New York City reports zero COVID-19 deaths for first time since pandemic hit

New York City on Sunday reported zero new coronavirus deaths for the first time since early March, a milestone that comes as the virus spikes in other parts of the country.

Preliminary health data from the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene showed that no one died from the coronavirus in New York City on Saturday, the first time zero new deaths have been reported there since March 13, according to multiple reports.

Officials recorded no confirmed deaths the day before, too, but did report two probable deaths, according to NBC4. 

New York City has reported a total of 215,924 cases and 18,670 confirmed deaths, according to city data updated on Sunday afternoon. The city hit its peak in terms of confirmed daily deaths from the virus on April 7, with 597 deaths.

As New York and other parts of the Northeast make progress on containing the outbreak, the virus has surged in other parts of the U.S., mainly in the South and West.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) warned on Friday that the spikes in other parts of the country could lead to the virus once again increasing in New York.

“You’re going to see our numbers and the Northeast numbers probably start to increase because the virus that you see now in the South and the West — California has real trouble — it’s going to come back here,” Cuomo said in a radio interview. “It is going to come back here. It’s like being on a merry-go-round. It’s totally predictable. And we’re going to go through an increase. I can feel it coming. And it is so unnecessary and so cruel.”