NEW YORK: The official death toll from the coronavirus soared in New York City on Tuesday after health authorities began listing people who likely had Covid-19, but died without being examined.
Authorities reported 3,778 "probable" deaths, where doctors were sufficiently certain of the cause of death to include it on the death certificate, and 6,589 confirmed by laboratory testing. Combined, that would put the total death toll in the city above 10,000.
The change in the city's accounting for deaths came after authorities recognized that statistics based only on laboratory-confirmed tests did not account for many people dying at home before reaching a hospital or even seeking treatment. .
"Behind every death is a friend, a family member, a loved one. We are focused on ensuring that every New Yorker who died from Covid-19 is counted," said Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot.
"While these data reflect the tragic impact the virus has had on our city, they will also help us determine the scale and scope of the epidemic and guide us in our decisions." New Yorkers continue to die at a disconcerting rate even when the number of patients in hospitals has stabilized.
Earlier Tuesday, authorities said 778 deaths were reported Monday across the state, bringing the New York total to more than 10,800. However, that number did not take into account the probable deaths now being counted in New York City.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo criticized President Donald Trump's claim of "total" authority to reopen the nation's virus-stagnant economy, and said Tuesday that he spoke more like a king than a president.
The Democratic governor criticized Trump's statement on Monday that "when someone is president of the United States, authority is total." "His proclamation is that he would be a king, that is a king," Cuomo said in his daily briefing. "A king has full authority. That statement cannot be sustained."
The Republican president made his comments after Cuomo and the governors of both coasts announced multistate pacts to coordinate the reopening of society amid the global pandemic.
Cuomo said restarting the economy must be done cautiously, or the hard-earned gains from last month could be quickly lost.
Authorities reported 3,778 "probable" deaths, where doctors were sufficiently certain of the cause of death to include it on the death certificate, and 6,589 confirmed by laboratory testing. Combined, that would put the total death toll in the city above 10,000.
The change in the city's accounting for deaths came after authorities recognized that statistics based only on laboratory-confirmed tests did not account for many people dying at home before reaching a hospital or even seeking treatment. .
"Behind every death is a friend, a family member, a loved one. We are focused on ensuring that every New Yorker who died from Covid-19 is counted," said Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot.
"While these data reflect the tragic impact the virus has had on our city, they will also help us determine the scale and scope of the epidemic and guide us in our decisions." New Yorkers continue to die at a disconcerting rate even when the number of patients in hospitals has stabilized.
Earlier Tuesday, authorities said 778 deaths were reported Monday across the state, bringing the New York total to more than 10,800. However, that number did not take into account the probable deaths now being counted in New York City.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo criticized President Donald Trump's claim of "total" authority to reopen the nation's virus-stagnant economy, and said Tuesday that he spoke more like a king than a president.
The Democratic governor criticized Trump's statement on Monday that "when someone is president of the United States, authority is total." "His proclamation is that he would be a king, that is a king," Cuomo said in his daily briefing. "A king has full authority. That statement cannot be sustained."
The Republican president made his comments after Cuomo and the governors of both coasts announced multistate pacts to coordinate the reopening of society amid the global pandemic.
Cuomo said restarting the economy must be done cautiously, or the hard-earned gains from last month could be quickly lost.
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