New York, which is cautiously approaching an end to its battle with the coronavirus, is now offering help to other states that have reported new infections and hospitalizations from the disease at record levels in recent weeks.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday that New York is reaching out to those states, including Arizona, Texas, and Florida, to offer assistance, like personnel and equipment.
“We had numerous states that were helpful to us when we needed it,” Cuomo said. “New Yorkers were very grateful for the help we received.”
At the height of the pandemic in New York, a handful of states offered the state various pieces of medical equipment — including ventilators essential for treating those most affected by the disease. Thousands of medical workers also traveled to New York to lend a hand.
Cuomo said Friday that New York is now in a position where it could offer supplies, including ventilators and personal protective equipment, to states that may need it.
“We are in a position to offer any of the above. Equipment, staff, ventilators, national guard,” Cuomo said. “Yes, we’re in good shape right now.”
That comes as New York reached a new low in the average number of deaths from the disease. On Thursday, the latest data available, 14 people died from COVID-19. That brought the three-day average number of fatalities down to 16 — the lowest since the peak.
Out of 61,000 people tested for the disease Wednesday, only 895 tested positive, Cuomo said.
That’s in stark contrast to other states, which are now reporting record increases in the disease. Florida reported nearly 9,000 new cases on Thursday, while Texas identified more than 5,000. Both states had previously had a lower infection rate than New York.
Cuomo, on Friday, blamed politics for the role reversal, saying those states didn’t take the virus seriously at the beginning of the pandemic, and then reopened businesses and public places without considering the risk.
“It’s time this country understands the facts and responds to the facts, and gets serious about dealing with this virus as a virus, and not dealing with this virus as a political issue a few months from an election,” Cuomo said.
Some governors, like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, initially blamed the surge in cases on increased testing in their states, but have since moved to limit dense gatherings, and contact in public places.
Five regions of New York, meanwhile, will enter Phase Four of reopening their economies this weekend. That’s the last scheduled phase, and will allow low-risk arts and entertainment venues to open, along with media production companies.
Malls, gyms, and theaters will remain closed, Cuomo said, over concerns that the air conditioning in those facilities may recirculate the virus and infect more people. The state Department of Health is searching for filters that could prevent that, he said.
The state is expected to release further guidance beyond Phase Four to allow remaining facilities to reopen at some point in the future.
