NY coronavirus deaths pass 10,000
NEW YORK - The number of deaths related to coronavirus has passed 10,000 in New York.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that 671 people died on Easter Sunday, pushing the total in the state to 10,056.
"To have this happen over this weekend is really, really especially tragic and they are all in our thoughts and prayers," Cuomo said.
He said that the good news is that the number of deaths is flat and the rate of new hospitalizations is flat, as well.
"This virus is very good at what it does. It is a killer," Cuomo said during a state Capitol news briefing.
> NYC in danger of running out of test swabs
Cuomo said almost 2,000 people were newly hospitalized with the virus Sunday, though once discharges and deaths are accounted for, the number of people hospitalized has flattened to just under 19,000.
"I believe the worst is over if we can continue to be smart," Cuomo said. "And I believe we can now start on the path to normalcy."
The governor later announced that he and the governors of six other states on the eastern seaboard are forming a multistate partnership to plan a gradual coordinated reopening of the region.
Trump vs. the governors
President Trump says a team of experts will advise him on when reopening the country is safe. Some have criticized the president for suggesting May 1 because so many states are still grappling with this pandemic. Governors on the East and West Coasts are already forming their own teams to determine how and when to get people back to work.