NEW YORK — Gov. Andrew Cuomo insisted Saturday that he won’t tolerate rallies that put public health at risk as the coronavirus crisis claimed another 299 people overnight.
Asked about a Long Island rally that attracted scores of protesters, Cuomo said everyone has the right to express their opinion — but not by violating rules that protect society as a whole.
“You want to jeopardize your health, God bless you,” Cuomo said. “You have no right to jeopardize my health … and my children’s health and your children’s health.”
The governor said he is as concerned as anyone about the economic devastation caused by the pandemic. But he insisted public health comes first.
“I’m not going to put dollar signs over human lives,” he said. “I’m not going to do that. Not for my family, not for your family.”
The state’s death toll ticked up to 299 overnight, slightly higher than the day before even as the number of new cases and hospitalizations continued to dip.
About 800 people were taken to hospitals with COVID-19, a drop from the 900 average for the past few days.
New York’s death and case numbers have been steadily declining but at a painfully slow rate since reaching peaks in early April.
The rest of the country has continued to see rising cases and death rates as the virus spreads to previously untouched smaller cities and rural areas. That trend could worsen as states seek to reopen their crippled economies as soon as possible.
Cuomo also announced new test results Saturday that showed about 21% of city residents had tested positive for antibodies — meaning they had coronavirus and recovered — in a new study of 15,000 people statewide.
The Bronx was the hardest hit, with 28% testing positive, compared to 19% in Brooklyn, 18% in Queens, 17% in Manhattan and 19% in Staten Island.
“We’re going to do more research to understand what’s going on there. Why is the Bronx higher than the other boroughs?” Cuomo asked.
A previous smaller study estimated that 25% of New York City residents had recovered from coronavirus.
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