New York: New York’s coronavirus shutdown of schools and nonessential businesses will be extended to May 15, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Thursday, even as he announced a drop in the daily death count and continued decreases in hospitalization from COVID-19, reports Newsday.
The shutdown, which also ordered residents to stay at home as much as possible, initially was set to expire April 29.
The governor said he made the decision in coordination with governors from neighboring states so they have a unified approach to reopening their economies, schools and societies in general. He made the move in part because “New York Pause is working” to contain the virus and he doesn’t want to lose those gains, he said.
One sign that New York is doing better than expected is that it will send 100 ventilators to New Jersey, he said.
Cuomo said he did not know what will happen after May 15. “I don’t want to project beyond that period. One month is a long time.”
He said he will look to data, such as hospital and infection rates, to decide — and will consider the input of public health experts.
“Then the experts will tell us the best course of conduct based on that data,” he said. “No political decisions, no emotional decisions. Data and science. We are talking about human lives here.”
