From roswell park cancer where we areich is today, in buffalo. Roswell park is one of the cancer institutes in the united states. And a real jewel for the state her veryrk and i thank uch for their hospitality today. Let me give you some of the facts today. One of the points we want to today is were in western new york, buffalo. Weve been talking a lot about new york city and the situation in new york city and long island and westchester and rockland, the suburbs of new york city. Ut just as were seeing across the country, this virus presents in ightly different problem different parts of the country. It also presents a different in different parts of the state. Verall, the total hospitalizations are basically lat from where they were yesterday. Overall curve is on the way down, and that is good certainly. The net change in hospitalizations is down, not we would like. Changing intuesday a bigses is intubations is good news because that means a person is ventilator. 80 of the time when people are on a ventilator, they dont come a ventilator in a successful way. The number of new people in the walked in the door yesterday or were diagnosed with covid is 1,300. Hat is down and thats good news relative to really bad news which is what was happening up right . Hen, we have to remember our calculus of good, our definition of good has changed here. Not terrible but on scale, 1,300 people walk in the door with covid in a day in the state of new york city new york, that would not be in the state of new that would not be good news. This is erie county. Uffalos in erie county, new york. And you see the numbers. We had a dramatic increase innein county, and then basically levelling flat, little uptick yesterday. Number of total hospitalizations average. Threeday again, basically flat. Will not take i any of these oneday numbers or threeday numbers as absolute. This is a new reporting place. Sm that was put in so from a statistical point of exactly the know margin of aerror is, with respet citieses status stat citieses is. A s is like stamping out brushfire. You need to run to where the it out there, so we are watching for a spread of downstate new york towards upstate. Henever we see a small fire starting, we jump on it right away. Isolation, etc. , but thats remained fairly constant also good news. But the point that different country have different, quoteunquote, urves, the virus does not hit at the same time at the same rate. Hear about different tates in the country, and when theyre going to hit their apex, when theyre going to hit their top and when theyre going to down, its different all across the country. Its also different across the state. About states king uniform, re homogeneous entities. Ome are more homogeneous than others. When i worked in the federal government i worked in every state. You have a whole variety of states. T this state, we have very ifferent regions within new york. When you say new york people think new york city. Yeah. Places on thesist places on the t globe. You have upstate new york and more cows than people. People dont look at new york that way. When you talk about variety country, we have variety across the state of new york, and you have to watch each those individual curves a when does that region hit high point and where is that, because depending on that curve is how you have to calculate your strategy. Those re looking at curves, how long is the stint up the mountain . And then, how long are we on that plateau . Then, how long is the descent from the lato . Plateau . Western new york, i believe we the plateau. Now the question is, how long are we on the plateau, and is it might it still ascend . Downstate new york, it appears the descent. And the question becomes then, in downstate new york, well, how do we descend . He worst news, and the really ugliest part of my job these thisis telling new yorkers news. Lost seven ty, we hospital deaths yesterday for a total of 125. The state, we lost 481 people. 452 in hospitals. 29 in Nursing Homes. Our , Nursing Homes are central focus and priority for that. Us going through where are we today . Were operating with two rules. First rule is do no harm. Is start to plan the reopening. Is just the reopening that, plan the reopen. Understand, calculate, calibrate it. Done it before. How do you do it, when do you do it . But first rule, do no harm. Paid a tremendous price to get where we are today and make the progress we have made today. A tremendous price to control this beast. Everything. Wn people have worked tirelessly in health care system, the First Responders and the essential workers. Ou showed you can control the beast. Do no harm. Backwards. Thats the first point. And then plan the reopening. Harm, you take a place like erie county, any country or in a tate that is still on the , been hotspot aware of an increased need in this state. What we have said is any need anywhere in this state, the rest of the state will Surge Capacity and equipment and energy to help that part of the state. When downstate upstate needed help, new york was there. You have my word on that. Pressure brings out the best and the worst in people individually. Get to see how persons see a persons response. You get a little snapshot of their character. It is also true of the collective. It is true of society. Move toay we have to help western new york, there will be some places in the state where you hear a voice that says, no, we need to worry about ourselves, we need to take care of us. They are on their own, the way we are on our own. No one is on their own. Family,ne state, one one community. Whatever you need, whatever western knew you new york needs, the rest of the state will be responsive. Hopefully we are on this plateau done the others have the plateau on the other and side of the porto is a dissent plateau is a dissent hopefully, we are on this plateau and on the others have descent. Eau is a ascent, we will deal with it. Are laying off staff. We ended elective surgery, elective treatment therefore people cannot go into the hospital for an elective procedure. In those hospitals and in that part of the state where hospitals are laying off people because they are so quiet and they have that capacity and capacity for the virus is not an issue, we are going to allow elective outpatient treatments, which means the number of beds remain available because the number of people using those beds is still relatively minimal. Those going to take counties that do not have a could need or we their beds in case of a short of a surge. This will not include Rockland Hospitals because we have a real covid problem there. It will not include your account he or Albany County include eerie county or Albany County. On testing, people need to understand this issue because it is going to be determinative and and hasmplicated and been somewhat politicized. Here are the simple facts on testing testing is something that no one would have expected as an issue. Testing, we do in this country and no one really notices. It is a private sector system. When you went to the hospital and the doctor said, you have to have your child checked for this, you go get your blood tested, that was the system. No one imagined the system would system the testing would become hyper relevant to survival and would need a capacity of 20, 50 times what the system was doing. This came out of the blue in many ways. It is one of the many lessons we will learn. How does it work . You have National Companies that are private manufacturers of laboratory equipment. Their piece of equipment can operate their test kits. There are a number of these private sector companies. They make a machine, they sell labs, a network of labs all across the nation. We have 211 labs in new york state. They buy these machines from these National Companies and then they have that machine. Sometimes they buy a number of machines from different manufacturers and now they have a number of different machines. That you gouires back to that manufacturer to get a test kit and reagent that works for that manufacturers machine. It gets very complicated quickly. ,here are different reagents chemicals that you need for each manufacturers test kit and each manufacturers machine. Labs will have bought a number of different machines from a number of different manufacturers. Bige are some of the manufacturers, not all of them. You hear about habits with a new, fast test. With a new, fast test. Manufacturershose you need to have their test kit and they are reagents to operate theirir machine reagents to operate on their machine. When you go to the manufacturers and say, i need you to increase say, i cant. Enough cotton swabs. I cannot get enough vials. I do not have enough materials for my own test kits. is the determiner for test capacity. You are asking a system that normally did around 1000 tests, either way, i need 50,000 tests. They did not anticipate this volume. Manufacturers might have an International Supply chain, so ability to ramp up is what we are all struggling with. In charge ofs administering testing because the 200 labs in new york state are regulated by new york state. Labs. Late the 200 it is only appropriate the state should be in charge of testing in that state. I agree with the federal governments position on that. I have 200 labs. I should come up with the system that says how many tests in island, manhattan, long that is my business. I should be held responsible. I should be held responsible or making sure those 200 labs deployed across the state in a responsible way. Is when thes hard labs i regulate to say, the manufacturers are the problem, then i call the manufacturer into the manufacturer say, this is an international problem. Now where we are at thats where we are at now. I am with my three daughters now. We are watching the news and governor larry hogan comes on the news. Ice chairman of the nga Governor Hogan says, i bought 500 test kits from south korea. Theres a picture of Governor Hogan at the airport with a south korean airliner. 500rnor hogan says, i got test kits from south korea. My daughter turns to me and says, wow, that was really smart. She just looked at me. She didnt say anything more, she didnt have to. A wave of guilt washed over me. My other daughter said, why didnt you think of that dad . Why didnt you think of test kits from south korea . Governor hogan is a better governor. Why didnt i think of buying them from south korea . Why didnt i think about buying them from china . Usually what states are in charge of. That is the peace the federal ce thement the pie federal government can help us with. Let the federal government figure out National Supply issues rather than have 50 states figure out how to be like Governor Hogan and by tests from south korea. Tests from south korea. That is the intelligent distribution of responsibility on testing. The states should take the lead, guess. Partnership take the lead, yes. After you do the testing, states have another big task. Tracers whormy of trace each person who tested positive, who did they make contact with, then isolate those people who they came into contact with. We are going to make reopening decisions on a regional basis, ons facts andregi circumstances. Just like some states will reopen before other states because they have a different circumstance when it comes to covid into their status with their that is true and status with covid, that is true of the state. Central new york has a different situation. We operate as one state, but we have to understand variations and you do want to get this economy open as soon as possible. The situation is radically different in one part of the state than the other part of the state, we will take that into consideration. The same logic that applies to the country applies to some states, this estate where you have those varieties this state where you have those varieties across the state. We have been working on the economy in general across the state where we recognize there is one state, but there are regional economies within the state and we have been working with each individual regional economy. We will do the same thing on this phase. Lets talk about reopening economies in that regional context and coordinated regionally. That is what we are going to be doing. I have said this statewide, but i want all our regional partners to hear us lets not just talk about reopening. How do you use this as an opportunity to learn lessons and build back better . Do. Is what we have to for western new york, we have my partner Lieutenant Governor kathy hopeful who everyone knows is from buffalo. We are going lieutenant hochul whothy everyone knows is from buffalo. Are marshaling resources and a starting work on the reimagining and the reopening plan for western new york. We are also going to ask bob duffy who works with me in the state to volunteer to be a special advisor to coordinate Public Health and reopening in the finger lakes, the rochester area. We have gone through difficult situations before. Western new york, we went through seven feet of snow a couple of years ago. That was fun. We learned from that. 9 11,ate, we went through which was a crushing experience we learned from that. We went through superstorm state sandy and we are better for that. We are going to be better for this. I believe that. It is the hard times in life that actually make you who you are. Enough to intelligent get the message from them. That is what we half to do here. We need to do it individually, we need to do it collectively. What did we learn about ourselves, about the country from this period . You get knocked on your rear end in life. It is going to happen. The question is, do you get up . And if you get up, what kind of person are you . And did you learn from getting knocked on your rear end . Things happen in life. Health issues happen. Bankruptcies happen. You get knocked on your rear end. Ok. Get up. Get up jordan documentary is on tv. I am a big Michael Jordan fan. He does not make the varsity team, Michael Jordan. Got knocked on his rear end. He was disappointed. What did he do . He worked harder, practiced more. Michael jordan. Michael jordan was not just born. The great player that he is. New york, we make ourselves. Greatwar i, world war ii, depression, some of the worst circumstances forged the character of this nation. We have to be smart enough to do the same thing here and we will because we are new york tough. It is easy to be tough, it is hard to be smart, disciplined, unified, and loving. Ut, we are all of the above lets take a few questions. I need to go down to washington and everything is a little tight from a scheduling standpoint. Visit,he white house what do you see the focus being . Gov. Cuomo testing. And hows testing mean can we do it . How can the federal government work in partnership with the states . Look, it is a situation that is very difficult and it is a situation where however you do it, it is going to be a blame game afterwards. I heard the president in his briefing yesterday. He is right. This is one of those thankless tasks, trust me. It is one of those tasks when you get to the end of it, everyone will say, you did not do enough. I get the instinct to distance yourself from it. But it is a situation where you need everyone to Work Together in do need to understand quickly who is in a better position to do what. From my point of view, i think the federal government needs to take the National Manufacturer supply chain issue. God bless Governor Hogan but you should not expect all these governors to run around and do an International Supply chain while they are trying to put together their testing protocol in their state, coordinating their labs, how many tests in albany, coordinate how many tests in buffalo, and then put together an army of tracers. Do not give me guilt and make me look bad to my family and state when Governor Hogan goes to south korea and by tests. Buy tests. Merely symptomatic folks could not get a prescription to get a test. What can the state do to ramp up testing here because this is an area that is left behind. Gov. Cuomo we are testing as a state. We are testing more than any other state in the u. S. , a multiple of states. Any testing per capita than country in the globe. That is what we are doing in new york. , faster thanmore anywhere else. I get the new york attitude. That ismore tests and what we are talking about here. The testing will educate you as you are making your transition to reopening. How do you get across the swamp . Across the morass. Make sure you are on firm footing, then you look for the next stone into the next one and the next one. Testing tells you where the stones are and they it tells you when to pause. That is why you need testing. You need more testing in western new york. You need more in rochester, buffalo, more across the board. That is why i am going to washington. When you head down to the white house today, i think it is fair to say you have had to walk a fine line in your dealings with him. Him, is criticism for praise for him. How are you going to handle this today . Gov. Cuomo life is a fine line. Being in government is a fine line. Everything is a fine line. Tell the truth. Just tell the truth. I said to the president i said that to the president from day one. He has no problem telling me when he disagrees and he tells me when he agrees. I have no problem telling him when i disagree and when i agree. Fine line, you can try and figure it out or just tell the truth whatever it is. Think there has been a lot of iscussion about testing, but dont know that people have really in many ways i think we are talking past each other. I have seen the federal governments point that it is up to the states and i believe it is largely up to the states but even the federal government will stand there and make a whole presentation about all they are doing for testing. It is not really all to the states if fema gets up there and talks about what they are doing about testing. Lets just coordinate hoodoos what. Who does what do you do and what do i do . And what me what i do are you going to do and i am going to ask them to take this piece of this National Manufacturers getting the test swabs andials and chemicals. National manufacturers can feed my 211 labs than the states can take it from there. Thanks again for joining us. This continued frustration over unemployment we have folks calling daily saying that 72 hour window where they were promised a call back has gone come and gone. What can you say to that . What is being done to fix the process . Gov. Cuomo they are right. I will tell you the bad news and the good news the bad news is there were so many unemployment claims that it has collapsed the Unemployment Department system. Their website system, their phone system. Are now1000 people who working on that unemployment website and phone call system. It is unbelievable. Take thele just to incoming unemployment calls. That is how high volume is. They still cant keep up with the volume. There is nothing worse than being unemployed, nervous about a paycheck, then you call for Unemployment Benefits and you cant get through on the phone. I get it. We have 1000 people working on it. We have google working on it. We are trying to bring up a system that did a much lower capacity. This is 100 times never we did before. Whatever we did before. This is the good news you are going to get the same benefit anyway. Its not costing you money. Qualification is retroactive, so you are going to get the same benefits. It is not costing you because you cant make the call today. You will get the benefit, it is just an annoying delay. And believe me, people are working seven days a week on its. I will take one more. Regional as your committees go, have they started meeting yet . What is the timetable on that . What is it going to take for you to say, we have enough data, . Ts open this up. Gov. Cuomo men had an buffalo. Lets use that same regional template. Lets look at the numbers in that region, lets look at the hospitalization rate, are we on the ascen . Descent . The plateau for that region . Then lets be open to making a region by region determination. Look at that region. Who does that . The state working with local governments. There is no ok new committee here. There is no new process. Kathy hochulvernor will not be focusing on that decision. It is the when and the how. I called the governors in all these states to figure out when. Look at the data. Look at the infection rate, look at the hospitalization rate, where are you . Are you on the absent . Ent . Re you on the asc look at the cdc guidelines. The when is data driven. If the question is when do you want to, i wanted yesterday. The focus is not want. Is when wequestion reopen, what did we learn and how do we reimagine western new york be the better for it . What lessons do we want to take forward when we do the reopening . In the reopening, what businesses first . . O we do it by percentages lets talk about that. How, the when and the datadriven on the win, not political pressure on the when. Me, opene yelling at because you dont want to take the political heat. If you cant take the political heat, you shouldnt be in the political kitchen. I have to get to washington. Thank you. There is no state money in that. Do you think that can change by the time they vote on it . Smalluomo i get businesses. I get airlines. How about police . How about fire . How about teachers . We are not going to fund schools . I dont get it. Thank you very much, guys. Lawmakers essay you can start phasing in now. Is now the time . Cspan has roundtheclock coverage of the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic. It is all available on demand at cspan. Org coronavirus. Watch white house briefings, updates from governors, check this bed the spread from the u. S. And around the world unfiltered at cspan. Org coronavirus. Coming up later roy cooper will hold a presser on his states response to the coronavirus. We will have it live at 2 00 eastern time. President trump leads the White House Task force briefing this afternoon scheduled to start at 5 00 eastern. You can watch it live on cspan or