The mass protests held in cities around New York and the country could have helped spread coronavirus just as the state was beginning to reopen businesses amid a sustained decline in cases and deaths from the virus, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday. 

"We don't even know the consequence of the COVID virus for those mass gatherings," Cuomo said. "We won't even know for weeks. How many super spreaders were in that crowd? How many young people went home ... and spread a virus?"

What You Need To Know


  • New York has made strides against COVID-19.

  • But there are concerns with the spread of the virus at protests.

  • Western New York and the Capital Region could begin phase 2 of reopening this week.

  • Cuomo is worried those gains may be erased.

Fifty-four people have died from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, the lowest rate since the pandemic took hold in March. 

The western New York region is set to enter the second phase of reopening on Tuesday; the Capital Region could open by Wednesday, allowing for more people to return to offices and retail stores with proper social distancing guidelines in place.

New York City is set to enter phase one of reopening next Monday.  

Cuomo, however, expressed concerns the last several days of sometimes violent protest and unrest in communities across the state could erase the gains made in the pandemic. 

"We went from the worst situation on the global to actually reopening," Cuomo said. "We should be very proud. Just don't snatch defeat from the jaws of victory."

Cuomo's concerns reflect those of public health experts and officials who are struggling to find their footing as the nation faces a trio of problems: ending the spread of a deadly virus, curtailing the economic devastation that has left millions of people unemployed, and now handling the social unrest created by outrage over police brutality. 

The protests over the weekend, sparked by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, left cities facing curfews and confrontations between some demonstrators and police. 

Cuomo backed a package of reforms, which he said should be national in scale, including the disclosure of police disciplinary records when they are under investigation. He also wants the requirement that an independent prosecutor investigate cases in which civilians are killed during interactions with police. 

Lawmakers in New York are discussing a repeal of the police disciplinary records shield, known as 50-a, as well as a codification of the governor's order creating an independent investigator for civilian deaths. 

People could continue to protest peacefully, but "just be smart" when doing it, Cuomo said. 

Cuomo reiterated he stood with protesters who were demonstrating peacefully, but he urged against violence. 

"They're going to try to paint this whole protest movement [as] 'they're all criminals, they're all looters,' " Cuomo said. "Why? Because they don't want to talk about Mr. Floyd's death."