Cuomo details goals for eventual reopening as NY death toll surpasses 10,000

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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo described a mix of "good" and "terrible" news Monday, as he detailed the required steps for a future reopening of the state when it eventually recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.

Cuomo began his daily press briefing with what he called "the good news," which was that the curve of cases appears to be flattening, despite a slight increase. But the death toll continues to climb ever higher, he said.

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“The terrible news is as terrible as it gets," Cuomo said, noting that while the Sunday's deaths were not as high as previous days, the number was comparable. "The number of deaths is 671. Not as bad as it’s been in the past but basically flat.” The governor noted that these deaths are "especially tragic" given that they occurred on Easter Sunday.

In addition to the daily death count, Cuomo lamented the total number, which has now reached 10,056. He compared that to the 2,753 New Yorkers who died on 9/11.

Cuomo then addressed the question of when and how the state will eventually reopen, as residents are currently under a stay-at-home order. He rejected the idea that anyone knows at the moment how to make this happen.

"You don’t know because nobody knows," he said.

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What Cuomo did say was that there are specific objectives that should be met as part of a reopening plan. These include easing isolation, increasing the state’s economic activity, expanding the category of “essential” workers, and having greater testing as well as precautions so as not to increase the rate of infection.

The governor said that whatever the eventual plan to achieve those goals ends up being, it will be designed by public health and economic experts, not politicians.

Cuomo said that ideally, he would like to be on the same page as other states in the region, specifically Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Rhode Island. He said he is scheduled to speak with several neighboring governors later in the day.

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Addressing the big question of "when is it over?" Cuomo said there is no answer.

"It’s a difficult conversation," he said. "I want the fear to stop, I want the anxiety to stop."

Cuomo noted his personal concern for his brother, CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, who is battling COVID-19.

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"It’s not going to be over like that," he said, rejecting the idea that one day everything will suddenly be better. "It’s not going to happen that way. It can’t happen that way."

More realistically, he said, there will be milestones where the situation will be markedly improved. For instance, he said the spread is currently under control.

"Feel good about that," he said.

Ultimately, he said, it will not be over until there is a vaccine, which officials say will not happen for another 12 to 18 months.

"That's when it's over," he said.

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Cuomo closed the briefing by addressing a question about Dr. Anthony Fauci and rumors that President Trump could fire him amid reports of disagreements between the two. Cuomo heaped praise on the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and doubted that he would be removed from his post.

"As crazy as things get in this world and in crazy Washington, I can't imagine that that would ever happen," he said.