There were 32,604 confirmed or probable coronavirus deaths in the Empire State at the time of the book announcement on Aug.18. New York was one of the hardest hit states at the time, although new infections and daily death tolls had declined to just a fraction of what they were during the outbreak’s apparent peak in April.

Still, another 1,818 New Yorkers succumbed to the illness between the book announcement and Dec. 2, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cuomo’s office reported another 61 COVID-related fatalities Thursday.