Cuomo says he will meet with NJ, Conn. govs to help reopen 'as soon as possible'

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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he wants residents of his state to be able to resume their normal lives “as soon as possible,” and that he will be coordinating with neighboring governors to figure out how to do just that.

“People want to get on with their lives, people want to get out of the house, cabin fever, we need the economy working, people need a paycheck, life has to function. When do we reopen?” Cuomo said at a Sunday press conference. “Look, the answer is we want to reopen as soon as possible.”

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The governor recognized the personal and societal stresses of the shutdown, but made clear that it has to be a smart decision that does not jeopardize people’s health or the economy.

“Nobody wants to pick between a public health strategy and an economic strategy,” Cuomo said. “And as governor of this state I’m not going to pick one over the other. We need a public health strategy that is safe, that is consistent with an economic strategy.”

Cuomo said the keys for reopening are coordination between businesses, schools, transportation, and the workforce; additional testing; and increased federal assistance. He said he plans on speaking with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont to come up with a regional reopening plan.

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In the meantime, Cuomo said he intends to issue an executive order that will require business owners to provide surgical or cloth facemasks to essential workers who deal with the public. He will also order an expansion of who can provide antibody tests that determine if a person has been infected with COVID-1 and may have developed immunity.