ALBANY, N.Y. — In a media conference Saturday morning, Governor Andrew Cuomo stressed the need for ventilators during the coronavirus pandemic. Cuomo says ventilators are the necessity and he is trying to get ahead of the pandemic by creating a stockpile.
Cuomo says he is planning for the apex of the coronavirus crisis, planning for the critical need of ventilators. The governor added that the average length of stay on a ventilator is usually three to four days, but a COVID-19 patient can stay on a ventilator anywhere from 11 to 21 days.
New York State also purchased 3,000 bag valve masks, which are the alternatives to ventilators. Cuomo says bag valve masks are not ideal because they require manual operation, but they have them just in case.
As of Saturday morning, 7,681 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in New York State bringing the total to 52,318 positive cases.
Of those who have tested positive 7,328 people are currently hospitalized with 1,755 patients in the ICU. The governor added that 2,726 patients have been discharged, that number has gone up by 681
Another 17,000 people have been tested, bringing the total number tested to 155,000.
The number of deaths in the state have increased from 519 to 728.
Cuomo said he’s also going to ask major pharmaceutical companies to do home deliveries for free, saying pharmacies are too busy and “that’s not good for anyone.”
