New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a press conference on Sunday that New York is struggling to maintain medical supplies while combatting the novel coronavirus — operating "literally" on a "day-to-day" basis.
Why it matters: New York City has become an epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, facing mass quarantines and stay-at-home orders. Cuomo said Saturday that New York reported 630 new deaths in 24 hours — an "all-time increase" that beat the previous day's record of 562 deaths.
- On Sunday, however, the number of reported deaths dropped to 594 — a rare drop that Cuomo cautioned could just be a "blip."
- The federal government is deploying 1,000 medical personnel to New York to help fight the outbreak.
- Medical supplies including ventilators and personal protective equipment are in short supply nationwide as the health care system grapples with the overwhelming influx of COVID-19 patients.
What he's saying:
"I can't say to a hospital, 'I will send you all the supplies you need. I will send you all the ventilators you need.' We don't have them. ... It's not an exercise, it's not a drill. It's just a statement of reality. You're going to have to shift and deploy resources to different locations based on the need of that location."— Andrew Cuomo
Between the lines: Cuomo also noted that calls to release supplies from the federal stockpile won't be sufficient in tackling cases in some of the hardest hit states. Many officials are hoping supplies from the stockpile can help alleviate shortages.
- "There's not enough in the federal stockpile to take care of New York, and Illinois, and Texas, and Florida, and California — it's not an option."
The big picture: This upcoming week is predicted to be the worst America has seen since the pandemic's start. U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams said on Sunday that this upcoming week will be "the hardest and the saddest week of most Americans' lives" — calling it our "our Pearl Harbor moment, our 9/11 moment."