COVID-19 UPDATE: Gov. Cuomo takes up issue of politics and the way to reopen the state

Fast Facts:

• The governor said “reopening” is a public health question as well as an economic question

• The governor said that the state “will gather the best minds” to study reopening and a possible second wave of the coronavirus

• “This is no time for politics, only government policy,” the governor declared

• Gov. Cuomo called for the federal government to repeal SALT to help most affected areas

While saying that the current COVID-19 outbreak is no time for politics and no time to believe right-wing conspiracy theories that politics is driving the public health response to the virus, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo this morning staked out positions that put him in sharp opposition to Republican President Donald Trump on reopening the economy and Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who earlier this morning had declared New York City public schools would remain closed for the balance of the school year.

Cuomo acknowledged that Trump has cooperated in providing some needed federal aid to New York, but then proceeded to criticize his administration’s lack of response to the unfolding epidemic in January and February. Cuomo displayed an excerpt from a January memo to Trump written by Peter Navarro, the president’s economic adviser, that warned of “an increasing probability of a full-blown COVID-19 pandemic that could infect as many as 100 million Americans, with a loss of life of as many as one to two million souls.” Trump has denied reading the memo.

Cuomo expressed concern that Trump’s desire to quickly reopen the economy could result in a repeat of the same kind of mistakes in judgment that resulted in the sluggish U.S. response to the emerging crisis.

He said that reopening is a public health question and an economic question and that he will gather the best minds to study information on reopening and the possibilities of a second wave of the virus. Cuomo expressed a concern that the Trump administration may not sound an alarm if a second wave of the virus is about to hit.

Any decisions on New York state reopening the economy will be data-driven and fact-based, the governor said. That position is in sharp contrast with what was expressed by Trump during a Friday briefing at the White House. After Trump brought up the subject of reopening the economy, a reporter asked, “Can you say, sir, what metrics you will use to make that decision?” Trump replied, “The metrics right here.” He raised a hand and pointed a finger at the side of his head. “That”™s my metrics. That”™s all I can do.”

Cuomo said that de Blasio’s announcement that New York City public schools would remain closed for the rest of the school year is merely the mayor’s opinion and has no official weight.

Cuomo said that the mayor does not have the authority to override the state’s decisions regarding schools and that a decision on school reopening or continued closing will be made on a coordinated basis so that schools in Westchester, Nassau, Suffolk and elsewhere will be doing the same thing as the New York City schools.

“There’s been no decision on the schools,” Cuomo said. “I understand the mayor’s position is also that businesses will probably reopen in May. I respect his opinion on opening businesses in May. Again, no decision has been made on whether or not businesses will open. And, we’re not going to open any businesses in New York City without coordinating it the same as the schools ”“ Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, and again, hopefully, New Jersey and Connecticut.”

Cuomo said that as part of the next economic stimulus package Congress needs to do away with SALT, the provision in the Republican tax cut bill that put a $10,000 cap on the deductibility of state and local taxes on personal tax returns.

“You think you’re going to reopen the economy without the engine of the New York metropolitan area? You’re kidding yourself,” Cuomo said. “You want to help New York? You want to help the places that are affected? Then repeal the SALT provision which was a gratuitous, offensive, illegal in my opinion, to begin with but which literally targeted New York and some of these places, Michigan, Detroit, California. Repeal that if you really want to help places that are affected.”

Cuomo said there’s really no way to tell just how far along we are in the pandemic, but suggested that we might not be at the end and not even at the beginning of the end, but at a stage described by former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill as the end of the beginning.

Cuomo reported there now have been 8,627 deaths in New York state, up from yesterday’s total of 7,844. He said there were 101 new admissions to intensive care units yesterday and there were only 85 new hospital admissions, a drop from 290 the day before.

He said that the fact that the number of cases, hospital admissions and deaths have been lower than had been projected by researchers and government agencies is a result of the social distancing and economic shutdown measures actually working. He emphasized that any suggestions that the projections were false and part of some sort of political conspiracy need to be dismissed.

Cuomo said that the New York State Bar Association is seeking volunteer attorneys to help people fill out SBA loan applications along with other government paperwork and help resolve legal issues such as tenant/landlord disputes related to the crisis. The association has established a web page at nysba.org/covidvolunteer.

Statistics obtained today from the state Department of Health show that in New York 440,980 people have been tested for the virus and there were 180,458 positives. Westchester had 18,729 cases. There were 7,477 in Rockland, 474 in Putnam, 4,847 in Orange and 1,744 in Dutchess.

In Westchester, 505 people have died from the virus and 461 of them were Westchester residents. In Rockland, 165 residents have died while in Putnam 26 residents have become victims. There were 99 deaths recorded in Orange County and 27 in Dutchess, including the 67-year-old father of County Executive Marc Molinaro.