In one month, New York state went from a single case on March 1 to more than 83,000 statewide and more than 2,300 dead on April 1. In the final round of budget negotiations, Cuomo inserts a provision on page 347 that shields nursing homes, hospitals and other health care facilities from lawsuits claiming they failed to protect patients and residents from the coronavirus, retroactive to March 7, according to The New York Times.

March 31: New York City surpasses 1,000 COVID-19 deaths. 'Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear,' Cuomo tweets, quoting FDR. Nearly 5,000 members of the NYPD are out sick. MORE: Video: Andrew Cuomo: 'My Father Is in the Heart'įor more than a month, thousands of infected, elderly New Yorkers are discharged from hospitals and into nursing homes, which are quickly overcome with outbreaks and mounting death tolls. March 25: New York State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker quietly issues a new state policy - aimed at preventing discrimination against patients who test positive - that requires nursing homes to accept COVID-19 patients discharged from overwhelmed hospitals. the number of cases increase dramatically.' 'You are going to see the number of infections. 'This is going to get much worse before it gets better,' Cuomo said. March 23: New York City surpasses 12,000 cases - 35% of all COVID-19 cases in the U.S.Ĭuomo announces that the state has 53,000 hospital beds and needs 140,000, and orders hospitals to double capacity. The order - which took effect the evening of March 22 - also suspended all elective surgeries, but deemed liquor stores essential services in New York state. He termed the policy New York State on PAUSE, for Policies that Assure Uniform Safety for Everyone. 'This is the most drastic action we can take,' Cuomo said. March 20: Cuomo orders all nonessential businesses closed statewide.

Cuomo press conference today live