NEW YORK: Death toll from the coronavirus pandemic alone in New York state crossed 10,000 mark on Monday as the officials believe that the “worst is over” for the worst affected state of the US.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said lower average hospitalization rates and intubations suggested a “plateauing” of infections in America’s coronavirus epicentre but warned the outbreak could worsen if restrictions are lifted too quickly.
“The worst is over if we continue to be smart going forward. I believe we can now start on the path to normalcy,” Cuomo told reporters.
The governor, a Democrat, said 671 people had died in New York in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths in America’s hardest-hit state to 10,056.
It was the lowest single-day toll in New York since April 5. The highest of 799 was reported on Thursday of last week.
Cuomo, and the governors of neighboring New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Rhode Island, later held a joint conference call where they announced a task force to come up with a reopening plan.
On the West Coast, the governors of California, Oregon and the state of Washington also announced an agreement on a shared vision to reopen their economies and prevent the spread of the virus.
America’s federal system of government delegates powers to the governors of the 50 states, but the president, in theory, can use his powers to oversee a coordinated national strategy.
The virus has particularly spread among Latino and African-American communities living in deprived neighborhoods where many residents work in service sectors and often lack comprehensive health insurance.
Read more: COVID-19 death toll in US crosses 22,000 with 550,000 confirmed cases
