Cuomo: Density control measures are working to slow coronavirus in NY

New York’s density control measures appear to be slowing the spread of coronavirus cases requiring hospitalization, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday — offering a glimmer of hope even as state cases eclipsed 30,000, with nearly 300 deaths.

“If you reduce the density, you can reduce the spread very quickly,” said Cuomo in an Albany press briefing.

As of Sunday, the state’s team of scientists projected that hospitalizations were doubling every two days, said Cuomo.

But by Monday, that rate slowed to 3.4 days, and by Tuesday, it had dropped to 4.7 days.

Cuomo urged cautious optimism, as the state tallied 30,811 confirmed cases with 285 now dead.

“Now, that is almost too good to be true,” he said. “This is a very good sign.

“I’m not 100 percent sure it holds, or it’s accurate, but the arrows are headed in the right direction, and that is always better than the arrows headed in the wrong direction.”

If that trend holds, it would help ease what’s projected to be a crushing burden on the state’s hospital system.

It’s anticipated that when the contagion hits at its full “bullet train” force — in two to three weeks — 140,000 hospital beds will be needed, including 40,000 ICU beds.

The state has asked hospitals to increase capacity, converted dormitories and hotels, and arranged for the feds to install temporary hospitals, including 2,000 beds in the Javits Center, in an attempt to increase its standing tally of 53,000 beds, of which 3,000 are equipped for intensive-care cases.