New York reports lowest number of COVID-19 deaths in weeks

Albany (US): New York state reported its lowest number of daily coronavirus deaths in weeks in what Governor Andrew Cuomo described, on Saturday, as a critical benchmark.

The daily death tally was 84 after a peak of 799 on April 8.

Reducing the state's daily death count to fewer than 100 seemed almost impossible several weeks ago, the Democratic governor said.

That figure has remained stubbornly high even amid other signs of encouragement.

“In my head, I was always looking to get under 100,” Cuomo said.

“For me, it's a sign that we're making real progress.”

The number of hospitalised patients in the state that has been the epicentre of the pandemic in the US continued to fall, dropping to over 4,600.

Cuomo also announced that the region along the Hudson River north of New York City and south of Albany is set to begin reopening on Tuesday, and that Long Island could follow suit on Wednesday.

With PTI Inputs

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• coronavirus deaths
• COVID-19
• lowest number