coronavirus new york city

Coronavirus News: NYC is not ready to reopen, but maybe in June

ByEyewitness News WABC logo

Monday, May 18, 2020

NYC has to take 'patient' approach before reopening, de Blasio saysMayor de Blasio says he wants the city to make it safely through the summer and gradually reopen.

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- New York City is not ready yet, but Mayor Bill de Blasio is optimistic that a phased reopening could begin in the first half of June.

The mayor says the City has only met 3 of the seven health indicators that the state requires to begin reopening.

Those indicators include new hospitalizations, hospital bed vacancy rate, intensive care bed vacancy rate and at least 30 working contact tracers per 100,000 residents.

"If the question is do we believe we'll meet all seven state indicators, yes. When? The first half of June," de Blasio said. "You can't guarantee anything in life."

Phase one of reopening in New York allows regions to resume manufacturing and construction. Retailers can reopen with restrictions.

Even when the City begins to reopen, the process will be a slow one.

"Our goal is to get it right the first time," he said. "we're not opening up the floodgates all at one. We've seen other places do that, and they paid dearly for it."

City employees who are now working remotely will continue to stay home for the "foreseeable future," the mayor said.

De Blasio added that the City is considering all options including alternating days for students and remote learning.