New York Has Avoided a Virus Uptick While Reopening, Cuomo Says

(Bloomberg) -- New York state hospitalizations for Covid-19 were 817 as of July 5, the lowest since March 18.

Of the 54,328 tests conducted in the state, about 518 or 0.95% were positive, Governor Andrew Cuomo said Monday at a press briefing. There were nine fatalities on Sunday, about the same number as the previous six days.

“We’re basically running flat, and that is great news,” Cuomo said.

Cuomo warned New Yorkers not to get complacent, and urged local governments to enforce his virus orders. Gatherings in the East Village and on Fire Island showed people weren’t socially distancing and weren’t wearing masks, Cuomo said.

“The last thing we want to see is the virus spike again,” Cuomo said.

The national curve will continue to rise unless President Donald Trump and other officials admit the problem and take steps to control it, the governor said. That includes testing, tracing, isolating, phased reopenings and social distance, he said

“This is not the United States of denial,” he said.

Cuomo on reiterated that no decision has been made on whether students across the state will be able to return for in-person learning in the fall.

“We obviously very much would like to,” Cuomo said.

School districts are in the process of developing reopening plans that must be submitted to the state, he said.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.