New York sees highest single day death toll for second day in row, 779 dead in 24-hr

By Yoshita Singh

New York, Apr 8 (PTI) New York, for the second consecutive day, recorded the highest single day death toll with 779 people succumbing to COVID19, "a terrible news", Governor Andrew Cuomo said, warning that the number will continue to rise even as the state is "now bending the curve" through the rigorous social distancing measures.

"The bad news isn't just bad. The bad news is actually terrible. Highest single day death toll yet (of) 779 people. When you look at the numbers on the death toll, it has been going steadily up and it reached the new height," Cuomo said in his daily Coronavirus briefing on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the state had hit a new one-day peak, with 731 people dead in the largest single-day increase in deaths since the coronavirus crisis engulfed New York, the epicentre of the pandemic.

Within a 24 hour period, 779 more people died due to COVID-19.

The New York death toll from COVID-19 surpassed the number of people who died in the 9/11 attacks, Cuomo said, adding that 2,753 lives were lost in the terror attacks and the coronavirus crisis has claimed the lives of 6,268 New Yorkers.

Describing coronavirus as "a vicious predator of a virus" that targeted the vulnerable from day one, Cuomo said, "The number of deaths will continue to rise as those hospitalized for a longer period of time pass away. The longer you are on a ventilator, the less likely you will come off the ventilator."

All flags in the state will be flown at half mass in honour of those who have died because of the virus.

The Governor said he has "mixed emotions" as he addresses the COVID19 situation in the state which continues to see high death rates but is also seeing a flattening of the curve as number of hospitalizations continues to go down and hospitals are reporting that they are discharging more people than before.

"There is good news in what we're saying what we have done and what we are doing is actually working and making a difference," he said, emphasising that social distancing measures such as schools and non-essential businesses closure are working.

"It is flattening the curve. That curve is flattening because we are flattening the curve by what we are doing. If we stop what we are doing, you will see that curve change. That curve is purely a function of what we do day in and day out."

Cuomo said if the hospitalisation rate keeps decreasing the way it is now, then the system should stabilize over these next couple of weeks, which will minimise the need for overflow on the system.

"So that is all good news. There's a big caution sign that if we continue doing what we do, we are flattening the curve because we are rigorous about social distancing. If we continue doing what we're doing, then we believe the curve will continue to flat."

Cuomo warned that the state cannot get complacent and loosen the social distancing measures and everyone needs to remain diligent and disciplined.

"But there's no doubt that we are now bending the curve, and there's no doubt that we can't stop doing what we're doing. That's the good news."

The Governor also cautioned that the state will not be able to return to normal even after the pandemic is over.

"I don't think we return to normal. I don't think we will return to yesterday where we were. I think if we're smart, we achieve a new normal. The way we are understanding a new normal when it comes to the economy and a new normal when it comes to the environment. Now we understand the new normal in terms of health and public health," he said.

Cuomo said the lesson learnt has been that a global pandemic has made the world a small place.

"Someone sneezes in Asia today, you catch a cold tomorrow. Whatever happens in any country on this globe can get on an airplane and be here literally overnight. Look at the way we're scrambling right now to make this work. We have to learn from that," he said.