New York Reports Its First Child Death Due to COVID-19

Reports of the first child death due to the coronavirus in New York City is one of many new fatalities in the state, bumping their death toll to 1,342 practically overnight.

The tragic news of the minor's death came as New York City's health commissioner Gov. Andrew Cuomo reminded citizens during his daily briefing on Monday that "this is the moment" for unity.

THE DEATH OF THE FIRST CHILD

Although no details got released, the child reportedly suffered from an underlying condition. Warning that the coronavirus "doesn't discriminate," Gov. Cuomo said that it would be a "fundamental blunder" not to prepare for the worst and added:

"I'm tired of playing catch-up. You never win when you're playing catch-up. If you are not prepared you are missing the point of the operation."

STAGGERING NUMBERS IN NEW YORK

New York is bearing the brunt of nationwide fatalities, accounting for almost 40%. The state reported nearly 9,000 new cases as of Monday, bringing the total amount of cases to 68,363 and 1,342 confirmed deaths.

Most of New York City's citizens diagnosed with the disease are younger than 50. With the rising death toll, Gov. Cuomo is doing what he can to curb the "staggering" amount through enforcing social distancing and helping those on the frontlines get the supplies they need.

"We've lost more than 1,000 New Yorkers," Gov. Cuomo said. "To me, we're beyond 'staggering' already. We've reached 'staggering.' The point is to save every life that you can; that's what this is all about."

THE DEATH OF THE FIRST INFANT

The grim update from the state of New York came shortly after the Illinois Department of Public Health reported 465 new cases and 13 deaths as of Saturday.

A first nationwide, the state shared on Saturday that the first infant died after testing positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus.

According to the Department of Public Health's Director, Dr. Ngozi Ezike, they are conducting "a full investigation" to determine the cause of the infant's death.

The state's update on Saturday brought their total amount of reported cases to 3,491 from 43 counties, including 47 fatalities.

BACK HOME AFTER THEIR RECOVERY

Relatedly, Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson returned to the US late last week after spending time in Australia having contracted the virus.

The couple went to the land down under for work, and they both tested positive for the virus while there. The first celebrities to openly share their diagnosis, both Rita and Tom are doing much better even though they went straight back into self-quarantine once home.