The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in New York is now 105 — or 16 more than the day before, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday.
“Sixteen overnight,” said the governor, who declared a state of emergency over the deadly virus Saturday. “We did more tests overnight. … The state now has 105 people who tested positive.”
He suggested that local governments and private businesses have their employees work in shifts, to limit potential exposure at various times.
“We want to reduce as much as possible situations creating density,” Cuomo said. “The private sector has a role in trying to contain it.”
The governor said there are now 12 cases in New York City, 82 cases in Westchester County, five in Nassau County, one in Suffolk County, two in Rockland County, two in upstate Saratoga County and one in upstate Ulster County.
The bulk of new cases popped up in Westchester, where there were around 70 cases reported Saturday. New cases also were seen in Nassau, Suffolk and Ulster counties. New York City’s reported tally remained the same overnight.
Map of coronavirus cases in the US
“Westchester at 82 is a clear issue,” Cuomo said.
“What happened in the Westchester County was, the person who was positive was in a very large gathering. An infected person in a large gathering can infect many people quickly. We want to avoid large gatherings.”
Still, Cuomo said, “I would get nervous if the number didn’t go up. We want to get more positives.
“The more positive people we find, the better. The more tests we run, the better. The better we can do the containment.”
The governor said the state currently has seven labs at work testing for the virus — but urged the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to expand the number.
“Please, CDC, approve these private labs,” Cuomo said. “You have misinformed the public about your testing capacity.
“We don’t have the testing capacity we need, it’s essential,” Cuomo said.
“The more positives you identify, the more you can isolate people and stop the spread,” the governor told reporters at a press conference on Long Island.
