Thread by @TeeMcSee

Cuomo says NY about to bring in state labs to "dramatically increase our testing capacity. You'll see the testing capacity go way up this coming week. As the testing capacity goes up, you're going to see the number of cases go up. .. You are just identifying what already exists"

this is an ongoing conference call hosted by governor
They tested 150 people y'day at drive-thru facility in New Rochelle, he says. People call in, describe symptoms and get appointment to show up. Estimated 15 mins per car but in practice it did not take that long.

"About 150 vehicles had appointments, came through, we're going to increase that capacity now." Possible second site on Jones Beach on L.I. They need a large open area. They looked at it this morning "as a possibility for the next drive-thru"

Estimates were about 100 hospitalizations and 500 cases in NY now -- but "none of these are statistically relevant because you don't have a random sample," Cuomo says. "We tend not to look at these day-to-day numbers because they're not statistically representative of anything"

"But in general yes the rate of hospitalizations is what this is all about... we have two strategies. Reduce the curve.. .slow the spread. You're not going to stop the spread of the virus. It has already spread much more than you know," Cuomo says.

As for hospital capacity: "you're trying to reduce the rate of the spread to a level that your hospital capacity can manage. That's all this is... if the rate of spread is too high, then you can't manage it.. our capacity is 50K beds statewide, w 3000 ICU beds

an 82-yo woman with emphysema died y'day. "These are going to be ICU-type cases," Cuomo says. "People who need ICU capacity, that is the limiting factor here." 80% of 3k ICU beds in NY state now occupied, he says. "How do you, can you reduce the rate of spread," he says.

"We are concerned about that." Cuomo talked with POTUS and VP. "At the end of the day, which is at 3 months 6 months 9 months, the infection rate will be massive, we know that." He mentions 60% of the pop will have gotten the virus or more. "The question is at what rate"

Cuomo calls rate of spread "the essential question" facing nation.
"I do worry about the hospital capacity. That's the entire exercise. ... Nobody's really talking about the ultimate spread. They're talking about the rate of the spread."

As for schools, as fellow governors close them. NY closure? Cuomo: "First you do have local flexibility.. if they conclude that it could be helpful. Why would they decide that? B/c number of cases, anxiety etc he says. State has closed New Rochelle schools. But

"The closing of schools is a significant tradeoff of benefits and burdens." He says there are differing medical opinions about children being carriers. he says parents are comforted if kids at home. But "if you close the schools, you hinder the workforce...there are people..

"who will not show up for work the next day." he says school system is also a daycare system. "if the parent is a nurse or... hospital workers' union, that's a problem. Because as I was saying, this whole exercise is about the capacity of the health care system."

Cuomo explaining that school closure decision comes down to keeping emergency/health care workers who may have kids on the front lines, versus weighing possible spread risk from keeping schools open, which he depicts as questionable. would be 1 time schools weren't petri dishes

"The 82-yo woman who passed away in a NYC hospital had a corona virus and had been long suffering with emphysema... if you were to ask the health dept how many people in their 80s who had an underlying respiratory illness and contacted the flu had passed away, my guess is...

"it would be in the dozens... it's normally not just the flu that kills you. It's the flu plus your underlying condition plus your age." He says the virus "is basically pneumonia" which is common cause of death for many elderly who have other conditions.

Regarding mandatory quarantine in Westchester county, if you're quarantined in your home an official comes at random times to check you're home, Cuomo says. Precautionary quarantine is different, "it is not policed the same way, you are contacted electronically on a random basis"

"We have had reports of people who have violated mandatory quarantine. We don't have any confirmed cases... there are civil and potentially criminal penalties for violating mandatory quarantine."

NY state is looking into report of nursing home in Cortland in Westchester County with a case. But not confirmed. They're investigating. Decline to speculate.
Call ends. Cuomo apologizes for imposing on a Saturday but he thinks it's important to get out constant timely info.

"If anything else develops we will let you know. Enjoy your Saturday."