New York's unprecedented density control measures to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus seem to be working.
After more than two weeks of increasingly dour press conferences regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo offered some encouraging news on Wednesday.
The rate at which New Yorkers are being hospitalized with the coronavirus is slowing down, giving officials hope that the state's medical infrastructure will be able to withstand the peak of the outbreak, which is expected to arrive next month.
The number of coronavirus cases in New York and the surrounding states continues to increase daily, but Gov. Cuomo noted that a slowing rate of hospitalizations is a positive sign that the state's draconian restrictions on social gatherings could be paying off.
"This is almost too good to be true," Cuomo said, "but the theory is, given the [population] density that we're dealing with, it spreads very quickly, but if you reduce the density, you can reduce the spread very quickly."
As of Sunday, the state's grim projections showed hospitalizations doubling every two days.
By Tuesday, the state's estimates showed hospitalizations doubling every 4.7 days, a flattening of the proverbial curve.
Last week, Cuomo noted that thanks to federal assistance, New York was conducting more coronavirus tests per capita than either China or South Korea did at the peaks of their respective outbreaks, meaning that despite the rising number of confirmed cases, the state has some of the best COVID-19 data of any government.
As of Wednesday afternoon, New York officials reported 30,811 confirmed coronavirus cases statewide and at least 285 deaths due to COVID-19. More than 3,800 New Yorkers were hospitalized with the coronavirus.
New York City, an epicenter for the virus in America, reported at least 17,856 confirmed cases by Wednesday.
Data from Westchester County, NY, one of the earliest clusters for the virus in the U.S., suggested spread of the disease was slowing.
About 40,000 healthcare professionals, including thousands of retirees, have volunteered to work when hospitals start becoming strained by new COVID-19 cases in New York.
But Cuomo added that the state is still running low on medical supplies, particularly crucial ventilators required to treat severe cases of COVID-19.
Federal officials on Tuesday urged anyone leaving New York City to quarantine themselves for at least 14 days before having contact with people outside the state.
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