NY – The infection rate of coronavirus in New York is accelerating and the state could face in two weeks a crisis with 40,000 people in intensive care, the governor said Tuesday Andrew Cuomo in its most serious warning to date about the pandemic.
Such an increase would mean exceeding the current capacity of hospitals, which currently have only 3,000 intensive care units in the state.
The rate of new infections is doubling every three daysCuomo pointed out. Although the authorities had initially projected that the infections would reach their highest point in New York in early May, they now assure that this could occur in two or three weeks.
“We are not holding it back and it is accelerating on its own,” the governor said during a briefing at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. “An expert pointed out to us that we were facing a freight train that was crossing the country. Now we have a bullet train. “
New York authorities are rushing to double the hospitals’ capacity to 110,000 beds. Cuomo noted that a maximum of 140,000 beds could be needed.
There are currently more than 25,000 cases in the state and at least 218 deaths, according to state figures. Most infections and deaths have occurred in New York City, making it a global focus of infection.
New York authorities plan to integrate 1,000 temporary beds into the COVID-19 Javits Center for Free Patients and thousands of beds in other hospitals. However, Cuomo pointed out that this number “is nowhere near” to the beds that will be needed. The state also faces shortages of respirators and protective equipment for medical personnel.
New York has 7,000 respirators. Cuomo proposed a national campaign to urgently send respirators to the state, because, he said, the city will need 20,000 of them in a matter of weeks. He noted that later the team could be sent to other areas once the number of infections starts to decrease in the entity.
“I will personally take responsibility for transporting the 20,000 respirators to the part of this country that they like when we have passed our highest point,” Cuomo said. “But don’t leave them in a warehouse.”
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