Cuomo on COVID-19

Governor Andrew Cuomo held a press briefing today in New York City. Among the information he shared was this map, which shows the current statewide infection rate.

Situated as we are on the border of the Capital Region and Mid-Hudson Region, it is important to note that the infection rate for our region, the Capital Region, is 0.9 percent, whereas the infection rate for the region just south of us, the Mid-Hudson Region, is 2.0 percent, currently the highest in the state.

Cuomo also talked about a future vaccine for COVID-19 and people's uncertainty about its safety and efficacy. He announced that he had formed a Clinical Advisory Task Force for the State of New York to review the FDA data and protocols and confirm if a vaccine approved by the FDA is indeed safe. The task force is made up of the following people:

Charles M. Rice, Ph.D., The Rockefeller University

Scott H. Hammer, MD, New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center

Aldofo Garcia-Sastre, PH.D., Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Sharon Nachman, MD, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University

Kelvin Lee, MD, Roswell Park

Bruce Farber, MD, Northwell Health

Shawneequa Callier, MA, JD, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences 

Cuomo stated his resolve to make New York the first COVID-free state in the country. He also noted that Donald Trump's response to New York's plan to do its own review and approval of a vaccine was to threaten to put New York last on the list to receive the vaccine. 

Cuomo's message to Trump: "Don't threaten New York."

You can view the entire press briefing here.

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