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Some regions in New York are growing frustrated after the state delayed the planned beginning of Phase 2 of reopening economies as the recovery from novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues.
Those upstate areas that met the state’s mandated requirements to reopen believed that Friday, May 29 would begin Phase 2.
However, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has called for a delay.
Cuomo had said that the state would review the numbers two weeks after some regions reopened for Phase 1 on Friday, May 15. Now he is saying that the data will be submitted to international experts for evaluation, and a determination will be made from there.
Regional control groups met at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 28 with members of Cuomo’s staff. They were told that no region would start Phase 2 tomorrow, according to multiple reports.
“We have metrics," Cuomo said during a radio appearance on Thursday, May 28. "We have numbers. They are the smartest data-based reopening plan in the country, I believe.
"We have international experts who go through it and we'll follow the data.
“The reopening in the first five regions ends tomorrow. When the reopening of phase one ends, we'll give the experts all the data. It is posted on the web but let them analyze it. And if they say we should move forward, we'll move forward.”
Phase 2 of the reopening plan in New York would allow these businesses to reopen: professional services; finance and insurance; retail; barbershops, hair salons, nail salons; administrative support; real estate, and rental leasing.
Cuomo said that the state will look at “how many people are getting sick, what the infection rate, what is the transmission rate, what is the hospitalization rate, what is the contact tracing rate, what is the testing rate, all the data points.
According to reports, Cuomo could potentially sign an Executive Order continuing Phase 1 of reopening, much to the chagrin of upstate leaders.
“We analyze it and then we give it to the international experts," Cuomo said. "And we are going to ask them to analyze it and if they sign off and say go to Phase 2.
“I'm not between a rock and a hard place, I'm between a rock and right place, and I chose the right place.”
Cuomo is expected to address the issue further during his daily COVID-19 briefing on Friday, May 29 at 1 p.m. at Iona College in New Rochelle.
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