Coronavirus USA Update: More than 50,000 cases in NYC

New York City — the U.S. city hit hardest by the pandemic — has over 51,000 people who have tested positive for COVID-19, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday.

New York state has 92,000 diagnosed cases. Of those, 13,000 are hospitalized, including 3,396 patients in intensive care units, Cuomo said.

Over 7,000 people have been discharged from hospitals in the state.

New York state now has lost 2,373 lives, Cuomo said.

At the current rate of use, New York has enough ventilators in the stockpile to last six days, the governor said.

“If a person comes in and needs a ventilator and if you don’t have a ventilator, the person dies. That’s the blunt equation here,” Cuomo said.

If faced with a ventilator shortage, Cuomo said BIPAP machines will be converted to ventilators, ventilators can be split for two patients and ventilators can be relocated from hospitals where they’re not needed.

The apex in New York will depend on social distancing, Cuomo said. Depending on the model, the apex could be anywhere from 7 to 30 days away, he said.

The governor said 21,000 health care workers from out of state have volunteered to come help staff New York hospitals.

“New Yorkers will return the favor,” Cuomo vowed. “When your community needs help, New Yorkers will be there. And you have my personal word on that.”