NY Directs Masks For Essential Workers; Antibody Testing Expanded

NEW YORK, NY — Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday announced he would sign two more executive orders forcing employers to give essential workers cloth or surgical masks when they interact with the public, as well as to expand anti-body testing. Meanwhile, the death toll from the new coronavirus climbed to 9,385 in New York, a single-day increase of 758.

In announcing the deaths, Cuomo pointed to more evidence that the rate of infection has plateaued — the daily rate of discharges increased while the three-day rate was effectively unchanged. Moreover, the three-day rate of hospitalizations decreased and the net number of hospital beds fell to about 53,000, he said, the lowest since the state started tracking the numbers.

Cuomo praised New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy for ordering employers to give face coverings to essential workers who interact with the public, and said he wanted to do so, too. New Jersey was "right," he said.

"I want to do that here," Cuomo said.

To sign up for free, local breaking news alerts in New York, click here.

Cuomo also said he would expand antibody testing, noting that state regulators determine who can administer them. He wanted to expand that number so more tests can be given.

In response to questions about his open and public disagreement with New York CIty Mayor Bill de Blasio over how long to close schools, Cuomo said he wants to coordinate a reopening with neighboring states. He reiterated all schools in upstate and downstate will stay closed until they're safe and has to be coordinated with opening businesses. Cuomo stressed he does not know what will happen in June, and that not even the experts know — many of the early infection rate projections were far from accurate.

"The last thing we want to see is an uptick in the numbers," he said.

The governor also called for repealing the federal SALT tax, noting that while some states received $300,000 in federal aid per COVID-19 patient, New York received just $12,000 per patient. A simple and easy way to help New York, he said, was to "right the wrong."

"It should have never been done, as I said, in the first place," Cuomo said.

Cuomo said the recent federal stimulus bill was like "most past bills," in that it became bogged down in political goals. Lawmakers had to get their “piece of the pie,” he said, and it was an "injustice" to the places that needed that money most.