Cuomo: New York Almost Has ‘Too Much Good News’ About COVID-19

Gov. Andrew Cuomo shared "great, great news" about COVID-19 in New York but said the "federal government is making a mistake."

Cuomo said 17 people died on Tuesday from COVID-19, marking a new low. The 3-day death average of 22 deaths per day, also sets another new record low.

"The only way I'd feel better is if that number becomes 0. But this is great, great news, compared to where we've been," Cuomo said on Wednesday during his COVID briefing. "We mourn those we lost. But we are thankful this is the lowest number since the pandemic began."

On Tuesday, nearly 60,000 COVID-19 tests were completed across the state with less than 1 percent testing positive.

"We almost have too much good news. That's the lowest percent positive since we started. That's one of the lowest levels in the United States. We went from the worst infection rate to the best infection rate in the country," he said. "We now have the lowest rate of transmission. Just think what the people of this state accomplished."

Cuomo went on to say the numbers in New York proves the federal government is making a mistake on how it's advising other states on reopening.

"This federal government is making a mistake in the way it is handling this COVID crisis and how it is advising the people of this state and this nation," he said. "The numbers don't lie. You have 20 states where the COVID virus is increasing. The states without the smart reopening. That is a fact. If those states are going up, they could spread the virus to New York."

Cuomo said it's not an accurate statement to blame the increase in positive COVID-19 cases in other states because of more testing.

"People walking into the hospitals are going up, which by definition means more people are getting sick," he said.

Cuomo said a White House COVID-19 model has increased the project number of deaths by 90,000 in a matter of months.

"When the virus goes up, the financial market goes down. When the virus spread goes up, people get more nervous and less confident about the government," he added.

The governor added the Hudson Valley is on track to enter Phase 3 on Tuesday and Long Island on Wednesday. New York City is on track to enter Phase 2 on Monday.

Cuomo will sign an executive order to make June 19 a holiday for state employees and he hopes to make it a statewide holiday by next year.

"I will advance legislation to make it an official state holiday next year," Cuomo said.