Cuomo says New York COVID shutdown is "totally avoidable"
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Friday a shutdown that would close non-essential businesses is "totally avoidable" — and that he doesn't believe the state is destined for one.
"Destiny is what we make it," Cuomo said at a COVID-19 briefing. "The future is what we make it. It is totally in our control, and a shutdown is totally avoidable."
The governor said he believes New Yorkers can slow the spread of the virus and that hospitals can manage the increase in COVID-19 patients.
"New Yorkers have the shutdown in their hands" he said, urging people to be smart about how they celebrate the holidays.
A shutdown would kick in if a regional hospital system notifies the state that it is three weeks away from hitting 85% capacity. "That's when we would shut down the economy," Cuomo said.
But no hospital in the state had given such notice as of Friday, he said.
"That's good news, because you have no hospital in the state saying they think they are going to hit 85% of their maximum by January 8," he added.
The question of whether New York City specifically may need to go into a full shutdown became the latest political football between Cuomo and the city's mayor. Mayor Bill de Blasio urged residents and businesses earlier this week to brace for a possible second shutdown amid a citywide surge in coronavirus cases.
Last week, Cuomo announced that indoor dining in the city would be suspended as of this past Monday due to the virus.
"Hospitalizations have not stabilized, and with a rising infection rate and NYC's density, this means that indoor dining is too high of a risk," the governor tweeted.
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Cuomo says a New York COVID-19 shutdown is "totally avoidable"
