NY Coronavirus: State 'Not Yet Ready For Apex,' Cuomo Says

NEW YORK, NY — The apex of new coronavirus cases in New York State is expected to hit in somewhere between four to eight days, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Saturday, but added the state is "not yet ready" for the high point. Cuomo is preparing for the peak of COVID-19 cases in the state by sending equipment to hospitals, receiving ventilators and preparing to sign an executive order that will allow medical students slated to graduate to begin practicing.

This week, Long Island has grown as a hot spot of confirmed cases of COVID-19, hitting 22 percent of hospitalized people across the state on Thursday and remaining at the number Friday; up from 18 percent Tuesday. In New York, there are 10,841 new coronavirus cases, bringing the state total to 113,704. The death toll hit 3,565 Friday, a 21.5 percent increase from 2,935. On Friday 23,101, were tested. Also, 1,592 people were discharged Friday, bringing the total to 10,478; two-thirds of hospitalized people have been discharged.

Here's a county-by-county breakdown of positive coronavirus cases:

• New York City: 63,306
• Nassau: 13,346
• Westchester: 13,081
• Suffolk: 11,370
• Rockland: 4,872
• Orange: 2,741
• Dutchess: 938
• Erie: 808
• Monroe: 512
• Albany: 293

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Cuomo said most models, including the state's projection, are indicating the state's COVID-19 apex will hit within the four to eight-day range, though some have pegged it as far as two weeks away. The governor said he's "frustrated" there's no specific date, as it makes it tougher to plan.

"Part of me would like to be at the apex and just, 'Let's do it,'" Cuomo said. "But there's part of me that says it's good that we're not at the apex, because we're not yet ready for the apex either."

The capacity of the health care system in terms of beds, staff and equipment is still being improved upon, Cuomo said.

Cuomo said he will sign an executive order allowing medical students who were ready to graduate to begin practicing.

"We need doctors, and we need nurses," he said. "So we're going to expedite that."

There have also been 85,000 volunteers to staff medical centers, including 22,000 from out of state, Cuomo said.

The state is also receiving aid in the form of equipment. The Chinese government is facilitating the donation of 1,000 ventilators, which is expected to arrive Saturday at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

"This is a big deal, and it's going to make a significant difference for us," Cuomo said.

New York will also receive 140 ventilators from Oregon, represented by Gov. Kate Brown. Cuomo said the gesture was unsolicited, and New York will pay it back two-fold when the chance arises; Oregon's coronavirus peak is expected in May.

Every ventilator can theoretically help two people through the method of splitting, Cuomo said. He added that it's not ideal "by any stretch of the imagination."

Cuomo ordered 17,000 ventilators for the state, but the order never came through. The federal stockpile is 10,000, but those are needed across the United States.

The transformation of the Javits Center, a convention center in Manhattan, into a 2,500-bed facility will make a major difference, Cuomo said. It was originally intended for non-COVID patients, but that changed after a phone call between Cuomo and President Donald Trump. The Javits Center will be federally-staffed and equipped, and Cuomo said the transition needs to be made quickly.

"That is a big deal, because that 2,500-bed facility will relieve a lot of pressure on the downstate system," Cuomo said.

Speaking personally, Cuomo said he wants the coronavirus pandemic to be over, saying it's felt like an entire lifetime. There's been stress on many levels: economy, socially, transportation and the human perspective.

"This is a painful, disorienting experience," he said. "We will get through it. We will get to the other side of the mountain, and we'll be better for it. But we have to do what we have to do between now and then."

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