Amid Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, Governor Cuomo Announces Schmidt Futures Will Help Integrate NYS Practices and Systems with Best Advanced Technology Tools to Build Back Better

Eric Schmidt Will Lead 15-Member Commission and Use What the State Has Learned During COVID-19 Pandemic, Combined with New Technologies, to Improve Telehealth and Broadband Systems Across the State

Outlines Results of New Hospitalization Data to Further Reduce Number of New Hospitalizations per Day

JetBlue is Donating 100,000 Pairs of Round-Trip Flights for Medical Personnel and Nurses

Confirms 2,786 Additional Coronavirus Cases in New York State - Bringing Statewide Total to 323,978; New Cases in 45 Counties

Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that Schmidt Futures will help integrate New York State practices and systems with the best advanced technology tools to build back better. Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO and Executive Chairman and founder of Schmidt Futures, will lead the state's 15-member Blue Ribbon Commission and use what the state has learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with new technologies, to improve telehealth and broadband access.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/0q2Swn_jb6s

Audio Photos

The Governor also outlined the results of new hospitalization data that was collected from hospitals in a new targeted effort to further reduce the number of new hospitalizations per day. The state received 1,269 survey responses from 113 hospitals over three days and found that the majority of individuals were:

Not working or traveling;
Predominately located downstate;
Predominately minorities and older individuals;
Predominately non-essential employees; and
Predominately at home.

We're working with some of the nation's great business leaders to ensure we are thinking outside the box and improving and modernizing our systems for the future.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

The Governor also announced that JetBlue is donating 100,000 pairs of round-trip flights for medical personnel and nurses to honor their efforts, beginning with 10,000 pairs of tickets for New York medical professionals. Additionally, three painted JetBlue planes honoring New York's frontline workers will do a flyover above New York City on Thursday, May 7th, at 7:00 p.m.

"As we begin re-opening parts of the state and re-imagining New York in the new normal, we should take this moment in history to use what we've learned and actually build our systems back better," Governor Cuomo said. "I don't want to replace what we did - I want to set the bar higher and actually improve our situation so we are prepared for the future. We're working with some of the nation's great business leaders to ensure we are thinking outside the box and improving and modernizing our systems for the future."

Governor Cuomo Announces Schmidt Futures Will Help Integrate NYS Practices and Systems with Best Advanced Technology Tools to Build Back Better

Finally, the Governor confirmed 2,786 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 323,978 confirmed cases in New York State. Of the 323,978 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows:

County	Total Positive	New Positive
Albany	1,321	27
Allegany	35	0
Broome	345	7
Cattaraugus	54	1
Cayuga	51	0
Chautauqua	38	1
Chemung	128	2
Chenango	102	2
Clinton	69	0
Columbia	291	62
Cortland	28	0
Delaware	62	0
Dutchess	3,192	41
Erie	4,008	117
Essex	30	0
Franklin	16	0
Fulton	100	3
Genesee	162	3
Greene	188	22
Hamilton	5	2
Herkimer	68	1
Jefferson	63	0
Lewis	9	0
Livingston	89	3
Madison	231	8
Monroe	1,655	32
Montgomery	63	2
Nassau	37,350	198
Niagara	549	41
NYC	178,351	1,477
Oneida	579	5
Onondaga	1,056	54
Ontario	99	2
Orange	9,215	71
Orleans	103	4
Oswego	70	2
Otsego	67	0
Putnam	1,040	9
Rensselaer	347	8
Rockland	12,204	60
Saratoga	371	3
Schenectady	551	14
Schoharie	45	0
Schuyler	7	0
Seneca	46	0
St. Lawrence	180	2
Steuben	223	2
Suffolk	35,543	268
Sullivan	996	12
Tioga	96	4
Tompkins	129	0
Ulster	1,383	26
Warren	193	1
Washington	189	1
Wayne	78	0
Westchester	30,426	186
Wyoming	70	0
Yates	19	0