New York state has confirmed 337 deaths from the coronavirus since Sunday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday.

The number of coronavirus deaths in New York state has been decreasing for the past couple of days, although the total remains “tragically high,” Cuomo said at a media briefing.

The coronavirus causes COVID-19, a respiratory disease that has infected 291,996 people and killed 16,599 in New York state as of Monday morning. The number of hospitalizations has declined to 1,052, Cuomo said.

“Not that that gives any solace to the 337 families who are suffering today,” he said.

A statewide study has found COVID-19 antibodies in 14.9% of the 7,500 New York state residents tested for the virus, Cuomo said. The study’s results indicate which New York residents may have been infected with the virus at some point, he said.

“Antibody and diagnostic testing will be a key component of our phased re-opening because it tells us the people who were infected and have now resolved, as well as the overall infection rate across the state,” Cuomo said.

The governor has closed nonessential businesses in New York state until May 15 to curb the spread of COVID-19. Some regions of the state will likely begin to reopen after May 15, while others will remain closed longer, Cuomo said.

He advised local officials to implement precautions once businesses resume operating and to consider preparing health care systems for a potential second wave of COVID-19 infections.

“We all have to be smart about it,” Cuomo said. “If you are not smart, you’ll see that infection rate go right back to where it was.”

New York will donate $25 million to food banks across the state to meet rising demand, Cuomo said. He also announced the Nourish New York Initiative, which will purchase dairy products from struggling upstate farms and send the items to food banks.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed inequalities in New York state, Cuomo said. The virus has disproportionately affected lower-income communities and essential workers in Black and Latino communities, he said.

“We have to use this moment to re-imagine a new New York,” Cuomo said. “Sometimes it takes a crisis to wake people up, and it takes a crisis to change the body politic to actually accept change.”

Published on April 27, 2020 at 10:26 pm

Contact Abby: akweiss@syr.edu | @abbyweiss_21