Well this ought to do it. Despite holding in-person press conferences for months, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo now says that he's putting a swift end to them because it could be potentially dangerous to host them during the coronavirus pandemic. His team reportedly came to that conclusion following new guidance from the CDC.
Nearly 10 months into the pandemic @NYGovCuomo plans to cancel all in-person press conferences.
— Bernadette Hogan (@bern_hogan) December 8, 2020
“Given the new stricter CDC guidelines released Friday & the reality of rising cases in New York, going remote is now the most prudent action" @RichAzzopardi.https://t.co/ewkTuQOPRv
— Janice Dean (@JaniceDean) December 9, 2020
“Since the beginning, we’ve talked about the important role the media has played in educating the public about this pandemic and hand in hand we worked with the Legislative Correspondents Association to decrease room density, put protections in place and ensure that ever-evolving health and safety protocols were being followed,” Cuomo senior adviser Rich Azzopardi told The New York Post.
“Given the new stricter CDC guidelines released Friday and the reality of rising cases in New York, going remote is now the most prudent action," he added. "We are making every effort to protect public health and balance it with the need for reporters across the state to continue to have access and to do their jobs.”
It's just as well. Cuomo's press conferences were often combative, as he chose to sarcastically spar with reporters in the room rather than answer their questions. He will reportedly be switching to virtual press conferences.
What's ironic is that it was Cuomo's press conferences that earned him an Emmy.
Gov Andrew M Cuomo of NY will receive the International Emmy Founders Award in recognition of his leadership during the Covid19 pandemic & his masterful use of TV to inform & calm people around the world. The Emmy will be presented to @NYGovCuomo on Nov 23 https://t.co/dwKIImwYNV pic.twitter.com/1mKkmg6FKW
— International Emmy Awards (@iemmys) November 20, 2020
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