For the second day in a row, Gov. Andrew Cuomo used his daily press conference to beg the federal government to help acquire all the "re-agents" needed from China to do widespread COVID-19 testing throughout the state and the country. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD OR PLAY EXCERPT FROM CUOMO PRESS CONFERENCE. The number of deaths in the state fell below 600 on April 17 to 540 that day, down from 630 on the day before. The rate of hospitalizations across the state also continued to decline, though more downstate than upstate, Cuomo reported at his press conference. Cuomo's mask mandate went into effect statewide the night before, but the governor did not wear one at the press conference. He said he was wearing a mask when he walks his dog on a public street. "I am wearing a mask," Cuomo said. "If I’m walking through the backyard alone and nobody’s around me, I don’t wear a mask." He called it a "small inconvenience that has a tremendous benefit for people." He also thanked the federal government for sending New York 1.5 million masks on April 17. Statewide there were 16,967 people hospitalized with COVID-19 symptoms on April 17, down 349 from the day before. Greene County announced six new cases on April 18, up to 96 people with coronavirus. Columbia County added three more, up to 111. Rensselaer County added 12 new COVID-19 cases, up to 186. In Albany County, the reported 621 cases April 18, up from 574 cases. Ulster County jumped to 921 cases from 880 the day before. Dutchess County cases rose from 2,044 to 2,100. So while in New York City and surrounding counties the numbers are getting better, they continue to increase in the mid-Hudson Valley.