New York City enters final reopening phase as California, Florida, and Texas cases surge

New York City has reached a major milestone in its COVID-19 fight.

Once the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, New York City will move to its final phase of reopening on Monday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced Friday. Malls, gyms, and cultural institutions will remain closed, as will indoor dining, but most other businesses can reopen with appropriate social distancing measures.

At the peak of its pandemic, New York state often saw hundreds of COVID-19 deaths per day, but reported 10 deaths on Friday. Coronavirus hospitalization totals in the state dropped to 765, the lowest they've been since mid-March, and less than one percent of COVID-19 tests came back positive in the last 24 hours, Cuomo also said Friday.

Meanwhile across the south and west of the U.S., things are going the other direction. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said Friday most schools will not reopen in the state, a decision Los Angeles and San Diego public schools made earlier this week. Newsom has also scaled back reopenings and closed bars and other businesses in surging counties.

Florida recorded 128 new deaths from COVID-19 in the past day on Friday afternoon, its fourth day of death tolls over 100. And in Texas, FEMA sent in extra body bags and refrigerated trucks to prepare for a surging death toll. Still, governors in both states have resisted shutting down businesses again.

(THE WEEK)