New York governor Andrew Cuomo pleaded for life-saving medical supplies today after warning that coronavirus is sweeping through America’s hardest-hit state like a “bullet train”.
With the number of cases in New York soaring to 25,665 and doubling every three days, Mr Cuomo said the state was in a “desperate” race against time.
“One of the forecasters said to me we were looking at a freight train coming across the country,” Mr Cuomo said. “We’re now looking at a bullet train, because the numbers are going up that quickly.”
His urgent appeal came as US Congress finally reached a deal on a $2 trillion economic stimulus package to try to offset some of the financial hardship caused by the outbreak.
New York, the centre of the US epidemic, has seen at least 210 deaths and the state accounts for about half of the country’s total infections.
Mr Cuomo said there was a “critical” need for at least 30,000 ventilators, three times as many as the state currently has available, and urged the Trump administration to invoke new laws to direct big manufacturers to make the machines.
The governor also claimed demand for hospital beds could reach 140,000. The state currently has 53,000 beds.
Last night President Trump sent a very different message, suggesting that the shutdown could be nearing an end.
“We’re going to be opening relatively soon. I would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter,” he told Fox News. “Easter is a very special day for me and you’ll have packed churches all over our country.”
