On April 26, CNN aired New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s coronavirus press briefing from noon to 1 p.m. In that one hour the governor, very clearly and in detail, described where the city of New York and the state stood in fighting the pandemic and the recent progress that’s been made. Next he described specific present difficulties and what corrective actions are being taken.
He went on to explain how the economic recovery and return to a “new” normal will be accomplished, by phases, in different regions within the state and in cooperation with adjoining states’ regions. At this point Cuomo paused to stress that whatever is done to address recovery, its success is entirely dependent upon the people’s — everyone’s — capacity to understand what they need to do personally in order for the whole program to continue to make progress.
As thorough as Cuomo’s presentation was, reporters had detailed questions about how the “opening up” of the economy would transpire. The governor answered four or five of these questions as best he could given that conditions are in constant flux. But where appropriate, and with acknowledgment that each action would be dependent upon measurable medical progress and supportive public behavior, his answers were clear and made sense.
It was a most welcome and informative presentation. It was especially gratifying to finally hear from a responsible elected official who understands the complexity of the problems this pandemic presents and is providing well-thought-out and flexible plans for their solution.
Thank God for Gov. Cuomo.
Ed Collins
West Newton