Governor Cuomo Announces Western New York Expected to Enter Phase 2 of Reopening Tomorrow and Capital Region Expected to Enter Phase 2 of Reopening on June 3

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced Western New York is expected to enter Phase 2 of reopening tomorrow and the Capital Region is expected to enter Phase 2 of reopening on June 3 following a review of regional data by global public health experts.

The Governor also announced the lowest rate of positive test results since the pandemic began. The State performed 50,000 tests yesterday with less than 2 percent returning positive.

"If you take a step back, what we have done with this virus is a really amazing accomplishment, and it was all done by the people of this state. 19 million people did what they never did before - they responded with a level of determination and discipline that I was amazed with," Governor Cuomo said. "Remember where we were. We had 800 people die in one day - we had the worst situation in the United States of America. At one point we had the worst situation on the globe, but we are now reopening in 50 days. The whole closure period has been about 93 days - albeit a disruptive 93 days. But look at what we did in 93 days. We went from the worst situation on the globe to actually reopening. That's where we are. We should be very proud of what we've done."

The Governor also confirmed 941 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 371,711 confirmed cases in New York State. Of the 371,711 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows: