New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said casinos statewide and NYC malls can open Sept. 9 but stayed mum on movie theaters in a press briefing Thursday dedicated mainly to ripping President Donald Trump in an escalating war of words between the two pols.
The omission is a blow to theater owners as Tenet, the first major wide release is set to debut nationally and screens in neighboring states Connecticut and New Jersey will be open for business.
Casinos are limited to 25% occupancy with distancing and no food or beverages on the floor. NYC malls can open at 50% capacity with MERV-13 filters, masks, distancing and no indoor dining – which is already allowed everywhere in the state except New York City. Malls are also open elsewhere. The City Council is pushing hard for indoor dining, which is also open in Connecticut, and New Jersey, but Cuomo said NYC hasn’t proven it can ensure compliance with safety protocols.
As his Twitter battle with President Trump continued into Thursday morning, Cuomo said, “If this [COVID] was an actual war, he would be court-martialled for dereliction of duty.”
Trump on Wednesday threatened to “defund” New York City and other Democratic-run cities with “anarchists institutions” that have been the site of protests. The president also continued to hit Cuomo about nursing home COVID deaths, and ongoing probes into the President’s family business.
Cuomo said he’s mystified by Trump’s efforts to keep his tax returns from being released. “I release my tax returns. There must be something he really doesn’t want people to see.” The Manhattan District Attorney’s office has subpoenaed eight years of tax returns as part of a criminal investigation of Trump’s businesses.
Cuomo said Trump will lose New York “because those who know the President the best like him the least.”