New York’s Changed Behavior Leads to Record Low COVID-19 Numbers

Gov. Andrew Cuomo believes fake race-based 911 calls should be considered a hate crime, while also giving some encouraging news about COVID-19.

Cuomo said Thursday night was "another long and ugly night last night in the United States of America."

He shared a video of a man in Buffalo who was shoved to the ground by police. He said he spoke with the man Friday morning. He called the incident "fundamentally frightening."

Cuomo believes there are two "facts," police need to protect themselves and some police are being violent to protesters.

He says the Legislature needs to approve a number of police reform bills. He also wants a false race-based 911 call to be considered a "hate crime" in New York.

The bills should include:

• Allow release of police disciplinary records
• Ban on the use of chokeholds
• Make race-based 911 calls a hate crime
• Attorney General needs to have power in cases when civilians are killed when interact with cops.

Cuomo believes 99 percent of police are good cops, but the nation needs to heal the relationship between police and the communities they serve.

Cuomo said 42 New Yorkers died from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, which marks a new low since the pandemic started in March. Eight weeks ago 800 Empire State residents died in one day.

Cuomo also said the state hit a new record low in terms of new COVID-19 hospitalizations.

Cuomo called this change incredible and gave all the credit to the people of New York State.

"We have the lowest number of COVID deaths since we started (42)." Eight weeks ago 800 died in a day," Cuomo said on Friday during his COVID-19 briefing. "The people of the state radically changed how they behaved."