Governor Cuomo: "It's not fighting the last war, it's fighting the next war. The next war is going to be overwhelming our hospital systems. You look at any of these projections and you see that coming. When you see that chart of the curve, I see it as a wave and the wave is going to break on the hospital system. We don't have the capacity as a state to build more hospitals quickly. The only way would be if the Army Corps of Engineers came in, worked with the states to retrofit existing buildings. Take my college dorms. Take my surplus property and retrofit it for more hospital beds, because, George, that is going to be the need.
Cuomo: "Only the federal government can build. It's the Army Corps of Engineers, that's what they do. Let them come in today, today, because time is short, and this federal government has to get more engaged. There's been no country that has handled this that has not nationalized it. You just did a piece on all the different things different states are doing. This patchwork quilt of policies doesn't work."
Cuomo: "I closed the schools yesterday. New York city, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester, the main density of our cases, but I closed them with the condition that those local governments come up with a child care plan, because again, if you follow the reasoning I laid out, your crisis is in the hospitals. You must have a child care program and a food program because many students get their food as you know from their schools."
Earlier today, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo was a guest on ABC's Good Morning America to discuss New York's latest measures to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus.
AUDIO is available here.
A rush transcript of the Governor's interview is available below:
George Stephanopoulos: Let's bring in New York Governor Andrew Cuomo now. Governor, thank you for joining us. I know it's been a trying time. Let's start with this hospital situation. You've warned that the hospitals in New York and across the country could be overwhelmed and think it's time to call in the military?
Governor Cuomo: Yes, good morning. Good to be with you, George. Look, we have been behind this disease from day one. We saw the disease developing in China back in November. We weren't ready for it, and we've been playing catchup ever since. You have to get ahead of this, right? It's not fighting the last war, it's fighting the next war. The next war is going to be overwhelming our hospital systems. You look at any of these projections and you see that coming. When you see that chart of the curve, I see it as a wave and the wave is going to break on the hospital system. We don't have the capacity as a state to build more hospitals quickly. The only way would be if the Army Corps of Engineers came in, worked with the states to retrofit existing buildings. Take my college dorms. Take my surplus property and retrofit it for more hospital beds, because, George, that is going to be the need.
George Stephanopoulos: I know you've spoken with the President about this. Has he accepted your argument?
Governor Cuomo: We've talked. I sent an open letter to him yesterday. I did talk to him about the testing which was going very slow and Isaid let the federal government get out of the testing business and allow the states to take it over. He allowed us to take over the testing, and we've made great progress on the testing. But again, that was yesterday. Tomorrow is going to be the wave breaking on the hospitals. Now, just to give you an idea, the state of New York, major health care system, I only have 50,000 hospital beds. I only have 3,000 intensive care unit beds, and these people are going to need the intensive care unit beds. The only hope we have now at this late date, retrofit existing facilities. Get some of the people from the hospitals into those new medical facilities and then back fill the hospital beds with the coronavirus.States can't build, George, as you know. Only the federal government can build. It's the Army Corps of Engineers, that's what they do. Letthem come in today, today, because time is short, and this federal government has to get more engaged. There's been no country that has handled this that has not nationalized it. You just did a piece on all the different things different states are doing. This patchwork quilt of policies doesn't work. It makes no sense for me to do something in New York and New Jersey to do something else. I close the bars, they go to New Jersey.
George Stephanopoulos: Is this new federal standard enough that basically no gatherings of 50 or more for eight weeks?
Governor Cuomo: George, no. You need the specific rules. Just take that litany that you went through. Every state cannot come up with its own rules. You'll just have people going from state to state. If I say you can't go to a bar in New York, you know you'll go to New Jersey, you'll go to Connecticut, you'll go to wherever you can be served. That's the last thing we want. Set the national standards and let's live with them. Otherwise, again, you come up with this ad hoc system that's not going to work.
George Stephanopoulos: I know you were reluctant to close the schools, especially because of concerns about child care and student meals, but the schools are closed right now. Have those issues been resolved?
Governor Cuomo: Well, I closed the schools yesterday. New York city, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester, the main density of our cases, but I closed them with the condition that those local governments come up with a child care plan, because again, if you follow the reasoning I laid out, your crisis is in the hospitals. That is what is going to happen. The crisis of hospital capacity - you close schools, nurses don't come to work. Health care workers don't come to work. Now you have a real problem. So, I never had an issue with closing the schools, but I want to make sure and I demanded New York City, Westchester, Rockland, Nassau, Suffolk - I 'm closing the schools. You must have a child care program and a food program because many students get their food as you know from their schools.
George Stephanopoulos: That is so important. Okay, Governor, thank you for your time this morning.
Governor Cuomo: Thank you.
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