New York’s single-day record coronavirus death toll was surpassed only 24 hours later as 779 people died statewide, Governor Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday.

“This virus attacked the vulnerable and attacked the weak, and it's our job as a society to protect the vulnerable,” Cuomo said.

But at the same time, a three-day average trend continued, with hospitalizations and intensive care unit patients declining in New York.

This is a sign that social distancing strategies that have virtually closed down the state’s economy in the last three weeks are working, but should not be stopped, Cuomo said.

The governor also acknowledged the disproportionate effect the virus has had on minority communities, where black and Hispanic people have been shown to die of the virus in higher numbers.

Cuomo indicated he wants a broader review of why that is happening.

"Why is it the poorest people always pay the highest price? Let's figure it out,” Cuomo said. Let’s do the research.”

New York will increase testing in the minority community, Cuomo said, putting University at Albany President Havidan Rodriguez in charge of the effort to do so.

Still, Cuomo sounded increasingly, albeit cautiously optimistic as the curve of hospitalizations appeared to flatten far lower than models had initially suggested.

Cuomo said he did not want to pull up on social distancing efforts.

"We still have more to do,” he said. “We are by no means out of the woods. If we behave differently, you will see those numbers change."