‘New Yorkers are in our thoughts and prayers’: 731 die in state overnight but coronavirus hospitalisations near plateau

"Behind every one of those numbers is an individual," Governor Andrew Cuomo says

New York state has posted its largest single-day death toll on Monday with 731 New Yorkers dying from the coronavirus.

"Behind every one of those numbers is an individual … so a lot of pain again today for many New Yorkers, and they are in our thoughts and prayers," Governor Andrew Cuomo said during his daily press briefing on Tuesday.

The death toll surpassed 5,000 with 5,489 people dying from the virus. Total cases in New York also rose to 138,836.

Mr Cuomo followed the grim news by informing the public that New York state was nearing its hospitalisations plateau. Also, the state reported a decrease in the number of patients intubated and admitted into the ICU.

ICU admissions has been a point of concern for New York state, and other states, because that is where the patient would need a ventilator to help them breathe. The novel virus tends to attack the upper respiratory system.

A decline in ICU admissions would help New York's hospital system, which has been severely impacted by the number of cases.

Mr Cuomo said all hospitals in the state currently have the necessary equipment, including ventilators, to treat patients.

"We are stretching and moving but every hospital has what it needs to date," he said.

The USNS Comfort, a Navy hospital bed ship, has helped New York City treat Covid-19 positive patients. Initially, the ship was only going to treat non-Covid-19 patients to help relieve the hospitals. But Mr Cuomo spoke with President Donald Trump to allow the ship to treat coronavirus patients instead.

"I want to thank the President for moving as quickly as he did," Mr Cuomo said.

Normally, the ship would house about 1,000 beds but it will instead use 500 beds because Covid-19 patients take up more space, the governor said.

The ship and the Javits Centre, which was transformed to also house patients, are "a welcome overload relief to the hospital system, which is already extraordinarily stressed," he added.

Mr Cuomo also mentioned when life could return to normal in his state, a topic the Mr Trump has also eagerly mentioned due to his desire to restart the economy. But the governor expressed more caution when it came to opening New York too early.

He said social distancing regulations would continue for the near future because "we are not there yet" to open the state.

"My health is in your hands, and your health is in my hands," Mr Cuomo added. "Let's not get complacent. We have to stay disciplined, we have to stay safe, and we do that by staying at home."