New York City began the process of reopening Monday after being closed for three months in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
An estimated 400,000 people could return to work as nonessential retail stores are allowed to reopen for curbside pickup. Manufacturing and construction are also allowed to resume.
New York City is the last area of the state to meet all the metrics required to enter phase one of reopening — and the news was celebrated by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
"We are back. We are back. And not only are we back, but we went from the worst situation in the nation, frankly one of the worst situations on the globe, to not only flattening the curve but the bending the curve," he said.
New York City was previously the U.S. epicenter of coronavirus cases; one in five of the country's coronavirus deaths were in the city.
