ALBANY (WCBS 880) — Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday sent a letter to President Donald Trump asking him what the next steps were in combating the coronavirus pandemic.
Cuomo sent the letter as chairman of the National Governors Association alongside his Arkansas counterpart, Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
“States have been at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19, working tirelessly to protect and care for our residents during this global pandemic,” the governors wrote in the letter. “Governors are willing to assist your Administration's efforts to ensure a national vaccination campaign is implemented smoothly and efficiently. However, additional guidance and clarification is needed on the roles and expectations of states in a successful COVID-19 vaccine distribution and implementation plan.”
Hutchinson and Cuomo requested a meeting with the president and his Coronavirus Task Force to discuss “what is required to ensure a strong partnership.”
The governors say they hope the conversation will include a discussion on how states can distribute a potential vaccine to citizens in the coming months.
Cuomo and Hutchinson say they also want to coordinate federal and state responsibilities and the funding needs.
In a conference call with reporters, Gov. Cuomo said he was worried that some people will ultimately refuse to be vaccinated for the virus, and the state will be dealing with small COVID clusters for years to come.
Cuomo added that continuing to fight coronavirus cases will be “a massive undertaking” over the next few months.