Coronavirus News: 'After 111 days of hell,' Gov. Cuomo holds final daily COVID briefing

Friday, June 19, 2020

'After 111 days of hell,' Cuomo holds final daily COVID briefing

While acknowledging there is more work to be done, "after 111 days of hell," Gov. Andrew Cuomo held his final daily briefing on New York's response to the coronavirus crisis Friday.

NEW YORK (WABC) -- "After 111 days of hell," Gov. Andrew Cuomo held his final daily briefing on New York's response to the coronavirus crisis Friday.

The news conferences became a staple of life in New York during the coronavirus crisis, with Cuomo's handling of the briefings attracting national attention, with their data-rich presentations, pep talks and personal observances, often about his family.

On Friday, Cuomo said the state went from having more cases per capita than any other state or nation to controlling the virus better than anywhere in the world.

"It's clear that over the past three months we have done the impossible," Cuomo said. "We have done a full 180, from worst to first."

It was an uncharacteristically short address for Cuomo, who was reflective and, at times, emotional.

While acknowledging there is more work to be done, "after 111 days of hell" Gov. Andrew Cuomo held his final daily briefing on New York's response to the coronavirus crisis Friday.

"I thought about it everyday as climbing a mountain," he said. "The Mount Everest of social challenges. Forty-two days up the mountain, and 69 days down the other side. Every step, every day hurt and was hard. It was frightening and sad, but I really believe we will be the better for it."

Cuomo thanked workers on the front lines, his fellow legislators, and his constituents.

He said that by reducing the infection rate, New Yorkers saved over 100,000 people from being hospitalized and possibly dying from COVID-19.

"The people of New York, who rose to the occasion, who joined hands and did what they had to do," Cuomo said.

Cuomo insisted that despite ending his daily briefings, his work on the coronavirus crisis is not done.

"I'm not going anywhere," Cuomo said. "I will still do what I do, we just don't have to do it every day. And that's a good thing, and let's hope it stays that way."

Cuomo said the state now must continue to monitor local infection rates, local governments must ensure compliance and do tracing, health officials must watch out for a second wave and possible infections coming from other states, and the state must help people get their lives back to normal.

Cuomo urged New Yorkers to continue to adhere to social distancing and other measures in place to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

"The only way forward is if I protect you and you protect me," he said. "I wear a mask for you, and you wear a mask for me."

Cuomo ended his address with a poignant video montage looking back on all that New York has been through over the last 111 days.

While acknowledging there is more work to be done, "after 111 days of hell" Gov. Andrew Cuomo held his final daily briefing on New York's response to the coronavirus crisis Friday.