Cuomo Says He Wants New York 'To Reopen as Soon as Possible'

John Bowden of The Hill wrote:Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said Sunday that he wants New York to reopen non-essential businesses and public places "as soon as possible."

During a daily press conference on the status of the state's coronavirus response, Cuomo pledged to work with the governors of New Jersey and Connecticut to determine when the state could emerge from lockdown safely.

"People want to get on with their lives, people want to get out of the house, [they've got] cabin fever," the governor said Sunday.

"We need the economy working, people need a paycheck, life has to function. When do we reopen?" Cuomo continued. "Look, the answer is we want to reopen as soon as possible. Everyone does on a societal level; everyone does on a personal level."

"We want to reopen as soon as possible. The caveat is, we need to be smart in the way that we reopen," he added. "It means a coordinated approach, it means a regional approach, and it means a safe approach."

His comments come as Cuomo appeared to clash with the mayor of the state's largest city, Bill de Blasio (D), over when New York City's public and private school systems would reopen.

"That's his opinion, but he didn't close them, and he can't open them," the governor said of de Blasio's announcement Saturday that schools would remain closed for the school year.

188,000 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the state, the highest of anywhere in the country. More than 9,300 people have died from the disease across New York state.