New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo shut down Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan to close nonessential businesses in some New York City neighborhoods.
Cuomo trampled on his fellow Democrat’s plan to address an uptick in coronavirus cases in parts of New York City by agreeing to close schools one day sooner than the mayor had recommended while also refusing to close down nonessential businesses as the mayor had requested. De Blasio had recommended re-closing businesses to address COVID-19 “hot spot clusters” in Queens and Brooklyn.
“The state is going to take over the enforcement oversight and all the hot spot clusters, OK? Local governments will need to provide us with personnel, but the state will take over the enforcement,” Cuomo said during a press conference on Monday.
De Blasio, however, promised to push ahead with his plan to shutter businesses in hot spots on Wednesday. He said during a press conference on Monday that Cuomo’s office can come back with modifications to the plan that they may implement, but he said the city would not wait for Cuomo’s decision.
“We’re continuing to work with the governor’s team on that plan. The proposal I put on the table is the basis of discussion: nine zip codes, close all nonessential businesses. The governor’s team is considering if they have alterations they want to make to that geography or to the approach, but until we hear otherwise, our plan is to move ahead Wednesday morning with enforcement in those nine zip codes,” de Blasio said.
De Blasio later clarified that he is only keeping his plan to close businesses on Wednesday “until there is a different plan” from Cuomo’s office.
“The state agrees with the basic concepts. The state agrees with the need to close down schools in the nine zip codes. The state has agreed on the need to restrict activity in the nine zip codes. We, specifically, proposed doing it by zip code starting Wednesday morning, closing the nonessential businesses,” de Blasio said.
“The state is reviewing that right now and might come back with modifications, but we’re going to be ready to move as early as Wednesday morning. If the state comes back with a modification, we’ll, of course, follow that modification. I do not expect the state to delay for long. I don’t think anyone has an interest in delaying,” he added.
