NEW YORK (TURKISH JOURNAL) – By Janet Ekstract – In his daily briefing on Saturday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the main question is “Can we handle the apex?” Our model, the governor said is somewhere in the 7-8 day range. “We’re not yet ready yet for the apex either, we’re not yet ready for the high point.” He said that the number of cases in Long Island are increasing and he said in his Thursday briefing, it very much worries him. Cuomo added: “For us this is about tracking the spread of the virus and then deploying as the numbers suggest.” The governor said: The 2,500 beds at Javits Convention Center that was converted to a COVID unit “is a big deal because that can relieve the entire hospital system downstate by bringing those COVID patients to Javits from the intake to the treatment.” If it works well, he said it will change the situation dramatically.
Cuomo said “We ordered 17,000 ventilators, the federal stockpile was 10,000 for the nation.” We placed the order for the ventilators and we were paying for those ventilators, “that order never came through.” Then the order with China had issues, Cuomo explained, which is why he reiterated that hospitals will need to share their ventilators among their facilities. “We have to figure out why we don’t have a supply chain in this country,” he said. “We need the capacity in this country to do this,” the governor commented. Cuomo added that the U.S. is shopping in China for medical supplies. The Chinese government will facilitate a donation of 1,000 ventilators that will come into JFK today, Cuomo said. He added: “This is going to make a significant difference for us.” He also mentioned that the state of Oregon contacted him about loaning 140 ventilators to New York. Those ventilators will also make a difference, Cuomo reiterated. The governor said that what Oregon did was “a kind gesture and a smart gesture” because as he emphasized “we are all in the same battle here, stopping the spread of the virus.”
Cuomo said they are still in the stage of gathering medical supplies, “we’re still shopping,” But he emphasized that “when you hit the apex you have what you have.” China has distributed so much product that they are running out, he added. The governor stressed they do have backup methods in place in the event of not receiving enough medical supplies. He said that hopefully the apex, the highest number of positive cases will peak quickly.
The governor said: “Contain the enemy is always the first step,” referring to the coronavirus. He said the toll the coronavirus situation has taken on society is extremely stressful as well as on individuals. “I want get on the other side of that apex and let’s just slide down that mountain,” Cuomo said but he reminded everyone that the reality is now and New York needs to be ready for the apex. And the governor added: “You have to get through it, you can’t wish this away – that’s community, that’s mutuality, that’s finding your better self.”
