New York governor Cuomo extends state lockdown till April 29; 600 COVID-19 deaths in a day

As New York - the worst-hit state in the US by the pandemic Coronavirus - saw no large rise in deaths on Monday, its governor Andrew Cuomo has declared that the lockdown in the state is extended till April 29. Moreover, he increased that maximum fine for violations of state-mandated social distancing rules from $500 to $1000. Currently, New York has witnessed 130,689 cases with 4161 deaths till date.

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Cuomo extends lockdown till April 29

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Cuomo: 'Crisis still dire'

In his press briefing on Monday, Cuomo stated that 599 people were reported dead of the coronavirus in New York - the state’s second-highest one-day death toll, according to US news reports. Moreover, Cuomo said that there were continuing signs that the virus is starting to slow inspite of cases rising from 122,031 to 130,689 cases. He added that the data suggested that the spread of the virus in New York is nearing its apex, but the state still was facing an emergency. Incidentally, the governor's brother and CNN News anchor Chris Cuomo too has tested positive for the virus.

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Trump and Cuomo lock horns

Trump who had earlier downplayed Coronavirus's effects - terming it a 'Chinese virus' agreed with Cuomo, saying, "We’re both doing a really great job and we’re coordinating things”. He added that a “hotspot” of virus transmission in New York is “not the fault of anybody”. While Governor Andrew Cuomo had publically appealed the US government to provide 30,000-40,000 ventilators, Trump has rubbished it by saying, "You go into major hospitals sometimes, and they’ll have two ventilators. And now all of a sudden they’re saying, ‘Can we order 30,000 ventilators?’".

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US and Coronavirus

The USA which has overtaken China in the number of positive cases has emerged as the epicenter of the pandemic with 3,36,851 cases and 9,620 deaths, officially overtaking China. While initially, Trump claimed to have the country 'up and running by Easter', he extended its social distancing restrictions till April 30. The White House too has forecasted over 1,00,000- 2,40,00 deaths in the US, after Trump requested PM Modi to lift the ban on export of Hydroxychloroquine - anti-malaria drug.