Cuomo: N.Y. coronavirus cases now top 10,000

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Saturday said the number of positive coronavirus cases in his state now tops 10,300 and that the numbers will necessarily go up as more people are tested.

Mr. Cuomo said that “every piston is firing” in the state’s response but that they are “literally scouring the globe” for medical supplies like ventilators and protective masks.

“Our goal is to find the positive cases,” Mr. Cuomo said as he provided an update on the COVID-19 outbreak in his state. “We’re actually looking for positives.”

He said New York, the hardest-hit state in the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, has now performed more than 45,000 tests and that they’re taking more tests per capita than China or South Korea. 

As of Saturday morning, there were 10,356 total cases in New York, including 3,254 new cases.

There are more than 19,900 coronavirus cases in the U.S. and more than 260 coronavirus-related deaths.

Mr. Cuomo also said the state has identified 2 million protective masks to buy, with plans to get 1 million of them to New York City. He said approximately 6,000 additional ventilators would be coming in over the next few weeks.

He said masks that typically cost 80 cents are now going for $4.

“Look, it’s price gouging,” he said. “But we need them, and most of [these] are coming from overseas.”

He said the state is working with the Food and Drug Administration to start conducting new therapy trials with drugs like hydroxychloroquine that have shown promise in helping treat people who have tested positive for the virus.

Mr. Cuomo said there’s also work being done on other drug therapies and potential vaccines and said he was exempting the company Regeneron Pharmaceuticals from a new order that says 100% of non-essential employees must work from home.

“They could possibly have a really significant achievement for us,” he said.

The White House announced Friday that President Trump declared a major disaster exists in New York, which opens the state up to more federal funding.

Mr. Cuomo called on the federal government to waive the typical 25% state cost-sharing that comes with such a declaration.

“If there’s any situation where FEMA should wave the 25%, this is the situation,” he said.

Mr. Cuomo also said Congress needed to fix recently-passed legislation so that New York can be made eligible for some $6 billion in aid. He said the state was left out because of a technical issue.

Mr. Cuomo also warned against young people thinking they’re at less of a risk, saying more than half of cases in the state are in people ages 18-49.

“We are all first responders. Your actions can either save or endanger a life,” he said.

He also said he’s asking psychiatrists and psychologists to contact the state and potentially volunteer their time so that people struggling mentally can have access to assistance.

Mr. Cuomo said he hasn’t personally been tested for coronavirus, saying he hasn’t been exposed to anyone who has tested positive, hasn’t shown any symptoms, and doesn’t want to waste a test.