Cuomo file photo

Cuomo Says State Cases Climbing, Cites Impact on Budget

Posted onAuthorPam RobinsonLeave a comment

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo warned Thursday that  New York faces a “double whammy” because of increased costs related to fighting the Covid-19 epidemic and the significant loss of revenue coming into government coffers.

He also said his administration plans to take an unusual approach to budgeting, with school aid and other forms of local government aid revised downward quarterly if projected revenues don’t materialize.

He repeatedly criticized the US Senate’s $2 trillion stimulus bill, saying government needs resulting from a loss of tax revenue were ignored.

Congressonal action failed to address government needs, he said. “I was shocked that they were so irresponsible,” Cuomo said. “They did not address the revenue shortfalls” due to less economic activity.
 

Cuomo also said the state is continuing to seek new sites to expand hospital care.  (Suffolk County has a questionnaire for anyone with properties that they might want to offer for  hospital expansion.)

“We are still shopping for ventilators,” Cuomo said. “We’ve approved a tech that allows vents to serve two people” and are working on a process to convert anesthetic machine for use as ventilators.
 

He said the epidemic had changed the calculus behind the need for ventilators, noting that most non-Covid-19 patients need a ventilator for three or four days, while those suffering from this virus are on the machines from 11-21 days.

 
There have been 385 deaths in the state, with 37,000 residents testing positive for the coronavirus. More than 6,000 new positives were recorded overnight.
Cuomo predicted the death toll will continue to increaes because a large number of people have been on ventilators for several days.
 
While New York is leading the country in cases, he noted an increase in Louisiana. “The people in Lousiana are in our thoughts and prayers and we know the difficulty that they’re under. Our best to them,” he said.

County

Total Positive

New Positive

Albany

171

19

Allegany

2

0

Broome

16

5

Cayuga

2

0

Chautauqua

1

0

Chemung

7

6

Chenango

3

0

Clinton

11

1

Columbia

13

1

Cortland

2

0

Delaware

7

2

Dutchess

190

37

Erie

134

12

Essex

4

0

Franklin

1

0

Fulton

1

0

Genesee

4

2

Greene

5

1

Hamilton

2

0

Herkimer

7

2

Jefferson

3

1

Livingston

3

0

Madison

9

2

Monroe

139

21

Montgomery

5

1

Nassau

3914

629

Niagara

14

2

NYC

21393

3537

Oneida

13

4

Onondaga

83

18

Ontario

11

2

Orange

751

113

Orleans

2

0

Oswego

4

2

Otsego

3

1

Putnam

94

11

Rensselaer

32

1

Rockland

1197

229

Saratoga

73

9

Schenectady

62

7

Schoharie

2

0

St. Lawrence

2

1

Steuben

11

3

Suffolk

2735

475

Sullivan

53

14

Tioga

2

1

Tompkins

22

6

Ulster

78

13

Warren

2

0

Washington

4

0

Wayne

8

1

Westchester

5944

1253

Wyoming

7

3

 

 

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