Gov. Andrew Cuomo says New Yorkers possibly saved over 100,000 lives, but "COVID isn't over."

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On Juneteenth, after 111 days Gov. Andrew Cuomo gave his final COVID-19 briefing.

"Every step, every day, hurt and was hard. But I really believe we will be the better for it," Cuomo said.

Cuomo gave "more good news." 1,284 COVID-19 hospitalizations, marking a new low. He also said 79,000 COVID-19 tests were performed on Thursday, a record high, with less than 1 percent coming back positive.

"It's clear, over the past three months, we have done the impossible. In the beginning, this virus hit us hard because it came from Europe after we were told it was coming from China. We had more cases than any other state and more cases than any other nation on the globe," Cuomo said during his final COVID-19 briefing. "But today we have done a full 180. From worst to first. We are controlling the virus better than any state and nation on the globe. By reducing the infection rate we saved over 100,000 people from possibly dying. I'm so incredibly proud of what we all did together. We reopened the economy and we saved lives."

He also noted the lowest percent positive for a week average, less than one percent and the lowest weekly death toll of 25 lives lost per day.

"COVID isn't over. We have to monitor the local infection rate. We have to watch out for a second wave. Watch out for possible infections from other states and many people need life to get there lives back to normal. "Today we are seeing the virus spreading in many places. More people will die, and it doesn't have to be that way," he said.

Cuomo announced New York City will be entering Phase 2 of the reopening on Monday. The Mid-Hudson region remains on track for Phase 3 on Tuesday.

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