Gov. Cuomo to allow elective surgeries in NY hospitals where 'capacity is not an issue'

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that some hospitals in New York will begin performing elective surgeries “where capacity is not an issue.”

News 12 Staff

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Apr 21, 2020, 2:05 PM

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Updated 1,557 days ago

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that some hospitals in New York will begin performing elective surgeries “where capacity is not an issue.”

He said it excludes the hospitals in counties surrounding New York City, including Dutchess, Rockland, Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk.

MORE: TRACKER: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut coronavirus cases and deaths
MORE:LIVE BLOG - Coronavirus updates from the tri-state area and beyond

The governor made the announcement at a news conference in Buffalo before heading to the White House to speak with President Donald Trump. He said he wanted to lay out the groundwork for better coordination between the federal government and the states in terms of funding and large-scale testing.

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Gov. Cuomo said 481 New Yorkers died yesterday from COVID-19. He said daily COVID-19 cases fell to about 1,300 and that the curve of hospitalization is down.

BRIEFING NOTES:

Gov. Cuomo says number of hospitalizations is essentially flat.
Governor says overall curve of hospitalizations is down.
New COVID cases is at about 1,300 which is down, according to the governor.
Governor highlights Eerie County as he is giving the address from Buffalo. He highlights an increase in hospitalizations, but that things have flattened out.
Gov. Cuomo says different parts of the country - and even different parts within a state - will hit their apex of infections at different times. The governor highlights different parts of New York state and says they are very different.
Governor reports 481 new COVID-related deaths in the state.
Gov. Cuomo: Hospitals "where capacity is not an issue" will allow elective outpatient treatment.
Gov. Cuomo outlines difficulties of expanding testing capacity. He says the manufacturers get reagents from out of the country, something that the federal government would be smart to handle.

"We are going to make reopening decisions on a regional basis."

Gov. Cuomo says he plans to speak to the president about coordination of testing between federal government and state government. He says the state can take over once labs have necessary materials.

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