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Gov Cuomo says he will extend New York lockdown for 'many parts of the state' beyond May 15 as new antibody study of 7,500 people shows nearly 25% of people in New York City tested positive

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday that he will extend lockdown orders in many parts of the state beyond his original May 15 de...

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday that he will extend lockdown orders in many parts of the state beyond his original May 15 deadline. 
Cuomo did not specifically say that New York City would be among the areas that will have to stay closed for longer but implied it by saying the worst hit areas will be those that remain closed the longest.
It came as new results from antibody testing revealed that 24.7 percent of New York City residents tested positive. 
If accurate, it means that more than 2million of the city's 8.4million population have become infected, and that the death rate - when calculated using the 11,460 confirmed COVID-19 deaths, is 0.5 percent. 

More than 7,500 people have now been tested for the antibodies across the state. They were selected at grocery stores and were tested using a finger-prick blood test developed by the New York State Department of Health.
'May 15 is when New York Pause regulations expire. I will extend them in many parts of the state but in some parts... you can make the case that we should unpause by May 15,' he said. 
On Sunday, there were 337 new coronavirus deaths which brings the state's total since the pandemic began to more than 17,300. There were 3,951 new cases Sunday bringing the state's total to 291, 996 infections - almost a third of the 1 million infections in the country.



'You have to be smart about it. We all have to be smart about it. 
'If you are not smart, you will see that infection rate go back to right back to where it was and we'll be right back to where we were 57 days ago,' Cuomo said, adding that New York City had higher infection numbers than many countries in the world.  
His reopening plan, which he continues to release more details of gradually, involves allowing construction workers upstate to get back to work first. 
Then, other non-essential businesses which can implement social distancing practices in their offices will be able to return to work. 
Cuomo said it will be up to the businesses themselves to prove to the state how they can responsible reopen.
'You know your business. I don't know your business. How do you incorporate into how you do your business and where you do your business? How do you do social distancing? How do you do monitoring? 
'That's for the government but it's also a question of business,' he said. 
Testing will be ramped up among the NYPD and firefighters across the state. 
This week, 1,000 cops and 1,000 firefighters will be tested. Three thousand healthcare workers will also be tested, as will 1,000 transit workers.   
Many states are reopening before they reach the CDC recommendation of being on a downward curve for at least 14 days. 
While New York has been by far the hardest hit in the country, it is also descending from its virus peak. 
There has been a steady decline in figures for more than a week now. 
However, Cuomo said on Monday that no part of the state will open before May 15. 
He has repeatedly warned of the dangers of a second wave of infection which will wipe out the progress made so far. 
Cuomo also announced on Monday that the city was putting $25million into food banks, which have seen a surge in use.  
He also revealed that he has asked the president for the Javits Center, an exposition center that was concerted into a makeshift hospital for 2,500 patients, to remain a makeshift hospital so the healthcare system would not be overwhelmed when flu season hits in the fall. 
There is a concern that the flu season coupled with any ongoing cases of COVID-19 will buckle the healthcare system.  

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