May 29, 2020 By Allie Griffin
New York City is on track to reopen in about two weeks, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today.
The city will begin reopening June 8, Cuomo said at his daily coronavirus briefing, where he was joined by the mayor via a live video feed.
“We are on track to open on June 8, which is one week from Monday,” Cuomo said.
New York City will enter into phase one of reopening, which includes opening construction, agriculture, hunting, manufacturing and wholesale trade industries.
Retail stores are also allowed to reopen for curbside or in-store pickup only under phase one. The stores are not open for browsing.
“Remember that reopening does not mean we’re going back to the way things were… It’s going to be different,” Cuomo said. “It’s reopening to a new normal. It’s a safer normal.”
The governor said New Yorkers should continue to wear masks and keep six feet from one another even as the city moves into reopening.
Phase one will bring about 400,000 employees back to work in New York City, Cuomo said.
“We are excited to get to the point of a restart for New York City,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
Five regions in the state will also begin moving into phase two of reopening, the governor announced today.
Phase two industry reopenings include office-based jobs, real estate services and retail, including hair salons and barbershops — which will be opened with limited services. Office buildings will also have reduced capacities in phase two.
