NYC on Track to Enter Outdoor Dining Phase of Reopening Monday

(Bloomberg) -- New York City is on track to enter the second phase of reopening on Monday, a major step for the economy that includes outdoor dining, Governor Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday.

Cuomo’s statement seemed less cautious than the one made earlier Wednesday by Mayor Bill de Blasio, who said: “The earliest we could go is Monday. It’s a decision we’re going to make very closely with the state.”

De Blasio said he wanted to see whether recent demonstrations against police brutality would have any impact on increasing the spread of the virus. “If you’re judging by today’s numbers, we’re in great shape.” The mayor’s press secretary, Freddi Goldstein, later said de Blasio’s position is consistent with the governor’s.

Statewide, less than 1% of New Yorkers tested positive for the novel coronavirus on June 16, the lowest percentage since the start of the pandemic, Cuomo said. There were 17 deaths on June 16, also a low.

The Westchester, Rockland, and Hudson Valley regions are on track to enter phase three on Tuesday, and Long Island is on track for Wednesday, he said.

Cuomo also said he will stop doing daily virus briefings on Friday, after about 100 days of providing them. Residents across the nation have tuned into the press conferences for information about the outbreak, raising the Democratic governor’s national profile.

New York’s progress comes as at least 20 other states see spikes. Texas reported a record number of hospitalizations, and new cases in Florida rose to the highest level since the pandemic began.

The federal government is “making a mistake” in how it’s handling and advising on Covid-19, Cuomo said. States are reopening too quickly, he said.

New York, by comparison, has reopened by region and in phases. It now has the lowest infection rate among U.S. states after having the highest weeks ago.

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