An urgent message is coming from the front lines of the battle against COVID-19: An apex does not mean the pandemic is over.

Northwell Health Dr. Jacqueline Moline says she is cautiously optimistic about New York being at or near the apex of coronavirus cases

"But it doesn't mean we're out of the woods and we still have to be vigilant, because there are still going to be hundreds of people afflicted, every day, we're still going to have hundreds of deaths," says Moline.

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Moline says New Yorkers cannot relax when it comes to social distancing -- we still have to stay at least 6 feet away from each other and wear facial coverings. If we stop, doctors say the cases will continue to go up.

"The concern is, if we do have that second peak, we're going to go back into this whole, we don't have enough beds, there's concern about supplies, there's concern about staff," says Moline.

The medical community's concerns were echoed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who said social distancing is the reason numbers appear to be leveling off.

Cuomo says anyone not practicing social distancing is putting others at risk and further straining the state's hospital system.

Moline says people should still go outside if they feel the need to, but to do it while isolating themselves and while wearing a mask.