Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
As New York Approaches 1,000 Deaths, Leaders Brace For A Tough Week Ahead
Politico: New York Leaders Look At Harrowing Week Ahead
Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Sunday painted a grim picture of the coming week as the state’s death toll from Covid-19 approached 1,000, but at the same time they dismissed calls to impose tighter restrictions on people’s movements in a region that has become the nation’s largest concentration of coronavirus infections. “The virus continues its march across the state of New York,” Cuomo said at a news conference on Sunday. “I don’t see how you look at those numbers and conclude anything less than thousands of people will pass away.” (Durkin, Giambusso, Mahoney and Toure, 3/29)
The New York Times: Cuomo: ‘Thousands Will Pass Away’
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York said on Sunday that 237 people had died since the day before, the largest one-day increase in the state since the coronavirus outbreak began. (3/29)
CNN: New York Coronavirus Deaths Soar Past 960 As New Rochelle's 'Patient Zero' Goes Home
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said his city is on track to run out of supplies next weekend. "We have enough supplies to get to a week from today, with the exception of ventilators," de Blasio said Sunday. "We're going to need at least several hundred more ventilators very quickly," the mayor said. "We are going to need a reinforcement by Sunday, April 5, in all categories, especially ventilators but in other areas as well. And personnel is becoming more and more the issue." (Yan, 3/29)
WBUR: Head Of NYC Hospitals Says City Only Has Enough Ventilators To Last Through March
New York City, already the epicenter of the coronavirus crisis inside the United States, is still days, if not weeks, from the peak of the outbreak there. The head of the city's hospital system says it has enough ventilators and protective equipment to survive through the end of the month. After that, New York will need massive help, and fast. (Breslow, 3/27)
The Wall Street Journal: New York Extends Order Against Gatherings, Nonessential Business
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday said nonessential businesses must remain closed and that gatherings will be banned until April 15 as the death toll from the new coronavirus surged over the weekend. Over 500 people around the state died from the disease between Friday and Sunday, Mr. Cuomo said, bringing the overall toll above 1,000—the highest for any state in the nation. The total includes a New York Police Department detective as well as several health care workers. (Vielkind, 3/29)
The Associated Press: What To Know About The Coronavirus Numbers In New York
The official statistics reported by health authorities would seem to show that the United States has more coronavirus infections than any other country and that the New York caseloads exceed any other state. But the true statistics are far from clear. Reporting and testing vary so much from country to country and state to state that it’s hard to know the exact size of the outbreaks, and that is especially the case in New York. (Stobbe, 3/30)
The New York Times: ‘Women Will Not Be Forced To Be Alone When They Are Giving Birth’
Women preparing to give birth at some hospitals in New York City will no longer have to labor alone, state officials said Saturday. Melissa DeRosa, the secretary to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, announced that an executive order would be issued that required all hospitals in New York, both public and private, to allow women to have a partner in the labor and delivery room — in compliance with the latest guidance from the New York State Department of Health. (Van Syckle and Caron, 3/28)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Bedding Company Donating Thousands Of Beds To NYC
Serta Simmons Bedding seeks to ease part of the overwhelming burden the hospital and health care facilities are enduring as New York City’s hospitalizations climb due to the coronavirus. The company, which is based in Doraville, Georgia, has announced it will donate 10,000 mattresses to those facilities in the wake of the pandemic that has claimed the lives of more than 1,000 Americans and sickened tens of thousands. (Toone, 3/27)
The Hill: CDC Issues Travel Advisory For NY Tri-State Area After Trump Says Quarantine Not Necessary
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a travel advisory late Saturday night for the New York tri-state area after President Trump said he had requested the measure in an effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus. The news comes hours after the president said he was considering a short-term quarantine of "hot spots" in parts of the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. These states have fluid populations that travel in and out of New York City, where cases of COVID-19 and deaths due to the disease continue to rise at an alarming rate. (Moreno, 3/28)
The Hill: New Yorkers Who Break Social Distancing Rules Subject To Fines Of Up To $500
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) said Sunday that New Yorkers who violate orders from police to disperse public gatherings will be fined up to $500 amid the coronavirus outbreak. Politico reported that the mayor made the announcement at a press conference, while stressing that fines would be only issued as a last resort to those truly intent on violating his order. (Bowden, 3/29)
The Washington Post: Andrew Cuomo During The Covid-19 Crisis Is The Same As Ever, With One Big Difference: People Like Him
One odd side effect of covid-19 has been what it does to taste. Even those who have avoided the illness enjoy things they once disliked: Government spending. Facetiming with family. Andrew M. Cuomo. The governor of New York’s morning news conferences have become part of the country’s new daily rhythm. He is broadcast live from the wood-paneled Red Room of the state capitol building or New York City’s convention center — a leader in a polo shirt or neatly knotted tie, projecting competence to go along with the PowerPoint projection of hard truths. And to the surprise of anyone who has watched his State of the State, it’s must-see television. (Ellison and Terris, 3/29)
The Wall Street Journal: Coronavirus Response Sends Cuomo’s Popularity Surging
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s approval ratings soared this month as he responded to the surging outbreak of the novel coronavirus, a new poll shows. A poll released Monday by the Siena College Research Institute found 87% of those surveyed approved of how the Democratic governor has handled the epidemic. The poll also found 76% liked the response of their local health department, 74% approval for Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and 41% for both President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. (Vielkind, 3/30)
