ALBANY, N.Y. — ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the national debate over when to re-open outbreak-ravaged economies boils down to the value placed on people’s lives.
The governor made the argument as political pressure intensifies to relax outbreak-fighting restrictions keeping people at home and off the job.
"One point I want to make about reopening, not just in this state, but all across this nation. There's a conversation that is going on about reopening that we are not necessarily explicit about, but which is very important. There's a question that is being debated right under the surface and the decisions we make on reopening are really profound decisions. The fundamental question which we're not articulating is how much is a human life worth? How much do we think a human life is worth? There's a cost of staying closed, no doubt. Economic cost, personal cost. There's also a cost of reopening quickly. Either option has a cost," Cuomo said during his briefing on Tuesday.
As other states begin lifting restrictions, Cuomo has opted for a slower approach that will allow parts of the state to phase in economic activity later this month if they meet and maintain a series of benchmarks.
Cuomo claims his plan avoids the trade-off between economic and human costs because it will be controlled by officials constantly monitoring fatalities and hospitalizations.