrow New York Labs across the state would begin random testing across New York State to determine the possible scope of coronavirus spread in the population they will administer the anti-body test to  at random.

In the “Q. & A” the governor said the goal of antibody testing statewide was to random-AB test 2,000 NY state persons a day, 14,000 a week to reach 500,000 in a month, 1.5 Million in 3 months and “hope to increase that number to a random sampling of the population (6%).

“This (percentage of who had coronavirus) will give us the first effective number of how many already have had the corona virus,” the governor said.

He said the state has 9 million workers in a 19 Million population, and the percentage of anti-body positives would show the state an idea of how many persons could be carrying the virus producing anti bodies but not hospitalized to ascertain the risk of reopening.

The Governor did not explain what percentage might be considered positive to reopen the state, or too high to risk a reopen, because the antibody test has not been done before.

He called on representatives in the state not to play politics. He called on the federal government to in the next recovery bill (that congress in Washington is working on) to include $500 Billion in funding for state governments, so the states can fund what they fund in states.

In New York, Mr. Cuomo said if the government did not deliver adequate compensation to NY, or none, he would have to cut 50% of state education aid in New York and cut Hospital aid, which he said “how ludicrous that would be” in view of the health workers’ “tremendous” medical achievement in turning back the march of the coronavirus better than any official prognosticators said they could.

He praised President Trump’s tweet statement that “the federal government is with you(the states) all the way”.  

“That’s teamwork,” Governor Cuomo said.

The Governor also said he had a discussion with the head of the CDC Center for Desease Control who assured him the need for reagents for every state and (presumably for NY’s 301 lab companies) was being addressed.

Governor Cuomo also praised President Trump’s briefing last night on the state of increasing testing, and what the federal government was doing.

He said that now is only halftime. The residents of the NY cannot think it is over, because, he said “the beast is not dead. It is still out there ready to send the hospitalization rate up again.”

He said he got that people were having problems with cabin fever. He encouraged politicians not to politicize the issue based on the complaints of their constiutents.

He suggested, “Blame me.”

The news conference “Q. & A.” protocol is in its third day of Cuomo Conference Rules. They are not allowed to shout questions all at once after every Cuomo answer. The Governor picks each reporter in turn who asks a question. This has stripped away the raucous pandomonium of every time reporter trying to yell louder than anyone else. It is a lesson in how news conferences should be conducted. It eliminates the groaning, shouting of the press remuda so you can hear the question since no reporter is miked. It is Cuomo calming.

The Governor confirmed 6,054 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 242,786 confirmed cases in New York State. Of the 242,786 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows (Metro areas of interest are in BOLDFACE:

County	Total Positive	New Positive
Albany	682	34
Allegany	30	0
Broome	192	6
Cattaraugus	34	0
Cayuga	36	0
Chautauqua	25	0
Chemung	73	1
Chenango	78	1
Clinton	49	1
Columbia	107	2
Cortland	25	0
Delaware	49	0
Dutchess	2,240	39
Erie	2,070	73
Essex	18	2
Franklin	13	0
Fulton	27	0
Genesee	117	30
Greene	85	3
Hamilton	3	0
Herkimer	49	2
Jefferson	54	4
Lewis	8	0
Livingston	39	2
Madison	106	1
Monroe	1,032	24
Montgomery	35	1
Nassau	30,013	833
Niagara	246	12
NYC	134,436	3,173
Oneida	275	7
Onondaga	498	6
Ontario	70	1
Orange	6,379	113
Orleans	46	5
Oswego	47	2
Otsego	48	1
Putnam	592	10
Rensselaer	173	9
Rockland	9,364	193
Saratoga	251	7
Schenectady	268	9
Schoharie	20	0
Schuyler	6	0
Seneca	18	0
St. Lawrence	105	7
Steuben	167	7
Suffolk	26,888	745
Sullivan	537	13
Tioga	35	3
Tompkins	117	0
Ulster	854	34
Warren	96	2
Washington	63	11
Wayne	50	1
Westchester	23,803	624
Wyoming	36	0
Yates	9	0