Archive: NYS COVID-19 Resources & Information
5/18/20

In the rapidly changing dynamics of combating the Cornonavirus, information is updated constantly. This archive is being provided as an additional resource for those seeking to learn more about how New York State is addressing COVID-19.

5/18/20 Updates 
From Governor Cuomo’s press briefing in Buffalo: 

OVERVIEW

• Hospitalizations, intubations and new cases are down.  

TOTAL NYS DEATHS: 21,970 (106 New) 

REOPENING

• Western NY now meets the reopening benchmarks and will begin Phase 1 tomorrow.
• The Governor encouraged major sports teams to plan reopening without fans.
• The numbers need to be continuously monitored.
  - 70% hospital beds.
  - 70% ICU beds.
  - 30 tests per 1,000 residents/month.
  - 30 tracers per 100,000 residents.
  - An infection rate less than 1.1 per person.
• Two experts will be advising NY on the data:
  - Dr. Michael T. Osterholm, Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research, University of Minnesota.
  - Dr. Samir Bhatt, a senior lecturer at Imperial College, London. 

NURSING HOMES

• The top priority is protecting nursing home residents and seniors.
• All staff must be tested twice per week.
• NY is connecting facilities to nursing homes. These facilities have reserved 35,000 tests per day.
• The state is sending 320,000 testing kits to nursing homes today.