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WPCNR THURSDAY GOVERNOR ANDREW M. CUOMO CORONAVIRUS BRIEFING. By John F. Bailey. May 28, 2020:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo introduced a new Executive Order this morning, giving business owners the right to bar customers not wearing a mask to enter their stores.

He also introduced Chris Rock and Rosie Perez, two well-known entertainers from Brooklyn asked by the Governor to volunteer to help spread the message to wear masks everywhere in the city, and particularly in the hard hit communities in Brooklyn, The Bronx and Queens where  new coronavirus infections are double the rate  of the rest of New York City boroughs.

Mr. Rock, in the news conference said he estimated only about 40% of persons he has noticed to be wearing a mask.

Ms. Perez speaking the ‘Q & A” in the press conference that disputes arise in street retail stories between patrons telling an unmasked person they should bwe wearing a mask. She welcomed the governor’s new executive order giving storekeepers the right to bar patrons not wearing a mask  as they attempt to enter the store.

The Governor  said: “Facts today are looking good,” citing the lowest number of new infections (163) since the coronavirus started to spread.

Asked whether New York City with daily death rate from the virus running at 74 a day would have a higher threshold for opening than other regions, the governor said “New York City will have the same metrics as all other regions in the state.”

The governor said he would attempt to avoid layoffs in any cuts to the state budget, but he will not make cuts until he sees how much aid congress eventually provides to New York funding relief. He said he doubted it would be all that the state needs,.