Cuomo predicts NY state hospitalizations will more than double to 6,000 over the next 3 weeks and says 'dangerous' holiday season will make COVID soar as he opens Staten Island field hospital but still insists 'we are fine'
Governor Andrew Cuomo has warned of a 'dangerous' holiday season that will see 6,000 people in the state of New York in the hospital in three weeks if the current rate of COVID spread carries on - more than three times what it is now and on par with the figures in May.
The 7-day rolling average infection rate across New York state is now 2.9 percent, higher than it has been for weeks.
It needs to be at 3 percent for 10 days straight for Cuomo to start shutting down businesses like gyms and scrapping indoor dining. A red zone - which closes all non-essential businesses and ends outdoor dining - the infection rate must be 4 percent and more than 10 residents per 100,000 must test positive every day.
The infection rate for all the tests done across the state on Sunday was 3.08 percent and 33 people died - a slight increase from over the weekend but a significant increase from the summer months when that number was in the single digits.
Currently, New York City remains open with restrictions but there are fears it could enter another lockdown if the infections keep increasing.
Hospitalziations across New York State. There are currently 2,724. Cuomo predicts that there will be 6,000 in three weeks. That number has not been seen in New York since mid May
At the current rate of increase, Cuomo says there will be 6,047 hospitalizations in three weeks
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On Monday, Cuomo placed part of Staten Island in an orange zone - which closes schools and non-essential businesses like gyms and indoor dining - and Washington Heights in upper Manhattan was put under the 'yellow zone' category.
In a yellow zone, everything stays open but has to operate on reduced capacity.
Cuomo on Monday warned people to be vigilant over the holidays
As of Monday, two areas in the Bronx, some areas of Queens, Yonkers and Brooklyn were in yellow zones. Cuomo is opening a field hospital on Staten Island in anticipation of another crisis.
He is warning people to be vigilant over Thanksgiving or risk seeing a similar scenario as in the spring.
'We had 1,000 people in the hospital three weeks ago. Three weeks from today, we could have 6,000,' he said.
Currently, there are 2,700 people in hospitals across the state.
'Hospitalization is a nice way of saying die... we don't foresee that dire situation we saw in the spring ... if you're not careful, we will go back there,' he said.
Cuomo is particularly worried about the upcoming holiday season, beginning on Thursday, which will drive a surge in cases.
POSITIVITY RATES
MANHATTAN - 2.3%
BROOKLYN - 3.9%
QUEENS - 4.6%
BRONX - 5.1%
STATEN ISLAND - 4.5%
NYC WHOLE - 2.6%
NY STATE - 2.6%
CALIFORNIA - 8%
ALABAMA - 24.7%
IOWA - 50%
SOUTH DAKOTA - 55.6%
NATIONWIDE: 10%
'Thirty-seven days of socialization. You put that rate of increase together with the increase of high level activity, that is a dangerous situation.
'How do you forget all the pain that we went through. . Do you remember having such a loss of life that we overwhelmed the cemeteries and funeral homes?
'We were storing bodies in refrigerated trucks. Eight hundred people died on one day.
'The emergency rooms in hospitals were like battle zones,' he said, begging people to stay apart or in small groups for the next few weeks.
'This is not a normal Thanksgiving...you are responsible for your actions.
'Here are the numbers. The numbers don't lie,' he said, adding that one of his daughters would not be coming home for Thanksgiving because it was not safe.
Despite the looming crisis, he assured New Yorkers: 'We are fine,' and reminded them that current infection, hospitalization and death rates were nowhere near as high as they once were.
Contextually, New York has one of the lowest infection rates in the country but it is imposing some of the harshest restrictions.
Earlier, he also accepted an Emmy for his 'leadership' during the crisis.
Spike Lee, Robert DeNiro, Rosie Perez, Ben Stiller and Billy Joel all recorded gushing messages of congratulations for him.
In his acceptance speech, he said he was 'flattered' by the award but that it belonged to New Yorkers.
'What an honor and pleasant surprise during these hard times...I'm proud of New Yorkers. who had the courage to tell the truth and the strength to stand together.
'That's what New York tough really means; to be tough enough to say I love you. I care about you. I need you. To see past the color of skin, religion or sexual orientation, to see the the humanity in each other.
'That we are all interconnected and interrelated.
'Our destiny is not individually determined but rather determined by what we do together. That's not just my message - it's a universal message,' he said.
He has been slammed for accepting the award and gloating about it when New York had one of the worst COVID-19 problems in the world.
CUOMO'S ACCEPTANCE SPEECH FOR EMMY
What an honor and pleasant surprise during these hard times. I thank the international academy for this incredible award
Thank you to all the members of the academy. Your work has brought smiles and relief to so many people during these dark days. I wish I could say my daily COVID presentations were well choreographed, scripted, rehearsed or reflected any of the talents that you advance.
They didn't they offered only one thing; authentic truth and stability. But sometimes that's enough. Covid will go down in history books as one of the most difficult experiences in a generation. It has been a dark moment indeed. But what strikes me most is that wen things are at their worst, that's when you can see people at their best. For all the darkness there was light.
Ben Stiller, Spike Lee, Robert DeNiro and Billie Joel all recorded congratulatory messages for Cuomo
People worked together. Everyone did what they could do. Our every day heroes, the doctors and nurses, who worked in emergency rooms. The police, the ambulance drivers, the food store employees - everyone who leaves the safety of their home every day so we can remain int he safety of ours. Actors used their talents to communicate essential facts to Americans.
Social distancing, safety and wear a mask 0 wear a mask because it's common sense, it's smart and we care about each other. I'm proud of New Yorkers who had the courage to tell the truth and the strength to stand together.
That's what New York tough really means; to be tough enough to say I love you. I care about you. I need you. To see past the color of skin, religion or sexual orientation to see the the humanity in each other. That we are all interconnected and interrelated.
Our destiny is not individually determined but rather determined by what we do together. That's not just my message - it's a universal message.
I appreciate the humor from my friends in the video and I take it in good stride. And to Ben Stiller - I only say NY tough means one more thing. It means Ben. I know where you live.
Thank you for this tremendous honor. Give love get love - we will get through this together and we will be the stronger for it.'
He was given messages of support from Stiller, Robert DeNiro, Spike Lee, Billie Joel, Billy Crystal and Rosie Perez.