Andrew Cuomo lauds Chris Cuomo for broadcasting despite coronavirus diagnosis: ‘Gutsy, courageous thing to do’

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Wednesday called Chris Cuomo’s decision to do his CNN show just hours after announcing he had tested positive for coronavirus “a gutsy, courageous thing to do.”

“He did his show last night from his basement. What a gutsy, courageous thing to do,” Andrew Cuomo said during his daily briefing on New York’s response to the pandemic, adding that his younger brother can show “the country what it means to have coronavirus.”

“Pop would be proud … I love you little brother,” the governor said, referring to their father, the late Mario Cuomo, a former Democratic governor of New York, before joking about a photo of his brother speaking mid-sentence while broadcasting from his basement.

“And even though this isn’t a flattering picture — I did not pick this picture with your mouth open — but it is suitable in some ways,” he mused.

Chris Cuomo, 49, shared on Tuesday that he had been “exposed to people in recent days who have subsequently tested positive” and was experiencing “fever, chills and shortness of breath” but vowed to continue broadcasting both his SiriusXM radio show and CNN primetime program.

“I feel fine. I’m able to do the show. You do not want this, and I am not able to be there for my family right now in the way that I want to be,” Chris Cuomo said in a broadcast from his basement Monday night. 

“And yet I’m hesitant to talk about me because who cares? This is so small compared to what so many of us are facing,” he added, noting that ramped-up testing would likely result in significantly more positive test results in the weeks ahead.

Chris Cuomo, who co-anchored CNN’s morning program “New Day” after coming over from ABC News in 2013, launched his prime-time program in June 2018.