COVID-19 patients on ventilators in New York drop to 'negative' for first time: Governor

COVID-19 patients on ventilators in New York dropped for the first time to a "negative" number since the outbreak began, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Friday, expressing cautious optimism that the state was slowing the infection rate but voiced concern that the number of daily deaths continue to be high.

"We are cautiously optimistic that we are slowing the infection rate," Cuomo said at the daily press briefing on coronavirus.

He said there is a "dramatic decline" in the total number of hospitalisations and "that's obviously very good news".

In another encouraging sign that the state is flattening the curve, Cuomo said, "Change in ICU admissions is actually a negative number for the first time since we started this intense journey. That means there are fewer people in the intensive care unit statewide than they were (on the previous day). And again, that's the first time we've seen a negative number, so that's good."
"The President's answer is the World Health Organisation should have been blowing the whistle. I don't know enough to know if that's right or wrong, but I know the question is right. And sometimes the question is more important than the answer. How did this happen?