The Pandemic in New York City: Cuomo vs de Blasio

“The Coronavirus pandemic has rocked New York. How will their tenuous relationship affect the delivery of steadfast leadership?”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio’s relationship has a long and complicated history. They have both been in New York politics for nearly two decades, culminating into the state’s two highest executive positions. In the past few months, their tenuous relationship has been brought to the public eye as a result of trying to deliver steadfast leadership regarding the coronavirus pandemic that has rocked New York. 

Although the two executives are fellow Democrats and can share their disdain for the Trump administration, it is sad to see the pettiness and lack of a clear, unifying message coming from New York leadership. While millions around the country have tuned into Gov. Cuomo’s daily press briefings as an alternative to the circus show coming out of the White House, a former senior aide to Mayor de Blasio, Rebecca Katz, who has been critical of both men, said that although the governor has “done an excellent job communicating throughout this crisis...His biggest weakness is his lack of self-control when it comes to taking pot shots at de Blasio.” 

Recently, Mayor de Blasio made the decision to keep New York City public schools closed past June. This decision was backed by Dr. Fauci and other health officials, but when Gov. Cuomo was asked about the mayor’s announcement, he responded by saying, “He didn’t close them, and he can’t open them.”

A similar spat came earlier when Gov. Cuomo shot down the mayor’s call for a shelter-in-place for New York City in mid March. Although an executive order of that nature eventually came from the governor, Cuomo made sure not to call it a shelter-in-place, instead opting for a stay-at-home order and a “pause” on non-essential services and gatherings. 

Freddi Goldstein, the mayor’s press secretary Tweeted, “The Governor's reaction to us keeping schools closed is reminiscent of how he reacted when the Mayor called for a shelter in place. We were right then and we're right now. Schools will remain closed, just like how we eventually — days later — moved to a shelter in place model.”

Another instance of division between the executives has been the response to outbreaks and insecurity in nursing homes. Gov. Cuomo has come under fire for saying it is not the state’s job to provide nursing homes with safety gear. Mayor de Blasio responded in a press briefing of his own saying, “Look, protecting senior citizens, protecting people in nursing homes, is for all of us — it’s our job, it’s our responsibility.”

Unfortunately, it has been the case that nursing homes not only have lacked the necessary personal protective equipment, they have also had to accommodate new coronavirus patients. Howard Zucker, the state health commissioner, explained the policy by saying, “if you are positive, you should be admitted back to a nursing home. The necessary precautions will be taken to protect the other residents there.” 

 In reality, nursing home residents have made up at least 25 percent of coronavirus-related deaths in New York. Neither Cuomo nor de Blasio have been able to come up with an acceptable answer to why they are putting the most high-risk population in even more danger, with devastating results. In an interview with the New York Post, Long Island educator, Arlene Mullin, was quoted saying, “I am wondering who will hold Gov. Cuomo accountable for the deaths of so many older people due to his reckless decision.” The Post Editorial Board made a stark demand, “Override Zucker, governor — then fire him.”

Now, both men have concentrated their efforts on securing adequate coronavirus testing and contact tracing. Gov. Cuomo has announced that former New York City mayor and failed presidential candidate, Michael Bloomberg, will lead the regional efforts, in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University and Vital Strategies. Cuomo made clear that a regional effort (city, state, Nassau, Suffolk, Jersey, Connecticut) was necessary for tackling this pandemic since so many city workers live across state lines.

It is clear that New York City will not be able to handle a response to the virus on their own. While New York has dealt with massive crises before such as 9/11 and the 2008 recession, the economic impact from the current pandemic will be historically unmatched. The city is bracing for a potential 25 percent loss of its private-sector jobs, while their projected $66 billion in tax revenue could fall by more than $10 billion.

Mayor de Blasio said, “I fear the number is going to be around 2 million New Yorkers who are food insecure as this crisis deepens.” He also estimates that city officials will give out about 10 million free meals in the month of April and 15 million in May.

So far, it has been announced that eight city developments will get testing sights, along with a new stockpile of critical supplies. The problem New York still faces is the uncertainty of securing the necessary quantity of testing kits and funding relief from the federal government.