New York is the worst affected state due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the US. In an effort to fight the lockdown, governor Andrew Cuomo extended the statewide shutdown by three weeks to May 15. He is aiming to work with New England and Mid-Atlantic governments to decide a reopening strategy.

Bad news for state casinos

The lockdown extension means that the state’s racinos and commercial casinos will remain closed till May 15. The governor’s orders list casinos in the list of properties that will remain shut, including concern halls, theaters, stadiums, large indoor shopping malls. The state considers them nonessential businesses that ought to remain shut until the lockdown is lifted.

Tracking data from the University of Washington suggests that the state is going towards the downward side of its pandemic curve. However, the number of reported cases and deaths is still large as compared to its peers. The John Hopkins University of Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center suggests that the state has over 218,000 confirmed cases with over 10,913 reported deaths.

The situation is grim in New York

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Cuomo said,

“The bad news is 2,000 people walked into a hospital yesterday for the first time with a disease, and the worst news is 600 people died yesterday from the disease.”

The state is seeing a decrease in the daily total number of confirmed new cases and deaths. However, its neighboring states have not reached their peak yet. This includes its neighbor New Jersey, which has the second higher number of cases in the US, at 75,317. Cuomo assured that New York has kept 100 ventilators ready for the Garden State and is ready to divest more resources if they need it.

The states of Delaware, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York are part of a region partnership for fighting COVID-19 together. Apart from this coalition of northeastern states, the Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky, and Ohio have also coordinated their reopening schedules. Washington, Oregon, and California have also announced their own joint programs.

On Thursday, the Trump administration also launched a series of guidelines to help the states handle their reopening plans. Trump also encouraged states to act in tandem with their neighbors. Cuomo clarified that a region approach would not mean that each state reopens at the same time or take similar steps. It means that the administrations will communicate with other each and ensure that their actions do not harm or conflict with their neighbors.