New York to accelerate reopening of religious places: Governor Andrew Cuomo

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, on June 6, said that he was planning to expedite the reopening of temples, mosques, churches in the state. Cuomo added that in Phase II reopening, all houses of worship would be allowed to reopen with 25 per cent of occupancy as long as social distancing measures are followed. At present, Western New York, as well as the capital region, is in Phase II of reopening while New York City is on track to start phase I of reopening on June 8.

Meanwhile, speaking at his daily news briefing Cuomo said that the state was "doing well in metrics", however, he also encouraged people to "stay smart". Highlighting declining cases in the state, the Democrat leader said that June 6 saw the lowest death rate since the outbreak began. 

Temperature checks

Apart from the opening of the religious place, Cuomo also said that he was signing another executive order that would allow commercial buildings to take temperature checks on entry. In addition to that, he announced signing another order that would ban price gouging of personal protective equipment (PPE).

“The bill is to "ensure access to supplies like masks for healthcare workers and the general public. It will remain in effect until the end of the Covid-19 crisis, he said.

The New York State reportedly recorded the lowest number of 42 deaths and 2,728 hospitalisations since the deadly COVID-19 pandemic began. The state has been the epicentre of the outbreak in the United States, however, it has been recording a lower number of deaths and hospitalisations. 

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Cuomo also credited the progress made in controlling the coronavirus outbreak to the people of the state, who adhered to social distancing and lockdown guidelines. He said that the people ‘radically changed how they behaved’. He also added, “Today's achievement is proof we know we can change, and we know we can change dramatically when we work together”. 

Read: New York State Records Lowest Number Of COVID-19 Deaths, Hospitalisations

Read: New York Reports Lowest Number Of Coronavirus Deaths Since Pandemic Began

Image credits: AP