Health & Fitness

Mayor Speaks With Trump As Coronavirus Deaths Reach 99 In NYC

Mayor Bill de Blasio had a call with President Donald Trump Sunday night.

Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke to the president Sunday night.
Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke to the president Sunday night. (Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.)

NEW YORK CITY – Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke with President Donald Trump Sunday night, urging the nation's leader to act before the strain of the coronavirus overwhelms New York City's medical facilities.

The call with Trump and Vice President Mike Pence came as the city's tally of cases reached 10,764 and 99 deaths.

It also coincided with a statewide stay-at-home order that went into effect at 8 p.m. Sunday.

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"I appreciate that the president and the vice president had a focused, constructive conversation with me directly to talk about what's going on, particularly in our public hospitals, which are literally 10 days away from running out of really basic supplies, particularly equipment like ventilators," the mayor told CNN Sunday night.

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" I felt that both the president and vice President heard what I was saying, they heard the details, they talked about specific solutions."

The mayor called on the president to order the military into the city, but was unable to get a commitment, he said.

"But it was a sea change, and a welcome sea change, to see both of them directly addressing the concerns of, you know, a city that's now clearly the epicenter of this American crisis."

"The blunt reality is, we are going to start struggling this week in many hospitals," he said on Pix 11 Monday.

"April will get increasingly difficult, the fear is May could be even tougher."

As of Sunday night, New Yorkers are only allowed to leave their homes to buy groceries, get medication or exercise. Certain professions deemed essential have been made exempt from the ruling.

De Blasio said and 1010 Wins Monday that the NYPD has the power to arrest people not taking notice of the order, but he didn't expect it would come to that. "We believe the vast majority of New Yorkers get it," he said.

Coronavirus In NYC: What's Happened And What You Need To Know

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