New York's Cuomo postpones primary election as coronavirus cases keep growing

[March 30, 2020]    (Reuters) - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Saturday he was postponing the state's April 28 presidential primary to June 23 as its number of coronavirus cases climbed to 52,318 and deaths to 728.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks in front of stacks of medical protective supplies during a news conference at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center which will be partially converted into a temporary hospital during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in New York City, New York, U.S., March 24, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo

"We have been behind this virus from day one. We are waiting to see what the virus does," Cuomo said at a news conference. "You don't win on defense. You win on offense. You have to get ahead of this."

The governor has become a leading national voice on the coronavirus pandemic as the state has accounted for roughly a third of the U.S. death toll and half the known cases.

Cuomo said he asked pharmacies to begin delivering medications to homes free of charge. He also said President Donald Trump had approved the construction of four additional temporary hospital sites in New York City, adding 4,000 hospital beds.

(Reporting by Maria Caspani; Additional reporting by Nathan Layne; Editing by Daniel Wallis)

[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.