April 19 coronavirus news

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a news conference today that even though the number of coronavirus cases is growing, the state has less people in the hospital and less people using ventilators.

He also said the number of deaths “is a lagging indicator” and “it still appears that we are trending in a good direction and that’s a good thing.”

The state reported 348 new cases of Covid-19 which brings the total to 23,928. There were 29 new deaths which brings the total number of deaths in Louisiana to 1,296, Edwards said.

“We’re in much, much better place today than we thought we were going to be,” Edwards said, adding that Louisiana citizens are taking the stay at home order seriously and sticking to social distancing guidelines.

Edwards doesn’t think life will go back to normal until there is a vaccine for coronavirus, but they will take some steps in the meantime.

“As always, I want to remind everyone that it’s going to take all of us working together and for some period of time to defeat this virus, get back to life as normal,” Edwards said. “We’re not going to see that for a while and I suspect we won’t fully see it until after there’s a vaccine that’s administered to the entire population.”

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the number of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations is "purely contingent on what we do" and reopening the economy too quickly without a specific plan could cause the numbers to increase again.

"We can control the beast. Yes, but the beast is still alive. We did not kill the beast –– and the beast can rise up again," Cuomo added.

On antibody testing: Cuomo said said the FDA has approved the state's antibody tests.

“Now that we have the approved test we’re going to be rolling it out to do the largest survey of any state population that has been done,” he said.

Cuomo said the state can conduct 2,000 antibody tests per day, or about 14,000 per week. He mentioned that while this sounds like a large number, it is only a small percentage of New York's population of more than 19 million people.

Cuomo said this is the first real statistical number on exactly “where we are as a population,” and will provide a true “baseline.”

“We have not had hard data on where we are," Cuomo said.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer responded to criticism about how detailed and specific the state's stay-home orders.

The democratic governor extended Michigan’s stay-home order through April 30. The stringent order includes restrictions like prohibiting most people from traveling between residences unless they're taking care of a relative or dropping off a child.

When asked whether Michigan has enough tests, Whitmer said, “governors are doing the best we can with what we got. We could use some assistance to make sure the supply chain issues are addressed and we can do the robust testing that every epidemiologist in our country tells you is essential as we prepare to think about reengaging sectors of our economy.”

Some context: Whitmer said Michigan has the third highest death count in the country and is the 10th largest state, she told CNN.

“This means we have a uniquely hard issue here because it’s disproportionately hurting our state and that’s why we need to take a uniquely aggressive action to protect people," she said.

New York state will undertake the “most aggressive” statewide antibody testing survey in the nation over the next week, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Cuomo said they will sample thousands of people across the state to find out if they have antibodies.

“That will tell us for the first time what percent of the population actually has had the coronavirus and is now at least short term immune to the virus," he said.

The New York State Department of Health will be running the tests over the next week.

The state will have to work with the White House to assist with the supply chain and coordinate private labs, Cuomo said.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said "this is only halftime" in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic in New York.

The governor said at his daily press conference today that the battle has not been won yet and any plan to reopen the economy has to be based on data and testing.

Cuomo said New York needs to learn from this experience and focus on rebuilding.

Cuomo said the second phase of the state's plan to reopen the economy will require New Yorkers to do no harm, be smarter and develop new testing and learn the lessons to build back better.

Cuomo also thanked the 95,000 medical professionals from inside and outside the state that have helped with coronavirus response efforts, saying it reminds him of the help the state received after 9/11.

He said just as it did then, the support gives us “confidence” that “were not in it alone.”

Cuomo has spoken to Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and told him that if they have to scramble, New York is going to “be there for you.”

New York has identified 400 ventilators to bring over to Massachusetts “on 24 hours notice” should they need it, Cuomo said.

There are 507 New Yorkers who have died due to coronavirus across the state over the past 24 hours, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Nursing homes continue to be a source of "really disturbing situations," Cuomo said today during a news conference.  

At least 540 people died Friday in New York, the governor said as a news conference yesterday.

Speaking today at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo shared Sunday that hospitalizations across the state are on the decline.

Cuomo added: "If the data holds and if this trend holds, we are past the high point and all indications at this point is that we are on the descent. Whether or not the descent continues depends on what we do but right now we're on the descent."

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNN that he thinks it will only be months, not years, before the US economy recovers from the impact of the coronavirus.

Mnuchin said that once the economy reopens he believes there will be a “big rebound.”

Some economists are very skeptical of any claims of a quick economic recovery.

United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson has “absolutely been leading our nation’s effort to combat the coronavirus” since the moment “it became clear that there were challenges in terms of coronavirus developing in China,” Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said at the Downing Street press conference Sunday.

In response to a question over Johnson’s lack of attendance at five Cobra meetings in January and February, Williamson said Johnson has been “making sure that resources and money is not an issue or concern for any department, especially for health services." Cobra refers to interdepartmental government meetings called in times of crisis.

Johnson first chaired a coronavirus Cobra meeting on March 2.

“But the focus that the prime minister was putting on this, and has continued to put on this, has meant that this is the whole government effort,” he added.

Williamson responded to criticism about the government’s response to acquiring personal protective equipment (PPE). He said the government has been trying to secure PPE “from the first moment” scientific advice highlighted “we were facing a real challenge in terms of the coronavirus."

“What we have seen over the last few months is an enormous effort – it’s a national effort, but also an international effort to secure PPE from right around the globe,” he added.