<p>New York, which has ground to a halt to stop the coronavirus pandemic, may start reopening manufacturing and construction after May 15, Governor Andrew Cuomo said Sunday.</p>.<p>Cuomo, however, said that any easing of measures would take place first in the north of the state and not in the New York City metropolitan region, by far the hardest-hit area in the United States.</p>.<p>"The regions that would be more likely able to open sooner would be the upstate regions," Cuomo told reporters. "Downstate New York is going to be more complicated."</p>.<p>He said that any potential reopening of New York City, the country's most populous city, could need to be coordinated with authorities in the adjacent states of New Jersey and Connecticut.</p>.<p>A lockdown of New York ordered by Cuomo is set to expire on May 15. Under a plan for reopening, the first sectors would be construction and manufacturing.</p>.<p>Cuomo said the state was operating with a caveat -- "don't do anything that's going to bring people in from all across the board."</p>.<p>Cuomo has called for a two-week delay before the next stage of reopenings, which would include most offices, to ensure that the first phase does not trigger a resurgence of the virus.</p>.<p>The governor stressed that any final decision would be conditioned on a downturn in COVID-19 hospitalizations between now and May 15.</p>.<p>The state on Sunday reported 367 fatalities in the previous 24 hours, the lowest number since March 30 when 332 people died.</p>.<p>COVID-19 has now killed 16,966 people in New York state, accounting for around a third of the deaths in the United States.</p>.<p>To reopen, businesses will need to present New York authorities with plans that show they are ensuring sanitation to reduce the risk of virus transmission.</p>.<p>Cuomo said that no full-scale return to normal could come until the reopening of schools, which would allow parents to work outside of home.</p>.<p>New York state has not made a decision on reopening the education system, although Mayor Bill de Blasio has said that he considers the rest of the school year cancelled in the city.</p>.<p>Cuomo said that some school districts were studying whether to hold summer sessions to make up for lost time.</p>
<p>New York, which has ground to a halt to stop the coronavirus pandemic, may start reopening manufacturing and construction after May 15, Governor Andrew Cuomo said Sunday.</p>.<p>Cuomo, however, said that any easing of measures would take place first in the north of the state and not in the New York City metropolitan region, by far the hardest-hit area in the United States.</p>.<p>"The regions that would be more likely able to open sooner would be the upstate regions," Cuomo told reporters. "Downstate New York is going to be more complicated."</p>.<p>He said that any potential reopening of New York City, the country's most populous city, could need to be coordinated with authorities in the adjacent states of New Jersey and Connecticut.</p>.<p>A lockdown of New York ordered by Cuomo is set to expire on May 15. Under a plan for reopening, the first sectors would be construction and manufacturing.</p>.<p>Cuomo said the state was operating with a caveat -- "don't do anything that's going to bring people in from all across the board."</p>.<p>Cuomo has called for a two-week delay before the next stage of reopenings, which would include most offices, to ensure that the first phase does not trigger a resurgence of the virus.</p>.<p>The governor stressed that any final decision would be conditioned on a downturn in COVID-19 hospitalizations between now and May 15.</p>.<p>The state on Sunday reported 367 fatalities in the previous 24 hours, the lowest number since March 30 when 332 people died.</p>.<p>COVID-19 has now killed 16,966 people in New York state, accounting for around a third of the deaths in the United States.</p>.<p>To reopen, businesses will need to present New York authorities with plans that show they are ensuring sanitation to reduce the risk of virus transmission.</p>.<p>Cuomo said that no full-scale return to normal could come until the reopening of schools, which would allow parents to work outside of home.</p>.<p>New York state has not made a decision on reopening the education system, although Mayor Bill de Blasio has said that he considers the rest of the school year cancelled in the city.</p>.<p>Cuomo said that some school districts were studying whether to hold summer sessions to make up for lost time.</p>