Cuomo details hospital-focused COVID strategy as cases rise, warns of potential ‘pause’
Denis Slattery, Jon Skolnik
Gov. Cuomo unveiled a revamped strategy to deal with New York’s surging coronavirus cases on Monday with a focus on avoiding an overwhelmed health care system.
More than 3,500 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in the state, a growing number that the governor warned could lead to renewed shutdowns on a scale not seen since the spring.
“We are now worried about overwhelming the hospital system...you will see serious stress on the hospital system,” Cuomo said during a press briefing in Manhattan.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (Don Pollard/)
Likening the state’s efforts to war, the governor said part of the new strategy is to focus on hospitalizations and hospital capacity.
Hospital systems will need to identify retired doctors and nurses that could be tapped to help alleviate overburdened staff and come up with a plan to shift patients to avoid overcrowding. They must also plan to add 50% capacity and ensure personal protective equipment stockpiles are available.
“This is a mandate from the state Department of Health: You must distribute patients across your system,’' Cuomo said.
Hospitals could face malpractice charges if they don’t comply.
Elective surgeries are being halted in upstate Erie County as of Friday, with similar actions possible elsewhere as infections rise post-Thanksgiving, Cuomo said.
FILE - In this Oct. 28 photo, medical personnel don PPE while attending to a patient who is not infected with COVID-19, in a section of New York's Bellevue Hospital outfitted to care for COVID-19 patients.
FILE - In this Oct. 28 photo, medical personnel don PPE while attending to a patient who is not infected with COVID-19, in a section of New York's Bellevue Hospital outfitted to care for COVID-19 patients. (Seth Wenig/)
Several county executives, health care industry leaders and Mayor de Blasio praised the governor’s plan as they joined the presser via video.
Since the summer, the state has been relying on the number of reported positive coronavirus cases in geographic areas to impose limited restrictions meant to curb the spread.
New metrics including hospitalization rates, death rates, and hospital capacity will be used to tweak the state’s current color-coded microcluster strategy. Parts of the city, including much of Staten Island where an emergency field hospital recently reopened, are already designated as “orange” and “yellow” zones.
The state reported the results of 148,974 tests on Sunday with 6,819, or 4.57%, new coming back positive.
There are currently 3,532 people hospitalized and 681 in ICU across the state. Another 54 New Yorkers died from the virus, according to state data.
Despite his warning that wider shutdowns are likely coming, Cuomo said he wants to keep schools open, particularly kindergarten through eighth grade and applauded the city for coming up with a plan to reopen school buildings after closing two weeks ago.
FILE - In this May 29 photo, letters of thanks from students adorn the walls of a break room that was set up for workers to decompress from the stresses of caring for COVID-19 patients at Elmhurst Hospital, in New York.
FILE - In this May 29 photo, letters of thanks from students adorn the walls of a break room that was set up for workers to decompress from the stresses of caring for COVID-19 patients at Elmhurst Hospital, in New York. (Robert Bumsted/)
The governor again repeated that small gatherings and the holidays pose the biggest risk in the coming weeks.
“The small gathering spread is now the number one spreader, about 65% of all cases. This is a dramatic shift,” he said. “Part of it is the holidays. it’s what happens during holidays. Part of it is reduced social options. I can’t go to the bar and hang out. I can’t go to the restaurant and hang out. I can’t go to the movie theater and hang out. Come over to my house and we’ll hang out. It’s just an adaptation of social behavior to the circumstances.”
New York has limited gatherings to 10 people in their homes, a rule that has been widely criticized.
The governor defended the measure, noting that several other states have similar mandates in place, and said the state will roll out a new public education campaign to drive home the message.
“This is where the spread is coming from,” Cuomo said. “We have to communicate this now to people the way we communicated masks. Seemingly the safest place, my home, my table, my family. Yeah, even that place is not safe.
“This is not government being overly dramatic. These are just facts,” he added.
Ashley Gannon, center, reads a book as she and others wait in line outside a New York City Health + Hospitals COVID testing site in Brooklyn on Nov. 19, 2020. Gannon says she gets tested periodically to make sure she is coronavirus-free.
A employee of the Central Family Life Center prepares bags of groceries during a Thanksgiving turkey giveaway on Nov. 19, 2020, in Stapleton, Staten Island. The center gave away over 200 turkeys, the trimmings for a Thanksgiving meal and as well as PPE to protect against COVID-19.
West Brooklyn Community High School graduate Jason Cardoso holds a mask he was given as a gift after picking up the diploma he earned back in March on Nov. 19, 2020 in Brooklyn.
Jason Cardoso, right, 20, shows his high school diploma to his girlfriend Elizabeth Pillcorema, 19, after picking it up from West Brooklyn Community High School in Brooklyn on Nov. 19, 2020.
Nurses and their supporters rally in front of Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx on Nov. 19, 2020. The nurses were demonstrating to bring attention to the the lack of preparedness for a coronavirus second wave, especially with regards to PPE and staffing levels.
Nurses and their supporters call for a moment of silence at a graveyard in the Bronx on Nov. 19, 2020.
Parents protest demanding that public schools remain open outside of City Hall in Manhattan on Nov. 19, 2020. Officials announced on Thursday that all public schools in the city would close due to rising coronavirus cases.
Children take part in a protest demanding that public schools remain open outside of City Hall in Manhattan on Nov. 19, 2020.
Children take part in a protest demanding that public schools remain open outside of City Hall in Manhattan on Nov. 19, 2020.
A schoolyard is closed outside a public school in the Brooklyn on Nov. 19, 2020.
Parents protest demanding that public schools remain open outside of City Hall in Manhattan on Nov. 19, 2020.
People line up outside City MD on E. 37th St. and Third Ave. in Manhattan on Nov. 12 2020 as COVID-19 levels increase in New York City.
People line up outside City MD on E. 37th St. and Third Ave. in Manhattan on Nov. 12 2020 as COVID-19 levels increase in New York City.
The playground adjacent to P.S. 112 Jose Celso Barbosa, a Pre-K-through-2nd grade school, sits empty on Nov. 13 2020 in Manhattan. The school closed on November 9 after multiple cases of COVID-19 were reported.
Informative posters are seen on the doors of P.S. 112 Jose Celso Barbosa, a Pre-K-through-2nd grade school, on Nov. 13 2020 in Manhattan.
Michael Stanley, an employee for the MTA, is administered a COVID-19 test on Oct. 30, 2020 in New York City. The MTA has deployed COVID-19 screening sites for its employees at their bus depots and train yards.
West Brooklyn Community High School English language arts instructor Frank Esposito wears a face shield as he works on his laptop in an empty classroom while his students worked out during a gym class on Oct. 29, 2020, in New York.
A sign at CityMd informing patients results for COVID-19 testing have a three to four day turn around on Oct. 29, 2020 in New York City.
Medical personnel don PPE while attending to a patient (not infected with COVID-19) at Bellevue Hospital in New York on Oct. 28, 2020. Hospitals in the city's public NYC Health and Hospitals' system have been upgrading their equipment, bracing for a potential resurgence of coronavirus patients.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) places a box of food on a cart during a food distribution event on Oct. 27, 2020 in New York City.
A closed plaza is seen on Oct. 21, 2020 in Manhattan. Recent data from John Hopkins University shows that the U.S. recorded over 60,300 on Tuesday alone.
A display at Grand Central Terminal shows how to wear a face mask on Oct. 21, 2020 in Manhattan.
Religious leaders attend a candlelight vigil a procession in tribute to all of the lives affected by the novel coronavirus outside The Cathedral of St. John the Divine on Oct. 19, 2020, in Manhattan.
People attend a candlelight vigil a procession in tribute to all of the lives affected by the novel coronavirus outside The Cathedral of St. John the Divine on Oct. 19, 2020, in Manhattan.
People walk by social distancing signage in Central Park as the city continues the re-opening efforts following restrictions imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus on Oct. 19, 2020 in Manhattan.
Dining tables stand empty in Grand Central Terminal on Oct. 13, 2020 in Manhattan. New York City, which has increasingly built its economy around the money made from the tourism industry, has witnessed an increasing number of heritage establishments closing their doors as business has fallen off. Restaurants, retail stores, hotels and numerous other businesses are struggling as COVID-19 continues.
The lobby of the Roosevelt Hotel, one of New York’s oldest and most storied hotels, stands empty on Oct. 13, 2020 in Manhattan. The midtown hotel has announced that it will be closing due to a plunge in tourism as a result of COVID-19.
A person wears a PPE face covering as he walks through Grand Central Terminal at rush hour on Oct. 15, 2020.
A person rides a bike through the rain in Time Square on Oct. 12, 2020 in Manhattan.
A person with an umbrella walks through the rain in Time Square on Oct. 12, 2020 in Manhattan.
Broadway theaters stand closed along an empty street in the theater district on Oct. 9, 2020 in Manhattan. The Broadway League, a trade organization representing producers and theater owners, announced that performances in New York City will be suspended through May 30, 2021 due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Broadway theaters stand closed along an empty street in the theater district on Oct. 9, 2020 in Manhattan.
A medical worker takes a nasal swab sample from a student to test for COVID-19 at the Brooklyn Health Medical Alliance urgent care pop up testing site as infection rates spike on October 8, 2020 in Brooklyn. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced earlier in the week new restrictions in several areas recording high infection rates to try to ward off a second coronavirus wave.
Students stand in line to get tested for COVID-19 at the Brooklyn Health Medical Alliance urgent care pop up testing site as infection rates spike on Oct. 8, 2020 in Brooklyn.
People walk past the Cobble Hill Cinemas movie theater on Oct. 8, 2020 in Brooklyn.
A crowd of Hasidic Jews block traffic at the intersection of 49th Street and 13th Avenue in Borough Park, Brooklyn during a protest against new COVID-19 restrictions on Oct. 6, 2020.
A crowd of Hasidic Jews walk in the street and block traffic at the intersection of 49th Street and 13th Avenue in Borough Park, Brooklyn during a protest against new COVID-19 restrictions on Oct. 6, 2020.
A crowd of Hasidic Jews block traffic at the intersection of 49th Street and 13th Avenue in Borough Park, Brooklyn during a protest against new COVID-19 restrictions on Oct. 6, 2020.
A crowd of Hasidic Jews block traffic at the intersection of 49th Street and 13th Avenue in Borough Park, Brooklyn during a protest against new COVID-19 restrictions on Oct. 6, 2020.
A crowd of Hasidic Jews block traffic at the intersection of 49th Street and 13th Avenue in Borough Park, Brooklyn during a protest against new COVID-19 restrictions on Oct. 6, 2020.
People wear masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Fort Greene, Brooklyn on Oct. 1, 2020. The area's zip code has seen an increase in coronavirus cases in recent days.
People wear masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Fort Greene, Brooklyn on Oct. 1, 2020.
People wear masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Fort Greene, Brooklyn on Oct. 1, 2020.
People wear masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Fort Greene, Brooklyn on Oct. 1, 2020.
People wear masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Fort Greene, Brooklyn on Oct. 1, 2020.
Passengers aboard a NY Waterway ferry wear protective masks and sit socially distanced as the city continues Phase 4 of reopening following restrictions imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus on Sept. 25, 2020 in New York. NY Waterway recently restored commuter ferry service from Port Imperial in Weehawken, NJ to their two Lower Manhattan terminals, Brookfield Place/Battery Park City and Pier 11/Wall Street, as well as service from 14th Street in Hoboken, NJ and the Hoboken/NJ TRANSIT terminal to Lower Manhattan.
A sign reminding visitors that face coverings are mandatory is displayed inside NY Waterway's Midtown Ferry Terminal following restrictions imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus on Sept. 25, 2020 in New York.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, right, greets students as they arrive for in-person classes outside Public School 188 The Island School on Sept. 29, 2020, in Manhattan.
A student is escorted to PS 179 elementary school in the Kensington neighborhood on Sept. 29, 2020 in Brooklyn.
Restaurant workers and others hold a protest outside the office of New York Governor Andrew Cuomos office on Sept. 28, 2020, in protest of coronavirus measures placed on the the city's independent restaurants and bars.
People march across the Brooklyn Bridge as they participate in “March for the Dead, Fight for the Living” memorial march for the lives lost due to the coronavirus pandemic on Aug. 21, 2020. Friends and family who lost loved ones to the coronavirus got together for a memorial to honor the memory of their deaths.
A woman holds up a candle as people participate in the "March for the Dead" across the Brooklyn Bridge, in memory of those who have died of COVID-19 and to protest the Trump administration's handling of the pandemic, on Aug. 21, 2020. The United States has recorded the most deaths with 174,290, according to Johns Hopkins University, followed by Brazil with 112,304, Mexico with 59,106, India with 54,849 and Britain with 41,403.
A person holds a placard and an upside down US flag during the "March for the Dead" across the Brooklyn Bridge, in memory of those who have died of COVID-19 and to protest the Trump administration's handling of the pandemic, on August 21, 2020.
A person wearing scrubs holds a placard and an upside down US flag during the "March for the Dead" across the Brooklyn Bridge, in memory of those who have died of COVID-19 and to protest the Trump administration's handling of the pandemic on Aug. 21, 2020.
People hand out protest signs as they prepare to march towards the Brooklyn Bridge during the “March for the Dead, Fight for the Living” memorial march on August 21, 2020.
Lynn Henry holds up a sign with a picture of her aunt, Elizabeth Edmond, prior to the “March for the Dead, Fight for the Living” memorial march on August 21, 2020. Edmond died from COVID-19 in April.
A woman being pushed in a wheelchair leads a group of people marching the Brooklyn Bridge during the “March for the Dead, Fight for the Living” memorial march on August 21, 2020.
A woman being pushed in a wheelchair leads a group of people marching towards the Brooklyn Bridge during the “March for the Dead, Fight for the Living” memorial march on August 21, 2020.
People march towards the Brooklyn Bridge during the “March for the Dead, Fight for the Living” memorial march on August 21, 2020.
NYU students like up outside of the Stern School of Business to get a test for COVID-19 on Aug. 20, 2020 in Manhattan. Students from state’s on New York’s quarantine list, as well as international students, arrived ahead of the official beginning of the school year on Wednesday to be tested upon and fulfill their mandatory quarantine.
NYU students like up outside of the Stern School of Business to get a test for COVID-19 on Aug. 20, 2020 in Manhattan.
NYU students like up outside of the Stern School of Business to get a test for COVID-19 on Aug. 20, 2020 in Manhattan.
NYU students like up outside of the Stern School of Business to get a test for COVID-19 on Aug. 20, 2020 in Manhattan.
People filled out paperwork as they waited in line to give samples at a COVID-19 collection testing site located inside Sunset Park in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Monday, Aug. 17, 2020.
People filled out paperwork as they waited in line to give samples at a COVID-19 collection testing site located inside Sunset Park in Brooklyn on Monday, Aug. 17, 2020.
People wait on line for COVID-19 testing at a mobile testing site in Sunset Park, Brooklyn on Aug. 13, 2020, after a spike in positive cases was found in the neighborhood.
People are assisted at a mobile COVID-19 testing site in Sunset Park, Brooklyn on Aug. 13, 2020.
People wait on line at a mobile COVID-19 testing site in Sunset Park, Brooklyn on Aug. 13, 2020.
A woman is assisted at a mobile COVID-19 testing site in Sunset Park, Brooklyn on Aug. 13, 2020.
People wait on line at a mobile COVID-19 testing site in Sunset Park, Brooklyn on Aug. 13, 2020.
Cars and cyclists move through Times Square after a rain shower during the coronavirus pandemic on Saturday, May 23, 2020, in New York.
In this image made from video provided by the Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Gov. Cuomo updates the media on New York's coronavirus response on Saturday, May 23, 2020, in Albany, N.Y. New York state on Saturday reported its lowest number of daily coronavirus deaths in weeks in what Cuomo described as a critical benchmark.
Robert Burck, who performs as the Naked Cowboy, poses for photographs in Times Square during the coronavirus pandemic on Saturday, May 23, 2020, in New York.
New York City Fire Department vehicle drives along an empty Orchard Beach on Saturday, May 23, 2020, in the Bronx borough of New York. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has given New Yorkers an unexpected reprieve from cabin fever by easing the state’s ban on gatherings due to coronavirus concerns in time for the Memorial Day weekend. New York City beaches are open this weekend, but no swimming is allowed, and masks must be worn.
Cyclists and pedestrians move along the Queensboro Bridge on Friday, May 22, 2020, in New York.
People wear protective masks during the coronavirus pandemic on the Roosevelt Island Tramway on Friday, May 22, 2020, in New York.
Stylists from Shortcut trim the hair of surgical residents Tyler Draeger, rear, and Justin Gauthier, right, both frontline workers from Mount Sinai Hospital South Nassau, in an overflow tent that was never used during the current coronavirus outbreak on Thursday, May 21, 2020, in Oceanside, New York. Signature Bank sponsored three days of free haircuts for hospital staff.
Columbia University class of 2020 graduates pose for celebratory photographs on commencement day in front of the Alma Mater statue near the Low Memorial Library Wednesday on May 20, 2020, in New York.
A cooler of free food sits on a bench in front of the Unitarian Church of Jamestown in Jamestown, N.Y. on Tuesday, May 19, 2020.
Barry Gross of Little Valley, N.Y. works at his work station on his first day back at Colecraft Commercial Furnishings in Jamestown, N.Y. as part of the state's Phase One easing of COVID-19 restrictions on Tuesday, May 19, 2020.
People cheer for medical workers at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, in New York, amid the coronavirus pandemic.
"We Will Dance Again" promises the marquee on the dance performance venue The Joyce Theater, closed during the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, in New York City.
Chairman and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Patrick Foye, speaks during a news conference on new measures involving UV-C light technology to disinfect trains and buses during the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, in New York.
Ring Precision Components employee Carl Linamen works with a robotic machine in Jamestown, N.Y. on Tuesday, May 19, 2020. Producing a part for a COVID-19 test for ThermoFisher Scientific, the company presently employs 88 people, working seven days a week.
Ginger Pierce, center, and Pablo Guzman, right, hand out food at the Holy Apostle Soup Kitchen in New York during the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday, May 19, 2020.
A young girl peers out at the East River with the Manhattan skyline as a backdrop as she relaxes on the boardwalk at Brooklyn's Domino Park during the current coronavirus outbreak on Monday, May 18, 2020, in New York.
Volunteers with the Grant Houses Tenant Association prepare donated food to be distributed to elderly residents of the NYCHA Grant Houses on Monday, May 18, 2020, in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan.
Nico Ramos, a resident and volunteer with the Grant Houses Tenant Association, delivers food to elderly residents of the NYCHA Grant Houses on Monday, May 18, 2020, in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan.
People, some wearing protective face coverings and many without or with masks lowered, relax in marked circles for proper social distancing at Domino Park in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn during the current coronavirus outbreak on Sunday, May 17, 2020, in New York. The circles were added after the park, which offers excellent views of the Williamsburg Bridge and the Manhattan skyline, became severely overcrowded during a spate of warm weather just over a week ago.
People get some fresh air at Orchard Beach in the Bronx borough of New York on Sunday, May 17, 2020. Parks, boardwalks and beaches attracted some crowds this weekend, though city beaches aren't officially open and won't be for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.
New York Police Department School Safety officer Bynoe, right, hands out face masks to women at Brooklyn Bridge Park during the coronavirus pandemic on Sunday, May 17, 2020, in New York.
Guests watch a showing of "Trolls World Tour" at the Four Brothers Drive In Theatre on Friday, May 15, 2020, in Amenia, N.Y., during the coronavirus pandemic.
A sign offers COVID-19 antibody testing during the coronavirus pandemic on May 15, 2020 in New York.
A registered nurse draws blood from resident Sonia Joy to test for COVID-19 antibodies at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem on May 14, 2020. Churches in low income communities across New York are offering COVID-19 testing to residents in conjunction with Northwell Health and New York State.
Healthcare workers gather to test for COVID-19 antibodies at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem on May 14, 2020.
A resident waits to enter a testing room to test for COVID-19 antibodies at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem on May 14, 2020.
A registered nurse draws blood from Beulah Johnson during a COVID-19 antibody test drive at the Abyssinian Baptist Church on May 14, 2020 in Harlem.
Medical workers in personal protective equipment (PPE) test a woman for COViD-19 at Abyssinian Baptist Church, one of 11 churches across the city, as well as Nassau County and Westchester, that has begun testing for the virus on May 13, 2020 in New York City. The tests are being administered by Northwell Health and are targeting low income and minority communities where there have been greater rates of infection and hospitalizations.
Testing kits are displayed on a table as medical workers test for COViD-19 at Abyssinian Baptist Church, one of 11 churches across the city, as well as Nassau County and Westchester, that has begun testing for the virus on May 13, 2020 in New York City.
A healthcare worker takes a nasal swab sample from a resident to test for COVID-19 at The Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem on May 13, 2020.
A resident fills out paperwork for a free COVID-19 test at the Bethany Baptist Church in Brooklyn on May 13, 2020.
A man from the Faith Bible Church of Corona, wearing a protective suit, facemask and gloves, hands out free facemasks in Corona, Queens, amid the novel coronavirus pandemic on May 13, 2020.
A window at a Starbucks reads "WE ARE OPEN!" during the coronavirus pandemic on May 10, 2020 in New York. Stores across the city and state have started to reopen while adopting social distancing rules. Gov. Andrew Cuomo plans to reopen the state in phases amid a drop in hospitalizations.
Theresa Soto delivers a prepaid flower arrangement to a customer on May 10, 2020 in Merrick, New York.
Teddy bears wearing protective masks are displayed in front of a restaurant on May 10, 2020 in Manhattan.
A bar sells drinks to go during the coronavirus pandemic on May 10, 2020 in New York.
A woman holds flowers inside a bodega on May 10, 2020 in Manhattan.
A client of the nonprofit organization The River Fund receives free groceries on May 6, 2020 in Queens. The River Fund, which has quadrupled their once-weekly food distribution since the beginning of the coronavirus shutdown seven weeks ago, serves over 3,000 households a week and distributes over 320,000 pounds of food.
People wait in line to receive donated groceries on May 6, 2020 in Queens. SOMOS Community Care, Jose Andres of World Central Kitchen, and the Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of New York partnered with the Colombian Consulate General to deliver 800 bags of food and essential products to a predominately Columbian community in Queens, one of communities most effected by the coronavirus in New York City.
Osman Pineda, left to right, William Garcia hand out donated groceries to those who need them on May 6, 2020 in Queens.
Olan Kenneally, a volunteer for the non-profit organization The River Fund, distributes free groceries to clients on May 6, 2020 in Queens.
A woman accepts donated groceries on May 6, 2020 in Queens.
A parade of classic cars makes its way by Nassau University Medical Center to salute the healthcare workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic on May 4, 2020, in East Meadow, New York.
Healthcare workers wave as a parade of classic cars makes its way by Nassau University Medical Center in a salute to workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic on May 4, 2020, in East Meadow, New York.
A parade of classic cars makes its way by Nassau University Medical Center to salute the healthcare workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic on May 4, 2020, in East Meadow, New York.
A parade of classic cars makes its way by Nassau University Medical Center to salute the healthcare workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic on May 4, 2020, in East Meadow, New York.
A parade of classic cars makes its way by Nassau University Medical Center to salute the healthcare workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic on May 4, 2020, in East Meadow, New York.
Shoppers in masks wait on a line around the block to enter the Costco on 39th Street in Brooklyn, New York on Monday, May 4, 2020.
Mayor Bill de Blasio was joined by FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro as they delivered words of thanks and food in collaboration with Frontline Foods to commemorate International Firefighters Day at FDNY EMS Station 4 on South Street in Manhattan on Monday, May 4, 2020.
The white tents of the Samaritan's Purse field hospital stand in a field in Central Park across the street from Mt. Sinai Hospital on May 4, 2020, on the Upper East Side neighborhood in New York City. Mt. Sinai reports that the surge in COVID-19 hospital admissions is reaching manageable levels therefore Mt. Sinai will stop admitting new patients to the Central Park field hospital run by Samaritan's Purse as of May 4.
The white tents of the Samaritan's Purse field hospital stand in a field in Central Park across the street from Mt. Sinai Hospital on May 4, 2020, on the Upper East Side neighborhood in New York City.
A sign announcing COVID-19 antibody tests for first responders is seen at the Westchester County Center on Monday, May 4, 2020, in White Plains, N.Y. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.
A cleaning crew disinfects a New York City subway train on May 4, 2020, in New York City. The New York City subway system has seen a 90 percent decline in ridership since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the city.
A cleaning crew disinfects a New York City subway train on May 4, 2020, in New York City. The New York City subway system has seen a 90 percent decline in ridership since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the city.
Police officers hand out face masks in Washington Squre Park in Manhattan, New York on Sunday, May 3, 2020.
A police officer hands out face masks in Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn, New York on Sunday, May 3, 2020.
A boy ignores caution tape to do pull ups on exercise equipment in Central Park during the coronavirus pandemic on Sunday, May 3, 2020 in New York.
A medical worker at NYU Langone Medical Center is asked to take a group photo of her medical staff colleagues and New York City firefighters who showed up to the hospital for the nightly 7 p.m. clapping appreciation given to health care workers in the city on Saturday, May 2, 2020.
People enjoy the closed off East End Ave. from 89th St. to 83rd St. on Saturday, May 2, 2020, in the Manhattan.
In this photo provided by the Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, New York Gov. Cuomo tries out a spraying device which is part of a three-step disinfecting process of a New York City subway car at the Corona Maintenance Facility in the Queens borough of of New York on Saturday, May 2, 2020. Cuomo announced on Thursday April 30, that New York City is shutting down its subway system each day from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. to increase cleaning of trains and stations during the coronavirus crisis.
People leave home for the outdoors as the temperature hovered around 70 degrees, even as the stay-at-home order remained in effect with Governor Andrew Cuomo warning that any change in behavior could reignite the spread of coronavirus, on Saturday, May 2, 2020, in Brooklyn's Prospect Park in New York.
People enjoy Central Park during the coronavirus pandemic on Saturday, May 2, 2020, in New York.
Volunteers prepare food for distribution at the CLOTH food pantry site in Hamilton Heights on Saturday, May 2, 2020, in the Manhattan, New York.
The state expects an uptick in cases in the weeks following Thanksgiving as millions traveled to see family despite warning from state and federal officials against get-togethers.
The governor said that while it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, he’s not only concerned about a post-Thanksgiving surge, but the entire holiday season as family and social gatherings increase.
“COVID is the Grinch. Think of it that way. The COVID Grinch is an opportunist, and the COVID Grinch sees this as the season of viral transmission,” he said after humming along with Christmas carols played as part of a PowerPoint presentation.
Cuomo said the state learned lessons from the spring outbreak that saw New York become the epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S., and with a vaccine likely to gain federal approval soon, the governor is confident the coming months will be manageable.
However, he warned that the distribution of inoculations still poses a problem and it could be a while before the general public is able to rely on a vaccine.
“The vaccine will end the war, but the vaccine will not be available for distribution in the time frame you think it is.”
