Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday mocked Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan to have New York City “fully open” from coronavirus restrictions on July 1 — saying that if it were a matter of wants, he’d reopen the Big Apple next week.
Asked during a news conference in Buffalo about Hizzoner’s morning announcement, Cuomo initially used an affected, whiny voice to belittle his political rival and fellow Democrat.
“I want it opened up on Monday. I want to open up New York City on Tuesday. I want it open on Wednesday. I want Buffalo opened up on Thursday,” Cuomo said.
Cuomo insisted he was using “a statewide management system and we’re managing it by the science, by the data.”
The governor said he was “reluctant” to pinpoint a Big Apple reopening date, but added, “I don’t want to wait that long … I think we can do it before that.”
“There is no person who will safely reopen faster than myself,” he said.
“I’m not going to predict the future. But if you said to me, ‘July 1,’ I’d say, ‘I hope to get there before July 1.’”
Cuomo’s comments marked the latest chapter in his long-running feud with de Blasio over who has the final say in reopening the city’s schools, restaurants, theaters and other public places, during which the governor has repeatedly superseded the mayor’s authority.
Cuomo also teed off on de Blasio for publicly repeating his call for the governor to resign over scandals that include allegations of sexual harassment and the cover-up of nursing home deaths from COVID-19.
“First, the mayor of New York, I don’t know what he’s indicative of,” Cuomo said.
“Ask the people of New York what they think about the mayor of New York City and I’ll second their opinion,” Cuomo scoffed.
Asked for comment, de Blasio press secretary Bill Neidhardt told The Post, “Serial sexual assaulter says what?”
He told an NY1 reporter asking about the Cuomo comments: “I don’t care what a serial sexual harasser and assaulter and someone who covered up the deaths of thousands of people at nursing homes has to say about anything.”
Additional reporting by Nolan Hicks
Credit: NYPOST
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