Cuomo says the "worst is over" if New York continues to be "smart" about coronavirus

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at a press briefing Monday that in terms of New York's coronavirus outbreak, "the worst is over" if the state continues to be "smart" about adhering to social distancing guidelines.

Why it matters: New York has been the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States, reporting 189,033 cases as of Monday afternoon — more than any country other than the U.S. But the state's rate of hospitalizations has flattened in recent days, indicating that it may have turned a corner in combating the outbreak.

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What he's saying:

"The worst is over, if we continue to be smart going forward. Because, remember, we have the hand on that valve. If you turn that valve too fast, you will see that number jump right back. But, yes, I think you can say the worst is over. Because the worst here are people dying. That's the worst. The worst doesn't get any bad than this worst. And this worst is people die."

Andrew Cuomo

The big picture: Cuomo stressed that despite New York's accomplishments in slowing the spread of the virus, the state won't be able to "flip a switch" and reopen the economy all at once — especially without a vaccine.

• But Cuomo also revealed that he and other regional governors are meeting to discuss a coordinated reopening plan and that they will have an announcement on Monday afternoon.

Go deeper: U.S. coronavirus updates