Cuomo Says Coronavirus Pandemic Could Last as Long as 9 Months, Up to 80% of Population Could Get Infected

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the coronavirus pandemic could last up to nine months at a press conference Sunday.

“This is not a short term situation,” Cuomo told reporters in Albany Sunday morning. “This is not a long weekend. This is not a week.”

“The timeline — nobody can tell you, it depends on how we handle it — but 40%, up to 80% of the population will wind up getting this virus, all we’re trying to do is slow the spread,” Cuomo said. “But it will spread, it is that contagious.”

The governor said the numbers are nonetheless “nothing to panic over.”

“It is going to be four months, six months, nine months,” Cuomo added. “You look at China, once they really changed the trajectory — which we have not done yet — eight months. We’re in that range.”

There are now more than 15,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in New York state, which accounts for 5% of cases worldwide. That’s up 4,812 since Saturday. The “jump in the number of cases in New York stems from both the rapid growth of the outbreak and significantly increased testing in the state,” the New York Times reported.

“Nobody has a crystal ball,” Cuomo added of the numbers and timeline. “No one can tell you.”

“All essential services will be maintained,” Cuomo said, assuring New Yorkers that supermarkets, pharmacies and public transport will remain open. “There’s not going to be chaos, there’s not going to be anarchy.

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