New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) is now tackling the challenge of contact tracing of the coronavirus following the release of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) information about where the virus spread from.
During Wednesday’s coronavirus press briefing, Cuomo discussed the information being released and how it will likely change the overall dynamic and trajectory of the virus.
He began with a contact tracing update from the CDC that suggests the strain of coronavirus on the East Coast of the U.S. came from Europe.
“They’re now saying that the virus may not have come just in February [or] March, the virus may have come late last year,” Cuomo said. “They’re doing testing in Chicago now on people who passed last November and December to see if they passed from the COVID virus.”
Cuomo went on to explain how the statistics and case numbers may be widely impacted as more research and evidence is compiled.
“So, I think this is all going to change over time,” he said. “So, a note of caution, and I think it’s going to be worse when the final numbers are tallied.”
“We’re also not fully documenting all of the at-home deaths that may be attributable to COVID,” Cuomo said. “So, I think the reality is going to be actually worse.”
See Cuomo’s remarks below:
Cuomo’s latest remarks about the virus’ origin come after a previous briefing where he shared information he had received about the different strains of the virus.
At the time, Cuomo shared research that suggested the strain of coronavirus in New York may have come from Europe.
The Democratic governor previously discussed the travel ban on China and how it likely proved to be ineffective in preventing the spread in New York and surrounding states because, as he said “the virus had left China by the time we did the China travel ban,” as previously reported on IJR.
At the time, Cuomo noted that more than 13,000 flights — and an estimated 2.2 million travelers — from Europe had landed at New York and New Jersey airports between January and March.
With no travel bans placed on Europe, Italy, or Spain during that time, researchers previously estimated approximately 28,000 coronavirus cases may have been in the United States as early as February.
See Cuomo’s previous discussion below:
Cuomo discusses new research tracing the early spread of coronavirus: "The virus that came to New York did not come from China. It came from Europe." https://t.co/9T8aUPjUrs pic.twitter.com/mcapq3EJlc
— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 24, 2020
As of Wednesday afternoon, New York remains the United States epicenter for coronavirus with more than 330,000 confirmed cases and a death toll of over 25,000 statewide.
