New York’s Governor on Thursday warned that hospitals would soon be flooded by coronavirus patients, overwhelming a healthcare system without enough beds or medical equipment.
“We have a major problem on equipment, the gloves, the protective equipment and again the ventilators,’’ Andrew Cuomo told broadcaster NBC.
According to Cuomo, in this war, ventilators are what the missiles were in World War II.
“New York State had up to 6,000 of the devices, which assist or replace breathing functions for critically ill patients, but needed 30,000 more for the peak of the outbreak.
“We literally have people in China shopping for ventilators, the governor told a news briefing,’’ the governor told a news briefing.
New York is the hardest-hit state in the U.S. with over 4,000 confirmed coronavirus cases.
Thursday’s numbers were almost double the previous day’s figure, a fact Cuomo put down to increased testing capacity, noting the number of cases would continue to “jump astronomically.”
The governor ordered 75 per cent of the state’s workforce to work from home, expanding it from 50 per cent a day earlier.
He also announced a 90-day relief on mortgage payments for homeowners deprived of an income due to closures amid the pandemic.
Cuomo continued to dismiss the idea of a “shelter-in-place” order, floated by the mayor of New York City, insisting it would cause undue panic.
The governor also said it was “unintelligent and reckless” of thousands of young people on spring break to flout social distancing guidelines, after photos emerged of packed beaches in Florida.
