New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he will be extending the state's general shutdown of nonessential businesses until at least May 15, said CNBC. The governor made the announcement yesterday over Twitter. The move was done in coordination with seven other governors in the region, who have formed a coalition to coordinate pandemic responses.

New York, the epicenter of the virus in the United States, has seen the net change in hospitalizations fall this week to its lowest levels since the outbreak began, but at the same time there is still an average of 2,000 new infections per day. Further, Wednesday saw 606 new deaths, which while the lowest increase in six days, is still distressing to think about. Overall, the Empire State accounts for about half of the 31,000 fatalities reported in the country as a whole.