March 24 coronavirus news

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo criticized the federal response to coronavirus, saying the Federal Emergency Management Agency sent the state 400 ventilators — but they need 30,000.

"FEMA says, 'we're sending 400 ventilators.' Really? What am I going to do with 400 ventilators, when I need 30,000?" Cuomo asked asked at a news conference.

Throughout his news conference, Cuomo brought up the 400 ventilators New York recieved from FEMA.

"Four hundred ventilators? I need 30,000 ventilators. You want a pat on the back for sending 400 ventilators?" He said earlier. "What are we going to do with 400 ventilators when we need 30,000 ventilators? You're missing the magnitude of the problem, and the problem is defined by the magnitude."

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said federal coronavirus resources should be given to his state first and then be allocated to other states in the country.

New York is the most in need, he said, as there are now 25,000 coronavirus cases.

After the peak in New York passes, Cuomo says ventilators should be deployed to other states. 

“I will take personal responsibility for transporting the 20,000 ventilators anywhere in this country that they want once we are past our apex,” he says. "I'll send ventilators, I'll send health care workers, I'll send our professionals who dealt with it and who know all around the country. And that's how this should be done."

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There are at least 25,665 cases across the state, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said, underscoring his point that the federal government should send what it has in its ventilator stockpile to New York.

Cuomo noted that New York has the highest and the greatest rate of infection — but it’s only a matter of time it that apex moves to other parts of the countries.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said New York's greatest critical need is ventilators to treat "people who will have acute needs" and those "under respiratory distress" from coronavirus.

He said the state has procured 7,000, but needs at a minimum another 30,000 — and he needs them in 14 days. Ventilators will "make the difference between life and death" for some patients, Cuomo said.

He said New York is "scouring the globe" for ventilators and has resorted to trying experimental procedure where they split the ventilators between two patients because "we have no alternative."

Cuomo said the only way we can obtain these ventilators is through the federal government. He went on to criticize President Trump for not enacting the Defense Production Act to ramp up the number of ventilators that can be made available to New York. To not use federal powers to get ventilators to New York is “inexplicable,” he said.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state needs 140,000 beds for expected coronavirus patients.

Officials will consider using college dorms and hotels to meet the demand, he said. 

Cuomo added that he wants to enlist a backup reserve staff for health care workers, including retirees.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ordered a 21-day nationwide lockdown starting at midnight Wednesday. 

All of India's 36 states and territories will be under a complete lockdown in a bid to tackle the spread of coronavirus.

 Here's how Modi explained it on a televised address:

"I request you to remain wherever you are in this country. In view of the current situation, the lockdown shall be enforced for 21 days, which means the next 21 days are crucial for us,” Modi continued.

These are the essential services that will be operational:

All shops, commercial establishments, factories, workshops, offices, markets and places of worship will be closed. Interstate buses and metros will be suspended. Construction activity will also be on a halt during this period.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the apex of the coronavirus will be "higher" and "sooner" than experts anticipated — and it could be two or three weeks away.

"We haven’t flattened the curve," he said at a news conference. "The apex is higher than we though and the apex is sooner than we thought. That is a bad combination of facts."

New York revised its estimated needs to 140,000 hospital beds and 40,000 ICU beds.

Currently, the state has 53,000 hospital beds, he said.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said "the rate of increase has gone up" when it comes to new coronavirus cases across the state.

He said that new infections are "doubling about every three days," which he called a "dramatic increase in the rate of infections."

On the rate of infections in the state, Cuomo said, "We're not slowing it, and it is accelerating on its own."

He said that, based on what experts are telling him, the new projection for hospital capacity is "as high as 140,000" hospital beds in the state to treat cases.

US chef Tom Colicchio said he thinks three in four of restaurants won’t be able to rebound after the coronavirus. 

Colicchio, a “Top Chef” judge, said “direct income replacement” is required to stop the bleeding of the restaurant industry, and he hopes to see it in a government stimulus bill.  

Some context: The United States restaurant industry employs more than 15 million people, and about 70% of restaurants are small and independent.

The National Restaurant Association wrote a letter last week to President Trump and senior federal lawmakers, seeking $325 billion in aid.

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