New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) threatened Sunday to reverse New York's phased reopening after the state received tens of thousands of complaints that businesses — particularly bars and restaurants in Manhattan and the Hamptons — were in violation of public health restrictions.
The big picture: The decrease in coronavirus cases in New Jersey and New York has helped flatten the overall curve in the U.S., but Cuomo has been insistent about the need to stay vigilant in order to prevent another wave of infections as states reopen.
- The governor alluded to the fact that many states that reopened quickly are now seeing spikes in case numbers: "It's not hard to figure out what is happening here," he said. "So far, we have been the exception."
What they're saying: "We're not going to go back to that dark place because local government didn't do its job or because some individuals exploited the situation besides the legal violation," Cuomo said.
- "We have gotten 25,000 complaints to the state of businesses that are in violation of the reopening plan — 25,000 complaints. We have never received more complaints in a shorter period of time."
- "Think about how concerned New Yorkers are not just to see the violation but then to care enough to come back and write a letter or call registering the complaint. You know why? They're afraid for themselves."
Background: New York City is currently in phase two of its reopening plan, which includes detailed guidelines for restaurants and bars, the main culprit of violations, Cuomo said. Bars and restaurants risk losing their liquor license if they are caught in violation.
