ALBANY, N.Y. - On Saturday, Governor Andrew Cuomo said the Chinese government is facilitating a donation of 1,000 ventilators to the state of New York.

The ventilators are expected to arrive to JFK Airport sometime Saturday.

Cuomo called the donation a “big deal,” and said it will “make a significant difference for us.”

The state of Oregon will also lend New York State 140 ventilators, according to the governor. Cuomo called the relief “astonishing and unexpected,” saying the state of New York will “return the favor double fold.”

There are now 113,704 cases of coronavirus in New York State, including 63,306 here in the city.

Statewide, as of Saturday, there were 3,565 deaths due to COVID-19, up from 2,935.



According to governor's office there have been 2,624 deaths in New York City, less than 1,000 people have died outside of the city.



Total deaths in New York overall have surpassed the deaths in the Sept. 11 terror attacks. — Nick Reisman (@NickReisman) April 4, 2020



In New York City, 2,254 deaths have been confirmed by the city, as of 5 p.m. Saturday.

There are currently 15,905 people hospitalized, including 4,126 in the ICU.

To date, 10,478 coronavirus patients have been discharged, a slight increase, representing 66 percent total hospitalizations.

Cuomo said the state "focused on beds early on," but that now the focus has shifted to PPE, ventilators and other equipment. “Long-term we have to figure out why we ended up in this situation,” Cuomo added on shopping through China.

20 percent of the stockpiled ventilators the state is seeking amounts to 500 ventilators, Cuomo said. “Five hundred ventilators is a significant number now, “he added.

He also said splitting these machines “is not ideal,” but said hospitals are using BiPAP machines to make up for what they don’t have.

“We have what we have,” he said.

The governor said medical students expected to graduate this spring will be authorized to begin practicing immediately.

Asked about Long Island cases, Cuomo said the numbers are growing. Pointing to a chart model, he said “it is like a fire spreading.”

The governor was also pressed on the subject of a new NRA lawsuit against the state’s executive order. “It’s a slow day if I don’t get sued,” Cuomo said.