“I don’t want to project past that period," Cuomo said. "That’s one month. That’s a long time.
"I know people need certainty and clarity so they can plan, but we need a coordinated action plan with the states. So for one month, we will continue the close-down policies. What happens after that? I don’t know. We’ll have to see what the data shows.”
For more detail on the "Pause," previsions, see the first three images above.
Cuomo also said that beginning at 8 p.m. on Friday, April 17, riders and operators on public transportation and for-hire vehicles must wear a mask or cloth face covering to slow down the spread of the virus, adding more teeth to an executive order due to take effect at the end of the week. (See fourth image above.)
“The masks work,” Cuomo said. “We said that you have to wear them in public, and today I’m going to include all public and private for-hire transportation.
"It’s inconvenient, but you’re in a closed environment where you can’t socially distance yourself. It’s a precaution for everyone that balances individual liberties with a social conscience.
"Six hundred people died yesterday and that's a reality that we have to deal with every day … I am asking New Yorkers to wear a mask, not to protect yourself, but to protect other people from you."
The 606 new deaths due to the virus bring the statewide total to 12,177. (Note: 3,700 deaths suspected to be COVID-19 related in New York City are not included in the total number of deaths.)
Cuomo said that it’s “the simple things” that people can and have been doing to help stop the spread of COVID-19, including wearing a mask, washing one’s hands, social distancing, and educating their children about how to act responsibly. (See fifth image above.)
“All of these simple procedures seem almost insignificant, but they make all the differences in the world,” he said. “I don’t know if people truly appreciate that. It’s all about what people decide to do and what people have decided to do. That is what has brought this infection rate down. It’s about the behavior of our people. It’s that simple.”
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