Gov. Andrew Cuomo tried to put a positive spin despite the state’s rising COVID-19 Friday, saying a new shutdown in New York is “avoidable” – a day after Mayor de Blasio said a new shutdown would be right after Christmas. can come.
“A shutdown can be completely avoided. Absolutely, ”Cuomo said at a press conference in Albany. “I believe New Yorkers can slow the spread and hospitals can manage the increase.”
The governor tried to ease the doom and gloom after de Blasio reported troubling infection and hospital admissions on Thursday, all but a shutdown was inevitable.
“We will continue to work with the state, they will make the final decision, but I think it is something that should be implemented soon based on the very consistent information we are seeing,” said de Blasio.
“Especially immediately after Christmas is a natural moment when the world slows down a bit.”
Cuomo said that while the statewide positive rate is 5.09 percent, hospital admissions and ICU numbers have fallen to 3,081 and 1,068, respectively, according to state data.
“Those are good signs,” he said.
The city, using a variety of parameters, registered a 6.16 percent infection rate over an average of seven days on Friday, up from 6 percent the day before, the first time since May that the city had reached such a high rate.
The Ministry of Health, meanwhile, this week issued a new guideline to all hospitals requiring them to give up three weeks in advance if they expect to reach 85 percent capacity.
Cuomo said Friday that so far no hospital has triggered the alert.
“That’s good news, because there’s no hospital in the state that says they think they will hit 85 percent of their maximum by January 8,” he said.
“I think hospitals can save this,” he added. “We learned a lot in the spring, they worked together for the first time – with that collegiality and that operational facilitation in the spring – and frankly we have had more time to prepare and we have now had more preparation. “
About 31,000 beds are currently available in New York State hospitals – including two of the largest systems in the region, New York City Health + Hospitals and Northwell Health.
Statewide approximately 50,000 beds are available.
Earlier this month, hospitals were ordered to add 25 percent capacity and cancel elective surgeries.