NY Past Covid-19 Apex, But With 540 New Deaths, 'Happy Days Are Not Here Again,' Cuomo Says

New York is no longer at the apex of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, but that state is still not in a good position and will need to ramp up both testing and tracking to get there.

A look at hospitalizations per day.
Photo Credit: *ny.gov*

A look at daily COVID-19 New York deaths for the last six days.
Photo Credit: *ny.gov*

A look at testing levels in New York compared to some other companies.
Photo Credit: *ny.gov*

A look at testing levels in New York compared to some other states.
Photo Credit: *ny.gov*

Cuomo cited containing the mid-March COVID outbreak in New Rochelle as an example of how testing and tracing can be effective in cutting down the number of cases.
Photo Credit: *ny.gov*

A look at total daily hospitalizations in New York, as of Saturday, April 18.
Photo Credit: *ny.gov*

A look at the net change in total COVID-19 hospitalizations in New York.
Photo Credit: *ny.gov*

Joe Lombardi

04/18/2020 3:21 p.m.

That's the main message Gov. Andrew Cuomo delivered in his daily news briefing on Saturday, April 18 in Albany.

There were 7,090 additional New York COVID-19 cases, bringing the statewide total to 236,732 confirmed cases in New York State.

A total of nearly 2,000 new hospitalizations and 540 new COVID deaths were reported in the state in the last 24 hours. (See first two images above.)

“Happy days are not here again,” Cuomo said. “That is still an overwhelming number every day.”

A total of 36 of those deaths were in nursing homes and the others in hospitals.

Cuomo described the nursing home deaths as "feeding frenzy for this virus," with "vulnerable people in one place."

Cuomo called for federal coordination of the supply chain to bring testing to scale so states can begin implementing strategies to reopen economies.

"Why is testing so important?" Cuomo said. "Testing is how you monitor the rate of infection and it's how we find people with the virus and trace their contacts. The challenge is to bring testing up to scale."

The need for enhanced testing comes even as New York is ahead of several countries and any other state in testing per capita. (See first third and fourth images above.)

Cuomo cited containing the mid-March COVID outbreak in New Rochelle as an example of how testing and tracing can be effective in cutting down the number of cases. (See fifth image above.)

Related story - COVID-19: Rundown Of Total, New Cases Per County In New York

The state asked the top 50 labs in New York what they needed to double their testing output, and all said they needed more reagents.

"We need the federal government to oversee the supply chain and help get labs what they need," Cuomo said.

Tests are currently produced by private laboratory equipment manufacturers - there are 30 large manufacturers in the United States - and these manufacturers sell the tests to smaller labs, who then sell the tests to hospitals and the public.

For a test to be performed, local labs must have the necessary testing chemicals known as reagents and there are different reagents for different manufacturer's tests.

Cuomo also issued an executive order allowing New Yorkers to obtain a marriage license remotely and allowing clerks to perform ceremonies via video conference, a practice that is banned under current law.

Many marriage bureaus have temporarily closed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, preventing New Yorkers from getting a marriage license during the current health emergency; the executive order will temporarily suspend a provision of law that requires in-person visits.

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