Malliotakis demands mayor be more specific on Phase 2

June 17, 2020 Jaime DeJesus

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Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis is calling out Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plans to reopen the city and businesses as Phase 2 of the plans seem uncertain.

“I spoke with the Governor’s Office yesterday to ensure that we are on track for Phase II on Monday,” said Malliotakis. “We fought very hard to get outdoor dining included in this phase and Mayor de Blasio better not stand in the way. He seems to be very disconnected and just needs to help us reopen safely or get out of the way. To continue a double standard where it is ok for protesters to gather in large numbers without social distancing but continue to keep small businesses that follow the rules shut down is unfair and detrimental to our economy.“

De Blasio has been cautious to confirm that Phase 2 will begin on its originally proposed date of Monday, June 22.

“The earliest date we could go is Monday,” he said on Wednesday. “It’s a decision we’re going to make very closely with the state. We’re all mindful that we had a very unusual situation with the protests and we’re going to see, we believe the fuller impact, if any, of the protests, in terms of our health indicators around this weekend, maybe into the first few days of next week – that’s an important factor here.

“Also seeing the impact of phase one itself, obviously, which is much bigger than the protests in the sense of, you know, several hundred thousand people each day, going back to work every day for the full workday. We are watching to see how these things are affecting the reality.”

However, Gov. Cuomo said on Wednesday that the city is on track for Phase 2 on June 22.

“The numbers are good, so New York is on track to enter phase two on Monday,” he said.

Following a meeting with local businesses on June 10 in Bay Ridge, Malliotakis stressed the importance of helping local businesses survive.

“Kim Chee is closing after nearly 20 years [in Bay Ridge],” she said. “These restaurants can’t survive if they don’t reopen soon. The bottom line is we need the mayor to take action and not delay the process anymore.”