New York City prepares to reopen

New York City is the only part of the state that remains under lockdown, as the number of new coronavirus cases and deaths decrease. Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city, which has accounted for more than half of the state’s 367,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, likely will move into phase one of reopening its economy in the first two weeks of June. More than 29,500 people have died in New York state during the pandemic, with nearly 65,000 recovering from the disease, according to Johns Hopkins University.

What safety precautions are officials taking? New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday issued an executive order allowing businesses to refuse service to customers who do not wear a mask. In New York City, officials are “disinfecting every train and every bus on a daily basis,” Cuomo said. “They’re piloting the use of UV light technology to kill viruses in subway cars. So they’re using the best science to get ready for this.”

Dig deeper: Read Emily Belz’s report about the field hospital Samaritan’s Purse deployed in New York City’s Central Park.