New York surpasses 50,000 COVID deaths as officials warn progress stalled

A year after becoming the global epicenter of the pandemic, New York took another grim milestone on Monday, surpassing 50,000 coronavirus deaths statewide.

“It is a reminder for us to take this disease seriously,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said during his daily press briefing. “It’s a reminder to us that it’s not over yet.”

The staggering total, reported by Johns Hopkins University, comes as coronavirus cases have started to climb in many parts of the country. It’s a worrying sign that the variants are starting to take a lead in the vaccine race, according to public health experts. Daily cases have increased 5% nationwide over the past 14 days, according to COVIDActNow.

New York City remains stuck in dangerous limbo. The city’s case rates – the number of positive cases per 100,000 population – have been stubbornly high for weeks, as progress has stabilized at around 3,800 new incidents per day. Deaths and hospitalizations remain low in the five arrondissements, but these indicators lag behind the outbreaks of several weeks.

On Monday, Dr Rochelle Walensky, head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, issued an urgent warning that the country could face “impending disaster.”

“We have so much to look forward to, so much promise and potential from where we are and so much to hope for, but right now I’m scared,” she said, before urging Americans to hang on “just a little longer.”

The lack of progress in stopping transmission has left some lawmakers worried about the pace of the reopening in New York.

After lifting the ban on indoor eating last month, Governor Andrew Cuomo has reopened indoor fitness class and cinemas with capacity restrictions in recent weeks. Arts and entertainment venues are expected to follow on Friday.

Cuomo and de Blasio have already come under close scrutiny for delaying social distancing measures early in the pandemic. According to a Columbia University analysis, imposing lockdowns on New York even a week earlier could have saved an estimated 17,000 lives in the metro area.