New York surpassed its highest single-day death toll from the coronavirus pandemic with 799 deaths since Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo Andrew Cuomo44 percent of high earners have considered leaving New York City: poll Media's anti-Trump coronavirus spin has real consequences In defense of Trump's efforts to quell pandemic panic MORE (D) said Thursday.

“Don't underestimate this virus. I think that is a mistake we made from day one, we as the collective we, we as the global community,” Cuomo said at his briefing. “This virus is very, very good at what it does.”

It is the third day in a row New York has seen a death toll larger than the day before. The latest fatalities bring the state’s total to 7,067.

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As the death toll continues to rise, the hospitalization rate has dropped, Cuomo said. He explained that health experts have warned from day one that would happen, since the longer people are on ventilators the more likely they are to not come off the machines alive.

“I understand the scientific concept, I understand the data, but you're talking about 799 lives,” Cuomo said.

He compared the number of lives lost from COVID-19 to those lost in New York from 9/11. The COVID-19 deaths have more than doubled the 2,753 lives lost on 9/11.

“I lived through 9/11, 9/11 was supposed to be the darkest day in New York for a generation,” Cuomo said.

“That is so shocking and painful and breathtaking, I can’t — I don't even have the words for it. 9/11 was so devastating, so tragic, and then in many ways we lost so many more New Yorkers to this silent killer,” he added. “There was no explosion, but it was a silent explosion that just ripped through society with the same randomness, the same evil that we saw on 9/11.”

Cuomo urged the public to continue to stay vigilant in following social distancing orders to mitigate the spread of the virus.