NYS Governor Cuomo holding a presser in the time of pandemic. He is ignoring Trump trolling him, focusing on what needs to be done. He says 1. We have to stop the spread by closing down social interactions. 2. Asking retired mds, rns to come back, + medical school students.
Cuomo says he is NOT quaranting NYC. He says New York leads the nation in #coronavirus cases. 10K people tested, 12 deaths, 19% of people with the virus have been hospitalized. He says collectively we are in a time of character test. What do you do when all around lose your head?
Cuomo says the state government can not meet this crisis without the help of the federal government, especially FEMA resources, the Army Corps of Engineers- they have capacity the state doesn’t have. Cuomo spoke with Trump this morning, he wants to work with Trump 100%.
Cuomo says “we are not Democrats, we are not Republicans, we are Americans at the end of the day”- there is no time for hyper partisanship. He says Trump is doing the right thing by stepping up to help. Cuomo says life is turned upside down, comparing now to a snow globe.
Cuomo advises parents who are home with their kids, to take them to state parks, city parks, let them run around he says. He is so human, talking about how much tension there is within families, about what it means to hug someone, to be comforted by someone. Distance is hard.
Cuomo says we have to understand this emotional time, this stressful time. He held his hands up and called it “this much time”- we will get through “this much time”- urging us to be more loving, more compassion, more considerate.
Cuomo says China bought all the ventilators, then South Korea bought all the ventilators, then Italy bought all the ventilators, then California bought all the ventilators. He says the federal government has to release its stockpile of ventilators to the states.
Cuomo says we aren’t in a place that is flattening the curve so right now it is not sustainable for our healthcare system. NY State health experts alongside of Cuomo say they expect the peak in #coronavirus patients will be in 45 days. Cuomo says the real problem is ICU beds.
