Governor Andrew Cuomo says the COVID-19 pandemic won’t really be over until there’s a working vaccine, and experts say that’s a year away.
Nonetheless, the governor spoke of reopening the economy during his daily briefing on Monday. He said it will be done gradually, coordinated regionally with the surrounding states and will be a delicate balancing act.
Cuomo said home isolation will be eased by gradually redefining who is considered an “essential worker.” That will allow more people to resume working out of the home. The governor says that valve will be turned slowly, and according to a plan worked out by public health experts. He says it will also be done with a close eye on the daily hospital admission rates. If they begin to climb, it’s back to working from home for more people.
Cuomo says the eventual reopening plan will be developed by looking at what’s already worked for countries like Korea and China, and copying the best parts of their plans. He says federal support will be needed and the new antibody testing will be key.
Governor Cuomo said the COVID-19 death rate has stabilized at about 700 people a day: 671 between Sunday and Monday mornings. More than 10,000 people have died since the pandemic began across New York State. But new hospitalizations are dropping and the number of people getting well and being discharged is rising. Hospitalizations by region across the state have stabilized.