While the number of daily infections and deaths were still high, with the death toll rising to 4,758 from 4,159 the previous day, Cuomo said the actual increase appeared to have “flattened” over the last two days.

“The possible flattening of the curve is better than the increases we have seen [previously],” he said. “Hospitalizations are down, the ICU admissions are down, and daily intubations are down.”

Cuomo said those were “all good signs” and that if in fact the state had reached its peak in the number of new infections, it still remains to be seen how the projected model would play out.

“The big question we are looking at now is what type of curve,” or apex, the state had attained, he said, explaining that the ideal would be a sharp peak with instant decline versus a curve or extended plateau type of a graph. 

He said they would continue to study the projections by following the data over the next few days to determine more accurately what was happening across the state.

Cuomo cautioned that even though the data was “hopeful” it was inconclusive and success in defeating the virus was contingent upon continued social distancing and other mitigation practices. He said that even if New York was indeed at a plateau, it was a high one and a strain for medical staffing to maintain.

“We are plateauing at a very high level which is a tremendous stress on our healthcare system,” he said.  The system “ is already at maximum capacity today, and staying at that level would crash the system.”

He voiced repeated concern about the mental and physical wear the crisis was having on healthcare workers and first responders.

“We are at a red line,” he said. “People can’t work any harder, and staying at this level is problematic,” he said.

To relieve pressure on the hospital system, the state has increased sharing of ventilators and personal protective  equipment from less affected areas to communities that need them most. 

The 2500-bed Javits Center, initially converted to an emergency hospital for non-Covid persons, has now been opened up to Covid patients which is a major “relief valve” for the overburdened New York system. 

Additionally, at Cuomo’s request, President Donald Trump has approved the Navy ship, USNS Comfort, to also be opened up to accept coronavirus patients from New York and New Jersey. The 1000-bed floating hospital has only about 20 patients because of federal red tape but is needed more  as a hospital for coronavirus patients. 

The governor said New York on PAUSE  will continue until April 29 to ensure that the progress made in containing the virus is maintained.

In response to reports that many New Yorkers were not practicing social distancing outdoors as mandated, Cuomo said he has authorized the increase in fine from $500 to $1000 for those found violating the rules.

“This is an enemy we have underestimated since day one,” he said. “We have paid the price dearly.”

Worldwide the highly contagious coronavirus has infected more than 1.3 million people with close to 74,000 deaths. In the US alone, there are 363, 820 positive cases resulting in 10, 768 deaths. New York state continues to be the epicenter of the outbreak with 122,000 confirmed cases.

“The challenge is to make sure we don’t lose anyone who could’ve been saved,” he said.

In Washington, at the daily White House coronavirus task force briefing, Trump said over 1 million tests have been administered so far including newly developed kits that could deliver results in as little as 5 minutes with an average time of 15 minutes. He said that general testings have become widely available throughout the country.

But recent reports show that some hospitals and medical centers still struggle with adequate testing supplies and facilities.

The post New York May Have Reached its Apex in the Coronavirus Outbreak appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

“We have to go back to work. Our people want to go back to work,” Trump said during a Fox News coronavirus virtual town hall in the Rose Garden today. 

Despite medical experts stating that this could further spread the virus, Trump believes his timeline would work. 

“I think it’s possible, why isn’t it? I mean, we’ve never closed the country before and we’ve had some pretty bad [flus] and we’ve had some pretty bad viruses,” he said.

Trump said it would be possible to reopen the country this quickly if all the current precautions of social-distancing, handwashing and limited work interactions continued to be practiced once most people head back to work.

Trump was joined by Vice President Mike Pence and two other  members of the coronavirus taskforce, Dr. Deborah Birx and Surgeon General Jerome Adams in what has become a daily address to the nation regarding the Administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic that has sickened over 399,500 people in 166 countries with 17,902 reported fatalities. 

Some medical experts and high ranking republicans were quick to voice their disagreement to allowing millions of people to return to the workforce in two weeks while the pace of infection was rapidly increasing nationwide.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, offered caution in reaching for a fixed time to loosen restrictions regarding social-distancing.

 “You can look at a date but you’ve got to be very flexible .. and evaluate the feasibility of what you’re trying to do,’ he said  during today’s press briefing. 

Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming,  a House Republican leader,  warned that trying to jumpstart the economy again too soon could prove disastrous, overwhelming an already stretched healthcare system with overcrowding at hospitals and overworked healthcare workers.

There will be no normally functioning economy if our hospitals are overwhelmed and thousands of Americans of all ages, including our doctors and nurses, lay dying because we have failed to do what’s necessary to stop the virus. https://t.co/AchwfXtuLi

— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) March 24, 2020

Meanwhile in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo expressed his frustration with the Trump administration for sending only 400 ventilators to New York, the current epicenter of the disease, when the state needs thousands right away. Dr. Birx confirmed that 60 percent of all new cases were now originating in New York City  and recommends anyone who has visited the metro area recently to immediately self-quarantine for 14 days. 

The US currently has almost 50,000 people who have tested positive for the disease with half of that amount in New York State alone. Nationwide, 615 deaths have resulted from the respiratory complications caused  by the virus.

Medical personnel, delivery persons and food suppliers are the only ones encouraged to go to work. While many people have lost or are about to lose their jobs, health experts say this ongoing limited interaction is the only way to “flatten the curve”  of the disease so  not to overwhelm healthcare resources.

But President Trump thinks the country can do both – get back to work and flatten the curve by practicing the White House-issued 15-day guidelines to slow the spread of the disease which include aggressive hand washing and not shaking hands.

Mike Pence said at no point did  the task force consider a nationwide lockdown or a federal stay-at-home order as is currently being enforced by governors. President Trump agreed that a prolonged lockdown is not economically viable, that the “country is not built to be shut down” and “many, many people” agree with him to restart the economy back up as soon as possible.

When asked about the risk of reopening the economy so soon and the potential harm people may suffer as a result, Trump alluded to potential suicide rates climbing if he doesn’t do so.

“Many more people will die if we allow this to continue,” he said. “If we delay this thing out, you’re going to lose more people than you’re losing with the situation as you know it [now].”

The post Trump wants to reopen country in a few weeks appeared first on Pavement Pieces.