Two-thirds of New Yorkers hospitalized with the coronavirus were admitted from their homes, a “shocking” statistic that defies social-distancing logic, Gov. Andrew Cuomo…
Two-thirds of New Yorkers hospitalized with the coronavirus were admitted from their homes, a “shocking” statistic that defies social-distancing logic, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday.
The curious conclusion was reached in a three-day survey of patients hospitalized with the bug conducted this week, and revealed by Cuomo during his daily press briefing.
“Sixty-six percent of the people were at home, which is shocking to us,” said Cuomo.
The same survey found that 46 percent were unemployed, and 37 percent retired.
“So, that says they’re not working, they’re not traveling,” said Cuomo. “These people were literally at home.”
Despite the twist, Cuomo doubled down on his calls for social-distancing and personal responsibility, especially as hospitalizations and deaths continue to trend in the right direction.
“It reinforces what we’ve been saying, which is, much of this comes down to what you do to protect yourself,” Cuomo told reporters at a Long Island hospital. “Everything is closed down, government has done everything it could, society has done everything it could.”
“Now it’s up to you. Are you wearing a mask? Are you doing the hand sanitizer,” he continued. “If you have younger people who are visiting you and maybe be out there and maybe less diligent with the social distancing — are you staying away from older people?”
And only about 4 percent of respondents — 3 percent among city residents — listed public transportation as their primary way of getting around, though Cuomo noted that 45 percent didn’t respond to that question.
