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WPCNR GOVERNOR ANDREW M. CUOMO SATURDAY CORONAVIRUS BRIEFING. By John F. Bailey May 9, 2020:
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said the state is dealing with a new disease issue related to the coronavirus that has emerged in the last two weeks, which he said is “truly disturbing.” It is an illness not respiratory-related (like corona virus is), but instead, the Governor says the new contagion causes “inflammation of the blood vessels.” He said three young children have died from the disease and that it affects children: infants, elementary school age.
The state of New York is now learning all it can about this condition and has been asked to develop a report for the Center for Disease Control so other states can be aware of the symptoms of this new affliction on children. The state is also working with two genetics specialists to ascertain whether genetics is a factor in whether children can get the condition.
The governor announced that in an effort to stop the continued new infections in minority communities in the Bronx and Brooklyn, Northwell Health will establish 22 testing centers in churches with ministers of those churches encouraging members to come in and be tested. The Governor said the testing centers should be available by May 20.
If you are tested positive for covid-19, you are quarantined so you do not spread the virus, which would avoid you giving the virus to other persons who do not have the virus, thus lowering the new hospitalization and spread of the disease in the city.
The governor said antibody tests of 15,000 transit workers had been performed, and 14% had coronavirus antibodies, meaning they had corona virus and fought it off. This compares with 14% of Healthcare Workers being infected; 12.2% NYPD personnel, and 17.1% of Firefighters and EMS. All four essential worker personnel groups all have lower infection rates than the general population (19.9%). It proves, the Governor said, that masks work.
In the “Q. & A” sesson, the Governor said New York is in agreement that Connecticut could open restaurants along the Connecticut shore, saying he was “We just want to know what they are doing, before they do it. We talk about everything.”
The Governor said he told Governor Lamont of Connecticut to explect the pent-up demand that could be heading Connecticut way when Connecticut close-in-to-New York restaurants open.
The Governor said 2,000 homeless persons were removed from the subways when overnight cleaning of the subways began. He stated that the subways are now cleaner than they have been in decades.
He reported, that the new unexpected disease being investigated as Covid-related, new hospitalizations (572) had dropped to the lowest since the first day hospitalizations. Deaths Friday were 226 (173 in hospitals and 53 in nursing homes).The curve continues to flatten.
Reporters asked no questions on the new disease that just was announced yesterday, or how any NY Reopening might be affected by it.
The Governor noted:
” Facts are that the hospitalization rate dropped once again which is very good news. The total hospitalization rate has dropped, the intubation rate has dropped, the number of new cases per day has dropped down to 572, and those are new cases, people who walk in the door of the hospital or people who are in hospital and that test positive, but that is down to 572.
You see it hasn’t been that level since we started back March 20, March 21. So, that is welcome news.
This is not welcome news and this has been heartbreaking every day – 226 deaths. 226 families. And you see how that number has infuriatingly constant. 226 is where we were 5 days ago. So, we would like to see that number dropping at a far faster rate than it has been dropping.
And these are 226 people who lost their lives despite everything our health care system could do, right? That’s despite the best hospital care, the best nursing, the best doctors, the best equipment. So, they are people who we know we made every effort possible to say. And to the extent there’s some peace in that then we’re looking for peace wherever we can. “