Andrew Cuomo, Governor Of The Worst-Hit Covid State, Wins Emmy Award For ‘Masterful Use Of TV’ During Coronavirus Briefings  

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo will receive an Emmy award for his coronavirus press briefings, the Emmy organization announced on Friday (Nov 20).

The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, whose members include media and entertainment figures from over 60 countries and 500 companies, announced on Friday that it plans to present the award to the governor in a live-streamed show today (Nov 23).

“The Governor's 111 daily briefings worked so well because he effectively created television shows, with characters, plot lines, and stories of success and failure," president and CEO of the academy, Bruce Paisner, explained in a statement announcing the decision. "People around the world tuned in to find out what was going on, and New York tough became a symbol of the determination to fight back."

New York is the worst-affected Covid state in the country. Cuomo has been stronly criticised for an executive order in March that forced nursing homes to accept coronavirus patients, which observers concluded may have worsened outbreaks among high-risk elderly residents.

New York has so far reported at least 34,187 deaths of people due to COVID-19, according to data from John Hopkins University & Medicine. At least 6,600 residents have died in nursing homes, according to state data, which doesn’t state how many nursing home residents died in hospitals. In August, The Associated Press estimated the actual death toll in nursing homes could be as high as 11,000.