New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, left, announced his state’s latest coronavirus figures on Wednesday, as patients continue to be admitted to hospitals across NYC (Pictures: Getty)

World coronavirus capital New York is flattening its coronavirus curve after the number of Covid-19 hospitalizations dropped by more than half – but death rates have continued to increase.

State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced 533 people had been hospitalized overnight on Tuesday – down from a high of 1,294 on April 4. But he also revealed ‘terrible news’ about the number of people killed in the last 24 hours – 779 – the highest one-day death toll across the state, and for the US. That figure is 48 people higher than the 731 people who died between Monday and Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference Wednesday, Cuomo said that deaths would likely continue to rise as coronavirus patients who have been on ventilators for days or weeks succumb to the disease.



He said: ‘They are more than just a statistic. Every number is a face. Every number is a family. We mourn these New Yorkers deeply.


And Cuomo added: ‘What we did and what we have done is working. It is flattening the curve, so far. We are flattening the curve by what we are doing. If we stop what we are doing, that curve will change. That curve is purely a function of what we do day in, day out.’

The politician said the seemingly flattening curve had eased pressure on medical supplies, and added that if efforts continue New York should have enough beds and ventilators to treat the projected number of coronavirus patients.

Governor Cuomo also announced plans to fly flags at half mast on government buildings as the death roll eclipsed that of the 9/11 terror attacks, with a total of 6,268 killed across the state. And he vowed to begin more intense testing in black and ethnic minority communities after statistics showed they were disproportionately likely to fall seriously-ill with Covid-19 or be killed by the disease.

Wednesday’s figures mean 142,384 people have now tested positive for coronavirus in New York – more than a quarter of the 404,000 cases diagnosed across the entire US.