- 04/14/2020
This afternoon, I launched a multi-state council along with Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey, Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut, Governor Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania, Governor John Carney of Delaware, Governor Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island, and Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts to coordinate planning to restore the economy and to get people back to work. I thank each of them for their professionalism and for the way each is handling this public health crisis in their respective states. Their partnership and cooperation is a great benefit to New York. Recognizing how integrated our regional economy is, we have worked with our neighboring states to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and we will continue to do so. When we work as a region, we are stronger.
Here's what else you need to know tonight:
1. New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Rhode Island and Massachusetts will join together to create a multi-state council to get people back to work and restore the economy. We have a regional economy which requires a regional approach. The coordinating group — each state's governor will be represented by one health expert, one economic development expert and their respective Chief of Staff — will work together to develop a fully integrated regional framework to gradually lift the states' stay at home orders while minimizing the risk of increased spread of the virus. Any plan to reopen society MUST be driven by data and experts, not opinion and politics.
2. To prevent the spread of the virus, essential workers must have access to appropriate face coverings. I issued an Executive Order directing employers to provide essential workers with cloth or surgical masks free of charge to wear when directly interacting with the public. We will safeguard public health by having those who interact with the public wear appropriate face coverings.
3. I will expand eligibility of individuals to conduct antibody tests to help ensure as many New Yorkers as possible have access to antibody testing as the state continues to bring this critical testing to scale. The State previously provided labs with the flexibility to allow more workers to do testing for COVID-19; this executive order expands that authority so the same workers can perform antibody tests.
4. We have now lost 10,056 New Yorkers to this vicious virus. We lost 671 people on Easter Sunday — an unfathomable loss. As I'm sure you know, this is more than a statistic. Behind each of these numbers is a face, a family and untold suffering. Every single person we have lost is in our hearts. We are #NewYorkTough for them.
Tonight's "Deep Breath Moment": Celebrated Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli gave an Easter performance from the Cathedral of Milan that was seen by over 26 million people around the world — although no one was in attendance in person. Watch his breathtaking performance here.
Ever Upward,
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Photo of the Day: On Easter morning, I returned ventilators that had been lent to downstate hospitals by the Pathways Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Niskayuna, NY. Their compassion is inspiring and New York thanks them.
This afternoon, I launched a multi-state council along with Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey, Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut, Governor Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania, Governor John Carney of Delaware, Governor Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island, and Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts to coordinate planning to restore the economy and to get people back to work. I thank each of them for their professionalism and for the way each is handling this public health crisis in their respective states. Their partnership and cooperation is a great benefit to New York. Recognizing how integrated our regional economy is, we have worked with our neighboring states to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and we will continue to do so. When we work as a region, we are stronger.
Here's what else you need to know tonight:
1. New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Rhode Island and Massachusetts will join together to create a multi-state council to get people back to work and restore the economy. We have a regional economy which requires a regional approach. The coordinating group — each state's governor will be represented by one health expert, one economic development expert and their respective Chief of Staff — will work together to develop a fully integrated regional framework to gradually lift the states' stay at home orders while minimizing the risk of increased spread of the virus. Any plan to reopen society MUST be driven by data and experts, not opinion and politics.
2. To prevent the spread of the virus, essential workers must have access to appropriate face coverings. I issued an Executive Order directing employers to provide essential workers with cloth or surgical masks free of charge to wear when directly interacting with the public. We will safeguard public health by having those who interact with the public wear appropriate face coverings.
3. I will expand eligibility of individuals to conduct antibody tests to help ensure as many New Yorkers as possible have access to antibody testing as the state continues to bring this critical testing to scale. The State previously provided labs with the flexibility to allow more workers to do testing for COVID-19; this executive order expands that authority so the same workers can perform antibody tests.
4. We have now lost 10,056 New Yorkers to this vicious virus. We lost 671 people on Easter Sunday — an unfathomable loss. As I'm sure you know, this is more than a statistic. Behind each of these numbers is a face, a family and untold suffering. Every single person we have lost is in our hearts. We are #NewYorkTough for them.
Tonight's "Deep Breath Moment": Celebrated Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli gave an Easter performance from the Cathedral of Milan that was seen by over 26 million people around the world — although no one was in attendance in person. Watch his breathtaking performance here.
Ever Upward,
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo