Cuomo looks to ‘turn page’ on virus as suburbs reopen.
NEW YORK — New York’s Hudson Valley and the suburbs north of New York City eased restrictions intended to stop the spread of the coronavirus Tuesday as the trading floor of the New York Stock exchange reopened for the first time in two months and the state legislature prepared to reconvene.
Here are the latest coronavirus developments in New York:
Northern suburbs enter Phase One of reopening
Several counties north of New York City entered the first phase of the state’s four-part reopening process Tuesday after Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the region had met criteria for reopening, including declining deaths and hospitalizations linked to the coronavirus.
The region now easing restrictions includes Westchester County, the area where New York’s first major outbreak of the virus happened in early March.
There have been more than 1,300 deaths so far in Westchester County and nearly 500 in the nearby Rockland County. Both of those suburban counties have had more fatalities per capita than Manhattan, where restrictions are expected to stay in place at least into June.
New York City and Long Island are the only regions in the state that have yet to begin the first phase of reopening, which includes retail with curbside pickup.
Stock Exchange opens
Traders cheered as Gov. Andrew Cuomo rang the opening bell of the Stock Exchange, which had been closed since March when the state shut down in the face of the virus.
Under rules put in place to prevent a resurgence, traders will be required to wear masks and stay 6 feet apart. Anyone entering the exchange will be asked to avoid public transportation.
“We will respect the sacrifices of front line workers and the city at large by proceeding cautiously, limiting the strain on the health care system and the risk to those who work beneath our roof,” NYSE President Stacey Cunningham wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed.
New York City hires 1,700 contact tracers
New York City has hired 1,700 contact tracers who will monitor people infected with the virus and reach out to their close contacts, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday.
“This is a huge new piece of the puzzle,” de Blasio said at his daily coronavirus briefing. “This is when we go on the offensive and we put in place something that really changes our whole fight against the coronavirus.”
Under Cuomo’s guidelines, the city would need 2,500 contact tracers to enter the first phase of reopening its economy. De Blasio said he expects to meet that target in the first two weeks of June.
Legislature heads back to work
The state legislature will be in session Tuesday for the first time since the coronavirus forced lawmakers home after they passed the state budget in April.
A few members of the state Senate and Assembly were expected to travel to Albany to debate and vote on bills from their offices or the chambers while most lawmakers will participate from home through video and teleconference.