New York State has become the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States. There were more than 67,000 confirmed cases and more than 1,200 deaths on Monday evening.
Engaged in a race against time to face the peak of the pandemic, New York welcomed the arrival of a hospital ship on Monday, March 30. The military ship USNS Comfort, with a capacity of 1000 beds and 12 operating theaters, arrived around 10:30 am local time. It should make it possible to unload New York hospitals of patients who do not require coronavirus-related care.
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«The fact that the Navy is there, that the Army is there to help New York at a time when our city is in need, it is very importantMayor Bill de Blasio said as the boat entered Manhattan Harbor. “It means that we are not alone, (…) it is a symbol of hope“, He added during a press briefing.
The arrival of the boat, along with the opening of a hospital in the Javits Center conference center in Manhattan, which will be able to accommodate nearly 3,000 patients unaffected by the virus, comes as the number of people with the Covid-19 is increasing at full speed in the United States.
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New York State alone, the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States, had more than 67,000 confirmed cases and more than 1,200 deaths as of Monday evening, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo. And the virus is spreading, now hitting the states of New Jersey, Louisiana, Illinois or Florida hard.
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«The virus is one step ahead»
The United States has become the country with the most confirmed cases in recent days – more than 163,000, for more than 3,000 deaths, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University, updated continuously. “The virus has been ahead of us since day oneNew York State Governor Andrew Cuomo said Monday at a press briefing. “You never win by trying to catch up. You have to plan for in two, three, four weeks, when it will be the peak (of the epidemic), and be sure that you will then be in a position to win the battle.».
Bill de Blasio stressed that his city still needed urgently, just to last the week, some 400 artificial respirators and reinforcements of medical personnel. “Last week, we probably had about 50% of patients with the coronavirus. This week, we have gone to 75%. Now we are at 85-90%Dr Shamit Patel, who works in the emergency room of the Mount Sinai hospital group in Manhattan, told AFP this weekend. We are not yet at the end of our abilities, but we are preparing for it».
This worsening of the situation prompted Donald Trump to extend the confinement and restriction instructions aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus until the end of April, rather than alleviating them by Easter, April 12, as he had. hoped for.
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