Albany, N.Y. (WBEN) - "It's a good day across the plate", said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo as he began his daily briefing on coronavirus. It is 'day 78' and the day the Governor announced that western New York has finally reached a milestone and an ability to begin the phased reopening process.
"There's been a shift in the capitol region and in western New York where on the seven metrics...they are now qualified for reopening," Cuomo said Sunday.
"There is still a need to increase tracing, the number of people who are prepared to do tracing and that is a pure administrative function," Cuomo said. The western New York region needs a total of 521 contact tracers for the population and is still in need of an additional 321 according to Cuomo.
"We'll be working with both capital region and western New York to get that tracing up," Cuomo stated.
It was hospitalization metrics that were holding the Buffalo and western region back from reopening and recent declines have adjusted that favorably.
I'm very happy to learn after the recent drop in hospitalized cases WNY has met all hospitalization metrics for reopening. @NYGovCuomo spoke to me this morning regarding contact tracer status. We have provided to NYS the names of 291 employees to be trained as contact tracers.1/2
— Mark Poloncarz (@markpoloncarz)
May 17, 2020 Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul is leading the western region's efforts to begin reopening and will update reporters on the situation during a briefing late Sunday afternoon.
