Cuomo says coronavirus death toll is 'already staggering' as it passes 1,200 in New York

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said Monday the "staggering" death toll from the COVID-19 coronavirus in New York has now surpassed 1,200.

The number of deaths in the state from the COVID-19 coronavirus reached 1,218 on Monday, up from 965 the day before, Cuomo said at his daily press briefing. New York has now reported about 66,000 coronavirus cases, by far the most in the United States. New York just passed 500 deaths on Friday.

"That's a lot of loss," Cuomo said on Monday. "That's a lot of pain. That's a lot of tears. That's a lot of grief that people across the state are feeling."

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Cuomo said the state doesn't have projections about how high the death toll could climb after a White House coronavirus task force official said earlier that between 100,000 and 200,000 fatalities in the U.S. may represent a best case scenario. But Cuomo said the number will be even more "staggering" than it is now.

"The number is already staggering," Cuomo said. "A human life is a human life. We've lost over 1,000 New Yorkers. To me, we're beyond staggering already. We've reached staggering. And the only point now is do everything you can to save every life possible." Brendan Morrow