Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office little guidance against family gatherings on Easter following a continued downward trend in infection rates and as over 10 million New Yorkers statewide have received at least one dose of a COVD-19 vaccine.
This was despite the Centers for Disease Control advising Americans on March 31 to only celebrate with those they live with, virtually or outdoors while remaining socially distanced as preventing the spread of new variants complicates a return to normalcy.
“New York was hit earliest and hardest by the pandemic, and the people of this state got through it by being smart and following the facts and the science,” Cuomo said Sunday in a statement. “With the new variants, we know there is more work to do to keep everyone safe: wear masks, socially distance and follow health guidelines. In the meantime we are vaccinating as many people as possible and doing it equitably – which will go a long way toward keeping New Yorkers safe. There is light at the end of the tunnel – let’s continue being smart so we get there together.”
Cuomo’s silence on the matter of Easter gatherings was in stark contrast to the dire warnings he issued leading up to Thanksgiving, the holidays and New Years, in which his administration braced for a rapid increase in the number of cases and hospitalization rates.
Statewide, the administration reported a seven-day average infection rate of 3.56% while 59 New Yorkers died from COVID-19 on Saturday. The benchmark of 10 million people vaccinated equates to about 2,905,537 in the five boroughs who have received one dose of the shot.
But the embattled governor continued to remain beyond the reach of the media altogether on Sunday as sexual misconduct allegations against him are continually investigated by state Attorney General Letitia James and the Assembly Judiciary Committee.
James declined to comment on the status of the investigation during an unrelated press conference on Thursday.
I cannot say much, all that I can say is the investigation is ongoing and cannot give you a completion date,” James said.
Whether or not the investigation had been widened beyond the sexual misconduct allegations was not expanded upon.
