This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/25/nyregion/coronavirus-new-york-update.html

The article has changed 37 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 3 Version 4
Watch Now: Cuomo Giving Updates on Virus in N.Y. Watch Now: Cuomo Giving Updates on Virus in N.Y.
(32 minutes later)
Deaths from the coronavirus continued their gradual descent, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Friday, with the state recording 422 more deaths, the least since April 1. The state death toll now stands at 16,162. A day after reporting the smallest number of deaths since April 1, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo delivered a touch of bad news on Saturday, reporting a slight uptick in casualties after a steady downturn.
Other indicators of progress against the virus continue to show improvement, too, though New York was still being hit harder than any state in the nation: “Call it flat with a sad decline, if you are looking for a silver lining,” Mr. Cuomo said. “This is just terrible, terrible, horrific news.”
The three-day average of the number of virus patients in hospitals had fallen 11 days in a row. It had dropped by more than 3,000 since last Friday, and was down nearly 25 percent since its peak on April 13, according to statistics cited by the governor. The number of new deaths linked to the virus, he said, was 437. That was 15 more than the number of deaths reported on Friday, which had been the lowest tally since the beginning of the month, Mr. Cuomo said.
The number of patients who were intubated, and therefore least likely to survive, had fallen for 12 days in a row, the governor said. As he has done throughout the week, Mr. Cuomo pointed to indicators that the state was making progress in its daily battle of the pandemic, despite the slight uptick in deaths.
One area of concern remained the number of new hospital admissions. After dropping almost 35 percent from last Friday to Tuesday, it had fallen only another 5 percent since then. New York, he cautioned, remained the hardest-hit state in the country, with more than 271,590 confirmed cases of the virus.
“That’s basically a flat line, and that is troubling,” Mr. Cuomo said. “We are back where we were 21 days ago — 21 days of hell, back to where we were,” he said. “We would like to get back to the days when only 400, 500 people were showing new infections everyday.”
The influx of patients reflected the fact that the state was still averaging about 6,000 new virus cases per day. The state is still averaging roughly 6,000 new virus cases per day. After a period of steady levels of new cases, the new number of positive tests had begun to trend downward again, he said.
That was down from almost 11,000 per day during the first week of April but still more than any other state. New York had 271,621 confirmed cases of coronavirus. “All the numbers are basically staying the same, that we are in fact on the downside of the mountain,” he said. “But all the evidence says that we are on decline. Just when you think you are going to have a good day, this reality slaps you right in the face.”
A walk in the park brings tense flare-ups: Back off, you’re too close. Oh really? Then stay home. A loud neighbor, once a fleeting annoyance of urban life, is cause for complaint to the city. Wake at noon, still tired. New York City’s can-do resilience has given way to resignation and random tears.A walk in the park brings tense flare-ups: Back off, you’re too close. Oh really? Then stay home. A loud neighbor, once a fleeting annoyance of urban life, is cause for complaint to the city. Wake at noon, still tired. New York City’s can-do resilience has given way to resignation and random tears.
The journey that began in March with an us-against-it unity, with homemade masks and do-it-yourself haircuts and Zoom happy hours, has turned into a grim slog for many.The journey that began in March with an us-against-it unity, with homemade masks and do-it-yourself haircuts and Zoom happy hours, has turned into a grim slog for many.
Evidence of that mood shift could be seen in little spikes on the EKG of data compiled by the city.Evidence of that mood shift could be seen in little spikes on the EKG of data compiled by the city.
Complaints to 311 rose in telling categories. A near-doubling of reports of loud televisions in the past five weeks compared with the same period last year, from 400 to 794, suggests an I’ve-had-enough drawing of lines. There were 16,901 calls in a brand-new category, lax social distancing.Complaints to 311 rose in telling categories. A near-doubling of reports of loud televisions in the past five weeks compared with the same period last year, from 400 to 794, suggests an I’ve-had-enough drawing of lines. There were 16,901 calls in a brand-new category, lax social distancing.
Elsewhere, traffic to news sites flattened after the surge that accompanied the virus’s arrival, according to data from the website Chartbeat, a strong indicator of news fatigue.Elsewhere, traffic to news sites flattened after the surge that accompanied the virus’s arrival, according to data from the website Chartbeat, a strong indicator of news fatigue.
The most recent weekly survey of 1,000 New York State residents, about half of them from the city, by the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy asked how socially connected people have felt. Just over two in five said “not at all.” That was about double the number that answered that way four weeks earlier.The most recent weekly survey of 1,000 New York State residents, about half of them from the city, by the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy asked how socially connected people have felt. Just over two in five said “not at all.” That was about double the number that answered that way four weeks earlier.
Forty percent of the latest poll’s respondents said they had felt anxious more than half of the time in the past two weeks; 32 percent said they had felt depressed.Forty percent of the latest poll’s respondents said they had felt anxious more than half of the time in the past two weeks; 32 percent said they had felt depressed.
“This is the week where I feel like I have accepted this, and given up,” Euna Chi of Brooklyn wrote in an email. “My daily commute to the couch feels ‘normal.’”“This is the week where I feel like I have accepted this, and given up,” Euna Chi of Brooklyn wrote in an email. “My daily commute to the couch feels ‘normal.’”
Governor Cuomo raised the ante on Friday in his attacks on Senator Mitch McConnell’s comments that states facing gaping budget deficits should declare bankruptcy rather than receive more federal aid.Governor Cuomo raised the ante on Friday in his attacks on Senator Mitch McConnell’s comments that states facing gaping budget deficits should declare bankruptcy rather than receive more federal aid.
Mr. Cuomo said that states could not legally declare bankruptcy, and he dared Mr. McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, to pass legislation letting them do so.Mr. Cuomo said that states could not legally declare bankruptcy, and he dared Mr. McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, to pass legislation letting them do so.
“Your suggestion, Senator McConnell? Pass the law. I dare you,” Mr. Cuomo said. “You want to send a signal to the markets that this nation is in real trouble? You want to send an international message that the economy is in turmoil? Do that.”“Your suggestion, Senator McConnell? Pass the law. I dare you,” Mr. Cuomo said. “You want to send a signal to the markets that this nation is in real trouble? You want to send an international message that the economy is in turmoil? Do that.”
New York is projecting a $61 billion drop in tax revenue over four years because of the coronavirus, Mr. Cuomo said, and he has stressed that only an infusion of federal money could get the state back on its feet.New York is projecting a $61 billion drop in tax revenue over four years because of the coronavirus, Mr. Cuomo said, and he has stressed that only an infusion of federal money could get the state back on its feet.
On Wednesday, Mr. McConnell had said that Senate Republicans were disinclined to offer additional assistance to local governments and that he favored “allowing states to use the bankruptcy route.” His office amplified the message in a news release under the heading “Stopping Blue State Bailouts.”On Wednesday, Mr. McConnell had said that Senate Republicans were disinclined to offer additional assistance to local governments and that he favored “allowing states to use the bankruptcy route.” His office amplified the message in a news release under the heading “Stopping Blue State Bailouts.”
That evening, Mr. Cuomo called the bankruptcy comment “one of the saddest, really dumb comments of all time.”That evening, Mr. Cuomo called the bankruptcy comment “one of the saddest, really dumb comments of all time.”
On Thursday, he called Mr. McConnell “the grim reaper,” and added: “Think of what he is saying: People died. 15,000 people died in New York, but they were predominantly Democrats, so why should we help them?”On Thursday, he called Mr. McConnell “the grim reaper,” and added: “Think of what he is saying: People died. 15,000 people died in New York, but they were predominantly Democrats, so why should we help them?”
On Friday, Mr. Cuomo called Mr. McConnell’s bluff: “If you believe what you said, and you have the courage of conviction because you’re a man of your word, pass that bill if you weren’t just playing politics,” he said. “We’ll see how long it takes him to do it.”On Friday, Mr. Cuomo called Mr. McConnell’s bluff: “If you believe what you said, and you have the courage of conviction because you’re a man of your word, pass that bill if you weren’t just playing politics,” he said. “We’ll see how long it takes him to do it.”
On a recent afternoon, John Blumer, 65, hopped off a tractor-trailer he uses to dig graves at New Montefiore Cemetery on Long Island and contemplated the gravity of the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier this year, his team of four was burying fewer than 10 decedents a day. That number has easily tripled in recent weeks, Mr. Blumer said.On a recent afternoon, John Blumer, 65, hopped off a tractor-trailer he uses to dig graves at New Montefiore Cemetery on Long Island and contemplated the gravity of the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier this year, his team of four was burying fewer than 10 decedents a day. That number has easily tripled in recent weeks, Mr. Blumer said.
“We are dealing with something nobody has seen since 1917,” Mr. Blumer said, referring to the Spanish flu pandemic. “This is something nobody has seen in their lifetimes.”“We are dealing with something nobody has seen since 1917,” Mr. Blumer said, referring to the Spanish flu pandemic. “This is something nobody has seen in their lifetimes.”
The public health crisis that pushed area hospitals’ capacity to their limit is now causing similar strains at cemeteries. Funeral sector workers said the high volume of people dying of Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, was stretching their capacity and robbing families of dignified funeral rituals and burials.The public health crisis that pushed area hospitals’ capacity to their limit is now causing similar strains at cemeteries. Funeral sector workers said the high volume of people dying of Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, was stretching their capacity and robbing families of dignified funeral rituals and burials.
“Every day they come to work, and every day there is a tsunami of deaths,” said Dan Wright, the secretary treasurer of Teamsters Local 813, which represents about 500 funeral sector workers in the metropolitan area. “People are dying faster than we can get them to their final destinations.”“Every day they come to work, and every day there is a tsunami of deaths,” said Dan Wright, the secretary treasurer of Teamsters Local 813, which represents about 500 funeral sector workers in the metropolitan area. “People are dying faster than we can get them to their final destinations.”
Mr. Blumer, who has been a gravedigger since he was a teenager, said it pained him to witness family members donning masks and gloves, forced to observe what many deemed a sacred ritual from afar.Mr. Blumer, who has been a gravedigger since he was a teenager, said it pained him to witness family members donning masks and gloves, forced to observe what many deemed a sacred ritual from afar.
“I don’t know how I would have felt if I had to bury my mother under these conditions,” he said. “The body goes down to the ground alone. It’s hard for them.”“I don’t know how I would have felt if I had to bury my mother under these conditions,” he said. “The body goes down to the ground alone. It’s hard for them.”
He often offers a silent prayer for the deceased, he said, before the last pound of dirt covers the coffin.He often offers a silent prayer for the deceased, he said, before the last pound of dirt covers the coffin.
“You try to do the best for people and under these circumstances,” he said. “Times are different. It is really not the same.”“You try to do the best for people and under these circumstances,” he said. “Times are different. It is really not the same.”
Reporting was contributed by Michael Gold, Andy Newman, Sarah Maslin Nir and Edgar Sandoval.Reporting was contributed by Michael Gold, Andy Newman, Sarah Maslin Nir and Edgar Sandoval.