coronavirus new york

Coronavirus News: Reopening New York: What the coming months could look like

ByEyewitness News WABC logo

Monday, April 27, 2020

New York, NYC plan phased approach to reopening

Candance McCowan reports on how NY leaders are planning to come back

NEW YORK (WABC) -- For those who have been at home with no income, this is the conversation they've been waiting on: News that as soon as mid-May some workers get back to it.

New York Governor Cuomo says once the current New York on Pause executive order lapses on May 15th, some construction and manufacturing could get back to work UPSTATE only with certain precautions in place.

These are jobs where they cannot work from home.

However, for anything to reopen after May 15th Cuomo says the COVID-19 numbers must be declining for 2 weeks prior to the 15th.

The plan will play out in two-week increments. If construction and manufacturing resumes with no upticks, then the second phase could begin 2 weeks later in which more businesses and schools could reopen.

"They have to think about how they're going to reopen with this quote unquote new normal. What precautions are they going to take in the workplace? What safeguards are they going to put in place? So it's very much going to be up to businesses," Cuomo said.

NY Gov. Cuomo says reopening NYC and surrounding areas is more complicated

The state also announced it will begin conducting antibody test on first responders and transit workers.

This testing would include the NYPD and New York State police. Antibody testing is already taking place on front line health workers.

Governor Cuomo says he will make a decision in the coming days about reopening schools for the rest of the academic year, saying that many of the 700 districts throughout the state are looking into summer classes to make up for lost time.

In New York City, Mayor de Blasio has formed a task force to develop a rebuilding plan by June 1st.

"So many people are clamoring, rightfully, to get back to work the first moment it's safe. I want people back to work. I want to restart our economy. I want to see people back to work whether they work on Wall Street or a bodega. We need everyone to go back to work. We have to do it in the right way," he said.

One good sign of improvement is lower hospitalizations. That includes on the USNS Comfort, which discharged its last patient on Sunday. The navy hospital ship will set sail back to base in Virginia this week.