New York City on track to begin reopening: Governor Cuomo

Governor Andrew Cuomo said New York City is on track to begin "reopening the week of June 8".

"We will stay on track by focusing on the hotspots. We know down to the zip code where the infection rate is higher than average," the governor said, adding, "we will meet the need where it is greatest."

"Reopening does not mean returning to the past. Reopening means moving toward a new, safer normal. Wear a mask. Get tested. Social distance. It’s up to us to keep this progress going," the New York governor asserted.

New York has been the epicenter of the virus in the United States with over 21,000 COVID-19 casualties.

"Five regions will now enter Phase 2 of reopening: North Country, Finger Lakes, Central NY, Mohawk Valley and Southern Tier," he said.

"In Phase 2 retail curbside pickup will be open. Hair salons and barber shops can also reopen with strict guidelines," Cuomo said.

The United States has been hit the hardest with the virus with the death toll touching 100,000 as the nation grapples to open up the economy amid steep rise in jobless rates not seen since the Great Depression in the early 1930s.