New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday that New York will provide death benefits to those “public heroes” who perished from COVID-19 during the health emergency that has shut down the state for more than two months.
On Memorial Day, Cuomo said he hopes the federal government will honor those who answered the call and showed up for work on the front lines of the nation’s public health emergency.
Those workers who may have been afraid to go to work in hospitals and nursing homes and other essential workplaces but did so nonetheless deserve more than just a verbal thank you, he added.
“We understand what you did, we appreciate what you did, and it’s a way of showing Americans that when there is a next time – and there is a next time – that we truly appreciate those people who show up and do their duty,” Cuomo said.
Cuomo gave his daily COVID-19 briefing Monday at the USS Intrepid Sea, Air and Space in New York City. Prior to the briefing, he took part in a wreath ceremony honoring those who died in defense of the country.
He also discussed the legislators’ return to the state Capitol this week. While lawmakers typically spend money, the governor said there was no money to spend at this time. Besides an estimated $13 billion deficit, the state is looking to make 20 percent cuts to public education, county and municipal governments and public health.
The only possible relief would be if the federal government provides emergency funding for local governments, which he said he was trying to get.
“Otherwise, we don’t have money, and any additional money we spend increases the cuts to school aid, local government and hospitals,” Cuomo said. “It’s a zero sum game. There is no printing press in Albany that makes money.”
The governor also spoke about the eviction ban being extended through August. The extension, though, includes new language that ties the ban only to those who are suffering from COVID-19-related financial hardships.
“It can’t just be that you’re rich and you don’t want to pay, and you want to stiff the landlord,” Cuomo said. “That’s not what this is about.”
The governor declined to speculate when New York City may be allowed to begin reopening, as other regions in the state have. State Island officials requested permission to move forward, saying they’re hitting all the measures the state has set, but Cuomo pushed back, saying the borough needs to reopen at the same time as the rest of the city.
New York reported 96 COVID-19 deaths across the state on Sunday, with 75 occurring in hospitals and the rest in nursing homes. The hospitalization rate continued to drop, but the state announced 1,249 additional cases of the disease, which brings the total confirmed cases to 362,764.
