Audio & Rush Transcript: Governor Cuomo Announces New Record-High Number of Covid-19 Tests Reported to New York State

Earlier today, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that 205,466 COVID-19 test results were reported to New York State yesterday—a new record high.

AUDIO of today's remarks is available here.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

Hello guys, guys being gender neutral. I don't know why I have to repeat that every time, but I'm sure the one time I don't repeat it somebody will get snarky. Today is day 265. We did 200,000 tests yesterday; 205,000. That is a new record. Remember, when we first started, we could only do 500 tests a day. That's how far we have come, 205,000 tests.

Overall state positivity with micro-cluster zones, 2.6 down from 2.7. Overall State positivity without micro-cluster zones, 2.15, down from 2.3. Focus zone positivity, 4.5, up from 4.2. Thirty-two New Yorkers passed away from COVID. They're in our thoughts and prayers. 2348 hospitalized; 445 in ICU; 205 intubated. Looking across the State, the highest rate of infection, 4.8 Western New York. Second, Mid-Hudson, 3.8. Third, Central New York, 3.7. Fourth, Finger Lakes, 3.5. Capital Region, 2.2; Long Island, 3.1; Mohawk Valley, 2.5. New York City, 2.5; North Country, 1.8; Southern Tier, 1.1.

To give you an idea, Statewide is 2.9, on the 7-day average. So 2.9 on the 7-day average, 2.6 with the micro-clusters, 2.1 without it. You have to remember the context here because I don't think people appreciate what the numbers mean. I spoke to a number of editorial boards over the past couple of days. It's amazing how they didn't really understand the relative nature of our numbers. 2.9. By Johns Hopkins, only states lower, 2.1 Maine, Hawaii, Vermont. Maine, Hawaii, Vermont. We're still fourth lowest at 2.9. 2.9 is so low and our action levels are so low.

I was on a call with the National Governor's Association and President-elect Biden yesterday. We take action. Our yellow, orange, red zones. New York City is 2.5, yellow. Orange is 3. Red is 4. Upstate, there's a different number because they have less density. Upstate, yellow is like 3 percent. Orange is 4, red is 6. Every state is above those levels. In other words, by those levels every state above New York - except Maine, Hawaii, Vermont - is above those levels. Our standard is one of the tightest standards in the country. California is closing down at like 9 percent so when we talk about our infection rate, we're 2.9, 2.1. That's the fourth lowest in the nation. Oh, we're going to do a yellow zone because the number is high. Yes, but it's lower than any other state in the country. Our yellow zone, our orange zone, every state would be an orange zone, in the country. Every state would be a red zone almost, so we are hyper-conservative if you will on these numbers and I want to make sure New Yorkers understand that.

Our number went up. Yes, our numbers are going up because they're all going up but they are going up from a base which is much lower and they're going up much slower because the strategy and the rules work, and if we maintain the strategy and the rules the numbers will stay low. And will they go up? Yes, but they will go up slowly and if they go up slowly we are fine. We have 2,000-something people in our hospitals. We had 18,000. We are roughly one ninth of where we were.

I was talking to the governors yesterday. You have states which are higher in hospitalizations than they've ever been. You have states that are near the highest levels ever. So the context here is very, very important because I want New Yorkers to have confidence in the rules that we're setting and it's not that the rules are than much more onerous than the other states put in. It's that we trigger them earlier. So no more than 10 people in a private home. It's not just that New York has that rule. Wisconsin has it. Michigan has it. North Carolina has it. Jersey has it. Delaware has it. Massachusetts has it. Connecticut has it. Our rules are not different than other rules. It's just our triggers are much lower than other states but hence our performance is much better than other states. Okay?

So I know it takes more words but just think about that. Our yellow zone, 2.5; our orange zone, 3 percent; our red zone, 4 percent. Almost every state in the nation would be yellow, orange or red by those numbers, which is just incredible when you think about it. Then the question of the day is, "What's going to happen? When do we go into a yellow zone? When do we go into in orange zone? When do we go to a red zone?"

First of all, there is no we. There's no we. There is a micro-cluster approach. What do you mean "we?" Do you mean you or do you mean me? Because it's different. The micro-cluster says, you neighborhood, you community, you region - small region - you decide your own destiny and if you follow the rules, you're fine. If you don't follow the rules, then you're not fine and if you're not fine then the rules change on you but not necessarily the collective. In other words, Brooklyn was a red zone, part of Brooklyn. Those businesses closed. This is targeted to a micro-cluster, so you stop a small flame from growing into a large flame, but it also says individual accountability and individual responsibility. If you, Hollis, Queens, are not following the rules and we make Hollis, Queens the red zone, that's Hollis, Queens. That doesn't affect Nassau, it doesn't affect Astoria, doesn't affect Staten Island. It affects Hollis, Queens. Which means to Hollis, Queens, this is not abstract. This is your block. This is your bagel shop. This is your bus stop. This is your neighbor. Beware. And it doesn't it doesn't put restrictions on places that are following the rules, right? People always say, I follow all the rules, my business follows all the rules, why should I have restrictions? You're right. And the micro-cluster reinforces that because it's that targeted so, if you and your neighbors are acting responsibly, you have a collective vested interest in your local community. I think that accountability helps. I think the targeting of the restriction to locality means there's less economic disruption. You don't closedown all of New York City. No. Staten Island, your numbers are up, so you Staten Island are responsible, and you become a yellow, an orange, or a red zone. Also, on the micro-clusters: it works. It works because we've seen communities go to red zone and then come out. We saw Broome County, by the way, was a dramatic 180. There is an effect to the localization. The areas in Brooklyn, the religious gatherings, there was an effect to the localization. We did targeted enforcement, people understand it's them. It makes a difference. On the question of, so what will happen? It depends on what you do. It depends on what you do, Hollis, it depends on what you do, Astoria, it depends on what you do, Bensonhurst, it depends on what you do, West Side of Manhattan. It depends on what you do. "Well when do you think we'll be in an orange zone?" Well, first of all, I have no crystal ball. And I'm not in the prophecy business. Few prophecies - I can prophesize about Emmy Awards that are upcoming, but besides that, I'm in the prophecy business. It's going to depend on what we do.

I am concerned about Thanksgiving, and I do believe Thanksgiving could have a large impact if people are reckless: Traveling out of state, false sense of security with family, false sense of security being home. Even the CDC now says beware of Thanksgiving. So I am concerned about Thanksgiving and I am concerned about Thanksgiving then moving into the Holiday season, which is a social season. It is the socialization that's a problem. And socialization is human behavior, and human behavior is what this is all about. So we're on guard, but it depends on what we do. And again, with the micro-clusters, it depends on what that locality does.