A “Major Disaster”: Army Deploys In New York State As Confirmed Cases Top 11,000: Live Updates
by Tyler Durden
ZeroHedge.com
Sat, 03/21/2020
(1230ET): New cases are being reported out of New York State and NYC are being reported faster than we can keep up, as the state ramps up testing.
NYC officials just announced that the total number of confirmed cases in the city has climbed to 7,530. An hour ago, Gov. Cuomo put the number at 6,211.
By our count, this puts the new total cases in New York State at 11,675.
Last night, de Blasio described NYC as the “epicenter” of the US outbreak.
New York City has 5,151 confirmed cases of COVID-19, Mayor de Blasio announced, and said the largest U.S. city is now the epicenter of the crisis. Follow latest updates here: https://t.co/1S9iYGfKZK pic.twitter.com/u4FPfOxHBf
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 21, 2020
Update (1145ET): During Saturday’s press briefing, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo made clear that he wasn’t waiting around for the military and FEMA to solve his state’s problems.
After announcing new restrictions that closed all “non-essential” businesses and threatened fines and other punishments for any “non-essential” New York workers who violate his ‘stay at home’ order (though, of course, certain activities like buying food, medication and doctors appointments will be permitted).
As state’s scramble to follow President Trump’s advice to try and acquire equipment through their own supply chains, Cuomo revealed that New York State had ordered 6,000 ventilators.
He also announced that he would be traveling around the state on Saturday with state workers looking for appropriate staging areas for the Army Corp of Engineers, which is preparing to renovate buildings to prepare more space for COVID-19 patients.
With a federal cost-sharing rate of 75%, New York State will be able to dole emergency funds out to counties, towns and cities, as well as the state’s Native American tribes. Nonprofits working in the state can also receive money if they meet certain criteria. Part of the money will pay for ‘crisis counseling’ for New Yorkers who are psychologically or physically impacted by the crisis.
As Cuomo’s press conference was ending, the state reported another 3,254 new cases of the virus, bringing its total to 10,356, making New York State the first in the US to pass 10,000.
Here’s a video from Cuomo’s press briefing:
Holding a briefing with updates on #Coronavirus. WATCH LIVE: https://t.co/uSqQdxYRUQ
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 21, 2020
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For nearly a week now, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been begging the White House or the Pentagon to send in the Army Corp of Engineers to quickly transform existing businesses into coronavirus hospitals where patients from the impending surge can be isolated and treated.
If the state doesn’t quickly make up for its twin shortages of hospital beds and medical equipment, Cuomo warned, it could lead to thousands of preventable deaths.
Now, a few days after President Trump and Defense Secretary Mark Esper dispatched a Navy hospital ship to New York to help with the outbreak, President Donald Trump formally approved FEMA aid to the state late Friday night after declaring New York the nation’s first “major disaster area” since the start of the national outbreak.
The Rest…HERE
