Cuomo to New York: 'We have done the impossible' in containing the coronavirus

In something of a valedictory address after one of the hardest battles in New York's history, an upbeat Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Friday ended his daily coronavirus briefings by declaring New Yorkers had "done the impossible" in the last three months by going "from worst to first" in the fight to control the deadly virus.

He offered his message from the State Capitol in Albany, sitting at an executive desk and framed by the American and New York flags, as if delivering an address to the nation. In emotional terms, he applauded New Yorkers for all they have accomplished.

“I’m so incredibly proud of what we all did together and as a community, we reopened the economy and we saved lives, because it was never a choice between one or the other" to decide how to respond to the virus, he said. "It was always right to do both.”

"We have done the impossible," Cuomo went on. "In the beginning, this virus hit us hard. … We had more cases per capita than any state in the country or other nation in the globe, but today we have done a full 180, from worst to first. We are controlling the virus better than any state in the country and any nation on the globe.”

He touted the state's level of COVID-19 patients falling to 1,284, "the lowest number we have seen," and the weekly average of deaths as "the lowest weekly average of lives lost." He confirmed the state will continue to inch forward on its reopening plans, with New York City entering the Phase 2 that will bring back many more retail, food and office businesses in some measures.

But his love letter to New York was tempered by caution that the fight against the virus is still being waged.

"COVID isn’t over. … We still have much more to do," Cuomo said. "We have to watch out for a second wave, we have to watch out for possible infections coming now from other states" and continue to monitor new infections in the state's regions.

'A nice, steady decline'

New confirmed cases of coronavirus remained at levels not seen since the pandemic’s early days. Nassau reported 38 new cases Thursday, and Suffolk 54, according to state data released Friday. New York State as a whole registered 796 new cases, with 410 of them in New York City.

Infection levels around the state and on Long Island remained low. Statewide, the level of new positives was 1% of 79,308 tested on Thursday. Long Island’s infection level was 0.80%, while New York City’s was 1.1%.

Cuomo delivered his address as New York seemingly came to the end of the first and probably most difficult chapter of an epic battle against a virus that is believed to have originated in China, and that has brought much of the world to its knees.

In the region, Northwell Health on Friday said it had 321 COVID-19 patients at the 19 hospitals it owns and operates, a drop of 90% since the peak of the pandemic in April.

Catholic Health Services said it was down to 65 COVID-19 patients, compared with nearly 900 at the peak.

"It's been a nice, steady decline," said Dr. Patrick O'Shaughnessy, executive vice president and chief clinical officer at Catholic Health Services. "All our trends, including discharges, are going in the right direction."

In Nassau County, Executive Laura Curran said hospitalizations are down eight to 88 COVID-related patients, with one new death since Thursday. She said the county expects to start Phase 3 on Wednesday.

Hospitalizations in Suffolk dipped to 110, while patients in intensive care dropped by six to 29. Another 21 people were discharged from the hospital, while one additional person died from the virus, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said.

“This is as close to the best number we can get,” Bellone said.

Climbing a mountain

New York has lost 30,394 people to the virus, the fifth-highest amount in comparison with any country and more than some of the hardest-hit nations, such as Spain and France.

COVID-19 also has devastated Long Island, with more than 4,000 deaths.

If New York State was a country, it would have the fourth-highest number of coronavirus cases in the world, 386,556, behind only the United States as a whole, Brazil and Russia, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Nassau now has seen a total of 41,387 confirmed cases of coronavirus, and Suffolk has recorded 40,864. New York City has recorded 211,670 cases.

Cuomo compared the coronavirus battle to scaling a nearly insurmountable mountain.

“I thought about it every day as climbing a mountain, the Mount Everest of social challenges," he said. "Forty-two days up the mountain, and 69 days down the other side. Every step, every day hurt and was hard. It was frightening and sad. But I really believe we will be the better for it.”