Gov. Cuomo Is Worried About September

The stats in New York state keep improving, though a lot of people continue to die from COVID-19: Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday that 337 people died the previous day, the lowest figure since March 31 and roughly half the number seen during the state's peak earlier in April, reports the New York Times. Related:

• Second wave: Even though cases are declining, Cuomo said he spoke with President Trump about keeping temporary health-care facilities in place. "We're now talking about the possibility of a second wave of the COVID virus or COVID combined with regular flu season in September, which could be problematic again for hospital capacity," Cuomo said, per CNBC.

• Open streets: New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio said Monday that the city would close 40 miles of streets to vehicles so they could be used as open space by pedestrians during the shutdown, reports NBC New York. The plan will start with streets around city parks and could be expanded to include 100 miles of streets in all.
• Reopening: Meanwhile, Cuomo and New Jersey Gov. Philip Murphy continue to flesh out plans for a coordinated reopening of the region. "I don’t think you’ll see us taking in each case identical steps, but I think you’ll see our steps harmonized," said Murphy on Monday. By the Times account, a shift to normalcy would begin in regions of each state that have not been hard hit by the virus, perhaps in mid-May, when the governors' stay-at-home orders expire.

(More New York City stories.)