After being plagued by one of the hardest hit of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, New York is almost back on its feet and has the outbreak under control.
Due to this, the state has received praise from the United States' top infectious diseases expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci. On Friday, Fauci talked to "PBS NewsHour, " and said that when things are done correctly controlling the outbreak is possible, just like how it was done in New York.
Moreover, Fauci acknowledged that despite receiving the worst blow of the pandemic, New Yor was able to bring down their cases by simply following the rules and protocols imposed amid the rising number of cases.
According to CNBC, New York, which was previously the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the US has reduced its daily new infections to just 776. This is a huge drop from the number of daily cases during the peak of the outbreak where they recorded 10,000 cases per day.
At the moment, COVID Act Now, a tracking project which follows the trend of the pandemic has announced that New York has joined eight other states in the US which has had the virus under control. This is supported by data that says as of Thursday, less than 1% of New Yorkers are currently positive for the virus compared to its highest which was 40%.
New York Ready for Phase 4 Re-opening
While other states have slowly re-opened their economies, New York did not immediately rush into re-opening. The state's governor, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has put in place some of the strictest requirements in re-opening. Most businesses in New York remained close longer than other states, including Texas and Floride which are only seeing surges of the outbreak right now.
Amid the peak of the outbreak, New York has seen more than 400,000 of its citizens infected by the virus and at least 32,463 of which died. However, due to the strict guideline being imposed, New York City is set to enter phase 4.
During Phase 4, outdoor activities will already be allowed. People will be permitted to go to zoos, gardens and watch outdoor films. But some indoor activities and establishments such as cinemas, bars, malls, and museums are to remain closed, according to Gov. Cuomo.
In a tweet, Cuomo expressed his pride over what the New Yorkers have achieved, but also cautioned that they should not let their guard down and remain alert.
NYC has been cleared to enter Phase 4 of reopening, starting Monday, July 20.
Phase 4 will not include indoor activity in malls, restaurants or cultural institutions at this point.
I'm so proud of what New Yorkers have done. But we must continue to be on alert. — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) July 17, 2020
In addition, Cuomo also warned of a possible second wave of COVID-19 cases, as what is seen in some states which are currently struggling with the rise of cases shortly after re-opening their economy.
In a report by Fox, Fauci, who is also the director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, said on Friday that with the surges currently observed in other areas of the US, people are urged to follow the protocols. He emphasized that people should wear masks in public and has pushed for bars to be closed in order to mitigate the spread of the virus.
