ALBANY, N.Y. (WROC) — There are now 10,834 COVID-19 deaths reported in New York state, including 778 new deaths since Monday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced during Tuesday’s daily coronavirus briefing.

Despite the increase in deaths, the governor says that hospitalization trends show the curve of the virus’ spread is flattening.

“What we have learned through this process is that our actions determine our destiny and that’s actually good news,” Gov. Cuomo said. “We changed the curve.”

Addressing some of President Donald Trump’s tweets that were critical of governors and states working independently from the federal government, Cuomo insisted that this is not the time for conflict.

“The worst thing we can do all of this is start with political division and partisanship,” Gov. Cuomo said. “The best thing we have done, is work together.

“Even though it’s an election year, even though the politics is so intense, we said ‘not here, not in this, this is too important for anyone to play politics — it was a no politics zone,'” Gov. Cuomo said. “This is just about doing the right thing, working together and that’s important and we have to stay there.

“The president will have no fight with me I will not engage in it,” Gov. Cuomo said.

The governor said that the president was incorrect in his assertion that he had complete and total authority over the states, adding that the sentiment goes against the 10th amendment of the constitution. Additionally, the governor was critical of the notion that the president had no part in shutting states down, but would play a role in the respective reopening.

“He left that responsibility, the closing down of the economy to the governors,” Gov. Cuomo said. “You get to the reopening of the economy, well the governors close it down, wouldn’t the governors reopen?

“Think past yourself and think about society and your family and interconnection and act responsibly for everyone else,” Gov. Cuomo said. “This is no time for politics and this is no time to fight. I put my hand out in total cooperation with the president, if he wants to fight he’s not going to get one from me.”

The governor acknowledged that nursing homes are the most vulnerable facilities amid the pandemic as the state begins to isolate data regarding nursing home infections and deaths statewide.

“You can see the percentage of loss of life is getting higher in nursing homes compared to the hospitals,” Gov. Cuomo said.

On Monday, the governor announced there have been over 10,056 COVID-19 related deaths in the state. According to Cuomo, the number of people being hospitalized continues to plateau, and the amount of people being discharged from the hospital is on the rise, but the governor urges caution and insists New Yorkers “stay the course.”

Cuomo also announced on Monday that he is forming a council with several neighboring governors to come up with a plan to reopen the state after the coronavirus shut down.

“How you reopen is everything,” Gov. Cuomo said Tuesday.

He said he believes “the worst is over” and said the reopening objective will be to:

Ease isolation

Increase Economic Activity

Re-evaluate what’s considered an essential worker

Have more testing and precautions

And not increase the infection rate.

However on Monday, President Donald Trump claimed “total” authority to reopen the nation’s virus-stalled economy after Cuomo and other governors announced a multi-state compacts to coordinate reopening society.

“We don’t have a king,” Cuomo said on NBC’s “Today. “We have a president. That was a big decision. We ran away from having a king, and George Washington was president, not King Washington. So the president doesn’t have total authority.”

According to the governor’s office, the vast majority of COVID-19 cases and deaths remain downstate and upstate’s impact seems minimal compared to the metro area:

Currently in Monroe County, there are 791 cases of COVID-19 and 50 deaths.

A Johns Hopkins University professor and her graduate student have created an interactive map to capture all confirmed COVID-19 cases, fatalities and recoveries.

Tracking Coronavirus

Check back with News 8 WROC as we update this developing story.