For the first time since this coronavirus battle started in New York, there was a negative net change in intensive care admissions by 17 patients.
"We are cautiously optimistic we are slowing the rate of infections,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Friday.
The number of people who passed away in the last 24 hours, however, is still staggering, at 777 people. This is slightly less than the day before, which saw 799 people die in a single day and even less than the day before, which saw 779 people die in one day.
The total number of people who have now died from COVID-19 in New York is 7,844.
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"Overall, New York is flattening the curve," Cuomo said, still urging people to stay home. "The trajectory is what we create with our actions.”
Cuomo also announced he is working with New York’s Congressional Delegation to set up the COVID-19 Heroes Compensation Fund.
Similar to how the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund was set up, this bill would create a four-month federal tax holiday for workers on the front-line fighting COVID-19. This legislation would include all frontline, essential workers such as, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, law enforcement, medical staff, senior care facility staff pharmacists, and grocery store workers.
The state is also going to provide $200 million in emergency food assistance to more than 700,000 low-income households enrolled in SNAP. Additionally, Airbnb is going to contribute $2 million to help provide rooms in union hotels at no cost to front line workers.
Cuomo is asking again for the federal government to use the Defense Production Act to require private companies ramp up their efforts in producing a massive amount of tests. He said he wants all 19 million or so New Yorkers to be tested before returning to work.
"We need an unprecedented production where the government can produce these tests in the millions," Cuomo explained.
Cuomo also said New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut would work together as a "testing coalition" to scale testing that could lead to the economy being reopened.