The brothers Cuomo had a few moments of "serious" levity Thursday (April 2) at Governor Andrew Cuomo's televised daily COVID-19 status briefing. Brother Chris, the CNN anchor/host, has tested positive for the virus and is in "basement" quarantine.
Governor Cuomo said that because many people had asked how Chris was doing, he thought he would let Chris provide the answer himself remotely, turning the table to become the interviewer.
What ensued in the next few minutes is clearly going to be an iconic moment in the family history, and made for entertaining TV amid the grim reality of the surrounding New York environs.
Chris Cuomo said he had had a fever-induced hallucination in which the Governor appeared to him in a dream in "a very interesting ballet outfit." He said his brother was dancing and "waving a wand and saying: 'I wish I could wave my wand and make this go away,' and then you spun around and you danced away."
A smiling governor Cuomo thanked him for that update, and suggested that there was "a lot of metaphoric reality in that one." A goofily chuckling Chris responded: "I can't get that picture out of my head."
"Obviously the fever has affected your mental capacity," the governor joked. That and likely a dose of cabin fever as well, given his response. "And being alone all the time," Chris responded, adding "I think everything I say is funny," and breaking into giggles. Brother Andrew then gently asked Chris if he still had a fever.
"I have a fever right this instant, governor," he said.
Perhaps coincidentally, perhaps not, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) closed her press conference Thursday--about setting up a committee to look into the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic--with the following advice: "Don't forget: Hydrate, wash your hands, pray, [and] dance as if no one is watching."
