As of Friday afternoon, there have been more than 309,696 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in New York, including more than 172,784 in New York City. More than 18,564 people with COVID-19 have died in the state, not including the deaths of people with probable cases.
Nationwide, more than 1,075,000 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and three U.S. territories. More than 63,109 Americans have lost their lives to the virus. COVID-19 has killed more than 233,792 worldwide — and far more in the U.S. than in any other country.
Below is what we know about the reported cases and consequences in New York thus far.
As of Friday afternoon, health officials have confirmed at least:
- 309,696 total confirmed cases in New York State
- 18,564 confirmed deaths from the coronavirus in the state
- 172,784 cases in New York City, leading to at least 12,571 confirmed deaths (not including an estimated 5,295 probable deaths from the disease)
- 118,652 cases in New Jersey, with 7,228 deaths
- 27,700 cases in Connecticut, with 2,257 deaths
The above counts are of laboratory-tested and confirmed cases of COVID-19 and should not be mistaken for the actual number of people who have, or have had, the coronavirus in the region. Similarly, updates to the totals are not necessarily new infections — they are newly discovered infections.
Friday, May 1
De Blasio says NYC is months from reopening
On WNYC Friday, Mayor Bill de Blasio said New York City is “a few months away, at minimum,” from allowing small businesses to reopen. The remark came as he was answering a question from a Brooklyn bar owner who said her business is at risk of going under during the city’s stay-at-home order. This week, many states around the country began loosening restrictions, though bars are largely still required to be closed.
Javits Center hospital closes
The COVID-19 field hospital set up at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center is closing Friday after treating just over 1,000 patients. A spokesperson for the Federal Emergency Management Agency told media that the last few dozen patients will be discharged from the hospital today. The facility, however, will remain intact in case there is a second wave of the coronavirus outbreak in New York City. Other temporary field hospitals, including the 68-bed facility set up by Samaritan’s Purse in Central Park, are also expected to shutter in the next few weeks.
Schools across the state closed for the academic year
Governor Andrew Cuomo said Friday that schools across the state will remain closed for the academic year. This includes colleges. Cuomo left open the possibility that summer school will include in-person instruction and said the decision will be made by the end of the month. Cuomo laid out a series of questions that school districts should consider when determining if it’s safe to reopen for the fall semester.
Thursday, April 30
MTA to stop train service from 1 to 5 a.m.
In response to Governor Cuomo’s calls for the MTA to perform daily cleaning of every subway car, the authority will shut down train service between 1 and 5 a.m. each night. Cuomo said at his press conference Thursday that this will affect roughly 10,000 riders. For those people, the MTA will operate an Essential Connector Program that will provide buses, vans, and for-hire vehicles for essential workers who need transportation.
Cuomo: New York needs an “army of tracers”
While former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg already announced he would donate “upwards of $10 million” to hire contact tracers, Governor Cuomo on Thursday announced that the state would hire up to 17,000 of these employees to determine who has been exposed to confirmed coronavirus patients. Cuomo said an “army of tracers” would be needed — around 30 workers for every 100,000 New Yorkers — to determine if people who have been exposed to positive COVID-19 cases should also be isolated.
NYC to hand out free masks
The city is planning hand out 100,000 free face coverings this weekend to help New Yorkers comply with the requirement to wear a mask when they’re out in public and unable to maintain six feet of social distancing. The masks will be handed out at dozens of public parks between Saturday and Tuesday. Locations and times of the distributions can be found at NYC.gov/facecoverings.
