“We were laboring under the impression that young people were not affected by Covid-19, and that was good news,” said Cuomo. “It is very possible that this has been going on for several weeks, and it hasn’t been diagnosed as related to Covid.”

Once the virus starts acting on kids, they may experience complications like inflammation of blood vessels that can be lethal if these reach their hearts. But health specialists did not have the knowledge of this being linked to Covid-19 until now. 

In addition to the possibly misdiagnosed cases in New York, health officials say there might be others nationwide that have not been linked to Covid-19. When the pandemic arrived in to the state. in March, the world had seen very few rare cases of kids affected by the virus. Experts believed adults and seniors were the most vulnerable.

 Children contaminated with coronavirus present difficulty to swallow liquids, diarrhea or vomiting, paleness, in addition to some of the symptoms that adults experience, like trouble to breathe and chest pain. But kids do not necessarily cough, lose the sense of smell and taste, or have muscular pain.  

Early recognition by pediatricians, referral to a specialist and critical care is essential.

Three New York children have died,  a 5 year old in the city, a 7 year old in Westchester County and a teenager in Suffolk County.

The State Department of Health is partnering with the N.Y. Genome Center and Rockefeller University to conduct a genome and RNA Sequencing Study to understand why the effects of the coronavirus are different in children, and how to treat them.

Cuomo said many of these children did not show respiratory symptoms previously associated with the coronavirus when they were brought to hospitals, but all of them tested positive either for Covid-19, or for its antibodies.

In countries like China and Spain, where there have been very few cases of coronavirus infections in children, one of the first steps to end lockdowns has been to allow kids to go on the streets accompanied by adults for a few hours a day. But for New York that now represents a risk.

The post Coronavirus might have caused the death of many children who were misdiagnosed  appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

The moratorium, scheduled to end on June 20, will now last for an extra 60 days, until Aug. 20. 

“I hope it gives families a deep breath,” he said during his daily coronavirus briefing. “Nothing can happen until Aug. 20. And then, we’ll figure out between now and Aug. 20 what the situation is.”

Cuomo added that officials will ban late-payments or missed-payment fees during the eviction moratorium and will allow renters to use their security deposit as payment.

Last week, protesters called for Cuomo to cancel rent for New Yorkers facing financial hardships due to the pandemic. Tenants rights groups and nonprofits across the country have rallied to halt rent and mortgage payments, holding online and in-person protests and using the hashtag #CancelRent on social media.  

“I understand the anxiety, I understand the stress,” said Cuomo, “but let’s remember who we are and what we’re all about and what principles matter to us.”

So far, New York has reported over 332,900 Covid-19 cases and more than 26,200 deaths. The rate of hospitalizations and intubations in the state have gone down, said Cuomo. The governor said the infection rate of healthcare workers is about the same or lower than the general population, according to data from Westchester, Long Island and New York City, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S.

This evening, JetBlue flew three planes approximately 2,000 feet above New York City to salute health-care workers, law enforcement and firefighters as part of the citywide initiative Clap Because We Care. 

The New York-based airline, however, was met with backlash as New Yorkers who pointed out the city’s history with terrorism. During 9/11, the deadliest terrorist attack in the U.S., two low-flying planes crashed into the World Trade Center, leaving over 2,700 people dead. 

JetBlue tweeted a reminder for the flyover this morning, and users did not hold back, calling the initiative a “terrible idea” and pleading the airline to not go ahead with the plan. 

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said, “Nothing like a corporate PR campaign that burns jet fuel at low altitudes over vulnerable communities dying from a respiratory virus that compounds on our preexisting and disproportionate exposure to air pollution to show healthcare workers we care.”

But not everyone agreed.

Thank you @JetBlue for always outwardly supporting law enforcement & all first responders! 💙

It was a beautiful sight seeing our NYPD flag flying high in the sky during tonight’s flyover salute to healthcare heroes & first responders! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/0BE68zRveC

— NYPD 19th Precinct (Stay home. Stop the spread.) (@NYPD19Pct) May 8, 2020

Earlier today, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced officials may limit entry to parks to prevent crowding and enforce social distancing norms during the pandemic. 

“At some parks, just the configuration of the park lends itself to overcrowding,” de Blasio said during a briefing. “We can’t let that happen and we have to limit the number of people going in.”

He did not provide specifics of the plan or mention which parks would be shuttered, but said details will be announced tomorrow. Playgrounds within parks had already been closed. 

New Yorkers recently flocked to parks amid the warm May weather after spending weeks indoors to prevent the spread of Covid-19. De Blasio said he directed police officers to prioritize breaking up large gatherings and enforcing social distancing norms. 

In Brooklyn, almost every person arrested for not social distancing has been black or Hispanic, according to the New York Times. The burrough’s district attorney’s office said that, from March 17 through May 4, 40 people had been arrested. Of the arrests, 35 were black, four were Hispanic and one was white. 

At the White House, President Donald Trump today said his staff will be tested daily for Covid-19 after a member of the U.S. Navy who works as one of his personal valets tested positive for the virus. 

The valet, member of a military unit dedicated to the White House, started exhibiting symptoms on Wednesday morning, said CNN, which first reported the story. Both Trump and Vice President Mike Pence were tested once again after officials learned the military aide tested positive. Trump and Pence tested negative, according to White House press secretary Hogan Gidley. 

Trump said he’d had “very little personal contact” with the person. 

The post Rent relief in NY, JetBlue’s flyover and Trump’s valet tests positive for coronavirus in today’s news appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

“It’s possible there will be some [deaths],” he said in an interview with ABC News, while traveling for the first trip outside of Washington in almost two months, to visit a factory manufacturing masks in Arizona. “But at the same time we’re gonna practice social distancing, we’re gonna be washing hands, we’re gonna be doing a lot of the things that we’ve learned to do.”

The president said that that people are dying in other ways, from drug abuse to suicide.

“We have to get our country back,” he added.

His comments came as a response to a statement made yesterday by Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and point man on the coronavirus taskforce, on the decision to reopen the country.

“It’s the balance of something that’s a very difficult choice: How many deaths and how much suffering are you willing to accept to get back to what you want to be,” he said. 

 Trump has ceased doing daily press conferences, instead holding meetings with a smaller number of reporters and in different settings. He said on Monday that the briefings will return, just not daily, adding that “everybody” enjoyed them.

But that hasn’t kept him from speaking out. And in an interview with the New York Post on Monday he showed his opposition to federal relief money being directed to so-called blue states, some of which have seen the biggest increases in coronavirus cases.

“It’s not fair to the Republicans because all the states that need help — they’re run by Democrats in every case,” he said. “Florida is doing phenomenal, Texas is doing phenomenal, the Midwest is, you know, fantastic — very little debt. You look at Illinois, you look at New York, look at California, you know, those three, there’s tremendous debt there, and many others.”

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo responded to Trump during his press briefing today.

“This is not a blue state issue. Every state has coronavirus cases,” he said. “It’s not just Democratic states that have an economic shortfall.”

Cuomo said that New York is dealing with a $13 billion  deficit and criticized the federal government for so far not having provided any aid to the state and local government, in order to fund police, healthcare and education. He also questioned the use of the term bailout. 

“I wasn’t asking for anything from the fed government before the coronavirus,” he said. “Because of the coronavirus, we need financial help in restarting the economy, and that’s what we’re asking for from the federal government. How do you call that a bailout? Which is such a loaded word. Such a rhetorical, hyperbolic word.”

Cuomo spent several minutes addressing Trump’s comments, going as far as pointing out that the state of New York has contributed more to the federal government than what it’s taken back “every year, for decades”.

On one thing, he and Trump seem to agree, that reopening the country is a balancing act between avoiding economic damage and saving human lives.

“There’s a cost to staying closed, no doubt. Economic cost, personal cost. There’s also a cost to reopening quickly. Either option has a cost,” Cuomo said. Although he added: “To me, I say, the cost of a human life – a human life is priceless, period. Our plan doesn’t have a trade-off. Our reopening says you monitor the data.”

The post Trump speaks to human loss, Cuomo lashes out at President’s comments appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

“I think many of us have experienced it in our own families, in our own lives, why it’s such a dangerous disease,” said DeBlasio. “This is not as easy to just walk away and leave us alone and go quietly into the night. No, we’re gonna have to fight it back if we want to rid ourselves of it.

De Blasio said that the first batch of 30,000 tests are expected to be delivered by Friday, May 8th. The city can then expect a weekly delivery of 50,000 tests by the week of May 17th.

“This seemingly simple piece of plastic actually proved to be a complex matter, because it has to be done just the right way, and it has to be kept sterile, in packaging like this until the point when it is actually going to be used on a patient,” said DeBlasio, holding up a 3D printed swab stick. “So getting this right proved to be actually a complex matter,””

The city has formed a coalition of multiple organizations to make the test kits, including  Print Parts and Albert Einstein College of Medicineto develop the tests, Viral Transport Medium (VTM) to deliver them to hospitals. DeBlasio acknowledged all lab workers on the frontlines of coronavirus.

“All of you are also heroes in this effort. I want to express my deep thanks to all of you. But I want to especially thank those who have worked in our public labs,” said DeBlasio. “ It’s been a big part of how we fight back to have the public health lab non stop getting results for New Yorkers who need them.

Governor Cuomo also stated in a press conference today that New York and seven other northeast states will collectively buy $5 billion worth of equipment and supplies for its healthcare workers. 

“New York State alone buys about $2 billion of medical supplies. And that’s one state.” said Cuomo. 

#BREAKING: NY, NJ, CT, PA, DE, RI and MA are launching a regional purchasing consortium to jointly procure PPE, tests, ventilators and other medical equipment.

This will increase our market power and help prevent price-gouging.

States are stronger when we work together.

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) May 3, 2020

The coalition, Cuomo said, which consists of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, will hopefully increase the states’ market value and avoid faulty vendors.

“Why should they do business with one state right when they can do business with an entire country?This consortium I think will help us get the equipment and get it at a better price,”he said.

The coalition is a result of President Trump expecting governors to obtain their own supplies.

“There was competition among states, there was competition among private entities to get this equipment,” Cuomo said. “We just drove up prices by our own competition.”

Cuomo also mandated that all hospitals are required to have a 90 day supply of equipment.

NEW: New York State will require all hospitals to have on hand a 90-day supply of PPE at quantities sufficient to meet the rate of use during the worst of this crisis.

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) May 3, 2020

The announcements of these newly formed partnerships comes as the weather gets warmer, and large numbers of people take to the streets. As of yesterday, NYPD issued a total of 51 summonses, including 43 in parks, according to Police Commissioner Dermot Shea. Six motorcycles were also seized in Astoria Park. 

“We expected this and prepared for this. NYPD is out in force,” said De Blasio. “If you want to go out for a while, get some exercise, get some fresh air, that’s totally understandable. Don’t linger too long. Get back home while you’re out there, keep that face covering on, keep that social distance.”

DeBlasio also said that while going to parks was okay at a distance, large purposeful gatherings were unacceptable. He gave examples of places such as Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore, which eased restrictions early on and are now experiencing a second wave of coronavirus. 

“I want you to look at that image of the boomerang, get it in your mind and think about that’s the thing you do not want,” said DeBlasio.  “We cannot afford a boomerang with this disease in this city. ”

The post NYC now producing its own coronavirus test kits appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

“How do you operate a school that’s socially distanced, with masks, without gatherings with the  public transportation system that has a lowered number of students on it. How would you get that plan up and running?” Cuomo said. 

The decision on summer school programming will not be made until the end of May.

“Nobody can predict what the situation is going to be three four weeks from now. So we’re trying to stage decisions, add intervals that give us the information but also enough time for people to make the preparations they need to make,” Cuomo said.  

No decision has not been made for the fall, but the state will be approving plans to reopen schools that include safety measures for students and staff.

“They should start preparing their plans now, because this is going to be a real exercise,” Cuomo said. 

Cuomo told reporters that schools should begin to think on how socially distancing can take place in classrooms, buses, cafeterias and dorm rooms.

“We want schools to start now developing a plan to reopen,” he said. “The plan has to have protocols in place that incorporate everything we are now doing in society and everything that we’ve learned.” 

The state closed all K-12 schools on March 18th. Colleges and universities  also moved to social distancing learning. Campuses closed on May 19th except for students who were dependent on student housing.

The New York school system is large.

According to Cuomo there are 4.2 million K- 12 school  students in New York. In addition there are 89 state and  city college and university campuses with 700,000 students. And over 100 private colleges with 500,000 students. 

The schools by definition have higher density and have transportation issues, Cuomo said. 

“The decisions on the education system are obviously critically important,” he said. “We must protect our children, every parent, every citizen feels that, we must protect our students, we must protect our educators.”

New Jersey has not made a decision on the reopening of schools. The decision will most likely be shared next week, said Governor Phil Murphy.

The post New York schools shut for the rest of school year appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

 But they may soon come to a halt, or at least become less frequent.

Still dealing with the fallout from his controversial words about the possibility of treating coronavirus patients by injecting them with disinfectant, President Trump cut short Friday’s press briefing and canceled Saturday’s and today’s.

Instead he went Twitter, he went on to question the validity of press briefings, attacking the media for their “hostile questions” and news coverage.

What is the purpose of having White House News Conferences when the Lamestream Media asks nothing but hostile questions, & then refuses to report the truth or facts accurately. They get record ratings, & the American people get nothing but Fake News. Not worth the time & effort!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 25, 2020

Trump’s statement on Thursday ignited a storm of criticism, from politicians to health experts, condemning the commander-in-chief for floating such a dangerous idea. Even the makers of disinfectant products felt the need to put out statements clearly advising people against ingesting their products.

Turning to medical experts on the coronavirus taskforce, the president mused about whether injecting disinfectant or UV light into the body could prove to be an effective treatment.

“I see the disinfectant, where it knocks [the virus] out in a minute, and is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning (…) It would be interesting to check that,” he said.

The next day, Trump was grilled by a reporter on his statements and said that he was only being sarcastic.

The President has previously promoted other treatment methods with little to no scientific evidence of being effective, most notably hydroxychloroquine, a drug commonly used for malaria. According to director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is part of Trump’s team, the data on its effectiveness in treating Coronavirus is “at best suggestive”.

As Trump’s approval numbers have dwindled back to low 40s in recent weeks and democratic challenger Joe Biden has gained battleground in some states, Trump is under pressure to drive his reelection campaign forward. His response to the coronavirus, which has faced plenty of criticism, has become central to the campaign.

And now Trump’s own advisors seem to think that the President’s “near-constant presence on television” might actually be working against him, according to Politico. Some are insisting that he shorten the length of the daily briefing and leave the medical advice to experts.

“I am worried about overexposure, yes,” a source close to Trump told Politico. “Bickering with the media for two hours on live television does nothing to help Americans who are struggling right now and want to know how and when their lives will return to normal.”

Even without a press briefing, yesterday Trump still gave his two-cents on Georgia’s reopening of certain businesses this weekend. Trump has voiced support for stay-at-home protestors, but he doubled down on his criticism towards Georgia Governor Brian Kemp’s decision, tweeting that he was “NOT happy” with him.

On twitter rampage today,Trump attacked, which included the media, the Democrats and political analyst, Donna Brazile who works for  Fox News. The networks  coverage is usually favorable.

.@FoxNews just doesn’t get what’s happening! They are being fed Democrat talking points, and they play them without hesitation or research. They forgot that Fake News @CNN & MSDNC wouldn’t let @FoxNews participate, even a little bit, in the poor ratings Democrat Debates…..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 26, 2020

….Even the Radical Left Do Nothing Democrats laughed at the Fox suggestion. No respect for the people running @FoxNews. But Fox keeps on plugging to try and become politically correct. They put RINO Paul Ryan on their Board. They hire “debate questions to Crooked Hillary”….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 26, 2020

….fraud @donnabrazile (and others who are even worse). Chris Wallace is nastier to Republicans than even Deface the Nation or Sleepy Eyes. The people who are watching @FoxNews, in record numbers (thank you President Trump), are angry. They want an alternative now. So do I!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 26, 2020

Some states to reopen

Meanwhile many states will remain shutdown, others have stay-at-home orders that will expire in a few days, by April 30. And four states have already relaxed measures in some form.

In Georgia, businesses like gyms, hair salons and bowling alleys were allowed to reopen, provided that they maintain social distancing rules and screen employees. And on April 27 theaters and restaurants will follow suit. South Carolina, Oklahoma and Alaska have likewise allowed some businesses to reopen, with certain rules.

Today Governor Cuomo announced a rough plan on how New York state, which has been hit the hardest by the coronavirus, will reopen. “Phase 1” will ses the reopening of construction and manufacturing activities which pose a low risk of infection, by around the middle of May. And “Phase 2” will include other industries, depending on their priority and risk levels.

“We need businesses to do that analysis,” Cuomo said, adding that there need to be safeguards and precautions in place and that the way each business plans to open will determine the risk factor.”

Cuomo’s plan will follow federal guidance from the CDS, which says that hospitalizations must be down for at least 14 days before the state reopens. In New York, numbers have already been going down for almost two weeks. And the plan will apply differently depending on which part of the state. Central New York and North County, for example, will likely be first, contrary to other more dense areas, like New York City.

Cuomo also said that there will be a period of two weeks in between phases, in order for state officials to monitor the progress of the spread and determine whether it’s safe to proceed.

“All that progress we made by flattening that curve, we could lose that in a matter of days if we’re not careful,” Cuomo said.

The post Trump’s press briefings may be on their way out appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

 “It would be wrong and unjust for Americans laid off by the virus to be replaced by new immigrant labor flown in from abroad,” Trump said during today’s press briefing. “We must first take care of the American worker.”  

With immigration being the strawman of the Trump presidency, the abrupt announcement comes as his administration faces growing criticism over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak. 

 The executive order would remain in effect for 60 days, and after that, the need for an “extension or modification” to the original order would be evaluated by Trump and an unnamed group of people.

 “This order will only apply to individuals seeking permanent residency,” said Trump. “It will not apply to those entering on a temporary basis.”

 Although there is currently no evidence to back that immigration would be taxing on the reopening of the United States, Trump claimed that the restrictions are not only to protect American workers, but also to conserve medical supplies for American citizens. 

Trump anticipates signing the order by tonight.

 FDA officials have approved a “highly accurate” at-home version of the coronavirus test, according to Trump. Labcorp, the company behind the new self-testing kits, plans to make them available with a doctor’s orders for most states in the coming weeks.

 In addition to the at-home test, the United States will begin implementing antibody tests, which can detect if someone has contracted and subsequently beat the virus.

 Earlier today, President Trump and Gov. Andrew Cuomo met at the White House to discuss virus testing and how to boost its volume in New York.

 Following the meeting, Cuomo told MSNBC via telephone interview, “The meeting went well, and I think it was productive. The big issue was testing.”

Trump said Cuomo indicated that the USNS Comfort was no longer required in New York and would be able to deploy to other states in need.

 “We will be bringing the ship back at its earliest time,” said Trump. “We’ll be getting it ready for its next mission.”

 The meeting follows a heated back and forth between the governor and president as tensions between the pair have escalated as the pandemic grows  Recently, after requesting more ventilators and other medical supplies, Trump accused Cuomo of magnifying the need for more aid in New York, the world’s epicenter for coronavirus cases. Cuomo fired back at Trump to “stop watching TV and get back to work.”

 Since then, Trump has changed his tune. At a press conference on Monday, after discussing the coordination of COVID-19 testing at 300 labs in New York, Trump said, “They are getting it together in New York. A lot of good things are happening in New York.” 

 Trump repeated his praise, claiming that he is “proud” of the relationship between his administration and New York.  

 Trump’s statement and optimism are in stark contrast to the feelings of Mayor Bill de Blasio, who told CNN on Tuesday, “We’re fighting the battle still on the ground, and you have people in Washington acting like it’s all over. It’s not over!” 

 Prior to departing to Washington D.C. for the White House  meeting, Cuomo held a briefing in Buffalo, New York. Cuomo reported 481 coronavirus-related deaths, a slight increase from just the day before when 478 deaths were tallied. In total, New York now has reported 14,828 coronavirus-related deaths across the state.

Cuomo has now decided to accept a regional approach that will allow part of New York State to reopen to get the economy moving again, at least in some places. The approach looks at data that tracks the number of cases, hospitalization rates and other elements to determine if reopening is safe in that area. Yesterday he said he favored a statewide approach. 

 “We operate as one state but we also have to understand variations, and you do want to get this economy open as soon as possible,” said Cuomo.  

 As New York extends its shutdown to May 15, other states are beginning to lift restrictions that were set in place to flatten the curve of COVID-19. South Carolina, Georgia, Ohio and Tennessee are to begin reopening this week. 

 In Georgia, gyms, barbershops, salons and tattoo studios will be back in business by Friday, April 24. Georgians will be able to go to restaurants and movie theaters by Monday, April 28. 

 For Tennessee, restrictions will not surpass April 30, allowing the “majority of businesses in 89 counties” to reopen, Gov. Bill Lee’s office told the New York Times. Following suit, Ohio will reopen May 1 as well. 

 In South Carolina, businesses deemed nonessential, such as retail stores, will be allowed to open up shop but must follow social distancing orders. Beaches will also open to the public today. 

 The openings come after a series of protests reflecting the growing frustrations of people fed up with the shutdown restrictions and unable to sustain themselves without continuing to work. 

 In economic news, the effects of the coronavirus have hit the United States oil industry, lowering the price of crude oil to negative $37.65 below zero. 

 The price does not reflect the cost of a physical oil-filled barrel, but rather the futures contracts between buyers and sellers. Futures contracts are what the oil industry uses to dictate pricing, as they outline agreements of supply and demand for the months to come. With people flying and driving at far less scale, the need for refined oil has diminished. And since oil refineries have been slow to halt production, a surplus has built up not allowing the market to refresh, thus lowering the market price. 

 In an industry suffering less during the COVID-19 pandemic, New York-based fast-food chain Shake Shack is returning a $10 million government loan it received meant for small businesses. According to Shake Shack founders and board members, the company gained access to additional capital and is returning it so it can be given to businesses who need it more. In a joint statement posted on LinkedIn by Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer and CEO Randy Garutti wrote, “Until every restaurant that needs it has had the same opportunity to receive assistance, we’re returning ours.”

 For news and updates from Reporting the Nation follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

The post Immigration, a White House visit, states reopen, testing, and the economy are the COVID-19 news of the day appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

“You could argue we are now past the plateau and we are starting to descend,” said Governor Andrew Cuomo in today’s press conference. “Hospitalization numbers are down. We were hovering around 18,000, We are now at 16,000, almost 17,000.”

New York continues to be the hardest-hit state, followed by New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Michigan, which are also believed to have passed their peak of infections. However, Governor Cuomo warns the danger in New York has not passed.

“Happy days are not here again,” said the governor. “We still have about 2,000 people since yesterday who were new admissions to a hospital or new COVID diagnosis.” 

And yesterday 540 people died in the state. 

As many states have started to prepare for a cease of the lockdown, Cuomo called out for help to the federal government in order to start planning for the future. 

Since the federal government is regulating the distribution of chemical reagents necessary for testing suspected cases of infection, Cuomo asked for the state to be moved up the supply chain. He said the state needs a partnership with the federal government and financial relief.

“If you want us to reopen, we need funding,”  Cuomo said 

Governor Cuomo said he asked the federal government to move New York State up the supply chain for testing equipment. Photo: courtesy of governor.ny.gov

But Trump said that is already happening  The federal government sent 1.5 million cloth masks to the state to be distributed to the public.

“My administration has been speaking frequently with many of the governors to help them find and unlock the unused testing capacity that exists in their states,” said Trump.

As hundreds of citizens have taken the streets to protest the lockdown in different states, the president announced some states have advised non-essential businesses to prepare for a phased opening starting May 1st or even sooner.

“Texas and Vermont will allow certain businesses to open on Monday while still requiring appropriate social distancing,” said Trump.

Given how the curve of infection in each region of  New York State has developed, Cuomo said the state’s approach to ending the lockdown will be different.

“When we look at this state and we talk about reopening, we are going to talk about different strategies in different parts of the state,” said Cuomo.

The post New York’s numbers are decreasing, but “happy days are not here yet” appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

It began with tweets stoking the flames of protest against stay at home orders.

“LIBERATE MINNESOTA”, “LIBERATE MICHIGAN” “LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!” Trump  blasted on twitter siding with protestors who have demanded the end of restrictions to battle the deadly virus.

But the governors  are following the White House guidelines released last month and called, “The President’s Coronavirus Guidelines For America.”

Trump then got into a war of words with Governor Andrew Cuomo, whose state is the epicenter of the virus.

He  accused Cuomo on Twitter of complaining and not taking action after  Cuomo said the government should assist in large-scale testing.

Governor Cuomo should spend more time “doing” and less time “complaining”. Get out there and get the job done. Stop talking! We built you thousands of hospital beds that you didn’t need or use, gave large numbers of Ventilators that you should have had, and helped you with….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020

Trump continued with his tweets. 

….testing that you should be doing. We have given New York far more money, help and equipment than any other state, by far, & these great men & women who did the job never hear you say thanks. Your numbers are not good. Less talk and more action!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020

During his press conference Cuomo said that New York has applauded the government for their aid. 

“I have said repeatedly that the president moved very quickly,” he said. “He brought the engineers to build the Javits Center. He’s wrong that it hasn’t been used, about 800 people have gone through Javits. To dismiss 800 people, is disrespectful.”  

The number of hospitalized virus patients has fallen by 1,500 statewide, but the number of people entering the hospital is still high. In New York, almost 33,000 people have been hospitalized and a total of 16,000 deaths. Nearly 700,000 coronavirus cases have been identified in the US. 

Cuomo announced an executive order directing public and private labs in New York to coordinate with the State Department of Health to prioritize coronavirus testing. This allows laboratories and hospitals in the state to coordinate and overcome testing challenges that the rest of the nation is facing. 

Cuomo repeated that reopening the economy safely is dependent on help from the federal government and an increase in testing. 

“We need a federal partnership to ramp up the testing,” he said. “The federal government can’t wipe their hands of this and say states are responsible for testing.” 

Cuomo has extended PAUSE for New York until May 15. Cuomo said that reopening the economy, referencing Trump’s initiative “Opening Up America Again”, will not work in states that still have large rates of infection. 

“You will see the states that have less of a problem opening sooner,” he said. “The states that open first will have much lower infection rates than we do.” 

Cuomo repeated that it will be the decision of state governors as to when to reopen their economies. 

States like Minnesota, Texas, and Vermont have announced dates of easing restrictions. 

But in New York, Cuomo has extended stay-at-home orders. He has also ordered residents to wear masks in public starting tonight. This has also been initiated by other governors in states like California. 

At President Trump’s press conference today he said they will be increasing testing in order to begin phase 1 of opening the economy. He said they will be delivering tests to states in the upcoming weeks. 

“We have built sufficient testing capacity, nationwide. You will hear a lot about reopening in the coming weeks,” he said. “Earlier this week, the FDA announced new antibody tests. Bringing the total to four  antibody tests already, showing how we can get Americans back to work.” 

Former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb announced the U.S. would need 3.8 million tests per week to handle the capacity but the U.S. has only conducted about 1 million tests per week. 

President Trump is pushing to reopen the economy since jobless claims have reached 4 million in the last month. 

But Cuomo said that it will be too soon for some states. 

“When this virus is totally controlled, that could be 12-18 months, maybe it will be sooner,” he said. “You open too fast, you bring people out too fast, we will get right back to where we started.”

The post Trump attacks governors again in the midst of the pandemic appeared first on Pavement Pieces.