New York City prepares to reopen

New York City has hired 1,700 contact tracers, many of whom began tracking close to 600 people who tested positive for COVID-19 this week. But Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the city needs at least 2,500 tracers for the city to be ready to enter the first of four phases of reopening on Monday.

What else is New York City doing to prepare? The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is outfitting subway stations with social distancing markers and asking 3,000 volunteers to distribute hand sanitizer and masks. The subway system will keep closing between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. each day for cleaning. Cuomo, however, expressed concern that the city could be in for a resurgence of coronavirus cases as large crowds gather on the streets to protest the death of George Floyd. The city imposed a curfew to curb looting and plans to lift it at the same time it ends its two-month shutdown.

Dig deeper: Read Jill Nelson’s report on the ongoing debate over whether shutdowns are the best way to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.