NYC Phase 4 Coronavirus Reopening Starts Next Week

NEW YORK CITY — The nation's former coronavirus epicenter is poised to step into its next phase of reopening.

"New York City will enter Phase Four on Monday,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. "That hallmark for us. Every region of the state will now be in Phase Four — there are no more phases than Phase Four."

Cuomo's announcement Friday made official what seemed like a foregone conclusion after a week of relatively-rosy coronavirus numbers and public acknowledgments that the city's Phase Four likely be more limited than other state regions.

Mayor Bill de Blasio earlier Friday all-but declared the city will move into the last phase.

"We are moving forward with Phase Four on Monday,” he said, hours before Cuomo's announcement.

But New York City's Phase 4 will look different than other regions in the state.

Indoor dining is still on hold, as are indoor activities for city cultural institutions and mall, Cuomo said.

"We will continue to monitor that situation and when the facts change we will let you know," he said.

What can reopen was given an enthusiastic run down by De Blasio.

Botanical gardens and zoos can reopen at 33 percent capacity, outdoor film and television production will restart and professional sports, particularly baseball, can be played without fans, he said.

"Outdoors looks very good, indoors is where we have some concerns," de Blasio said.

Cuomo said Phase Four also makes schools eligible for reopening — provided New York City's coronavirus case levels stay lower than 5 percent.

He said New York City dwellers should be credited for bringing the city to this point.

"Government did nothing here," he said. "It's what people did."

But Cuomo repeatedly sounded warnings about a "second wave" of coronavirus. This one will be a "man-made" surge stemming from government incompetence and areas that didn't heed lockdown lessons from New York, he said.

Surging cases in western and southern states, particularly Arizona, Florida and Texas, make it inevitable more cases will make it back into New York, he said.

He urged all New Yorkers to be on "high alert."

"The virus is spreading, it's all across the country," he said. "It's getting worse and it will have an affect on New York. How bad, we don't know."