Coronavirus: New York hospital admission rates for Covid-19 decreasing

'Evidence suggests density control plan may be working,' Governor Andrew Cuomo says

New York state's hospital admission rates for Covid-19 infections have declined over the last three days, suggesting the density control plan could be working.

Governor Andrew Cuomo updated hospitalisation numbers on Wednesday during his daily press briefing.

He offered a glimmer of hopeful news to constituents, saying the hospitalisation rate is now doubling every 4.7 days compared to the rate doubling every two days from data on Sunday.

"Evidence suggests density control plan may be working," Mr Cuomo tweeted during his press conference. After Sunday showed hospitalisations doubling every two days, it then went down to every 3.4 days on Monday. Then Tuesdays numbers showed hospitalisations doubling only ever 4.7 days.

Declining rates in hospitalisations is important because the state, as well as the rest of the country, is concerned with how the Covid-19 pandemic could impact the healthcare system as the novel virus continues to spread.

There are 30,811 cases in New York, up more than 5,000 from yesterday, and 17,856 of these cases are in New York City, Mr Cuomo said on Wednesday.

An update on New York state numbers shows 12 per cent of active Covid-19 cases have been hospitalised for the virus. About 3 per cent of cases are in the ICU, which is the area of main concern for people who become infected because that is where the patients need ventilators.

Even though the rate of hospitalisation is decreasing, there is still concern about how the virus will impact New York hospitals unless the spread is contained.

Mr Cuomo has consistently said there are only 53,000 hospital beds and 3,000 ICU beds currently available. The state has worked to increase its bed numbers by ordering all hospitals increase their capacity by 50 per cent. The state also is receiving beds from FEMA hospitals and the USNS Comfort hospital ship. State dormitories might be transformed to house more patients.

An estimated 140,000 hospital beds will be needed and 40,000 ICU beds, with an apex of infections anticipated in 14 to 21 days.

Ventilators are also a problem in New York.

“Our single greatest challenge are the ventilators," Mr Cuomo said.

The state currently has 4,000 ventilators already at its hospital and has purchased an addition 7,000 to accommodate future patients. Anticipated need for ventilators is about 30,000, so the state is working with the federal government to acquire more.

Mr Cuomo also criticised the US Senate's $2tn stimulus package, calling it a "drop in the bucket" for what the state needs to handle the pandemic.

"(The package) gives us $3.8bn," Mr Cuomo said. "How do you plug a $15bn hole with $3.8bn? You don't."

"It would really be terrible for the state of New York," he added. The governor thought the House stimulus package was better suited for New York because it would give the state about $17bn in emergency funding.