Cuomo: New York’s Curve ‘Is Continuing To Flatten’

Topline: Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a press conference on Saturday that New York’s curve of new coronavirus cases is “continuing to flatten,” with the number of hospitalizations declining dramatically and daily intubations hitting their lowest level in weeks.

• “The good news is that the curve of the increase is continuing to flatten,” Cuomo said on Saturday. “The number of hospitalizations appears to have hit an apex, and the apex appears to be a plateau.”
• “All the numbers are on the downward slope,” he said, citing fewer people being admitted to hospitals as well as daily intubations hitting a negative number for the first time, which he called a “very good sign.”
• The governor’s press conference also came right after news that New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio had decided to keep public schools closed until September.
• When asked about closing the city’s public school system, which is the largest in the country with over 1.1 million students, Cuomo said that “there has been no decision” and that it was just de Blasio’s “opinion.”
• Cuomo said he has the authority to reverse that, and as far as he’s concerned, the decision hasn’t been made: “I understand the mayor’s position,” he said, but added, “it makes no sense for one locality to take an action that doesn’t coordinate with the others.

Crucial statistics: New York state is the global epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, with over 170,000 cases reported so far—more than any country in the world—and more than 8,000 deaths. The “terrible news” on Saturday, however, was that 783 more New Yorkers have died from the coronavirus, bringing the total count to 8,627 lives lost. While that isn’t an all-time high, the death toll is “somewhat stabilizing” around 700 per day, which Cuomo called a “horrific rate.”

What to watch for: Cuomo also addressed the ongoing dialogue within the Trump administration about whether it would be safe to soon re-open the economy and lift lockdown measures. The New York governor urged people to keep “politics out of it,” pointing to the fact that all of the projection models see a higher number of coronavirus cases if social distancing isn’t followed. While Cuomo said that Trump “has really responded to New York’s need,” he also criticized the federal government’s $2 trillion fiscal stimulus bill for not providing enough aid to embattled states like his. He urged for a repeal of the SALT (state and local taxes) provision, which he says targeted and reduced aid for big states like New York, Michigan and California.

Crucial quote: Cuomo again urged the Trump administration to provide more relief to the hardest-hit states, saying that a new federal stimulus bill—one “less political, less pork barrel”—is needed for getting them back up and running. “By the way, you think you’re  going to re-open the economy without the engine of the New York metropolitan area, are you kidding me?”

This is a developing story. Please check back here for updates.

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