Coronavirus Restriction On Elective Surgeries Easing Up In Some New York Counties
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Patients who had their elective surgeries canceled by the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in New York State will soon have their chance to reschedule and get their procedures done.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday hospitals would be allowed to resume such elective surgeries only in counties where there is less concern about a COVID-19 surge, mainly those upstate. Most counties downstate will remain focused on emergency cases and COVID-19 patients.
"When you cancel elective surgeries, hospitals feel the financial pinch because that's where they make their money," said Cuomo.
The list of counties allowing elective surgeries to resume includes the following: Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chenango, Delaware, Dutchess, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orleans, Oswego, Putnam, Saratoga, Schoharie, Schuyler, St. Lawrence, Steuben, Sullivan, Tompkins, Ulster, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates.
"We've been worried about frontline workers, because they are the heroes who are out there every day so everybody else can stay home," said Murphy.
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The daily death rate from coronavirus-related illness has slowed but remains flat, with 330 people dying in the past 24 hours due to coronavirus-related illness.
Most of the state's medical services have been prioritized toward coronavirus contact tracking and COVID-19 treatments.
Cuomo noted the state is up to 30,000 tests a day, still short of his goal but significantly more than most other countries. Per 100,000 people, New York is doing dianostic testing on 154 a day compared to 95 per day in Italy, 69 in Canada and ever the United States average of 61 per day.
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In addition to increased testing, the state's antibody study has found positive results in 17.1% of FDNY/EMT workers, 10.5% in NYPD officers and staff and about 18% on average across the general downstate population.
Testing of transit workers was also starting Monday, said Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
"The people drive the buses the subways and clean the buses in the subways, without those buses and subways, the essential workers couldn't get to work," said Cuomo. "Why didn't we just close down subways and buses? Because you close down the subways and the buses in New York City, don't expect the nurses and the doctors to be able to get to the hospital. Don't expect the delivery worker to be able to deliver food when you ring on your telephone."
