Cuomo: It Could Take Years For New York To Recover From COVID-19 Impacts

File image. January 8, 2020, Albany, NY, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo delivers his 2020 State of the State Address in Albany. (via Mike Groll/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo)

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ALBANY – New York’s Governor says it could take years for the state to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

On a conference call Wednesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo said the state is facing a $30 billion budget hole over the next two years because of the pandemic.

He says the state will need federal help to make that money up.

In the meantime, Congress is working on a deal for a new coronavirus relief package.

According to the proposed bill, Cuomo says schools may get some federal funding, but local governments and hospitals could take a big hit.

“The federal bill as proposed by the Senate currently says you would have to fully fund education, even if they don’t fully fund the state’s shortfall. We have a $14 and $16 billion shortfall over two years. They provide funding for education and say you have to fully fund education even if they don’t fund the state, in this case, $30 billion. If that is the situation it would be good news for education, we would fully fund the schools, but then it would mean that the hospitals and local governments take an even greater cut,” Cuomo said.

The Governor also says New York is making improvements in the fight against COVID. Of the more than 62,000 people tested yesterday, 715 were positive. That brings the infection rate to 1.1%.