More Sick Children With COVID-Linked Syndrome: Cuomo

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY — The New York State Department of Health is investigating after a five-year-old boy died of a rare pediatric inflammatory syndrome linked to COVID-19, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday.

Speaking at his daily news briefing, which he held at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, Cuomo said there have been 73 reported cases in New York of children ill with symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease and toxic shock-like syndrome.

Calling it "painful news," Cuomo said "We were led to believe that the good news about this virus was that it didn't affect children."

According to doctors in Westchester County, 11 children have been hospitalized at the Maria Fareri Children's Hospital with the multi-system inflammatory syndrome. Most tested positive both for COVID-19 and new coronavirus antibodies. Most did not become seriously ill right after they had been exposed to or infected with the virus, but began getting sick up to a month later. They ranged in age from infant to teenager.

Parents should remain vigilant and seek care immediately if their child has symptoms, Cuomo said.

Cuomo reported that the total number of hospitalizations was down statewide, to 8,196, with about 600 new cases entering the hospital per day. A total of 216 new deaths were reported statewide over the past 24 hours.

Health officials had hoped that the number of cases would keep declining, but hospitalizations daily have instead been steady, and projections suggest that there will still be new hospitalizations for COVID-19 every day in June, he said.

Cuomo said he doubted that a dramatic change in the statistics would loosen up restrictions downstate after May 15, when the executive order that sent New Yorkers home will expire. Upstate communities will begin to reopen their economies, however.

Most of the new hospitalizations are occurring in New York City, on Long Island and in southern Westchester County. Most are in communities with higher-than-average minority populations.

State health officials are asking hospitals to report more details about new hospitalizations as they work to cut the number of new infections further.