New York, April 3 (RHC)-- In New York City, the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, over 1,400 people have died.  Governor Andrew Cuomo warned state residents to expect a high death rate through July.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has repeatedly warned city hospitals are in dire need of millions of masks, hundreds of thousands of gowns and hundreds of ventilators, and could run out of supplies by this weekend.  For many medical workers, the breaking point has already arrived.

One New York City doctor tweeted a photo of the personal protective equipment she was handed when she arrived for her shift: a New York Yankees-branded rain poncho.

Across the Hudson River, seven hospitals in New Jersey reached capacity Wednesday and were forced to divert COVID-19 patients to other hospitals.  New Jersey’s coronavirus death toll has topped 350, and Governor Phil Murphy said Wednesday his state also faces critical shortages.  Governor Murphy said: “Do we have enough ventilators?  No.  Do we have enough PPE?  No.  Do we have enough beds?  No.  Do we have enough healthcare workers?  No.  Four emphatic noes.”