Gov. Andrew Cuomo Touts New Lows In Coronavirus Hospitalizations, ICU Admittance And Deaths; 'The Progress Is Even Better Than We Expected'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Gov. Andrew Cuomo is touting "great news" in the ongoing fight against COVID-19.
It's the 156th day of the fight, according to the governor. There are 536 hospitalizations.
"It is a new low since we were in the midst of the battle. So that is great news," he said.
New York has also hit another new low in term of patients in ICUs - 136 - with 62 intubations - and another new low in terms of deaths, on a three-day average, with just three dying yesterday.
"This is really all great, great news and I congratulate New Yorkers because this is a result of the actions they've been taking. The progress is even better than we expected," the governor said.
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Cuomo said 39 states are now on the Tri-State Travel Advisory quarantine list. He cautioned about growing numbers in states all across the country.
"The numbers are a result of the actions. We have been disciplined, and we have to stay disciplined," he said.
The governor again called on local governments to enforce social distancing at bars and restaurants.
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"We have a problem with young people and lack of compliance. We have a problem especially at bars and restaurants. Last night they did another 29 violations. They checked 874 establishments. Over the weekend, they checked 3,000 establishments and did 106 violations. All this to say to the bars and restaurants, follow the rules. Because if you don't follow the rules chances are, likelihood is, someone's going to be there to watch and check, and that's the way it should be," Cuomo said.
He blasted a party on a charter boat - and other similar parties - as "reckless, rude, irresponsible and illegal."
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"It's disrespectful. It's illegal. It not only violates public health, it violates common decency. Look at all the people you endangered. What if one of those people on that cruise gets sick and dies? What if one of those people on that cruise gets sick and goes home and gives it to a parent who dies? I mean it is really just reckless, rude, irresponsible and illegal," Cuomo said. "We need better enforcement all across the state."
On school reopenings, the governor said he would make a decision later this week.
"Just because a district puts out a plan doesn't mean that if we reopen the school parents are going to come or teachers are going to come. It's not, well, the government says that schools are open, now everybody must go. It's not going to happen that way," Cuomo said. "They are not going to trust the school district. This is an issue of public health. Just because a school district says 'You shouldn't worry about your child's public health,' that's not going to be enough. Not in this environment."
Cuomo said parents are going to wonder about testing regimes, turnaround time for test results and more.
"You need the parents to be comfortable. You need the teachers to be comfortable. You need the children to show up at school, and there's going to have to be a discussion. You look at some of these plans, they're indecipherable. Even if you can understand the plan, they raise questions, and parents are going to need to talk it through," Cuomo said.
The governor urged school districts to start communicating with parents now to answer their questions.
Cuomo called the overall federal response to the coronavirus outbreak a "colossal blunder."
"If the president actually tells them the truth and says 'I made a mistake,' he's not going to be telling them anything they don't know. Every American knows he made a mistake. Every American knows this is the worst government blunder in modern history. Not since the Vietnam war, have Americans sat in their living rooms to see the numbers on the TV screen every night saying what a mistake it was," Cuomo said. "Every night they see this virus increasing all across the country and the death toll going up. You don't think they know it was a mistake, then you don't know the American people. They're smarter than you think."
