NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday that the rate of hospitalizations, ICU admissions and intubations continued to trend downward as the state reported more than 600 new deaths from the coronavirus outbreak, bringing the statewide death toll to 12,192.
Nearly 2,000 had also tested positive for the virus since Wednesday.
“You still have 2,000 people every day, about, who are walking into a hospital for the first time or are being diagnosed with COVID for the first time, and 2,000 is still a lot of people,” Cuomo said. "But the good news is it means we can control the virus, right? We can control the spread. And we did not know for sure that we can do that. We speculated that we could do it, but we didn’t know. So now we know that we can control this disease."
To continue to control the spread of the virus, Cuomo said he is extending New York's PAUSE order that will keep the state essnetially shutdown through May 15.
"I don't want to project beyond that period. That's about one month. One month is a long time," Cuomo said.
Non-essential workers will have to stay home, schools will remain closed and social distancing will continue. The governor said this is being done in coordination with other states.
"The closedown has worked. That's how we controlled the beast," Cuomo said. "However, we're not there yet."
Cuomo also announced Thursday that people will be required to wear a mask on public transportation and in for-hire vehicles. All bus and train operators as well as for-hire drivers must wear a face covering or mask, starting at 8 p.m. Friday.
This expands his earlier executive order that also goes into effect Friday, requiring all residents to wear a mask or face covering in busy public spaces, including crowded streets, subways, buses or any situation where people cannot maintain 6 feet of social distancing.
The governor again addressed the process for reopening New York saying that the strategy will include controlling the rate of infection, strengthening the health care system, partnering with the federal government and phasing in the economic return to the new normal.
This will include identifying which businesses are "the next level of essential. "Are there businesses that are safer or can be safer?" Cuomo posed.
He said businesses will reopen "in phases of priority."
Cuomo said private businesses will have to reimagine the workplace.
“Tell us how you intend to organize and conduct business, and can you do it in a way that poses a low risk, and what will you do with your workforce to make sure if an infection happens that we can jump on it quickly,” Cuomo said. "This is going to be a moment of transformation for society."