BUFFALO (WBEN) - On Wednesday, Governor Cuomo proudly announced that New York State currently possesses the lowest seven-day COVID positivity rate of any state in the country at .64%.
"It is time to get back to living. What have we been doing for the past year? We've been surviving," said Cuomo at an afternoon press conference.
"Get out of the house; start to see loved ones again; socialize again; participate in activities. We said follow the science, and the science says it is now safe because the vaccine was always the weapon that was going to win the war, and the weapon is now hitting critical mass, and that's why you see the numbers coming down."
However, in other parts of the country, we're seeing full ballparks and businesses without restrictions operating at full capacity, but here in New York, restrictions still exist in venues that don't mandate vaccinations of patrons.
In that regard, is it time for New York State to announce a plan or end date when all restrictions can be lifted?
Congressman Brian Higgins is adamant that state officials should be working toward a full, tangible reopening plan.
"We're making good progress in terms of getting people vaccinated," said Higgins. "There has to be a recognition of that, that we need to open up our economy; we need to get back to our life qualities; we need to get back to our friends and our families," said Higgins. "I think if people are frustrated, they're frustrated for good reason.
"If it's going to be a plan, make it an action plan - date specific - the opening up of this economy in Western New York and throughout New York State," Higgins continued, also noting that his hope for such a date is the 4th of July.
However, opinions on this matter vary substantially.
Dottie Gallagher serves as President & CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, and she doesn't believe there needs to be a reopening date from an economic perspective because restrictions have continually been loosened in recent weeks.
"By and large, the changes that have happened recently have had a dramatically positive impact on local businesses, but these ones that are left are going to have to be addressed for sure," Gallagher began. "At the speed of which restrictions are being released recently gives me confidence that it won't be long. I'm not overly concerned about it - from a commerce point of view, with a handful of exceptions...people are generally able to do to go back to work."
When the question was posed to Mayor Byron Brown, he essentially said that COVID remains a real threat that society must continue to take seriously.
"I think we have to be cautious," said Brown, noting that he recently attended the funeral so someone who died of COVID. "I don't think we can take this lightly, and I don't think we can assume that because we've seen packed stadiums elsewhere, that there have been no impacts because in other parts of the country, people are still getting sick and dying as well."
