Albany, NY (WBEN/AP) Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the number of COVID-19 cases statewide ticked up to 44 on Friday, with new confirmations connected to a Westchester County man diagnosed with coronavirus. Cuomo told a news conference at the Capitol that the numbers will rise as the outbreak continues and testing ramps up.
"The more you test, the more positive you will find. We are predominantly testing people who have a higher probability because they're in the chain of contact with the person who has already tested positive," says Cuomo.
The governor urges everyone to react to facts, not emotions. "I'm urging people understand the information, and not the hype," says Cuomo, who notes more people are dying from the flu than the coronavirus.
Cuomo announced travel insurance companies and travel agents will offer New York residents and businesses the ability to purchase coverage when making travel plans that would allow them to cancel a trip for any reason, including for reasons related to COVID-19.
"I've said every day the number of confirmed cases of novel coronavirus will keep going up, and as we expand our testing capacity we will only see that number continue to rise," Governor Cuomo said. "We want to keep testing and finding more people who are testing positive because that's how you contain the outbreak - find the person who got infected, quarantine them and reduce the infection rate. At the same time we want New Yorkers to go about their daily lives including planning vacations and other travel, and this action will allow them to do that at a time when there is still uncertainty about the future geographic impact of coronavirus."
Superintendent of Financial Services Linda A. Lacewell said, "With this action, New York State is demonstrating that government can and must do its part to help people navigate through this everchanging situation so they can proceed with their daily lives and routines. We want to make sure that travelers and business owners are provided accurate information and a measure of relief as they make travel arrangements during this time."
