Cuomo Says New York Has 'Tamed The Beast' Of Coronavirus, Recording Lowest Level Of Deaths, Hospitalizations Since Start Of Pandemic
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Gov. Andrew Cuomo said New York has "tamed the beast" of coronavirus after months of a difficult fight.
The governor said the data that's most important right now in battling the coronavirus is testing.
New York City has been hovering a little above 1% in positive test results since Phase 1 reopening began Monday, he said.
"It'll be up a little bit, it'll be down a little bit. That's fine. What we do want to watch is if you see it start ticking up and continue to tick up. We're looking for a direction more than anything else," he said.
Cuomo said the news broadly is "very, very good," and that New York has its lowest level of COVID-19 hospitalizations since "this nightmare began" on March 20.
WATCH: Gov. Andrew Cuomo Gives Daily Briefing
"We've done it. We've tamed the beast. We are now 180 degrees on the other side," Cuomo said.
There were 32 additional deaths - the lowest number since the beginning of the pandemic.
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"The people of this state, by their actions, have saved thousands of lives. That is not overly dramatic. That is not rhetorical. That is not metaphorical. It is factual. They saved thousands and thousands of lives," he said.
Western New York and the Capital Region are set to enter Phase 3 reopening this week.
WEB EXTRA: See Cuomo's 6/13 Presentation Slides (.pdf)
Cuomo said the spread of coronavirus is increasing in about half of the United States, calling it a "frightening time."
"Be careful. New York is the anomaly. New York is exactly the opposite. All the other states - virtually all the other states - reopened and saw their number go up," he said. "New York, we're coming down, we've reopened, the number continues to drop. That is anomalous to the rest of the nation."
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The governor urged all New Yorkers participating in mass protests to wear their masks properly, saying "nobody told you to wear a chin guard."
