New York state will open up region-by-region rather than all at once, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced during a Tuesday press briefing.
“We’re going to make reopening decisions on a regional basis based on that region’s facts and circumstances,” Cuomo said, according to Politico.
He said Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul will take charge of reopening Western New York, while former Lt. Gov. Bob Duffy will do the same in the Rochester area.
“Just like some states will reopen before other states because they have a different circumstance when it comes to Covid and their status with Covid, it’s also true across the state,” Cuomo said. “[The] North Country has a totally different situation than New York City. Central New York has a different situation. We operate as one state but we also have to understand variations, and you do want to get this economy open as soon as possible.”
Cuomo said the staggered opening approach won't include hospitals in New York City, as well as Albany, Erie, Dutchess, Rockland and Westchester counties.
Other advocates of reopening the state support Cuomo's announcement and strategy for getting the economy back on track.
“The economic impact … has taken an extraordinary toll on an already struggling Upstate economy,” Unshackle Upstate Executive Director Michael Kracker said in a statement. “A one-size-fits-all strategy is simply not the best fit for Upstate New York.”
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