Coronavirus US Death Toll Hits 23,592, But 'Worst Is Over' For New York

Hard-hit New York state has declared victory -- almost -- in its bloody six week-long battle against COVID-19 that began March 1.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo Monday revealed the welcome news New York has seen success in “controlling the spread” of the novel coronavirus. It appears “the worst is over ... if we continue to be smart going forward," according to Cuomo.

New York state continues as the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. It had 195,655 confirmed cases as of 23:29 GMT (7:29 p.m. ET Monday), as well as 10,056 deaths, according to Worldometer data. The state accounted for 33% of total U.S. coronavirus cases (586,093) and 43% of all deaths (23,592). More than half the state's cases are in New York City where nearly half the state's population of 19.5 million lives.

Cuomo also said the death toll from COVID-19 in New York has exceeded 10,000 people. He described this massive death toll as a “horrific level of pain and grief and sorrow.” He said the death toll for Sunday came to 671 compared to 758 on Saturday. As of Monday, confirmed cases rose to 195,031 (an increase of 5,616 from Sunday).

On the other hand, Cuomo said flattening the daily death toll, flattening the net number of hospitalizations and a drop in the number of people on ventilators are evidence the state's radical measures such as the shuttering of nonessential businesses have helped contain the pandemic’s spread.

“We’re controlling the spread,” said Cuomo at the regular press briefing in Albany. “The worst can be over, and is over, unless we do something reckless.”

He also warned “You can turn those numbers on two or three days of reckless behaviors." But Cuomo refused to categorically state the worst of the COVID-19 crisis has passed.

“I’m not confident that the worst is over,” he said when pressed by reporters about this. “The numbers suggest a plateauing, slight increase, but a plateauing which is what the experts have talked about. That’s what the numbers say.”

Cuomo praised also the heroic efforts of healthcare workers, police officers, transportation workers "who showed up to drive those trains and buses every day” in helping the state flatten the COVID-19 spread.

Cuomo said he'll make an announcement about plans for reopening the state in conjunction with neighboring governors in the northeast. He said he and the governors of Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Rhode Island have been talking “for the past couple of days, about coming up with, how do we come up with a reopening plan? And can we work together on a reopening plan?”

Cuomo is talking to governors Phil Murphy of New Jersey, Ned Lamont of Connecticut, Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania, John Carney Jr. of Delaware and Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island -- all Democrats. The governors said they'd form a council that will include a health expert, an economic development expert and the chiefs of staff from each of the states.