Phase 1 of reopening New York City likely in June, Mayor de Blasio says
Phase 1 of NYC Reopening
Construction, retail, wholesale, and manufacturing would be allowed to resume with some restrictions.
NEW YORK - New York City could begin the first phase of its reopening following the shutdown due to the pandemic by the first week or second week of June, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Thursday. Construction, retail, wholesale, and manufacturing would be allowed to resume with some restrictions.
The reopening is contingent on a continued downward tick in the number of coronavirus cases in the city, the number of people in the city's intensive care units, and the percentage of New Yorkers reporting positive for COVID-19.
Phase one does not include reopening seating at restaurants and bars. Those businesses would likely be among the last to reopen, added the mayor.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK (Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
On Thursday, de Blasio announced that there were 59 new cases of coronavirus reported in the city a day earlier, there were 421 people in the city's ICUs, and six percent of New Yorkers were reporting positive symptoms.
Details regarding phase one of the reopening would be later announced.
"People need to hang tough so we can do this the right way," said de Blasio.
New York City remains the only region in the state to not initiate a reopening phase after Long Island began its move to lifting restrictions earlier this week.