Cuomo: LI, Hudson Valley Could Reopen Businesses Next Week

NEW YORK, NY — Long Island and the Hudson Valley could begin phase one of reopening businesses next week as long as the number of deaths continue to decrease and both meet tracing requirements. Gov. Andrew Cuomo made the announcement Friday as the state continued to see deaths, hospitalizations, intubations and intensive care admissions trend downward, falling to mid-March levels.

The number of people who died of the COVID-19 disease ticked up slightly to 109 on Thursday, up four from a day earlier. That includes 82 people in hospitals and 27 in nursing homes. The number of new coronavirus related hospitalizations statewide dipped down to 225 on Thursday, Cuomo said.

The governor delivered more grim news for New Yorkers, saying as many as 100,000 small businesses have permanently closed since the outset of the pandemic. The state's small businesses are facing their toughest challenge, he said.

In sharing the economic numbers, Cuomo said the state is launching a $100 million-plus loan fund to provide flexible and affordable loans to help small businesses, focusing on minority- and women-owned businesses that did not receive federal pandemic relief assistance.

Cuomo again urged New Yorkers to wear a mask when in public, noting that nurses and doctors in emergency rooms have a lower rate of infection than the public. He also pointed to new guidance by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that said the virus doesn't spread as frequently due to surface transmission.

The state is also launching a pilot program Friday with 54 independent pharmacies to conduct 7,000 tests per week.

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