Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at a news conference Friday evening that New York state now has 44 coronavirus cases, doubling the amount of cases from Thursday.

In a Friday evening news conference, Cuomo announced 11 cases, eight of which are in Westchester, and three are in Nassau County.

This came after an additional 11 new cases were announced earlier, all of which were tied to the case in Westchester County, but some of the new cases are located elsewhere -- including in Manhattan and Rockland County in the Hudson Valley.

 

At least five of the 33 cases involve patients who are hospitalized and they are improving, Cuomo said.

"The number will continue to go up," Cuomo said, adding, "The more you test, the more positives you will find."

He noted that the flu has been more deadly across the country than the coronavirus, and said he is urging New Yorkers to be aware of the facts surrounding the viral outbreak.

"This is like a flu on steroids -- you catch it the same way, the population who is most vulnerable is the same, you take the same precautions," Cuomo said.

According to the governor, boxes of masks and protective gear have been stolen from hospitals. He's asked state police to conduct an investigation into the thefts.

The governor also said there are 4,000 people statewide under precautionary quarantines, meaning they are to stay home and away from others.