Westchester Coronavirus: NY To Redeploy Idle Ventilators

NEW YORK, NY — Gov. Andrew Cuomo plans to sign an executive order that will allow the state to take unused ventilators from hospitals upstate that have spares, and send them to institutions that need them most. The number of cases of the new coronavirus topped 100,000 in New York, he announced Friday morning at his daily news briefing.

Westchester County saw an almost 7 percent increase in new cases overnight, remaining the second hardest-hit municipality in the state. However, Nassau County cases jumped by 14 percent overnight and could overtake Westchester by Saturday.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer released some new data Friday afternoon:

• Total number of residents hospitalized (cumulative)-619
• Total number of residents currently in hospital-418
• Number hospitalized in Westchester-380
• Number of deaths in Westchester-71

Having only 3 percent of the county's cases hospitalized is good news, he said.

Latimer sent his condolences to the family, friends and neighbors of Glenn Bellito, an Eastchester Town Board member. "We're going to miss Glenn Bellitto and the other individuals we've lost," he said. "We know that as it does go forward we will have more stories of more people like Glenn Bellitto, friends and people who have contributed to this county."

It was just a month ago that we had our first case, he said. Westchester County Center is still slated to be turned into a temporary hospital; it may take another couple of weeks before it's usable, he said.

In all in the county, 40,000 people have been tested for COVID-19, so the rate of infected people is still lower than 50 percent, he said. There are still enough available hospital beds in the county to handle local cases.

Also shooting up by 14 percent, Rockland County added 538 new cases, according to the state health department. Because most of its cases are concentrated in Monsey and Spring Valley, Rockland County Executive Ed Day on Thursday called on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to create a containment zone similar to the one created last month in New Rochelle.

More than 14,000 people have been hospitalized in the state, with more than 3,700 receiving intensive care. The death toll skyrocketed to 2,935 overnight, the single highest increase since the outbreak began.

The National Guard will redistribute the life-saving ventilators, Cuomo said, which help patients with the COVID-19 disease breathe.

"We don’t have enough. Period," Cuomo said.

He also pushed back against the phrasing that the state is seizing ventilators.

"Am I seizing ventilators, no," Cuomo said. "I am taking excess equipment to save lives."

He noted a sharp decrease in the number of non-coronavirus related hospitalizations, including those related to crime and crashes. Hospitals have essentially become ICU hospitals for COVID-19 patients, he said.

The need for beds and equipment is so great that federal officials reversed their position and will allow coronavirus patients at the temporary hospital at the Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. That means FEMA will have to supply ICU equipement there including ventilators, Cuomo said.

However, Cuomo said, the USNS Comfort will remain only for non-COVID-19 patients. The U.S. Navy is concerned that the ship would be too hard to disinfect.

In response to a reporter's question, Dr. Howard Zucker, New York's health commissioner, said there is no evidence to suggest that non-N95 face masks — such as bandannas — are effective at preventing the virus from spreading. However, he acknowledged they can't hurt as long as people don't get a false sense of security and continue practicing social distancing. The remark directly contradicted a directive from New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio that people cover their faces.

During his daily news briefing, Cuomo said the state budget passed overnight, but lamented the state is "broke" due to a massive drop in revenue.

"The state has no money," he said, adding that the budget was calibrated for the decrease in future revenue and other losses. The state will also heavily rely on federal aid, he said.