New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) expressed regret on Monday that he and other leaders across the world hadn’t responded to the COVID-19 virus more quickly when it began emerging in China at the end of 2019.
“When we heard in December that China had a virus problem, and China said basically, ‘It was under control, don’t worry,’ we should’ve worried,” Cuomo told Axios reporter Jonathan Swan in a Monday evening broadcast.
The governor, whose state has by far the highest number of COVID-19 cases, asserted that the rest of the world should have verified China’s claim back then and discovered that it was a much bigger problem than the country let on.
“I wish someone stood up and blew the bugle,” Cuomo said. “And if no one was going to blow the bugle, I would feel much better if I was a bugle blower last December and January.”
“Even though no one danced to the music, I would feel better sitting here today saying, ‘I blew the bugle about Wuhan province in January,'” he continued. “I can’t say that.”
Watch Cuomo below: