Coronavirus: New York sees drop in death toll, but officials urge vigilance

The coronavirus death toll in New York dropped again, a sign that Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday means the state is “on the other side of the plateau” and that ongoing social distancing practices are working to stem the spread of the virus.

Cuomo said 507 people died on Saturday, down 43 from the previous day and by 271 since last Monday. Other indicators were going in the right direction, the governor said. Hospitalizations were down by more than 750, to 16,213.

But Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio maintained their warnings that people in New York City and the rest of the state need to stay vigilant to curb the spread of the virus.

“We showed that we can control the beast and when you close down, you can actually slow that infection rate, but this is only halftime,” Cuomo said Sunday at a briefing. “We still have to make sure that we keep that beast under control, we keep that infection rate down, we keep that hospitalization rate down as we all get very eager to get on with life and move on.”

Here are the latest coronavirus developments in New York:

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Declining death toll

The drop in the death toll in New York reported Sunday prompted Cuomo to say, “We are on the other side of the plateau.”

But both Cuomo and de Blasio said the crisis is far from over, cautioning that the temptation for cooped-up New Yorkers to take advantage of the spring weather presents new challenges to keep the outbreak in check.

Police and park officers will be out in force to break up outdoor gatherings that pose a risk, with violators facing potential fines of up to $1,000, the mayor said. The city is encouraging people to text authorities photos when they spot the gatherings.

“We do not want to see this disease boomerang,” he said. “We do not want to see it come back with a vengeance.”

Nearly 14,000 New Yorkers in all have died since the state’s first coronavirus case was reported March 1, according to state data. The state total doesn’t include more than 4,000 New York City deaths that were blamed on the virus on death certificates but weren’t confirmed by a lab test.

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For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with underlying health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.

Push for more federal aid

President Donald Trump is betraying his fellow New Yorkers by failing to push for billions of dollars in additional federal aid needed to help the city deal with the coronavirus economic crisis, de Blasio said Sunday.

The mayor had harsh words for the Queens-born president, claiming both he and Vice-President Mike Pence have ignored his overtures on the stimulus funds.

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De Blasio even referenced an infamous tabloid headline — “FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD” — from 1975 when then-President Gerald Ford denied assistance to spare New York from bankruptcy.

“Are you going to save New York City,” the mayor said, “or are you saying to New York City ‘drop dead?”’

Cuomo chimed in by saying the states needed money from the federal government to ramp up testing that has not been provided so far.

“You have the president saying 15 times, `It’s up to the governors, it’s up to the governors, it’s up to the governors.’ And then they’re going to pass a piece of legislation that gives you know what to states: zero, zilch, nada, niente,” he said.

Fewer police out sick

The number of New York Police Department officers calling out sick is declining.

The nation’s largest police department reported that 5,324 uniformed members — about 15 per cent of the force — were out sick on Saturday. That’s down from a high of 7,155 officers — nearly 20 per cent of the force — on April 9.

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So far, more than 2,000 members of the NYPD have returned to work full duty after recovering from a positive test for the coronavirus, police officials said.

Other developments

Tony Award-nominated actor Nick Cordero had his right leg amputated after having complications from the coronavirus, his wife said. Cordero has been on a ventilator and unconscious since March 31.