New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is shedding light on possible outcomes as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
On Sunday during his coronavirus briefing, Cuomo made it clear that he does not believe the pandemic will be a “short term situation.”
“This is not a short term situation,” Cuomo said. “This is not a long weekend. This is not a week.”
Cuomo went on to offer a timeline of how long it may take for the United States to get ahead of the curve. However, the best-case scenario would likely be contingent on how the pandemic is handled by not only the Trump administration, state, and local officials but also the American people.
“The timeline — nobody can tell you, it depends on how we handle it — but 40%, up to 80% of the population will wind up getting this virus, all we’re trying to do is slow the spread,” Cuomo continued. “But it will spread, it is that contagious.”
Many states have incorporated stay at home orders but there have also been instances where people have taken the orders lightly.
State officials have speculated that this could likely be the reason for the continued spread. Cuomo noted on Sunday how deceptive things appear. Although it looks like a typical day outside, it is not.
Despite the alarming estimates, Cuomo still insists there is “nothing to panic over.” While the number of positive coronavirus cases has continued to spike in the United States, there have been at least 470 deaths, as of Monday morning.
“It is going to be four months, six months, nine months,” Cuomo added. “You look at China, once they really changed the trajectory — which we have not done yet — eight months. We’re in that range.”
“Nobody has a crystal ball, nobody can tell you. … But it is in that range.”
See Cuomo’s full press conference below:
Cuomo’s briefing on the coronavirus outbreak comes as New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has pleaded with the White House to activate the Defense Protection Act. The state of New York now accounts for approximately 5% of all coronavirus cases worldwide.
As a result of the high statistics in New York, Cuomo has also stressed the importance of social distancing and following stay at home orders.
The surge in positive cases follows Cuomo’s past criticism of the president’s handling of the coronavirus.
