Watch live: New York Gov. Cuomo briefs the press on Covid pandemic as outbreak worsens
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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will hold a press briefing on the coronavirus Wednesday as Covid-19 hospitalizations reach levels last reported in early May.
There were 7,814 people hospitalized patients with Covid-19 in New York as of Tuesday, the highest number since May 8, according to data compiled by the Covid Tracking Project, an independent volunteer organization launched by journalists at The Atlantic.
The surge in sick patients has led the state to begin preparing to re-use the Javits Center as an emergency Covid-19 field hospital, according to reports from the New York Post, citing senior Cuomo advisor Rich Azzopardi and Northwell Health CEO Michael Dowling. Cuomo has already announced the state would reopen a field hospital on Staten Island following a spike in hospitalizations there.
The Democratic governor is also weighing new lockdown measures in January if the current surge continues, though new restrictions are not guaranteed, he said. The state has reported over 100 daily Covid-19 deaths for over two weeks now, totaling over 37,600 fatalities since the beginning of the pandemic, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
“As we approach the New Year and the end of the holiday season, all New Yorkers must remember one simple truth – celebrating smart stops shutdowns,” Cuomo said in a statement Tuesday.
Read CNBC’s live updates to see the latest news on the Covid-19 outbreak.