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New York Governor Andrew Cuomo Gives Update On Coronavirus Response; CNN's Chris Cuomo Quarantined At Home With Coronavirus; New York Governor Andrew Cuomo: Number Of People Discharged From Hospital Is Way Up; New York Governor Andrew Cuomo: 1,157 New Patients Hospitalized In Last 24 Hours; Experts Tell White House Virus Can Spread Through Talking, Breathing. Aired 12-12:30p ET

Aired April 02, 2020 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[12:00:00]

GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): And he was up and spry and much as normal self. I invited him to join us for couple of minutes if he was up to it this morning.

And I think he said he was in a position to join us. And I asked him to join us in video if he's available. There he is with his hat "Cuomo Primetime" say hello to him at there. I saw it, I saw it was optimist. You're looking--

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST: Let's get after it.

GOV. CUOMO: Let's get after it, I love that saying. You are looking fit and fine. Many people are asking about you. I tell you the truth, everyone I talk to is asking about you and how you are doing and how you are handling it? And how you feel?

Cara is here by the way, she is working with me now. She is working on supplies, she says hello. How are you feeling?

CUOMO: I love Cara, you have great kids. There is no better way to measure what you've actually meant in the world and gets us to it and with God is great. And I am not surprised that they help make me proud of defending. Thank God in next generation - I'm doing pretty well.

All things considered, this is very tough. I get it now. I now become part of this room of people having this virus and they're reaching out with friends and people who are new friends. They have this five, eight and ten day's constant virus constant fever and it is tough.

It is not going great with hair. I have to be honest. It's tough hair where I wanted to what you would like you've been cutting your own hair which so many people good at some people are not. So I've chosen to wear a hat because I don't want to put here my own hair cut.

But it is going to be a long swap. Now that I'm going to fight the immune port I'm more comfortable and I've learned that I see why it takes people out we got to rest because your body has the steeper because it is fighting the virus. And you've got to chill, I'm very lucky I have a wife who loves me who is keeping me fair. I got a nice place to be some where people don't, you've been very smart and for them getting people to think about how they can reach out and help people without contact.

A lot of people are fighting this alone. And I can't imagine that, I can't barely you know keep forgetting I've everything done for me very lucky. I'll go to a lot of people who were in a bad way and they're reaching out and I feel for them. So we're in a real fight and we really do have to remember our connections to each other.

GOV. CUOMO: You are on what you're on day two?

CUOMO: Yes, I really believe that it didn't spark until I got the diagnoses may be because - or whatever by tonight I got hit - and those dry coughs. It was like riggers it was alright GRS but it was like out of a movie.

I will tell you I had hallucination I was in - you came to me and it ring you had an on a very interesting L.A. outfit and you were dancing in the dream and you were waving a wand and saying "I wish I could wave my wand and make this go away" and then you spun around and you danced away.

GOV. CUOMO: Well, that's a lot of metaphoric reality. I thank you for sharing that with us. It was kind of you. Obviously it has--

CUOMO: Can't get that big shot of my head.

GOV. CUOMO: How has the fever affected your mental capacity?

CUOMO: Thinking alone all the time I think everything I say is problem to me.

GOV. CUOMO: So you still have a fever today?

CUOMO: I have a fever right this instant Governor.

GOV. CUOMO: Really? Well, you look good. I have to tell you comparatively, you look good.

CUOMO: Well, first of all, I appreciate that. I must point out to your audience that you expressed concerned about how I look - several times and you didn't like my hair and you thought that I was giving the bad look of survival of the virus.

GOV. CUOMO: No look--

CUOMO: I think I am doing okay.

CUOMO: Good. You look good and you sound good. I know that sometimes we joke and we are not going to do that today. The rule one is never hit a brother when he's down. You are literally in the basement. So I am going to reframe from any rebuttal today.

CUOMO: I don't know. This is probably the best experience because when I am healthy, you know what happens - so really if I were you, now is the time to strike.

[12:05:00]

GOV. CUOMO: Yes, but see that's the case--

CUOMO: You may get sick but I would come for it now. I am not going to forget all the jokes created by my friend, that is going to put to you in --. Not really it is my fever.

GOV. CUOMO: I know look Chris I have no doubt that you would hit me when I am down. That's the difference between us and that is my point. That's not who I am. I haven't made any jokes. It was not a joke.

Some people misinterpreted what I said. I said that I was going to send you a book because I know you are just walking around the basement there. I was going to send you a book on beginner's guide to start bass fishing. But that is only because you know you normally fish for - and it is totally different to fish with stripe bass. I was never saying anything that was in any way offensive.

CUOMO: Well, I appreciate what I like to learn. I love to fish with you it is one of my favorite things to do. You are the only person I've ever known fishes in all white because you have no expectation of getting any kinds of fish or any type of substance I'll do it anytime we would fish which has been great training for the virus. You've lid this - existence pretty much the entire time I've known.

GOV. CUOMO: Yes. I believe you can fish and still stay neat and clean. I'll tell you this--

CUOMO: I'll love these - I think you should have one every day.

GOV. CUOMO: Yes, I have been. I know you have been noted. Yes.

CUOMO: Oh yes, sorry.

GOV. CUOMO: Yes, I certainly like the way you have a show. Yes I do agree. You have "Cuomo Primetime" I have Cuomo all the time that is the difference. It is a good looking hat. And one hour a day, I work 23 hours that's like the mathematical balance.

CUOMO: You have to stay that's your job.

GOV. CUOMO: Yes, that's my job. I do believe this is going to be a great public service in an ironic way. People are curious about Coronavirus what does it mean? What happens if I get one who gets the virus?

You are living it and showing it and doing it and doing the show and reporting on how you feel? Reporting on what you are doing? I think it really takes to demystifies this. It takes a lot of the unknown out of the equation.

And I know it is a terrible unfortunate circumstance for you but think about a journalistic point of view, or a public service point of you, you are answering questions for millions of Americans. If I get it, what happens? What do I do? What do I look like? How about my family?

By the way the best news is thank God your family does not show any symptoms and not - because if your wife had any symptoms, you would be in the basement for a lot longer than this virus would keep you in the basement, my brother.

CUOMO: Let me tell you I don't know how I would pull that. I have always been emotionally depended on my wife. But now I don't need without for Steven. The kids won't come near me.

GOV. CUOMO: Yes.

CUOMO: But don't only do stay on this. I had the trick of - take a picture with them.

GOV. CUOMO: Is that a relationship issue or is it like a K-9 instinct issue over there?

CUOMO: I think they you know people didn't strive almost. They are like they go it - doesn't mean going with them and they are keeping distance and I got face time-time alerts every once in a while I get a text message. They all are very proud of you and what you're doing.

I know how hard this is for you? I know how it is frustrating when you can't control what you need and you know what you need and you know how important it is and you can't get it. That's very tough and o I have watched it in real time with you.

And I can tell people of course I am your brother I will never be objective about you, you are my favorite guy. But I have never seen you work harder than now and I have never seen you have this kind of desperation to source equipment and you are drawn in from everybody you known.

And you have done everything you can to stay positive with the Federal Government and that's so important right now. And you're doing everything you can unfortunately look what's one of the big lessons in life that Pope always used to tell us?

Certain things are not going to be able to control certain things are going to happen. This virus is one of them. It happens and it is going to run its course. You guys can't put a number on it. I know there is huge temptation to do it. I know you are using the models.

I talked to Dr. Fauci and all the different experts, people want timing. But we got to be realistic we don't know how long it is going to last? We only know what we control which is staying away from one another and if we do that well, things will go better.

[12:10:00]

CUOMO: But sometimes in life you got to ride it out and where one of those experiences now. People will remember this period may be more than any other periods in their all lives. People will be remembered how they step up right now and what they did and what they did not? And I am very proud of you my big brother. GOV. CUOMO: Yes. Well look, I have said at this briefing you know this is a transformative moment for the state for the country I believe that. I also believe it's a moment where you really see what people are made off when the pressure is on, that's when you see all the cracks and you see all the strengths.

It is nice and easy to be nice when everything is nice. When the pressure is really on and for you when they told you, you tested positive, you know, a lot of people instincts would have been to get in bed and pull the covers over your head and just lay there.

For you to get up and do that show and share with people, that's a strength and a character's strength that's really incredible. And you know we joke a lot but the strength that you show here and the dedication to journalism and your skills and your ability to make this okay for people and communicate it.

You can do the Coronavirus and have the Coronavirus but you know life goes on. I have been saying a thousand times, 80 percent of the people get it and they'll self-resolve. You are showing that. Not many people would have stood up the way you have stood up.

I have always been proud of you. You know that on a basic level. I don't need to love you, I have always been proud of you. But I have never been prouder of you than I am right now. You go get some rest. I love you, everybody loves you, this is going to be fine and you are going to get through it and you are going to do a beautiful public service in the meantime.

And I am proud of you. And then we'll go fishing and we'll have a drink and we'll laugh about it. Go get some rest. Thank you for taking the time.

CUOMO: You take support and I know that I have to take care of myself. I want you to show all the time I'll do it whenever I can. People have been very nice and saying don't work so much because you don't want to get compromised fighting the virus. They all right, you're right.

And I hear all the advice. I love you, thank you for letting me join today. I'll enjoy watching this now that I know it is regular thing. I will watch it every day because I am stuck in the basement.

GOV. CUOMO: Thank you for saying such loving and supportive things.

CUOMO: And I think you know where I am?

GOV. CUOMO: Rule one; never hit a brother when he's down in the basement. Love you.

CUOMO: In the basement?

GOV. CUOMO: In the basement.

CUOMO: Love you.

GOV. CUOMO: Questions? Let's do the Coronavirus questions and then any local questions we'll do afterwards.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: --neighbor said they're interested in mandatory curfews. Would you be interested that he said this was requiring an execute order? Would you be interested in placing mandatory curfews in places that aren't interested in obeying social distancing rules?

GOV. CUOMO: Yes. Well, it would depend on what they - questions is would I be opened to curfews? It depends on what their problem is? What their situation is and what they are trying to solve? And we would have to talk through it. Trying to have done the same what their theory of their actions is?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Governor, there are reports that there is only a handful of people in the comfort at this point. Can you give us an update on how many patients are in the ship as well as in Javits Center at this point?

GOV. CUOMO: I do not have the number, Jesse, but I can get them for you. Those two facilities are operated by the Federal Government as you know. They are for non-COVID patients only. The theory is that the non-COVID patients would come out of the hospital bringing up more beds in the hospitals for COVID patients.

And that the Javits and the Comfort would be an overflow valve for that. The Federal Government determines who comes in by their protocol. I have to get the numbers. I don't have the numbers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is that possible that the Javits and Comfort say that sampling care for some COVID patients like may be not ICU level --?

GOV. CUOMO: They could, you would need the Federal Government to allow you to have Javits. Look, the Javits and Comfort can do whatever the military allows them to. I understand on the Comfort they don't want to bring in COVID patients because that's an entire ship.

How do you disinfect the ship afterwards? And that's a complicated situation. Javits you could convert to a COVID facility. It would require the Federal Government to allow it. I don't know what kind of medical staff, COVID versus non-COVID may be Dr. Zucker would know.

[12:15:00]

DR. HOWARD ZUCKER, COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH, NEW YORK: So it really depends on their clinical condition. The COVID patients who are recovering in their - phase and so they should be getting better and need some respiratory support from the standpoint chest BG and nursing care more than anything else.

And the non-COVID patients obviously depend on what their medical condition is but obviously those individuals would have to be in relatively stable condition.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Governor, reports on China that the Coronavirus cases and deaths might not be accurate. I am just wondering if that's true and if you have any baring any impact on the models and the projections that we are using in the United States?

GOV. CUOMO: It is an interesting question. Part of what - we do not do the model in-house, right? We review the models but we don't do the models. We have McKenzie does models and Cornell does model et cetera. It's a whole art form on to itself.

The modelers will tell you they use Wuhan's data especially when they're trying to calibrate the rate of spread and effect of social isolation. But they also have a lot of data post-China that they are relying on.

You have South Korea and you have the rate of spread now here. So you raise a good point if the China data was wrong, might have influenced the model, yes. But the model isn't solely dependent on that data either.

UNIDENTIFIED FMALE: Governor, can you tell us some on the ventilators from the Federal stockpile have been fault even have missing pieces or were not good quality. Did New York receive any faulty ventilators?

GOV. CUOMO: Did New York receive any faulty ventilators from the Federal Government? We received the state overall, city and state received 4,400, we have distributed many of them. I have not heard of any faulty.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do I think the issue is this was an article in the "L.A. Times" out in California it was reported that some of the ventilators that were sent to them by the Federal Government were faulty. And the explanation is apparently you have to run ventilators ever so often, it is not unlike a car battery.

It is not my particular area of expertise admittedly and so that was what they chopped that issue up to in New York. When we saw that report we begun to review our own stockpile, we are in the process of doing that now of the ventilators we got from the Feds and we haven't seen a problem so far.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you spending more of ventilators from the Federal Government at this point and we have been - on the way?

GOV. CUOMO: We are - the Federal Government is very aware of our situation. I spoke to the President this morning. I worked with the Vice President and the White House staff et cetera. I don't think the Federal Government is in a position to provide ventilators to the extent the nation may need them.

I don't think it is a question that the ventilators - the Federal Government has ventilators that they are not distributing. They may have ventilators that they are not distributing now on the same theory that I am not distributing all of our ventilators now because you have a stockpile, right?

State has a stockpile. Federal Government has a stockpile. Concept over stockpile as you stockpile until you need it. But, I don't know if they have more in the stockpile. I know that the ventilator availability is just a problem for everyone. You have 50 states competing for and you have the Federal Government trying to buy it. I don't know what their capacity is in their stockpile? But I wouldn't at all be surprised if they don't have enough in their stockpile to provide for all the communities that needed.

That's why our attitude here is you know we are on our own. I will ask the Federal Government if we get to that point. I will ask them and I will plea.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN HOST: All right, you have been listening to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo with an update on really what's happening in the nation's epicenter of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Hello everyone, once again I am Kate Bolduan. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. And we did just hear from New York's Governor and he offered some really jolting Coronavirus staffs from the nation's epicenter.

More than 8600 new cases, yesterday 4,000 from New York City 13,000 plus are in New York hospitals right now nearly 3400 in intensive care units in the ICU.

[12:20:00]

BOLDUAN: We also are hear that those - we also are hearing that of those numbers as we look at those numbers we also know that nationwide when you take the broader view of where the country is right now?

90 percent of Americans are facing stay-at-home orders. That's almost 300 million people. Let me start off this hour with CNN's Shimon Prokupecz as well as CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Shimon, you have the New York's Governor there giving his daily update with a wonderful cameo from our colleague Chris Cuomo to put a face to what people are experiencing who have tested positive some are experiencing there is such a range as Dr. Gupta. We can talk about with Sanjay of obviously what people are experiencing?

But of the numbers, I am struck by from the Governor today, 400 more people in New York died from this virus in the last 24 hours. We can't forget that 400 are 400 people. One person is dying is an entire family impacted.

He also though it seems to be trying to offer some optimistic or some good news that might be coming out of the number that's in the map or the data that he's following. What did you pick up on?

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, there is optimism in all of this because what we are seeing is the number of patients that are being discharged is growing, right? Look, I think the bottom line is based on what everything is saying, the number of people going into the hospitals is going to climb and now that more people have been in the hospital over more time and more people will be discharged. That's very good news. That means people are recovering. In a lot of cases and in most cases of course the number of hospitalizations and number of people that are hospitalized it is because they just need oxygen. They have to get their oxygenation off they can't breathe they're having a hard time breathing and so just oxygen for a period of time will help them.

The key number you mention in all of this is the number of patients in ICU. This is what are the most troubling and concerning to hospital officials all across the city. That number continues to grow. The more patients that are in ICU likely the more going to need ventilators and that's why they are working to get more ventilators and making sure that we have.

So there is some optimism more people being discharged and that's good news and still a long way to go here, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. And real quick Shimon, you are in front of the Javits Center, there was a question about how many people are going into the Javits Center being treated as well is on the ship, on the Comfort, what are you hearing from there?

PROKUPECZ: Yes, so even the Governor could not answer that question. We've been trying to get answers to that question. Based on what I'm seeing around here there is no activity. There aren't any ambulances coming in there aren't any coming out. I have seen some ambulances just standing by. There has been a few of them outside.

But I have not seen any activities to indicate that people are inside being treated here or at the ship. So like you know the Governor can't even answer that question. So hopefully we'll know soon enough here Kate.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. Shimon thank you buddy, thanks for being sticking by. I really appreciate it. So Sanjay, I want to get your take. One thing that the Governor said amongst a sea of numbers which is that the number of daily discharged is way up. That sounds like wonderful news as Shimon is pointing out. What do you read into it?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know I mean, in part as you go through this cycle obviously that people who have been sick people who have been hospitalized and even in the ICU, you know we know and this is a sense of optimism that most people will recover still.

I think what has been a little surprising and Governor Cuomo has mentioned it other people have mentioned it is how long it is taking for people to recover it? But as we look at this curve the idea that you are going to see increasing number of discharges that are trailing behind a little bit.

These hospitalizations and these ICU stays are expected and good, right? I mean Kate, you know I mean, this is frightening obviously I recognize for a lot of people and understandably so. But most people will recover and maybe a period of illness. There will be a very small percentage of people who don't survive this but most will recover. And now we are learning may be even as a result of that recovery, we'll sort of be immunized if you will Kate against this, right? Having been exposed to the virus, it is kind of like receiving a vaccine in a way so not only have they recovered they should have some period we don't know how long but some period of immunity.

That's hopeful and I think a really good reminder in fact. You know as we look at these numbers on the side of the screen, and everyone has been looking at those I think you know within the next several days we should also start putting up as well how many people have recovered? I think it is a good reminder to people that--

BOLDUAN: Sanjay, absolutely. That's where this and something I have become really fascinated with is we all try to fashion ourselves budding medical students at this point is the antibody testing.

[12:25:00]

BOLDUAN: The FDA this morning announced that they are authorizing - I guess would be like the first antibody test when it comes to the Coronavirus. This is of course different from testing for the virus. This is testing for antibodies that would be in your system. What does that mean and how important is this?

GUPTA: Well, I think first of all, you have very good medical knowledge and you come from a medical family, but you have just described it well. I mean this is a test that sort of looks for not the virus - not active infection but indicated that you were exposed and that your body reacted to the virus.

So it is not looking for the virus. I'll explain to you very simple. It's a strip it has some virus on it, you take someone's plasma and you add it to that strip. If you have antibodies which are the cells that fight the virus if those are present in your plasma. It will react to the virus and changes color.

And you know at that point that you have antibodies and there are even ways to basically tell how significant and how many antibodies? What percentage of antibodies you have? So it is a really good test.

Your question was, is this a big deal? Yes, big deal because people want to know first of all have I been exposed and may be not even known it. A lot of people don't really develop much in the way of symptoms.

Two is, if I have been exposed and my antibodies come back positive, do I have some degree of confidence now that I am somewhat protected? You know and we talked about sending people back to work and talking about doing it geographically. That probably makes less sense than thinking about people who are protected may be going back to work first.

BOLDUAN: And the way Dr. Birx said it from the White House. She was like this is the kind of test they've done it in so many - you can do it with so many other things. They did it with HIV so many other things. Gets it going - they could get it going by Friday. It is not a tough thing to do. And I think we can all say let's do it. More information about recovery and about who has antibodies that's the glimmer of hope that I see on the horizon as we see the death count continues to rise.

Sanjay, thank you my friend I hope you are doing well. I don't know how you do it, but I'm so thankful for you. Again everyone, Sanjay is working around the clock because tonight Sanjay is going to be joined again with Anderson Cooper with another very important CNN's Global Town Hall "Coronavirus facts and fears" that's tonight at 8:00 pm eastern only here on CNN. We'll be right back.

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