Cuomo says unhappy New Yorkers should ‘blame’ him for virus restrictions – as protesters push governors to end - The Sun

ANDREW Cuomo said Sunday that New Yorkers should blame him for the shutdown - as pressure grows on governors to ease the coronavirus lockdowns.

Speaking at his daily press briefing in Albany, Cuomo also revealed New York is "past the high point" of the pandemic - but warned it is "only halftime in the war” against the disease.

Cuomo cautioned about reopening without adequate testing measures in placeCredit: AP:Associated Press

Trump has been pushing to reopenCredit: Reuters

Cuomo warned against opening too quicklyCredit: AP:Associated Press

The Liberate San Diego Protest, which featured dramatic slogans like "Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death"Credit: The Mega Agency

Cuomo said hospitalization and intubation rates were flattening but people should not get complacent, despite President Trump's push to reopen the country.

“We have to stay smart; now is not the time to get arrogant," the governor told reporters as he revealed that 507 patients had died overnight and 1,300 people had tested positive and were hospitalized. 

Cuomo, along with six other governors - including New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut - today announced a multi-state council to "start opening the valve slowly and carefully."

Cuomo also said that New York would start an “aggressive statewide antibody testing survey” next week to find out what percentage of the state’s population have been infected. 

Minnesota protesters voice their angerCredit: AP:Associated Press

Demonstrators Protests At Texas State Capitol Against Governor's Stay At Home OrderCredit: Getty Images - Getty

Hundreds of protesters gather outside Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' official residenceCredit: AP:Associated Press

Asked about the protests against the shutdown, Cuomo said unhappy New Yorkers should “blame me!" 

“The States Emergency Powers now govern in this emergency. Blame me! If somebody is complaining about a beach, if somebody’s complaining about business not open, school not open … blame me!” he said, adding: “I don’t have any issue with that.”

However, he pushed back against conspiracy theories circulating about the virus - many of which are fuelling the protests against the emergency stay-home measures in states such as Michigan, Texas and Kentucky.

MULTI-STATE COUNCIL TO GET PEOPLE BACK TO WORK

Seven governors announced the move to restart the economy today:

• New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
• New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy
• Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont
• Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf
• Delaware Governor John Carney
• Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo
• Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker
• Their appointees to the council include one health expert, one economic development expert and the respective Chief of Staff from each state.

"Anyone can say anything," Cuomo said. "People say coronavirus is a hoax? ... 600 people died the other day. Those are real deaths, that's a fact.

"I don't care what you think or what your opinion is, that is a fact. You can't say it's a hoax."

He said although "people are anxious they see the numbers coming down," vigilance was still vital even though the state had "controlled the beast."

"The beast can rise up again, we know that," he warned. "This is a temporary reduction in the virus rate... it is wholly dependent on what you do today.

The number of deaths were coming down

Trump issued this tweet during Cuomo's address

During Cuomo's briefing, Trump tweeted that he was "right on testing" all along, saying "Governors must be able to step up and get the job done."

"The president is right," Cuomo said, in response. "States have to step up on testing and the federal government have to step up on testing.

"'We will be with you all the way?' Great. Perfect - that's what's called partnership."

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Cuomo said that the antibody testing ramping up this week would be a random sample conducted throughout the state, giving officials a better idea of what percentage of the population carries the antibodies.

"We have tested more than any country has tested [in New York] on a per capita basis," Cuomo said of the 500,000 COVID tests done so far.

But he questioned how states were going to ramp this up when the federal government has giving the states "zero, zilch, nada" in legislation.

Cuomo cautioned against becoming complacent

Trump hammers 'unreasonable governors who got carried away' with shutdown guidelines as thousands across country protest

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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiX2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZXN1bi5jby51ay9uZXdzLzExNDMxOTQxL2N1b21vLW5ldy15b3JrLXBhc3QtaGlnaC1wb2ludC1oYWxmdGltZS13YXItY29yb25hdmlydXMv0gFjaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhlc3VuLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvMTE0MzE5NDEvY3VvbW8tbmV3LXlvcmstcGFzdC1oaWdoLXBvaW50LWhhbGZ0aW1lLXdhci1jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy9hbXAv?oc=5

2020-04-19 23:41:31Z
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