Health

NEW YORK, NY — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday that China is facilitating the shipment of 1,000 ventilators to his state, as he continues to shop for more of the lifesaving devices ahead of a growing number of coronavirus patients who will need them.

The number of people infected in the U.S. has exceeded a quarter-million, with the death toll climbing past 7,000; more than 3,500 of those deaths are in New York state.

Cuomo said the ventilators from China were expected to arrive later Saturday at JFK Airport.

“This is a big deal, which is I can tell you just astonishing and unexpected, and it's going to make a significant difference for us,” Cuomo said, adding that the state of Oregon was also sending 140 ventilators to New York.

"I want to thank all of the people in the state of Oregon for their thoughtfulness," he said at a news conference.

In addition, Cuomo is looking for ventilators closer to home, and has issued an order that forces even private hospitals in the state to redistribute ventilators to the hospitals most in need.

“I want this all to be over,” Cuomo said. “It’s only gone on for 30 days since our first case. It feels like an entire lifetime.”

New York now has a total 113,704 Covid-19 cases, Cuomo indicated.

The state recorded a new high of positive cases in the past 24 hours with 10,841. There are 15,905 people in the hospital and 4,126 in ICU, Cuomo said.

He noted that the number of ICU cases and incubations in the state has increased while New York continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic.

At the same time, Cuomo indicated that the number of patients being discharged also increased.

"Two-thirds of the people who have been hospitalized have been discharged," he said at the news briefing. "That's what we've been saying all along. Most people won't be hospitalized."

"By the numbers we're not yet at the apex. We're getting closer," Cuomo explained, noting that New York City’s numbers are dropping while Long Island's positive case numbers are growing.

Cuomo said he is signing an executive order to allow medical students slated to graduate to begin practicing. “These are extraordinary times and New York needs the help,” Cuomo said Saturday regarding the pandemic.

He added that New York has 85,000 medical volunteers, including 22,000 out of state volunteers. In addition, New York City's Javits Convention Center will have 2,500 beds and will be staffed entirely by the federal government.

The governor also mentioned his mother has been stressed about his brother and CNN anchor Chris Cuomo’s recent positive diagnosis.