The number of newly-reported coronavirus cases in New York plummeted to zero as Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo encouraged residents to keep doing what they have been doing.
Cuomo appeared on Tuesday’s “Morning Joe” to discuss his state’s situation and how the curve has truly appeared to flatten over the last several days. (RELATED: A Vision Of Hope: USNS Comfort Cruises Into New York Harbor)
WATCH:
MSNBC host Willie Geist put the question to Cuomo, saying that while most believe the worst to be over, there was a caveat to that.
“‘The worst is over if we continue to be smart,'” Geist quoted Cuomo and added, “What did you mean by that message? I know the hospitalizations are down and that’s great news, but continuing to be smart means what from where you sit?”
“You’re exactly right, Willie. The caveat swallows the premise. The worst is over if we continue to do what we’re doing,” Cuomo replied.
“The president’s projection. Peter Navarro’s projection, CDC’s projection, White House Coronavirus task force projection, then the Gates model, Columbia model, Cornell model. They were all wrong, and it’s good news, because we changed the trajectory of the virus,” Cuomo explained. “And we’ve proven something when I say the worst is over. We’ve proven that the virus is not unstoppable, right? There was a fear when we started that maybe you can’t stop this beast.”
As if to punctuate Cuomo’s statement, the numbers flashed on the screen then, attributed to NBC News: 196,583 CASES, 10,056 DEATHS, NO NEW CASES REPORTED TODAY.
“We proved you can stop the beast. That should be vindicating in some ways,” Cuomo concluded. “But we stopped the beast by our action, and that’s why we reduced the curve and the infection rate. It’s all subject to what we do. If we go out there today and we start to see more people on the street, that infection rate will go up, I guarantee you, in three days. It’s a direct consequence of our actions.”