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WPCNR CORONAVIRUS REPORT. From the Governor’s Press Office. April 21, 2020:
Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa and the New York State Council on Women and Girls today announced the creation of a COVID-19 maternity task force to examine the best approach to authorizing and certifying additional dedicated birthing centers in an effort to provide mothers a safe alternative to already stressed hospitals amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The task force will make recommendations to Governor Cuomo by the end of the week.
Additionally, the task force will work with Regional Perinatal Centers to review literature and make recommendations on the impact of COVID-19 on pregnancy.
“This pandemic strained our hospital system in a way no one could have ever imagined, and while New York leads in ensuring laboring mothers were able to have a healthy partner, friend or family member with them during childbirth we can and should explore additional ways to make the experience less stressful,” Melissa DeRosa, Secretary to the Governor and Chair of the New York State Council on Women and Girls, said. “Birth centers can serve as a safe alternative for low-risk pregnancies — relieving the strain on hospitals and providing a supportive environment for mothers during an already stressful time. I look forward to working with Christy and this diverse task force to develop recommendations for the Governor to review as quickly as possible.”
“Governor Cuomo and New York State have been national leaders in the fight against COVID-19 and the fact that they are prioritizing the health and safety of women and families during this crisis only further underscores that,” said Christy Turlington Burns, founder of Every Mother Counts. “I’m honored to be working with Melissa and the other members of this task force to urgently protect mothers and ensure women have much-needed safe birthing options.”
The task force – chaired by Melissa DeRosa – will be comprised of stakeholders from obstetrical providers, pediatric care providers and family planning agencies in conjunction with the State Department of Health. The list of members is available below:
Christy Turlington Burns, founder of Every Mother Counts
Christa Christakis, MPP – Executive Director, American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists District II
Loretta Willis, Vice President Quality & Research, Healthcare Association ofNYS
Lorraine Ryan, Sr. VP Legal Regulatory & Professional Affairs Greater NY Hospital Association
Rose Duhan, President & CEO, Community Health Care Association of NYS
Ngozi Moses, Executive Director Brooklyn Perinatal Network
Nan Strauss – Every Mother Counts
Dr. Deborah E. Campbell, MD – Montefiore Medical Center
Whitney Hall, CCE, LM, CLC – President, NYS Association of Birth Centers
Natasha Nurse-Clarke, PhD, RN – Regional Perinatal Center Coordinator, Maimonides
Dr. Dena Goffman, MD – NYP/Columbia
Rev. Diann Holt – Founder/Executive Director Durham’s Baby Café
Cynthia Jones, MD, MPH – Mosaic Health Center
The task force will maintain an ad-hoc status throughout the COVID-19 state of emergency to address any additional issues related to COVID-19 during pregnancy through postpartum period.
TESTING MATERIALS ROADBLOCK TO REOPENING—FEDERAL GOVT PLEASE
EXPEDITE
SCHOOLS CANNOT REOPEN.
SOME HOSPITALS UPSTATE MIGHT BE CLEARED FOR ELECTIVE SURGERIES.
IF STATE DECIDES TO REOPEN SCHOOLS.
SCHOOL DISTRICTS WOULD HAVE TO FOLLOW STATEWIDE PLAN WITH STRATEGY PREPARED BY THE STATE NOT DESIGNED YET.
TRACING OF INFECTED PERSONS STOPS SPREAD OF INFECTIONS TO
PRESERVE REOPENING—THOUSANDS NEEDED—CUOMO—SHOULD BE STATE RESPONSIBILITY
DESCENDING CURVE FLAT, DESCENT MOMENTUM BEING WATCHED.
WPCNR MONDAY MORNING GOVERNOR CUOMO CORONAVIRUS BRIEFING. By John F. Bailey. April 20, 2020 UPDATED WITH STATEWIDE CASE NUMBERS ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS 3:30 PM EDT:
On the 51st Day since the first case of coronavirus appeared in New Rochelle, and the 92nd day since the first cases appeared in Seattle and Calornia, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said the hospitalization rate continued steady, the downward slide of coronavirus new infections was flat.
“Anectdotically, ” the Governor said, ” hospitals said there were “less Covid-19 patients flooding emergency rooms easing the “Hellish” conditions seen previously in downstate New York emergency rooms. “They are still at capacity or over capacity, but it’s better.”
The Governor, in the “Q.&A,” said the state was looking at upstate hospitals coronavirus infections and present capacity rates to see if the state could reopen them to elective surgeries again. The Governor said the state was going to have a plan Tuesday to determine if bans on elective surgery (“where hospitals make money on”) could be lifted depending on anticipation of coronavirus spread trends expected to roll up state.
In the “Q.&A.”, the Governor stated in response of
schools saying they were planning on reopening, the Governor stated clearly, “They
can’t reopen. They are closed.” The
Governor for the first time told the media, that schools would have to follow a
plan designed by the state to follow standard protocols throughout the
reopening process, regarding procedures the districts would have to follow.
On the spread of coronavirus, Governor Cuomo said the
Downward Curve was “flat as of yesterday now the question is how long and how
steep it is going down and nobody knows.
The question is how fast it will come to a low enough number to control
it.”
He announced there were 478 deaths from coronavirus Sunday,
compared to the 503 on Saturday.
The Governor repeated his call for federal aid to states based on the revenues the states have lost. He said New York had passed its 2020-2021 budget based on what losses the state suffered in revenue on a quarterly basis. Tomorrow the governor said that unless federal aid to New York State was forthcoming he planned cuts of 20% to schools, 20% to local Counties and 20% to hospitals (n the quarter coming)
He called for a 50% Bonus to workers on the front lines be included in any government pay package. He noted 41% of frontline workers were “people of color” : of police and fire, 45% of transit workers, 57% of building cleaning service workers , and 40% of healthcare workers were of color. who he said yesterday came to work despite of danger to themselves, showing their commit to public service and New Yorkers. He noted people of color are disproportionately represented in delivery and childcare services and one third of frontline workers are members of low-income households.
He announced plans for extensive testing in public housing to prevent spread of the disease through Ready Responders to bring health care and more COVID diagnostic testing to residents of public housing in New York City.
He emphasized again as he does every briefing the
seriousness of the reopening concept: “This is cause and effect on steroids.
What we do today will determine what happens tomorrow.”
He announced the FDA report on the drug being tested by 20
hospitals under a study funded by the federal government would be in tomorrow.
The governor said supplies of test materials was dependent
on the federal government taking control of the supply shortages manufacturers
are experiencing in reagents.
The governor did not comment or raise the issue of defects
in Chinese antibody tests reported today on the front page of The New York Times, or whether NY
antibody tests were manufactured in New York, but then no reporter there asked those questions.
Asked in the Q. & A. on who should handle tracing back
of discovered corona virus infected persons to persons who may have had contact
with infected persons should be the responsibility of New York State. “The
government is like a painter with a
roller,” the governor analogized, “You need a painter with a brush to get the
corners.” Meaning, WPCNR theorizes, the
state governments know the makeup and areas, and neighborhoods of their state
much more knowledgeably and can hire persons who can canvas them.
The governor said the success of a NY Reopening depended on “Tracing.”
He said that the New Rochelle outbreak was stopped from spreading by the state
finding out who the infected individual visited (a synagogue gathering), and
they traced all who had been in contact with him. “That’s how we stopped it.”
The governor pointed out that number tracers who need to be hired to trace new
COVID-19 persons discovered after any reopening is not determined yet. Tracing
had to be in place to avoid a rapid increase of the coronavirus from newly
infected persons when any reopening begins.
Yesterday, the members of the 7 State Governors Task force to coordinate planning reopening issues had been selected. That plan is expected either today or shortly according to the schedule of the group.
The Governor confirmed 4,726 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 247,512 confirmed cases in New York State. Of the 247,512 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows:
WITH COUNTIES IN THE NY METROPOLITAN AREA HIGHLIGHTED IN BOLD FACE
* ASTERISK NEAR NEW CASE COUNT indicates daily growth rate in new cases, computed by WPCNR and not be the state. SUFFOLK COUNTY CURRENTLY HAS THE HIGHEST DAILY NEW CASE RATE IN THE METROPOLITAN AREA, 2.9%. NEW YORK CITY HAS REDUCED THEIR DAILY GROWTH RATE TO 1.8%, LOWER THAN NASSAU AND SUFFOLK COUNTIES AND WELL BELOW THE 6% NEW YORK CITY WAS GROWING NEW CASES ONE WEEK AGO. :
WPCNR CORONAVIRUS REPORT. From Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner. April 20, 2020:
Every week the Town Board hears from department heads who share info on how their departments are operating during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many employees are working from home. Have employees tested positive? How are departments managing? We will hold our weekly department head update tonight at 6 PM. Meeting will be streamed live on the website:www.greenburghny.com and broadcast on channel 75 and verizon channel 35. I will post a link to the discussion later this week.
We invited the three paid fire Chiefs to participate. Have received confirmations from Hartsdale Fire Chief Ray Maseda and from Fairview Fire Chief Howard Reiss that they will participate. Waiting to hear back from the Greenville Fire department. Last week Chiefs Maseda and Reiss provided residents with useful information.
227 KNOWN COVID 19 CALLS—34% OF total EMS CALL VOLUME
Jared Rosenberg who is the EMS Supervisor for the Greenburgh Police department provided me with some interesting statistics:
Since we started tracking COVID 19 mid-March, we have seen mostly medical related calls, ranging from cardiac events, strokes, respiratory distress, and diabetes. These medical calls also have consisted of 227 known COVID 19 calls, which has consumed 34 % of the total EMS Call Volume .
In regards to trauma, What’s important , residents are staying safer, there’s less trauma, although we have had calls for back pain, lacerations, extremity pain, and other documented injuries, residents should use extra caution when driving, biking, hiking, or jogging to prevent any unnecessary trips to the emergency room.
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:
WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Board of Legislators. April 19, 2020:
On Friday, the Board of Legislators passed a measure authorizing towns in Westchester County to slash penalties by as much as 80% for late payments of county and town property taxes through July 15 of this year.
The approved measure applies to towns and not cities in Westchester, because the towns fall under a county law which is being changed. Cities do not fall under the same law and must take their own, separate actions on penalties, if they so desire.
The newly-passed measure authorizes towns to reduce the penalties they collect by 75% for taxes paid from May 1 – May 31 – to 0.5% from 2%. It reduces late-payment penalties by 80% for taxes paid from June 1- July 15 — to 1% from 5%.
The penalty-reduction measure passed by a bi-partisan vote of 14-3.
Town and county property taxes and assessments are due April 30. That date is set by state law and cannot be changed by county law.
The penalty-reduction plan was developed with and supported by a majority of Westchester’s Town Supervisors. It gives town governments which collect the taxes the ability to reduce the burden on taxpayers struggling during the COVID-19 epidemic, while ensuring that they have a program which they can manage for all taxpayers.
Towns may opt out of the penalty-reduction measure.
Board Chair Ben Boykin (D- White Plains, Scarsdale, Harrison), said, “This is a public health and an economic emergency that has touched every corner of this County. I’m grateful that we’ve been able to act to provide relief to taxpayers in our towns in a way that will also allow us to continue to provide essential services.”
WPCNR CORONAVIRUS GOVERNOR CUOMO BRIEFING REPORTBy John F. Bailey. April 18, 2020 UPDATED WITH VIDEO 3 PM:
The Federal Government controls whether New York State can double ability to test for coronavirus infections to control the pandemic effectively after New York “reopens.” This deserves to be repeated:
The Federal Government controls whether New York State can double its state labs capacity to test for coronavirus infections to control the pandemic with success after New York reopens.
GOVERNOR CUOMO REPORTED LABS ANALYZING TESTS IN NEW YORK STATE CONFIRMED THE LABS NEEDED SUBSTANTIALLY MORE ESSENTIAL REAGENT CHEMICALS FOR COVID-19 TEST ANALYSIS. MANY SAID THEY CAN DOUBLE TESTING CAPACITY IN A DAY IF THEY HAD THE CHEMICALS THE DISTRIBUTION OF WHICH IS CONTROLLED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THROUGH MANUFACTURERS. (Albany Feed)
The reagents “react” when exposed to the coronavirus testing samples showing the person is Covid-19 positive or negative.
These essential reagents are needed in greater supply to ramp up testing to the 2,000,000 tests a day level (the scale Governor Cuomo believes is needed for testing persons to assure a successful reopening is not compromised by infected persons coming back into work without knowing they have the virus.
The distribution of those essentials to analyze the tests and what companies get them is controlled by the federal government in Washington. (The Governor has consistently maintained that without aggressive greatly escalated testing, any reopening could quickly send COVID-19 new infections exploding again.)
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo in his briefing today reported he had his staff call 50 companies that conduct analysis of coronavirus testing samples in New York State to find out how how they could analyze a volume of 2 million test samples a day.
In written quotes posted on televison today (See video above), the Lab companies shown contacted all wrote they needed an extreme increase in supply of the reactants required to analyze the tests at a 2,000,000 a day level.
The conclusion implied : if the federal government holds back the reagents or does not assure a supply enough to a state, any reopening could fail and create a whole city in coronavirus lockdown, facemasked and social distancing again very quickly.
Previously the Governor had touched on the supply needs of increased testing referring to swabs, antibody testing, fingerprick blood tests, and needs for reagents. The state staff explored with the 301 labs in New York State and found that reagent supply is controlled by the federal government, which controls where they go from the manufacturers, what states get them.
The Governor speaking with one of his daughters recently asked him what is all about this testing (not a direct quote). The governor realized he needed to make the need for testing clearer, why it had to ramp up substanially in reopening, and what had to be done to ramp it up and what was the problem.
His staff found out by asking. Previously the governor had mentioned that the reagents come from China. Today he shared what the labs told them: the federal government rations the reagents out.
No reporter in the news conference asked the Governor whether the federal government has an adequate supply of reagents in a stock pile; whether the reagents could be knocked off generically by pharmaceutical companies, to ease the supply or whether the federal government would direct the reagents they have to the states that request them or hold them back and why. Yesterday Governor Cuomo said the President did not want to do more testing because it was hard to do.
The governor focused on testing because the infection rate of new cases continued to hover at 2,000 new cases a day that has been consistent since mid-march. as he explained in the above video as well as the necessity for substanial more testing AFTER the Reopening begins, implying if the reopening proceeds without at least 2 million tests a day, it would be compromised and perhaps fail. (Video Feed)
The Governor said the Apex of the curve continued to flatten and the new case rate remained steady. He is concerned and so explained the fact nobody knew until today: the federal government controls the supply of the reactant chemicals needed to identify and isolate population that don’t know they have the virus and are returning to work.
The deaths Friday from Covid-19 numbered 540. The Hospitalization rate was down. The intubation rate (converting patients to ventilators) continued to go down.
In the news conference, the governor turned aside a question asking if the governor felt nursing homes were negligent in their care, resulting in the deaths of so many nursing home residents. The governor said no, that he felt the nursing homes were just “overwhelmed. Staff are getting sick. Residents are dying,” the governor explained about lagging nursing home reports and failure to respond. He said when complaints are made about nursing homes not providing information to relatives of a person in their care, the state calls the home.
The Governor did say that persons could get marriage licenses and tests online and could get married by video ceremony.
Asked about prisoners being released from prision terms, Melissa DeRosa Secretary to the Governor, said only prisoners with 90 days of their sentences remaining were being released to avoid exposure to Covid-19. The release affects 200 inmates
The Governor confirmed 7,090 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 236,732 confirmed cases in New York State. Of the 236,732 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows (surrounding counties in bold face)::
WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. From Governor Cuomo’s Press Office. April 18, 2020:
Dear New Yorker
As a result of our collective actions we are starting to see the total hospitalization numbers go down as the curve begins to steadily flatten. Everything we have done so far in response to this crisis has shown that together, we can control the beast that is this virus — but it’s not over yet.
We had approximately 2,000 new COVID hospitalizations Thursday.
That is a harsh reality check for anyone who thinks that the pandemic is passing. This is still a very serious health crisis — and so we need to stay the course until the time we can move forward in safety and with protections to the public health while beginning to reopen the economy.
Here’s what else you need to know this morning:
1. Starting last night at 8 PM, if you are in a public space where social distancing is not possible, you MUST cover your mouth and nose. This week I issued an Executive Order requiring all people in New York to wear a mask or a face covering when out in public and in situations where social distancing cannot be maintained, such as on public transportation.
2. I will issue an Executive Order directing all public and private labs in New York to coordinate with the State Department of Health to prioritize Coronavirus diagnostic testing.
A key component to “un-pause” New York is ramping up the state’s testing capacity. The Executive Order will help ensure the 301 laboratories and hospitals in the state that are licensed to perform virology testing operate in a coordinated way to help get us to the testing capacity we need.
3. In order for states to reopen, we need federal help.
I reiterate my call for the federal government to provide unrestricted funding to the states to help stabilize the economy and allow the states to perform reopening functions. The federal government has passed three bills to address this crisis, including the federal CARES Act, all of which contained no funding to offset drastic state revenue shortfalls related to this pandemic.
4. NYS is launching an awareness campaign to help ensure that New Yorkers who need it most claim their Economic Impact Payments under the CARES Act.
The CARES Act provides $1,200 payments to individuals making below $75,000 and $2,400 payments to married couples making below $150,000. Many taxpayers who filed 2018 or 2019 federal tax returns will receive them automatically into their bank account. Learn more on the Tax Department’s Economic Impact Payment information webpage. The Tax Department will also partner with other state agencies and local community organizations to do direct outreach to make sure New Yorkers in need can access their payments.
Today’s “Deep Breath Moment”: Because the COVID-19 pandemic has closed restaurants across the country, food providers are dealing with excess crops. To make sure their crops don’t go to waste, Cranney Farms in Idaho is giving away 2 million potatoes on a first-come, first-served basis.
Individuals are stopping by the farm on behalf of food banks and soup kitchens to load up on potatoes. If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe to New York State’s Coronavirus Updates here.
Reiterates Call for Federal Government to Provide Unrestricted Funding to States
Confirms 7,358 Additional Coronavirus Cases in New York State – Bringing Statewide Total to 229,642; New Cases in 50 Counties
WPCNR CORONA VIRUS REPORT. From the Governor’s Press Office. April 17, 2020:
Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced he will issue an Executive Order directing all public and private labs in New York to coordinate with the State Department of Health to prioritize coronavirus diagnostic testing.
This action is part of the State’s efforts to ramp up testing, a key component of the Governor’s blueprint to un-Pause New York. The Executive Order will help ensure the 301 laboratories and hospitals in the state that are licensed to perform virology operate in a coordinated fashion to overcome the testing challenges that every state in the nation is now facing.
The Governor also reiterated his call for the federal government to provide unrestricted funding to the states to help stabilize the economy and allow the states to perform reopening functions. The federal government has passed three bills to address this crisis, including the federal CARES Act, all of which contained zero funding to offset drastic state revenue shortfalls.
The Governor also launched an awareness campaign encouraging low-income New Yorkers to claim their Economic Impact Payments under the CARES Act. The Act provides $1,200 payments to individuals making below $75,000 and $2,400 payments to married couples making below $150,000.
However, taxpayers will only receive their payments automatically if they filed 2018 or 2019 federal tax returns. Because the federal filing threshold is roughly $12,000 for individuals and $24,000 for married couples, hundreds of thousands of the lowest income New Yorkers who are not required to file returns will not receive their payments unless they provide their information to the IRS.
To support the Governor’s awareness campaign, the Department of Taxation and Finance launched an Economic Impact Payment information: what you need to know web page and will do direct outreach to taxpayers who may not automatically receive the payments they’re owed. The Tax Department will also partner with the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, NYS Division of Veterans’ Services, the Department of Labor and local community organizations to raise awareness and ensure action is taken by those who need this benefit most.
“As we work over the next several months to un-pause New York, the testing and tracing is going to be our guidepost,” Governor Cuomo said. “No state is currently capable of doing the large-scale COVID testing that is needed. We have 300 laboratories and hospitals across the state that do virology testing and we must coordinate them to become one system — like we did with the hospitals — to get our testing capacity where it needs to be. I am going to issue an Executive Order that says the Department of Health will coordinate all of these labs so we can ramp up testing and get more people back to work.”
Finally, the Governor confirmed 7,358 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 229,642 confirmed cases in New York State. Of the 229,642 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows:
WPCNR CORONAVIRUS CUOMO REPORT. By John F. Bailey. April 17, 2020:
It was a “Q. & A” like no other.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo took the President of the
United States apart.
When asked his reaction to President Donald Trump’s statements, quoted by a reporter, that Governor Cuomo asked for more supplies, hospital construction that he didn’t need, Mr. Cuomo calmly laid out the facts for the President.
He said he, Cuomo, had followed the federal government projections as late as March 13, showing the Peter Navaro memo on the screen, declaring that “2.4 million to 21 million Americans would be hospitalized.”
In exacting, calm detail Governor Cuomo walked the President through the President’s administration predictions. He ended up his 15 minute analysis and rejection of the President’s statement that Mr. Cuomo’s coronavirus effort was always wanting more.
Mr. Cuomo called for the President, since his own CDC, Corona Virus Task Force, and Peter Navarro predictions were wrong, he should fire them.
The press room appeared in shock. Too shocked to ask to ask a question.
One reporter asked why the Governor said this. The Governor said “Because this is a pivotal moment. I don’t want to go through the race for testing materials as he went through in the search for ventilators.” He said I need two things, tests and state funding.
The President’s remarks and the Governor’s didactic, logical recitation of the progression of dire government forecasts, resounded word by word like pindrop after pindrop after pindrop , each weighing a ton, exploding in the carpeted Red Room.
It was in sharp contrast to the good news the Governor shared at the top of the meeting.
The apex of the coronavirus continued on the way down overnight.
The Governor was still concerned about the continuing average of 2,000 new cases a day. The Governor urged people to “Learn from this” and move ahead to better ways of working when businesses recover.
He announced an effort to coordinate efforts of the
state’s testing labs to work as a team in processing coronavirus tests that
would be similar to the way he and his team organized the Coronavirus
Coordination Center in Albany that allocated resources and patient movement
between the states hospitals.
He announced a new executive order mandating nursing homes to provide information on coronavirus infectees to persons with loved ones in those homes calling in concern. Melissa DeRosa, Secretary to the Governor said nursing homes across the state have not been complying and that was the reason for the executive order coming.
The governor Cuomo analysis of the President’s remarks, was an amazing unexpected event.
I was reminded of Sportscaster Jack Buck’s description of Kirk Gibson’s 2-run pinch hit winning homer with 2 out in the 9th in the First Game of the 1988 World Series, against the Swingin’ A’a that when Mr. Buck in awe, as Kirk Gibson fist-pumping jogged around the bases, in wonder yelled, “I don’t believe what I just saw!”
