New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) is offering a realistic look at the possibility of the Big Apple not reopening until sometime this summer.
Shortly after President Donald Trump’s White House Coronavirus press briefing on Thursday, de Blasio spoke appeared on Fox News with Bill Hemmer. He shared concerns similar to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), noting that he does not want a “false start.”
“I don’t want a false start,” de Blasio said, adding that he did not want to give New Yorkers a sense of “false hope.”
He offered an honest projection for reopening New York City, admitting that it could not happen until July or August. De Blasio also noted the importance of a “tough disciplined approach” to reopening different economic sectors in the city.
Despite Trump’s predictions of a rapid economic recovery, the mayor wants New Yorkers to understand they will be faced with a new normal. He noted that arenas and sporting events with large crowds would not be possible immediately after the city is reopened.
Check out de Blasio’s remarks below:
The mayor also discussed the city’s economic and financial turmoil as a result of the coronavirus. According to de Blasio, the city of New York is in need of a bailout totaling more than $7 billion.
“Right now I’ve accounted for, and I’m very sorry to say this, $7.5 billion in lost revenue that we now know is going to hit this city,” de Blasio admitted.
He went on to explain the detriment of the city’s financial distress, noting that they will soon be unable to “provide basic services in this city.”
“We are one of the capitals of this country in terms of economic power and economic impact, and you know all that we do to help the American economy be strong, but we are not going to be able to provide basic services in this city because we’ve got nowhere else to turn to get that kind of money.”
The state of New York has become the United States’ epicenter for the coronavirus outbreak. There are more than 218,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in New York, including 123,000 in New York City alone.
On Wednesday, New York City added to its death toll over 3,700 “apparent” coronavirus-related deaths.
