In New York state — the hardest hit by the pandemic — the death toll has climbed to 1,941, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday.
The second hardest-hit state is neighboring New Jersey, where 267 have died, said Cuomo.
The governor warned that the apex — or top of the curve — is projected to be roughly at the end of April. Cuomo referred to the apex as the top of a mountain where the “next battle” will be.
Over 83,000 people have tested positive in New York state. Of those, 12,000 patients are in hospital, including 3,000 in intensive care units, Cuomo said.
Six-thousand have been discharged from hospitals, Cuomo said.
“Anyone can get this disease. Relatively young people, strong people, people who take a lot of vitamin pills, people who go to the gym a lot,” Cuomo said. “There is no superhero who is immune.”
The governor said rapid testing at home would be the best solution going forward.
“Not only do you get up and get the economy running, you end the anxiety,” Cuomo said.
Gov. Cuomo said his younger brother, CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, is “doing fine enough” after testing positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday morning.
“He has a fever, he has chills, symptoms of basically a very bad flu,” the governor said.
The governor admitted that the diagnoses scared him, calling his younger brother his best friend.
“I couldn’t protect my own brother … he couldn’t protect himself,” he said.
But the governor commended the younger Cuomo, calling him “gutsy” for continuing to anchor his CNN show while quarantined in the basement, even on the same day as his diagnosis.
“In some ways this can be very instructive,” the governor said, to “show the country what it means to have coronavirus”
“My pop would be proud. I love you little brother,” Gov. Cuomo said.
The governor also announced Wednesday that he’s closing down New York City playgrounds after residents failed to comply with social distancing rules.
